Chris De La Rosa, Author at CaribbeanPot.com

Do you have things you refused to eat as a kid, but find that as an adult you have a new appreciation for them? There’s quite a few dishes that would make my list, but (and I really tried) caraili is something I could never like. Caraili, bitter melon or as it’s known in India… karela, just isn’t for me. I tried what my mom and friends on the facebook fan page suggested to remove the overly bitter taste and though it did make a huge difference, it still reminded me of a hot Guinness. With the majority of kids on the islands disliking this dish for as long as time itself, who’s carrying on the tradition of cooking and enjoy this? BTW, see the bottom of this page to read a little about the nutritional benefits for bitter melon (caraili).

For those of you who like this dish, but never got around to making it yourself or if you’re someone who like to try new and different things, here’s a quick recipe. And according to my dad, a delicious one. You be the judge!

*You’ll notice that I posted this recipe under “Fish” as well as “Vegetarian”. To make it fully vegetarian, you can leave out the salted cod pieces but remember to taste for salt at the end. Additionally, you can add a little curry powder to it for another layer of flavor.

You’ll Need…

2 average size Caraili (sliced thin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/4 hot pepper (I used habanero)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I prefer to use olive oil)
1/4 cup of shredded salt fish (salted cod)
*salt for cooking (most likely you will not need any)

There’s a little prep time needed for this dish to help remove some of the bitter taste. Cut off the ends and discard, Then cut in half and using your fingers push down the inside to remove the seeds etc. An easy way is to make a cut down the middle (length) and use a spoon to scoop out the inside(refer to pics below). Then slice as thin as you can.

Discard everything you removed from the inside and start slicing (crosswise) as thin as you can. To help remove the bitter taste, place the slices on a dish and sprinkle with the salt. Allow that to sit for at least 30 minutes (I left mine for 1 hour). This will draw out most of the bitterness.

Now using your hands or a tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid will come out. The next step is to rinse with cool water, squeeze again and repeat this step one more time. Try to get as much water/liquid out as possible.

While this was sitting salted, I prepared my salted cod. I placed it in a bowl with hot water and allowed it to soak until the water cooled. This step is to remove some of the salt and to add some moisture back to the salted cod as the salting process dries the fish out. I then rinse with cool water, squeeze dry and shred.

In a heavy pan heat the oil on medium heat, then add the garlic, onion and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes – until the edges start browning. Now add the shredded salted cod… lower the heat a bit so it doesn’t stick/burn and cook for about 5 minutes. You want to get that rich salt fish flavor. Remember if you going vegetarian, you’ll skip this part. Now it’s time to add the sliced caraili and stir.

With the heat on medium/low, cook this with the pot uncovered for about 25 minutes or until you start seeing the edges start going brown (refer to the pic below). Since we salted this early as we prepped it and though we did rinse it off, the salted cod we add should have added enough salt to the entire dish. however, feel free to taste and add salt if required. I didn’t need any. It may start to stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking, so do take time ever few minutes to stir. If you find that it’s overly dry and not browning, add another teaspoon of oil to the pot.

Caraili are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.

Caraili or bitter melon, contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.

Do you have a caraili memory from your childhood days? Leave me your comments below, as I’d love to know how many of you have a dislike for this as I do. And don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos and join us on Facebook (see images on the upper right side of this page)

Vegetarian

Ground Provisions Exposed.

May 28, 2025January 4, 201128 Comments

In this post I’ll attempt to explain what “Ground Provisions” are, the part it plays in Caribbean cuisine and a simple recipe for preparing everyday ground provisions. In previous recipes I’ve shared, I’ve commented on using ground provisions and over time I’ve come to realize that I had left my readers a bit confused when I did. It’s one of those things where you assume everyone knows what you’re speaking about and don’t give it much thought.

Ground Provision, Provision, Blue Food, Dry Food, Food For The Back, Country Food… yes, I just had to add some more confusion to the mix. These are just some of the other names people use when the refer to ground provision in the Caribbean (BTW if you have a different name for ground provision, do share with us in the comments below). And though it’s called “Ground” not all the items are directly from the ground. Ground provision or provision is one of the main staples I grew up on living in Trinidad and Tobago. That rice and flour made up a major part of our diet. I guess it can be compared to the way potato is used globally.

So what is considered provisions? Yam, Sweet potato, eddoes, dasheen, taro, tania, cassava, breadfruit, plantain, moko and green fig (banana). And for the most part, the most common way of preparing the majority of items, is by boiling. Like in the recipe I’m about to share below…

You’ll Need…

4 medium eddoes
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 taro (about 2lbs)
1 teaspoon salt

* I went looking for dasheen in the grocery store and saw what I thought was dasheen, but they had it labeled as Taro.
* Tip – When working with ground provisions, it’s best if you rub some cooking oil all over your hands or use a pair of latex gloves, as you may find that your hands may itch from handling them when peeling.

Peel the eddoes, sweet potato and taro and cut into chunky pieces, but make sure they’re about the same size (I usually just cut the sweet potato and eddoes in halves) so they cook uniformly. If you’re peeling them in advance of cooking, be sure to place them in a deep bowl and cover with cool water to prevent them from going discoloured.

I’ve seen where people put a pot of water to boil, then add the provisions, but I much prefer to place the peeled provisions into a deep pot, cover with water and then bring to a boil on a high heat. When it comes to a boil, you then add the salt and turn the heat down to a simmer.

As it boils you’ll notice some stuff start to settle at the top, that’s mainly starch and other impurities that you can spoon off and discard.

Allow this to boil for about 20 minutes or until you can pierce through a piece with a sharp knife without any resistance. While cooking this taro I noticed that it did cook faster than the sweet potato and eddoes, so I would suggest you either remove the taro after 15 minutes or so, or add them to the pot after the other provisions have been cooking for about 5 minutes. I much prefer removing, as if you add it during the cooking process it will lower the heat within the pot and you’ll have to adjust the heat.

The next step is to drain as you would if you were boiling potatoes and then enjoy. The options now are endless as you can re-fry these as I did in the “yam recipe” and the “cassava” recipe or eat them with stewed meats, make a pie as I saw being made in Tobago with bread fruit or simply top with some butter and/or cheese and enjoy. Two classic combinations for ground provisions are provision with tomato and salt fish and provision with saltfish buljol. And if you like eddoes, be sure to check out the eddoes talkari recipe I shared a while back.

With the provision I cooked above I had it with stewed pork – see pic below:

One of the things the majority of us from the Caribbean miss when we leave the shores of our beautiful islands is definitely the abundance and ease of getting fresh ground provisions. Whenever I get homesick I rush out to the many ethnic grocery stores to find some yam, dasheen, eddoes, green bananas or cassava (as a last resort only) and if I’m lucky I can score a breadfruit. A classic “oil down” using breadfruit simmered in stewed pork and coconut milk is the ultimate in comfort food for me. Not only is it packed with many layers of flavours, but it takes me back to my childhood when my dad and his friends would be up all night playing “all fours” and the menu for the night was oil down.

Yes, provisions makes up a huge part of everyday Caribbean culture and cuisine… what would Saturday soup be without provision?

During world war 2 when everything imported was rationed, my dad told me that provision was “king”, as there wasn’t much rice and flour entering the islands. And those who once frowned on what was considered “poor or country people” food, had no choice to to resort to eating it.

Leave me your comments below or join us on facebook for the lively discussions.

Vegetarian

Curry Bodi With Potato A Vegetarian Delight.

March 5, 2012December 28, 201038 Comments

If you were to look up the word “carnivore” in the dictionary, you may just see a pic of me with a huge smile licking my chops. Just about every meal I eat contains meat of some sort, but there are days when I feel “dirty inside” and must skip the meats altogether. Today is such a day! I had this bundle of bodi sitting in the fridge a few days now and originally I was going to cook it with salted cod, but I decided to go full vegetarian with this one instead.

You’ll Need…

1 bundle of bodi (about 1 lb)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 medium tomato diced
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1/4 cup water for cooking curry
1 1/2 cup water
2 medium potato diced.
dash of black pepper

Notes:

Bodi – If you live outside the Caribbean, it can be found in West Indian food markets as well as Asian groceries. In the Asian stores it may be called “Yard bean, long bean, Chinese long bean, snake bean, pea bean”. If you can’t get bodi, a good substitute is green or french beans.

The scotch bonnet or Habanero is optional, but adds that unique island twist to this dish. feel free to use any spicy pepper you like instead.

I like using traditional Caribbean curry powder as I find that it’s much different than the curry that comes out of India/Asia. If you can, get one that’s
made in Trinidad and Tobago.. leave me a message if you’d like some recommendations.

Get started by trimming the bodi into the size we need. Remove the ends of the bean and discard (about 1/8 inch on both ends), then cut into one inch pieces. I remember my mom doing this as a kid and still prefer to snap them as she would do, rather than cut with a knife. But it’s much faster cutting with a knife. Then peel the potato and place in the same bowl as the trimmed bodi and rinse off with cool water and drain. Have the onion, garlic and pepper ready.

In a fairly deep sauce pan, heat the oil over medium/high heat, then add 1/2 of the onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper and allow to cook for a couple minutes (till ends start going brown). Now add the curry powder and black pepper and stir (turn down the heat a little to allow this to cook for 3-4 minutes without burning). It will become grainy and go dark, that is natural. Now add the 1/4 cup of water (the room will explode with a wonderful scent or bloomed curry) and bring it up to a boil and allow it to cook until that liquid burns off (about 4 minutes).

When the liquid burns off (like a curry paste) it’s time to start adding the other ingredients. Add the bodi, potato and the rest of the onion and give it a good stir. Then add the salt and the 1 1/4 cups water, bring that to a boil by turning up the heat, then lower it to a gentle simmer. Make sure the lid is slightly ajar and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

After 20 minutes of simmering the potato and bodi should be tender, but there may still be a bit runny liquid, so we’ll now turn up the heat to burn that off. But first, add the diced tomato and cook for about 5 minutes. Typically this dish does not have much of a sauce or gravy, but I like a little gravy to eat my roti… my choice. If you’d like to give this another level of flavor to what is an already exciting dish, you can add some coconut milk.

If you’re looking for a step by step roti recipe, use the search box on the right side of the page. I think there’s 3 different recipes for roti posted so far. Before you go, show me some love by leaving a comment below and don’t forget to join us on Facebook – click on image on the upper right side of this page.

Meat & Poultry

A Sizzling Caribbean Beef Soup.

March 5, 2012December 18, 201049 Comments

I could never get used to this winter thing, no matter how long I’ve been calling this place home. The short days, constant overcast conditions (I’ve seen the sun 3 times so far this month and it’s already the 19th) and the bitter cold that seems to have arrived earlier than I expected. As I post this recipe, it’s about -12 C and it will only get colder as we move in January and February. On such cold days the order of the day is a good Caribbean soup or… a sunny vacation and that eh happening.. Like the other soup recipes I’ve shared in the past, this one will have the consistency and texture of a North American stew, but you’ll find that it will be much more sizzling and explosive!

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs beef bones (get ones with a bit of meat)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic sliced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large carrot diced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 scallion diced
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
dash ground allspice
2 cups beef broth
4 cups water
3 medium eddoes
3 medium potatoes
3 medium sweet potato
4 green bananas (fig)
1lb cassava (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
1 pack Grace cock soup
1 1/2 cup flour (for dumpling)
1/4 cup water for dumplings

Rinse off the beef bones, since the saw they used to cut the bones may leave back a bit of grit. Dry with some paper towels and get ready to brown. In a large pot heat the oil over medium/high heat, then add the beef bones. If you can’t source beef bones, feel free to use any cheap cut of boneless beef instead. Allow that to brown for about 5 minutes, then add the onion and garlic. Let it cook another 3 minutes or so, then add the thyme, black pepper, ground allspice, salt, scallion and carrot pieces. Top with the beef broth and 4 cups of water and add the scotch bonnet pepper (whole). Bring that up to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. This will cook for about 1 hour to get the pieces of meat on the bones, tender.

While this cooks, I prepare the rest of the ingredients. Peel the potato, sweet potato, eddoes, green bananas and cassava if you’re using fresh. I opted to use frozen cassava, which is just as good as the fresh ones and easily available in many grocery stores. I usually cut these into halves, so they cook the same time. Give them a rinse under cool water and then place them in a bowl where they can all fit. Top that with water so it doesn’t go discolored.

After 1 hour, remove the bones from the pot and set aside. Now add the eddoes, green banana, cassava (if you’re using frozen cassava as I did, do check the cooking time on the package and adjust accordingly), potato and sweet potato. The next step is to add the Grace Cock Soup mix into the pot and bring this up to a gentle boil (covered). Allow this to cook for about 20 minutes.

The bones we removed should be cool now. Remove any meat you can off the bones and return that to the pot. The bones you can discard as they will be very tough and have no real use. It’s then time to prepare the dough for the dumplings.

In a medium size bowl, put the flour and a dash of sugar (optional) and start with 1/4 cup water. I’m not the best at kneading flour, so I usually start off using a fork. I work the four until it forms a crude ball, then I go in with my hands. Add water accordingly as you knead the dough. You need a somewhat firm dough ball. Allow that to rest for about 5 minutes.

Using the tip of a knife, pierce a piece of the eddoes (any of the ground provision) and if there’s no resistance, it means it’s cooked. Should take about 15-20 minutes from the time you added them. Pinch off small pieces of dough and using the palms of both hands work that to form the shape of a cigarette (see pics below). Add them to the pot as you go along. If you find that the dough is sticking to your hand, use some flour on your hands.

After you’ve added all the dumplings, give it a good stir to ensure all the dumplings are covered by liquid. Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes, then you’re done. If you have “salt butter” GoldenRay butter, feel free to add a small piece. Now you can fish the whole pepper out of the pot, or if you want that true Caribbean flavour, burst it open to release the Sizzle!

Note: When peeling the ground provisions (eddoes, cassava and green banana) rub some oil over your hands or use gloves, as you may find that your hands may itch a bit after.

If you find that you can’t get the Grace cock soup, a good substitute is any sort of quick-cook chicken noodle soup (like Liptons) or check for a Maggi cube or soup mix. For more soup recipes, check the links mentioned below. And before you go I’d really appreciate it if you could leave me a comment below – even if it’s just to say hello. And don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook, by clicking on the image on the upper right side of the page. That’s also where you’ll find the link to all the cooking videos.

Meat & Poultry

Tantalizing Trini Geera Pork.

May 27, 2025December 11, 201065 Comments

I’d like to make it clear that tough I may use the term “Trini” from time to time, it’s no intention to leave out my country folks from Tobago. This recipe is uniquely Trinbagonian, as with many of the recipes I share on this blog. I’m no fan of geera (Cumin) and I’ve only tried this dish once before and it was more out of respect that I did. I didn’t want to offend our host when they had this prepared for us during a recent trip down the islands. However, I’ve found that I do like the way my recipe turned out and it made me change my mind about not liking geera. Seems “yuh boi have sweet hand after all“…

My search for the perfect geera pork recipe saw me hit a number of websites online and the one thing I did see mention was that geera pork is considered a “cutters”. Like how the Spaniards have tapas, a snack enjoyed while sampling “beverages”. This I didn’t really agree on, since I do know that this dish makes its way on many dinner tables on the islands as well. Another thing I noticed in the recipes I found is that there are a few variations of making this. Some people use whole geera seeds (cumin seeds) and toast them a bit then add the seasoned pork. While others add the same roasted ground geera that I used, but at the end. Nigel on facebook commented that to avoid any sort of “bitter” taste, that the geera should be added near the end of cooking. Thanks for the tip Nigel.

Here’s my foolproof way of making geera pork…

You’ll Need…

3 lbs pork – 3/4 inch cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium tomato diced
1 scotch bonnet pepper (any hot pepper… I used habanero)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon green seasoning
4 leaves shado beni chopped or 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
2 small onions sliced (divided)
4 cloves garlic sliced thin or crushed
2 cups water
2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 heaping tablespoon roasted geera powder (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (I used a Caribbean style madras curry blend)

* I used a piece of pork from the leg which had a good marble effect with little bits of fat, but with this dish I’m sure that a leaner piece would work if you’re concerned about the fat. However I do like the moist way the end product is without the use of lean meat. In the end it’s your choice.

Start by cutting the pork into small pieces, about 3/4 inch thick. Then pour the lime or lemon juice over it in a bowl and rise off with cool water. Drain well and season as follows: add the tomato, salt, black pepper, curry powder, 1 onion sliced, green seasoning, shado beni or cilantro and hot pepper. Yes, we’re using a whole pepper for this one, but it’s only because this dish is known for being extra hot. But you can adjust to your own tolerance. You’ll also notice that I used a tiny bit of curry powder and other recipes will not have that listed. I love the extra level of flavour this adds to the dish while marinating.

Give it a good stir and allow it to marinate for a couple hrs in the fridge. The next step is to heat the oil on medium/high heat (in a heavy pot if you have one) then add the the next onion (sliced) and the garlic. Allow that to cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the edges start to go brown. Now add the roasted geera powder, but turn down the heat to medium/low so we can cook this for a few minutes without it actually burning. BTW if you’re shopping for a good heavy pot, check out the full options at Cast Iron Pots.

It should become a bit thick and start sticking to the bottom of the pot… that’s normal. The aroma will be intense, but wonderful! Now it’s time to add the seasoned pork to the pot. Add a few pieces at a time and stir as you go along. You want to pick up all the geera paste we created with the pieces of meat, so everything is coated.

Empty the entire contents of the bowl that had the seasoned pork. Now bring it up to a boil, then lower it to a simmer and with the lid on… allow it to cook for about 20 minutes. It will spring up it’s own natural juices.After 20 minutes turn up the heat to high and cook off all that liquid. Takes about 5 minutes. Try to make sure the bottom of the pot is completely dry, then add the 2 cups of water. Bring it up to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer (covered) and allow to cook for another 45 minutes or so (I like it tender). If you find that it’s tender enough for you at this point, turn up the heat and allow all the remaining liquid to burn off.This is usually served without any gravy, but I love me some gravy so I didn’t cook off all the liquid.

The complete meal this day consisted of brown rice, dhal and the geera pork. I was quite surprised how delicious it turned out, knowing that I had little love for geera (cumin) and the best part – I didn’t have heartburn problems after

Show me some love by leaving a comment below, even if it’s just to say hello – it’s appreciated. Don’t forget to join us on face book, by clicking on the image on the upper right side of the page.

Seafood

Appetizing Caribbean Stew Fish.

March 5, 2012December 1, 201023 Comments

Earlier today I mentioned on the Facebook Fan Page that I had a severe craving for stew fish with a healthy serving of brown rice, but I didn’t have time to go to the fish market to source out my favorite fish, King Fish. However I did have a sea bass in the freezer that escaped going on the grill over the summer. I wasn’t sure how well the Sea Bass would stand up to this recipe and some of the people who commented on Facebook also shared my concern. So basically this recipe was a sort of experiment, but it turned out to be a lovely substitute for the King fish I much rather using. I’ve also seen my mom use, red fish, jack fish, salmon and carite (mackerel) when making this dish.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs fish (I used sea bass)
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
medium onion sliced
medium tomato sliced
1/4 hot pepper (scotch bonnet or habanero) or 1/4 teaspoon hotsauce
1/2 teaspoon green seasoning
1 scallion
veg oil for frying the fish (about 1-2 cups)
flour for dusting the fish for frying (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
3 cloves garlic crushed/sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1 lime or lemon

Trim off the fins etc, cut into 1-2 inch pieces and squeeze the lime or lemon juice over it in a bowl and rinse with water (then drain). I kept the head, but to be honest I much prefer to use it for stock or making fish broth. I then season the fish and have it marinate for about 30 minutes or so. In the bowl with the washed fish pieces, add everything except the tomato paste, oil for frying, flour, olive oil and water.

To help the fish keep it’s shape while stewing and to follow on the traditional way I know of making this dish, we’ll quickly fry the fish pieces. Place the oil to heat in a pan on medium/high heat. Then shake off the seasoned fish pieces (keep the stuff that falls off in the bowl) and roll them in the flour to form a sort of coating. Then add to the hot oil and allow it to cook about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then set aside to drain off any excess oil on paper towels.

In a fairly wide and deep saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat, then add the tomato, onions, garlic.. etc that the fish was marinating in (scrape the bowl clean). Allow this to cook for a couple minutes (stir), then add the tomato paste (another option if you don’t have tomato paste, is Caribbean style browning – about1/4 teaspoon). Now add the 3/4 cup of water, then gently add in the fish pieces. Give them a gentle stir so the sauce gets to “marry” with the fish pieces and heighten the flavour of the overall dish. Allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes, so the sauce (gravy) can have time to thicken up a bit. Enjoy!

Yea, this one hit the spot today for sure and I quite surprised how well the Sea Bass held up. But, I was very careful when handing it. No fish meal in the Caribbean is complete without a few slices of cucumber on the side. Please leave me your comments below as I’d love to hear from you. Maybe you have a different version of this you’d like to share? And don’t forget to join us on Facebook to chat about all things food related and the culture of the Caribbean. Click on the image on the upper right side of this page to get started. we’d love to have you.

Meat & Poultry

Simple Chicken Liver And Gizzard.

May 27, 2025November 27, 201063 Comments

The majority of people I know are turned off by liver and when you mention chicken gizzards they have this look on their face as if they think I’m joking. People actually eat gizzards? I don’t blame the average North American for disliking liver as I too was turned off the first time I had liver at a local restaurant. A coworker insisted we go out for lunch at a pub that had liver and onions on special. The texture, smell and overall taste was not appealing. It was nothing close to the liver and gizzards that my mom would make with dhal and rice for dinner.

During my childhood on the islands I remember my mom having a bag in the freezer where she would put the chicken liver and gizzard from the weekly chicken we’d buy from the chicken farm, until she had enough for a meal. My job back then was to “feather” the chicken and I can safely tell you that I don’t miss that chore. Our mom hated the automatic “plucker” that the farm had, as she thought that it bruised the meat of the chicken. So little ole me had to hand pluck the chicken every Sunday morning.

Here’s my rendition of the recipe my mom would use back then.

You’ll Need…

1lb chicken liver
1 lb chicken hearts and gizzards
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1 small onion sliced
1/2 medium tomato sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced or crushed
1 scallion diced (green onion)
1/2 teaspoon green seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (dark)
1/4 hot pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup

Start off by cutting the gizzards into small pieces (about 1/2 inch), but cut the liver into bigger chunks (I’ll explain why later). Place in a bowl and squeeze in the lime or lemon juice, mix well and rinse with cool water. Drain off all the excess water and let’s season this so it can marinate. Add the following to the bowl.. salt, black pepper, green seasoning, tomato, hot pepper (optional – can use hot sauce as well), scallion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the oil on medium/high heat in a pan, then add the seasoned gizzard and hearts ONLY! This is why I suggested above that you keep the pieces of liver a bit bigger, so you can fish them out and keep them aside. Since liver cooks very fast we won’t be adding it to the pot until much later. So go ahead and add the gizzard and heart pieces, as well as any of the marinade. Give it good stir and add the ketchup and soy sauce. This will help it achieve some colour or it will be rather pale. Add the 1/4 cup of water and ring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid and allow it to cook for about for 25-30 minutes. The gizzard will take a while to get tender. Stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes there should still be a bit of liquid in the pot and the gizzard should be tender. Here is when we add the seasoned liver we set aside earlier. After adding the liver, turn up the heat to medium, give it a good stir and cover the pot. Let that cook for 3 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook for another 3 minutes. My mom would turn up the heat if at this point the gravy was thin, since we enjoyed it with little or no gravy.

Check this observation I made over the years. I remember when I first moved to Canada way back when… you could get a huge pack of chicken liver and gizzards at the grocery store for under a dollar. Today, you have to be lucky to even find it in the meat section and if you do, the price is almost as high as buying chicken breast. The influx of immigrants created a huge demand for such things. And butchers are only too happy to cash in. The same can be said for pig feet, oxtail, goat, etc.

If you’re not daring enough to try the gizzards and hearts, do try the liver only. Just season as above and cook no more than 6 minutes in total on high heat, or you’ll wreck the liver. And before you go I’d like to ask you to leave me a comment below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated. BTW, have you connected with us on facebook yet?

Meat & Poultry

Fry Aloo With Corned Beef.

March 5, 2012November 24, 201023 Comments

I was hoping to be a bit more creative with the title of the post, but it is what it is. After posting a pic on the Facebook fan site asking everyone to guess what I had cooking on the stove, someone responded by saying it was corned beef hash. Rewind a few years back and we were on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship en route to Antigua when I had my first experience with corned beef hash. Not until the person on Facebook said it looked like corned beef hash, did I clue in as to why I love it so much. I went every day after, up to the main buffet while on the cruise, hunting down corned beef hash. This fry aloo and corned beef was a hit of mine since I was a kid and that hash satisfied some serious craving.

Whenever my mom would have leftover corned beef from the day before, she would add it to the fry aloo the next morning for breakfast. I also recall she would add leftover, stew chicken, beef and/or pork… gosh those were some good days for sure!

With the leftover corned beef I saw sitting in the fridge, I knew the time was right to make this dish. For those of you who’ve been following my cooking exploits to date, will recall I did both at fry aloo and corned beef recipe a while back. And for those of you wondering what “aloo” is, it’s just another word for potato.

So here’s the Caribbean take on corned beef hash.

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold to get that nice creamy texture)
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic (sliced thin)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)
1/2 cup left over fry corned beef (see link above for that recipe)

Note: If you don’t have any left over corned beef, use 1/3 can of a good canned corned beef. My fave is Hereford, as it’s the least fatty of the ones I’ve tried in the past. Simply empty it into the fried potato and mix it in. No need for the other ingredients I used in the normal corned beef recipe.

Peel, wash and slice the potato in somewhat thin slices. I usually cut each in half (long way), then slice. Give it a quick rinse under cool water to remove some of the starch. Then heat the oil in a pan and add the sliced onion, garlic and hot pepper and allow that to cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Until you start seeing golden edges.

Drain off the potato if you had it sitting in water to prevent it from going discolored and add the slices to the pan. Give it a good stir so everything gets coated with the onion and garlic. Turn down the heat to medium / low, cover the pot and allow that to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on this as it will start sticking to the bottom of the pan – that’s natural. So stir every 3-4 minutes and turn down the heat if you find that it’s sticking too much.

Those brown bits at the bottom of the pot is where the real flavor in this dish is. Trust me! After the 20 minutes or so, the potato should be falling apart and tender (see pic above). It’s time to add the left over corned beef, or a 1/3 of a new can. Give it a good stir and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open. You don’t want this going overly soggy.

I can eat this all by itself, but it’s great with sada roti or fry bake , as a side for breakfast with eggs etc and you can always grab some bread (slice, hops, pita..etc) and make some sandwiches. Before you rush to the kitchen to whip up a batch of this, please leave me your comments below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated! Don’t forget to join the commess (chat) on facebook by clicking on the image on the right side (upper part of the page).

Meat & Poultry

A Zesty Souse Recipe Inspired By A Cure For Hangovers.

May 27, 2025November 22, 201033 Comments

I’m not much of a drinker, though I do enjoy a good Scotch ever so often and I do appreciate a Guinness or two when I’m on the islands (stronger than the ones we get here in North America). So having to deal with hangovers is something that’s completely foreign to me. I recall my uncle making this dish quite often, as he was a true connoisseur of the “rum” and dealing with hangovers were part of his routine. Aside from souse, he also made a deadly fish broth, that I still crave to this day. Souse is traditionally made with parts of the pig that’s not really glamorous, but when I asked the butcher if she had any pig’s feet left, she told me they were all sold out. Imagine that!

Souse is basically a cold pickled soup, that’s marinated for a couple hours after you assemble it and it’s full of flavours from the peppers and pickling process. I guess it could be considered a light soup by our standards, especially since it’s not really filling (you’d have to eat a bucket full).

* Since I was unable to get the pig feet I went looking for I opted for the next best thing I could find, which was pork hocks. But I’m sure you could use pork bones or rib ends to make this with success. And if all fails, you can always use chicken feet.

You’ll Need…

1lb pork hocks
1/2 medium red onion sliced thin
juice of 4 limes
1 hot pepper sliced thin (use habanero or scotch bonnet for best results)
dash fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (but do taste after marinating to adjust to your liking)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
4 cups water
1 cucumber sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (traditionally shado beni is used, but I didn’t have any)

Wash the hocks or whatever parts you were able to source, then place in a deep pot with water – add the couple cloves of garlic and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow it to cook for a couple hours covered – until the meat starts falling off the bones. If you have a pressure cooker, do your thing.

Then drain the cooked meat and give it a good rinse under cool water and set it aside to cool down. Now prepare all the ingredients for the sort of pickling process. Slice the onion, pepper, cucumber and cilantro. if you’re using shado beni, use about 4-6 leaves.

By now the meat should be cooled enough to work with. Strip away the meat off the bone in small pieces and place in a large bowl. Traditionally the skin is also added in some instances, but I’m trying to live a little healthier, so out with the skin… but I did keep the bones. Then add all the stuff we sliced, the salt, fresh ground black pepper, lime juice and water and give it a good stir.

Now here’s where you’ll need a little patience, since the smell will be alluring and you’ll be tempted to dig in right away. The combination of the lime juice, fresh sliced cucumber and hot pepper gives this an amazing aroma. Cover this and allow it to marinate for a couple hours. I’ve seen some people add the garlic just before the marinating process with the other fresh ingredients, but I much prefer to add it during the boiling of the meat, just to infuse the meat with it’s flavor and not over-power the main dish.

Thoughts? Leave me your comments below an do tell your friends about this and all the wonderful recipes on the site. And before you go, please join us on Facebook by clicking on the Facebook image on the right side of the page or here >>> Caribbean Recipes On Facebook.

Meat & Poultry

Scrumptious Island Stew Chicken With Chick Peas.

May 27, 2025November 17, 201029 Comments

This dish takes me back to when I first moved to Canada and would hang out with my cousin and her husband. He’s the one who got me into lifting weights way back when. After work they would pick me up and head over to their place where we’d work out in their home gym and my cousin usually had this simmering on the stove for us after we were done working out. Our evenings consisted of working out, having dinner and playing a bootleg copy of Tetris. Good ole days!

You’ll Need…

4 lbs chicken – cut into serving size pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger – crushed/sliced
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4cup water
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (I used Habanero)
1 green onion or chive (scallion) – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon green seasoning
1 can chickpeas (Channa) 540 ml/194 fl oz

* I used chicken legs since I love the flavor you get from dark meat. If using chicken breast, I would sill toss in a couple pieces of dark meat just to balance things a bit.

In a large bowl place the cut pieces of chicken and pour the vinegar/lime or lemon juice and work between all the pieces of chicken. Rinse with cool water and drain. Then add all the ingredients, except the oil, sugar, chick peas and water. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or 2 hours to get best results.

In a large heavy pot – I used an enameled cast iron pot, as I didn’t want to dig for the iron pot I got in Trinidad a few years back. A heavy pot enables better distribution of heat and makes stewing the meat much easier. Heat the oil on high heat, then add the brown sugar and stir. This is a bit of a tricky process and it’s important you get it right. No worries, I have faith in you. You want the sugar to completely dissolve, then start going frothy and finally it will go to a rich dark brown colour. DON”T let it go black or really dark brown or it will give the dish a bitter taste. Follow with the pics below.

As soon as you get the rich dark brown colour, add the pieces of seasoned chicken and stir so every piece gets colored with the caramel we just made. Use a spoon with a long handle when putting the seasoned chicken into the pot, as the hot oil/sugar combo can cause some splattering. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium/low, cover the pot and allow that to cook for 15 minutes (stir occasionally).

If there’s any marinade left in the bowl – keep it. While this cooks, open and rinse the can of channa (chick peas). I like to rinse any canned beans I use as I don’t care for the liquid it’s packed in, plus it’s usually loaded in sodium. After a good rinse, empty it into to bowl with the left over marinade.

By this time the chicken should have a nice rich brown colour. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to cook off all the liquid which developed as the lid was on. The key is to burn off ALL that liquid.

As soon as the liquid burns off, add the leftover marinade and chick peas to the pot. Give it a good stir and add the 3/4 cup of water. Bring this up to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow this to cook for about 12 minutes. Stir a couple times during this cooking period. After 10-12 minutes, check to see if the gravy is runny or thick. If you find that it’s too thin, turn up the heat and cook off some of the liquid. For me,, the perfect consistency is like a stew or thick soup as I usually eat this on a bed of rice and love thick gravy.

Give this one a try – it’s loaded with flavour and I’m sure it will be a hit with your family and friends! Please leave me your comments or questions below as it’s always appreciated. Even if it’s just to say hello. And don’t forget to check out the links at the side for the Cooking Videos, connect with me on Twitter and to join our select group on Facebook. See the images on the right side of the page to get started. And before I go I’d like to invite you to check out our new store, stocked with everyday cooking items. Including the cast iron pot I used in making this recipe. Browse The Caribbean Store. Do check out the huge selection of pepper sauces (Hot sauces) while you’re there!

Breakfast Vegetarian

Eggs In a Classic Curry Sauce.

May 28, 2025November 13, 201044 Comments

This is really known as “curry eggs” and when potato is added it’s called “curry eggs and aloo”, but I just had to give it a more dignified name. For those of you who’ve never had this, you’re probably debating the use of eggs in a curry, but trust me – it’s wonderful. After posting a teaser on the facebook fan page it was clear that quite a few people (even those from the islands) have never experienced this dish. Some had reservations about the eggs and curry combination, while others raved about how tasty a meal this can be. I have to agree with the tasty verdict.

You’ll Need…

4 boiled eggs
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced thin (or crushed)
1/2 tomato sliced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 scallion
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (I used habanero)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
salt to taste (less than 1/4 teaspoon)

* When using hot peppers you can minimize the heat factor by not using the seeds.

*NOTE! You’ll notice that I placed this post within the vegetarian section. I did some research online and found that some vegetarians do eat eggs and dairy, so to avoid any nasty emails and comments… if you’re a vegetarian and don’t partake in eggs please accept my apologies for posting this within this section. Sadly, I do receive hate mail for simple things like this.

Prepare the onion, hot pepper, garlic, scallion and tomato and set aside. Then put the eggs to boil. Here’s a tip I got from Caron when she makes her pasta salad and boils eggs – you’ll get perfectly boiled eggs every time. Put the eggs to boil on a medium to high flame (cover eggs with cold water and bring to a boil), then as soon as it comes to a vigorous boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it stand in there for 10-12 minutes.

Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium/high heat, then add the sliced onion and garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes. Until they go soft, release their aromatic oils and stars to brown on the edges. Then turn down the heat to medium /low and add the curry powder and slices of hot pepper (if you need some good madras curry powder, check out the store – where you can find tons of Caribbean goodies) and stir. Allow this to cook for about 3-4 minutes, so the curry won’t have a “raw” taste to it.

The next step is to add the water and give it a good stir and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Then add the slices of tomato and scallion and top off with the eggs. Cut the eggs in half before adding and be very gentle at this point forward, since the eggs will fall apart easily. Add the salt and black pepper at this point as well.

On low heat, cover the pot and allow to cook for abut 4-5 minutes, so the sauce thickens and all the flavors get a chance to marry together. If you find that the sauce is a bit runny, cook for an extra minute or two with the pot uncovered.

I usually enjoy this with roti and/or fry bake (see the recipe search tool on the top right side of the page for those recipes), but it’s just as tasty on a bun (sandwich), with sliced bread or any other way you enjoy your curry. Probably makes a great topping for rice, but my thing is roti.

Don’t forget to leave me your comments below, even if it’s just to say hi – it’s appreciated! And before you go I’d like to remind you to connect with me on facebook and twitter using the links on the right side of the page. This is where you’ll also be able to view the cooking videos I’ve created and the collection of pictures I’ve put together for your viewing pleasure.

Desserts

Yummy Mango Muffins.

March 5, 2012November 8, 201021 Comments

I’m not much of a dessert person, but I do enjoy scones (must have raisins) or coconut sweet bread with my morning cup of tea. These days is decaf tea and not those rich cups of Ovaltine and Milo I grew up on. I’ve been hitting the gym quite regularly (have to get in some sort of shape for carnival – look for me if you’re playing in Tribe) so I have to try and stay away from the condense milk sweetened cups of tea I so enjoyed back in those days. I still recall dipping my Crix in the cup and making a meal out of it. GOOD TIMES!

Here’s a simple recipe using chunks of ripe mango to give any boring muffin a punch of true Caribbean flavor. I just love the warm and homely feel you get when you have the alluring scent of baking coming out of the kitchen. If you’re ever trying to sell your home and you have an open house, bake something. Buyers (especially women) will be drawn to the property for sure.

You’ll Need…

1 ripe mango (peeled and cubed)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract.

* A nice addition to this would be chunks of pineapple as well – next time I decide to bake I’ll give that a shot.

This takes about 30 minutes from the time you start to the time the warm tasty treats comes out of the oven, so it’s a great treat for the family on a lazy Sunday morning.

Peel the skin from the mango with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Cut the mango vertically, with a sharp knife, sliding the knife along the seed on one side. Repeat on other side of the seed; cut any mango away from around the seed and chop the mango into small cubes. Be sure to use a ripe, but firm mango.

The next step is to mix all the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl; mix well. I used a whisk for this process so everything gets incorporated evenly.

BTW, while we’re getting the batter ready preheat your oven at 400. Combine the milk, oil, eggs, and almond extract in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened (try not to over-mix). The final step is to stir the chopped mango gently into the batter. This step can be a bit messy if you’re anything like me, but pour the batter evenly into a 12 cup muffin pan. Bake the mango muffins until golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the cups and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

* Don’t forget to lightly grease the muffin tray or do as I did and give it a good spray with baking spray.

Didn’t I say it was fairly easy and fast to make? Nothing beats a warm muffin on a cool morning with a hot cup or tea or coffee while you check your Facebook account to maco what your friends are up to. Speaking about Facebook… don’t forget to join our select group of foodies! CLICK HERE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!