Chris De La Rosa, Author at CaribbeanPot.com

Ok, so the candied pecans bit is not typical Caribbean, but with the wide selection of dining options you now have on the islands, I bet you can find this on the menu in several restaurants throughout the Caribbean. We were over at our friend’s place for dinner a couple weekends ago and they served this with grilled pork tenderloin that was marinated in a Teriyaki sauce and it was a hit, so I thought I’d share it with you all. As a true blooded Caribbean fella, I just had to add the slices of mango, instead of pears that they used.

You’ll Need…

For The Salad:

6-8 cups of assorted salad greens
3/4 cup candied pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 semi-ripe mango cut into strips

*crumbled blue cheese – optional

To Candy The Pecans:

1 cup pecans halves
1/4 cup brown sugar (I used golden brown)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

* cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to cool candied pecans

For The Salad Dressing:

2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
3 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Start off by getting the pecans ready as they will take about 30 minutes to cool. In a saucepan on medium heat add the sugar, oil and balsamic vinegar and whisk around for about 3 minutes until you start seeing bubbles. Now add the pecans and stir around. Allow them to fully coat and toast – about 4-5 minutes. You should have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil ready for cooling the pecans. Empty the now candied pecans onto the cookie sheet and using two forks, separate them. Allow this cool. I used halved pecans, but Caron mentioned that had I used pecan pieces I could allow them to cluster and they would work better in the salad. If you’re wondering if you can store this, the answer is yes. Place in an airtight container.

Now for the dressing. Combine everything in a small bowl and give it a good whisk just before you’re ready to serve the salad. The acid in the dressing will wilt the greens if it’s sitting for too long, so it’s important that you serve immediately after putting this together – it will not store well. So if you plan on eating this later on, only dress the portion you’ll be using now and do the same later on.

The salad is simply combining everything. Wash and dry your greens (use a salad spinner to get all the liquid out or paper towels) and place in a large bowl. Add the pecans, slices of mango (BTW try to get a mango that’s not fully ripe, as the tartness will work well with this combination – PLUS it will hold it’s shape better than a fully ripe mango), dried cranberries and dress with the dressing we made earlier. NOTE: Add a little dressing at a time as it’s very easy to over-dress.

Before my vegetarian friends get all mad with me for posting this in the vegetarian section and there’s a massive piece of bbq chicken on the plate, accept my apologies and focus on the salad recipe only 🙂

Fellas, if you want to impress the lady in your life, put this together… she’ll be very impressed! Please take a moment to leave me your comments below (just say hello – it’s appreciated) and don’t forget to join us on Facebook – click on image below.

* If I had slices of fresh pineapple I would surely add it to this salad as well.

Meat & Poultry

Stewed Pork With Pak Choi.

May 27, 2025August 6, 201019 Comments

Here’s a great way to combine two classic Caribbean recipes to form a mouth-watering delight. Usually this is made with left over stewed pork which is added the final minutes of cooking pak choi, but this approach will see you stew the pork first and then add the diced pak choi the final 10 minutes of cooking. You can also refer back to the original Stew Pork and Pak Choi recipes if you’re looking to have them separate. This recipe was passed on to me last weekend when I visited my parents, so full props to my mom for once again coming through.

You’ll Need…

1lb pork – cubed into 3/4 inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh or bottled ginger – sliced. (use 1/2 if it’s ginger powder)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (sliced thin – leave out seeds to control heat)
1 scallion – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
1 bundle pak choi (about 2lbs)

I purchased a piece of pork (leg cut) with some fat (but trimmed a bit) as I like the flavour you get from it when cooked. Plus I find that due to the long cooking process (I like the meat very tender) a lean piece of pork will be overly dry. The first step is to cut the pork into cubes about 3/4 inch and wash with the lime or lemon juice and water (not the water mentioned in the list above), then drain dry and get ready for seasoning.

Add everything to the bowl with the cubed pork, except the oil, water, sugar and pak choi, then stir around. Allow this to marinate for about 30 minutes at least, in the fridge. If you can allow for 2hrs of marinating, I find the results are much better.

Let’s get to stewing the pork. Place a solid pan on a med to high heat and pour in the oil. To which (when hot) add the brown sugar an stir regular. The idea is to get the sugar to melt and then go to a rich dark golden colour (frothy). If it goes beyond this dark golden colour you will end up with a bitter tasting end product. Refer to the pics below and do two things. 1 have the seasoned pork at easy access since timing is key and 2. use care when adding the pork (and marinade) to the pot, since it’s being added to hot oil and melted sugar. Now stir around so everything gets coated with that rich caramel we created (don’t worry it will not be a sweet dish), bring to a boil then simmer to as low as you can, add the 1/4 cup of water and allow to simmer for 40 minutes covered. It will spring it’s own natural juices as well. Remember to add the 1/4 cup of water to the same bowl you had the meat marinating in, so you can pick up anything that was left back.

While this simmers (remember to stir every 10 minutes or so), let’s prepare the Pak Choi. Pak Choi is usually planted in somewhat sandy soil and can be packaged with some of that dirt and grit. Take apart each leaf and rinse under running water. Remember to rub the stalks with your fingers while under the running water as well. Now using a sharp knife cut the stalk (white part) into strips about 1/2 inch thick (refer to pic below), then roll into a bundle and slice everything (including the green parts) about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a drainer of some sort and rinse and allow to drain.

Now that the pork has been cooking for about 40 minutes, remove the lid and turn up the heat to burn off all the liquid completely, but remember to keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Then add the sliced Pak Choi to the pot and turn the heat back down to medium/low covered for 7 minutes. The final step is to remove the lid, turn up the heat and once agin try to burn of any remaining liquid. NOTE: Depending on how cooked (crisp) you like you Pak Choi, feel free to adjust the cooking time after you add it to the pot. In total I cooked the pack choi for 10 minutes after adding it to the pot.

There you go… a tasty combination that goes well with brown rice (as above), roti (fry bake, Sada , buss-up-shut), pita bread, on sandwiches or as a main side to accompany any dinner. Please don’t forget to leave me your comments below (always appreciated..even if it’s just a hello) and join us on Facebook by clicking on the image below.

Meat & Poultry Soups & Stews

A Heavenly Caribbean Oxtail Soup.

May 28, 2025July 22, 201030 Comments

Oxtail soup is not something I grew up on. Just as the reaction on my daughters face when she asked what I was cooking yesterday, I’m sure I would give my mom the same look if she said it was oxtail on the menu. That look from Kieana got even worse when I confirmed what oxtail really was and I ended up making them a pizza for dinner. Well… more for me I guess! If you like thick, savory soups and don’t mind waiting as it slowly bubbles away under a gentle heat, you’re in for an absolute treat. This recipe is very similar to a salted pigtail soup my uncle would make on a Monday after a weekend of partying (That man never worked a Monday as far as I know, growing up), but his would have dumplings and/or macaroni and green fig (green banana).

You’ll Need….

1 1/2 – 2 lbs oxtail – ask your butcher to cut it into 1-2 inch pieces.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs yam
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 eddoes (about 1 lb)
3 medium potatoes
2 scallions
3 sprigs thyme
4 leaves of shado beni or about 4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt (may need more according to your taste)
2 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 large onion diced
1 large carrot sliced
1 cup split peas (optional)
about 8 cups of water (see note in cooking directions)
1 hot pepper (I used a habanero – use your fav pepper)
1 pack cock soup (I used Grace brand)
1 teaspoon Golden Ray salted butter (optional, but adds a nice punch at the end)

* Feel free to add any other ground provisions (green fig, dasheen,cassava etc) you may like or have, just be sure to use a pot big enough and you’ll need to add a bit more water in cooking.

* For people outside the Caribbean where ground provisions (yam, sweet potato and eddoes) may be hard to source, feel free to use winter root vegetables instead. Like turnips,parsnips, rutabaga etc.

If anyone is unsure about ground provisions or need help knowing how to shop for them or how to peel etc, leave me a comment in the comment section below and I’ll try my best to help you out.

Let’s get cooking….

Start by getting a large pot, add the oil and heat on medium/high heat. Rinse off the cut pieces of oxtail (my butcher cut the piece a bit smaller than I wanted) since they may have a bit of grit left from the band-saw used in cutting. Dry off with a paper towel and ad to the pot. Brown all sides and remember to stir or risk having the pieces of meat stick to the pan. In the mean time, dice you carrots and onions. As the meat is evenly browned on all sides, move them to the side of the pot and add the tomato paste to the middle of the pan, then stir the browned pieces of oxtail to pick up on the tomato paste. This process will help release the natural sugar from the tomato paste, as well as give the soup a nice rich reddish colour.

Now you can start adding the thyme, black pepper, diced onions and garlic and allow to cook for a couple minutes so they too can release their flavours. Turn the heat down to minimum as you do this step. After 3-4 minutes you can add the sliced carrots to the pot as well. Remember to keep stirring.

Quickly go through the dried split peas to ensure there’s nothing foreign in there, wash a couple times with water to remove any grit and add to the pot. You can now add the hot pepper, salt, bay leaf, diced scallion and shado beni (chopped fine) to the pot. Then pour in the 8 cups of water and bring to a boil (high heat). I like leaving the hot pepper whole so I can take it out later. As it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow this to slowly simmer for about 1.5 – 2 hrs with the pot covered. Basically until the oxtail is tender and the split peas is cooked to the point where it’s breaking apart. This is what’s going to thicken our soup. Open up your windows and give your neighbors the aroma of the excitement that’s happening on your stove. risk them coming over and asking questions though – nosy ones will try to remain for a bowl or 2.

In the meantime we can peel and cut the provisions (potato,yams, sweet potato and eddoes). If you’re doing this in advance, after peeling and cutting, be sure to put it in a deep bowl and cover with cool water to prevent them from going discolored. I like my ground provisions chunky so you’ll notice that I cut them into fairly large pieces. The eddoes I cut into 2 pieces, so too the sweet potato and potato. The yam I try to cut into the same size as everything else, so they all finish cooking at the same time.

After the braising process (my oxtail was tender after 2 hrs) it’s time to add the the cock soup and ground provisions. Rinse off the ground provisions (after peeling and cutting) and gently place into the pot. This is why we need a large pot. Make sure all the pieces of provisions is totally covered by liquid (you may need to add more water) so they can cook evenly. During this final cooking process, the more you stir the pot, the more thick the soup will get.As the ground provisions will start to break down and the combination of these pieces and the starch, will thicken the soup.

Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer again and allow to cook for about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally. When you can pierce the largest piece of ground provision with a knife without any resistance, you know they’re fully cooked. The final 5 minutes is when you’d add the Golden ray butter if you have some. Remember to fish out the hot pepper (I kept mine in as I love the heat) and the sprig from the thyme before serving. People outside the Caribbean will probably consider this a heavy stew for sure, but on the islands this is exactly how we like our soup.

Serve piping hot and there’s no need for bread or any fancy topping like the soups you get in the restaurants in North America. Word of warning though… you may find yourself falling asleep minutes after devouring a bowl of this oxtail goodness. My brothers and sisters may know this affliction commonly as “ritis”. I was out for a couple hrs. If you’re looking for another tasty oxtail recipe, be sure to check out my stewed oxtail.

Note: You can precook your ground provisions if you’d like and simply add it to the pot after the oxtails are tender, so your cooking time will be reduced. And you can also use a pressure cooker to braise the (first steps before adding the provisions) and really reduce on cooking time.

Be sure to check out the links to the other soup recipes below and don’t forget to connect with us on facebook by clicking on the image below (there’s already over 1800 of us in the Facebook group). BTW, if you’d like a quick recipe for dumplings to add to this soup, leave me a comment below as I know how much my Caribbean people love off on dumplings.

Happy Cooking

Chris….

Desserts

A Vintage Trinbagonian Coconut Ice Cream Recipe.

March 5, 2012July 11, 201057 Comments

“Can you take that into the garage, it’s getting loud?” Are you freaking kidding me? As a kid the sound of the hand crank (and later on the electric one) ice cream pail (maker) was music to our ears. Sunday afternoons especially when we had family visiting, meant home made coconut ice cream (or sour sop, barbadine… any fruit that was in season). As kids we would circle that ice cream pail like hawks ready to pounce on it’s prey. The key was listening closely to the hum of the ice cream maker, since it got to a sort of dragging pace/sound when the ice cream was firm inside – it was then time to attack.

This day we had friends over for dinner and since I’ve been receiving tons of messages for a coconut ice cream recipe and the fact that our guests love ice cream, I thought it was time for me to dust off the ice cream maker we purchased a couple summers ago. Reluctantly I took the maker into the garage, since the sound of the churning was supposedly disturbing them… forget that this was helping me relive one of the most cherished childhood memories 🙁

You’ll Need…

4 tablespoon custard powder
4 cups of coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 can condensed milk (sweetened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* I need to mention a few things about the ingredients I listed above.

Coconut milk – the traditional way is to get a couple dried coconuts, husk, grate, add water and squeeze out the milk from the pulp. But to save on time and sourcing “good” dried coconut was hard for me, so I opted for the milk in the can.

Heavy cream – to keep this a bit healthy I used 1/2 and 1/2 which is a cream with a lower fat content. But you’re free to use heavy cream or you can also substitute Carnation milk for the cream.

* If you’re using an ice cream maker that’s not one of the new ones (where you have to freeze the inserts before using) you’ll be required to have ice and some salt for the freezing process.

This is a very simple recipe, but you do need a couple hours of prep time to ensure that the cream mixture cools down in the fridge and you also have to factor in time for the ice cream maker.

Start by making a custard. In a deep pan/pot whisk together (over low heat) 1 cup of the coconut milk, the sugar, custard powder and heavy cream. Keep whisking as this can easily start to stick to the bottom of the pan and go lumpy. The goal is to get a thick consistency and can take between 5-9 minutes. You’ll notice that it will be thick enough to start remaining on the sides of the pan (see pics below).

Turn off the stove and add all the other ingredients to the pot. Whisk like you’ve never whisked before (or use an electric mixer). It’s important that you break down any lumps that may form and to incorporate everything. Then place in the fridge to cool down for at least an hour.

After it cools, place in your ice cream maker and freeze according to it’s instructions. As I mentioned, we have one of the electric ones that churn away with the aid of a small motor at the top. I placed the mixture in the ice cream container, attach the hood and then fill the side with ice. I had to purchase ice cubes so they could easily fit without having to break up further. After I packed the side with ice, I poured salt all over the ice and then turned on the machine. Now don’t ask me why I put the salt on the ice, it’s just something I saw my dad would do. Supposedly it’s to keep the ice/water at a constant temperature.Remember to keep adding ice and salt to the sides as necessary.

Normally I’d have pics showing what I mean by placing the ice, salt etc.. but I started making mango margaritas and I kinda forgot about taking pics.. . I do apologize. I’ll sahre the recipe for that treat soon.

Our machine took about 30 minutes to fully firm the ice cream and as I touched on above… the machine will start dragging when the ice cream is fully done. If you like soft serve textured ice cream you can enjoy the ice cream right now. However I like to empty the ice cream into freezer containers and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to really firm out. This also allows me to keep small batches for when I next feel like a refreshing dessert – like today!

* Tip – If you like pieces of coconut in your ice cream, a quick fix is to purchase some shredded coconut from the grocers and add as a topping. To enhance the flavour of the shredded coconut, toast it on the stove for a couple minutes. I supposed you could also add it to the mixture before freezing… so it’s infused into the ice cream. The choice is yours, as I like my coconut ice cream naked! The pic with the sprinkles above, was for our daughter.

Please leave me your comments below as I’d love for this post go viral on the internet, so others can enjoy this wonderful ice cream. And don’t forget to join us on Facebook – click on the image below to get started.

Vegetarian

Stewed Lentils Caribbean Style.

March 5, 2012June 30, 201035 Comments

This recipe is very similar to the Red Kidney Beans one I did a couple weeks ago, except we’re using dried lentils. Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. I usually make lentils in batches, so I could enjoy some that day and freeze the rest for later use, especially since it takes a while to cook if you don’t have a pressure cooker. I’ve had frozen stewed lentils last up to 3 months in the freezer and once reheated it tastes the same as the day it was first cooked.

Now don’t get “tie-up” (confused) by this being a vegetarian dish and think it lacks flavour… trust me this one will be a hit for one and all. I love this so much, I even have it as a soup… but that’s when I add salted meats to it while cooking 🙂

You’ll Need…

2 cups of lentils (I used the small brown/green ones)
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
hot pepper (as much as you like) I used a small habanero
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
water (see in directions)
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean style “browning”
2 table spoon chopped shado beni or cilantro
1 scallion (diced thin)
1/2 tablespoon Golden Ray butter (optional, but adds that true island flavour so I could not leave this out)

You can also add the following ingredients during the slow cooking process to add a bit more body and flavour to the dish.

2 carrots diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 tomato diced

Get started by going through the lentils to ensure that there’s nothing foreign between it (I’ve seen little pebbles and twigs at times). Then pour the lentils into a bowl and wash with cool water (drain), after which I add enough water to the bowl to cover the lentils and allow to soak for a couple hours (overnight is best).

The next step is to pour the lentils and water into a deep pot and add additional water so everything is covered by at least 2 inches of water. Place the pot onto a medium heat, add the garlic, hot pepper, salt, thyme and if you’re using the additional ingredients, now is the time to add them. Don’t forget to add the black pepper as well. Bring this to a boil, then cover and reduce to heat to low so it simmers. Allow this to cook for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

After the lentils are tender (pay attention to the water level as you don’t want it to get too thick or all the water to burn off…. add a cup is you find that it’s starting to get overly thick) Get another pot and add the oil to it under medium heat, then add the sliced onions and cook for a couple minutes. Basically until it’s soft and start getting golden edges. Then (gently – we’re adding liquid to hot oil) add the cooked lentils to the pot (pour in everything).

Get a whisk or as I did with a swizzle stick, whisk everything to break down the lentils a bit… then add the browning, scallions, shado beni or cilantro and Goldenray butter and stir around. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes and then you’re done. Don’t forget to fish out the twig from the thyme before serving. You’re looking for a thick, soup-like consistency.

This is awesome as a side for rice dishes (must have stew chicken, beef or pork as well) and I also like scoping with pita bread or roti as well.. plus as I mentioned earlier, it’s good as a simple soup as well. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below and remember to connect with us on facebook by clicking on the image below.

Vegetarian

That Pumpkin Cook Real Nice Boi!

March 5, 2012June 27, 201027 Comments

Growing up I remember hearing my mom saying to my grandmother or aunts in our unique accent “yea, that pumpkin real nice boi” and now that I occasionally cook pumpkin, I know exactly what they mean. No two pumpkins cook the same (end result), the texture, sweetness and overall taste can differ from pumpkin to pumpkin (and I don’t even mean variety… that’s another story altogether). The soil, amount of sun, rain (water) and growing conditions plays a huge part on the quality of pumpkin and the final product you get when it’s cooked.

That said, here’s a very simple recipe for cooking pumpkin which will almost guarantee a great final dish. (don’t forget to also check out the butternut squash recipe I posted many moons ago)

BTW, in Trinidad and Tobago this pumpkin recipe is usually called “Pumpkin Talkari” and it’s a hit at many of the Hindu homes and celebrations since it’s a vegetarian dish that’s full of goodness and simply amazing with roti.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs pumpkin (peeled and cubed – 1 inch pieces
1/2 medium onion (divided)
1/2 hot pepper (your choice – I used habanero) (to control heat, don’t use the seeds or inside ribs of the pepper)
3 cloves garlic chopped fine or crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin works best for me as it gives it a nutty flavour)
1 teaspoon salt (check at the end of cooking to add more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon golden brown sugar

Peel, cube and wash the pumpkin and drain off the excess water. Then in a deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add 1/4 of the sliced onion. Cook this for a couple minutes (until soft), then start adding the cubed pumpkin. BTW, if you live in North America you must note that this is NOT the pumpkin grown for Halloween. Go to any ethnic grocery store and they’ll surely have cooking pumpkin in stock.

It will seem like a lot, but it will cook down. The next step is to add the rest of the ingredients, stir / cover and allow to simmer (low heat – covered) for about 30 minutes or until the pieces are tender and start to melt. You will notice that it will spring it’s own natural juices, the key at the end to ensure all of this is burnt off. After the 30 minutes or so you’ll need to use the back of your cooking spoon to gently crush any of the pieces that may still have the cubed shape (cook last few minute with the lid off). The idea is to get a smooth consistency at the end. Don’t forget to check for salt.

Didn’t I say this was a simple recipe? I’d love to hear from you.. maybe you have a unique twist on making this? Leave me your comments in the area provided below and don’t forget to join our group on Face Book! Click on the image below to connect!

Vegetarian

Wholesome Chorai Bhaji Recipe.

March 5, 2012June 17, 201020 Comments

We had just moved to Canada and I was living with my aunt. Back then there were a handful of Caribbean people in Hamilton and the few of us that went to the same high school did just about everything together. My group included a fella from Dominica, Barbados and one from Jamaica. To this day we’re still very close and still pretty much a tight unit. Richard, my friend from Jamaica called me to ask if my aunt wanted some Callaloo… kinda strange that he would ask me if my aunt wanted some and not me. I answered yes, since I knew whatever comes home is open game. It had been months since I had last eaten callaloo (back then finding Caribbean food stuff in the supermarkets was very tough) so I was licking my chops at the thought of eating some callaloo (I wonder if he would bring some rice and stew chicken with it?). Another strange thing he said was .. he was up on the farm.

Mr man showed up about 2 hrs later with a huge bag of callaloo… not the rich and creamy, soup like dish we make in Trinidad and Tobago with crabs and coconut milk (see Callaloo), but the bhaji we call chorai. I learned that day that our Jamaican brothers and sisters refer to what we call Chorai.. as being callaloo. BTW, that was the most healthy leaves of callaloo chorai I had ever seen. Seems the migrant workers who come up to work on the farms here in Canada plant this “callaloo” to sell on the side to make extra money and to give to friends as well. The leaves were so huge, at first I thought it was tobacco. At least my aunt was happy, as she had something to cook that night that reminded us of home.

As I’ve mentioned in the past I LOVE any and all bhaji (pak choi, baby spinach, swiss chard and dasheen bush) so this recipe is very special to me. If you really want to add extra flavours to this dish you can add either coconut cream and/or pieces of salted cod to it. Leave me a comment below if you’d like info on adding those two things. My dad also like his bhaji with salted pig tails or salted beef pieces served with flour dumplings.

You’ll Need…

1 bunch of Chorai bhaji (about 2 lbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion sliced
1/4 hot pepper (whatever you like using.. I used habanero) * remember to avoid using the seeds if you want to avoid most of the heat.
1/4 teaspoon salt

Weather you buy it at the grocery or grow it in your garden , you MUST wash the chorai a few times, as sand and dirt gets all over it during the growing process. I usually fill the sink with cool water and soak it for a few minutes. Then I gently shake the leaves and remove them from the water. This allows most of the dirt to remain in the sink. I then rinse the leaves again under running water just to be sure that I get rid of any dirt. If the stems are hardy, you’ll have to remove those , as it will be bitter and will not be tender when cooked. The stems in the batch I had were very tender, so used everything.

I cut each stem/leaves into 2 inch pieces (roll the leaves and cut – see pic below), then I rinse under cool water one more time and allow to drain in a strainer.

After you’ve cut, washed and allow to dry off, it’s time to cook. In a deep pot heat the oil on medium heat. Now add 1/4 of the onion to the heated oil and cook until soft and starts going brown on the edges. The next step is to add the cut chorai to the pot and gently stir around. It will seem as if the pot is not large enough, but as it cooks it will wilt. After you’ve added all the chorai, add the rest of the sliced onion, salt, pepper and garlic (add whole as it will melt down while cooking).

Allow this to cook (covered) on medium/low heat (it will spring up a lot of it’s own juices) for about 20-25 minutes. If you find that there’s still liquid after this time, turn up the heat and burn it off. It will become a bit mushy and will go a darker green, but that’s normal.

This is excellent when paired with roti, fry bake or rice and dhal… makes a deadly sandwich as well and if all fails, get a pita bread. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below and PLEASE don’t forget to be part of the LARGEST Face Book fan page dedicated to foods of the Caribbean. BTW, my North American friends.. this dish is similar to spinach and can be used just the same (except you’ll find that the texture is a bit different)

Vegetarian

Tantalizing Red Kidney Beans For Sunday Lunch.

March 5, 2012June 16, 201027 Comments

What would Sunday lunch on the islands be without either Callaloo or stewed red beans as part of this cherished meal? A time when families get together to share good food, thoughts and good times after a long and hectic week. Add in some stewed chicken and macaroni pie and you’re set to have one of those meals that takes you back to places you’ve not been to in years… for me it’s like traveling back in time to a happier place. Since I’m the only one who enjoy this dish in our household, I tend to make a fairly big batch (enough for about 8 people) and freeze the leftovers in freeze containers for future use. Packaged well, they can last up to 3 months without getting freezer burned. Then all I do is take it out of the freezer and allow to thaw and reheat on very gentle heat and I’m set for another awesome meal.

I must mention a couple things before we get to the actual recipe. 1. Try to get the sort of pinkish colour beans, as it cooks much faster than the dark red version. 2. You’ll notice that it does take a while to cook, but you can save on time by cooking in a pressure cooker if you wish. Just keep checking to see when the beans are tender as I don’t know how long it would take in the pressure cooker.

You’ll Need…

3 cups of red kidney beans (dry)
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
hot pepper (as much as you like) I used a small habanero
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
2 carrots (diced) optional
1 bell pepper (sweet pepper) diced – optional
water (see in directions)
1 teaspoon Caribbean style “browning”
2 table spoon chopped shado beni or cilantro
1 scallion (diced thin)
1/2 tablespoon Golden Ray butter (optional, but adds that true island flavour so I could not leave this out)

* The “optional” ingredients mentioned above were not used in my recipe today, but it does add a bit more flavour and body to the dish so I do recommend using them.

For best results I recommend soaking the dry beans overnight in water, but before you do so quickly go through the beans to check to see that there are no foreign objects within the beans. In the past I’ve found little pebbles and twigs that had to be removed. Then wash the beans with running water and place in a fairly deep bowl. Now cover with water so all the beans are under water and allow to soak on the kitchen counter overnight.

The next step is to pour the beans and water it’s been soaking in, into a deep pot and add some more water so it’s covered by at least 2 inches of water. Then add the salt, black pepper, hot pepper, garlic (whole.. it will melt away as it cooks) and sprigs of thyme to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, with the pot covered.Allow this to cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the beans are plump and tender. BTW… If you’re adding the carrots and bell peppers to the dish, this is when you add it as well.

*TIP! After the beans are tender you can remove the sprigs of thyme from the pot and discard.

Since I used the sort of pinkish coloured beans I mentioned above, my beans were tender in about 70 minutes or so. The final step is to now heat the oil in another deep pot and add the sliced onion and cook for a couple minutes (until the edges start going golden). Using some care… take a large spoon and start adding the now tender beans to the pot with the cooked onions. The idea is to pour everything into the pot with the onions. Remember you’re adding liquid to a pot with heated oil, so please be careful. Stir this around a bit and now add the “browning” as this gives it a sort of nutty caramel flavour and it also adds a lovely rich colour to the overall dish. Then I add the scallion, shado beni or cilantro and the Goldenray butter to the pot.

The last thing you do is to get a “swizzle stick” or whisk (don’t use one of those electric ones) and whisk everything a bit so some of the beans break up and form a sort of creamy consistency (but remember to not over crush the beans… you still want to see whole beans). If you find that it’s overly thick, feel free to add some water and if it’s too thin, turn up the heat and thicken it up a bit. It should be almost the consistency of a thick soup or chili.

From the time you add the cooked beans to the pot, it will take about 10 minutes on medium heat to finish cooking.

In the pick above I have a wonderful plate of the red beans, with long grain brown rice, stew chicken and a couple slices of zaboca (avocado) on the side. Just need some plantains and I’d be in heaven.

I’m sure there are different ways of making this dish, but this is a simplified version that’s just as tasty as any you’d find on a table for Sunday lunch on the islands. Before I go I’d like to remind you to leave me your comments (there’s no need to register..simply add you comments) in the area provided below and don’t forget to join our Facebook fan page. Remember, it’s my goal to have the largest FB fan page dedicated to the culinary culture of the islands and I can’t do it without YOU!

TIP! Before I leave… remember that this will thicken up with it cools down, so if it looks a bit runny when it’s still hot, don’t thicken.. it will have a great consistency when it cools down a bit.

Seafood

Scrumptious Slices Of Fried King Fish.

March 5, 2012June 13, 201014 Comments

As kids growing up on the islands the only way our mom could ever get us to eat fish, was when she made this recipe. Looking back I believe her fish of choice was carite (sp), but today I much prefer using King Fish (very meaty and holds it shape great when frying). I still remember breaking apart the slices of fish and dipping it into a mixture or pepper sauce, ketchup and mustard and my mom warning us to be aware of the center bone of the fish. This fry fish recipe is very simple and quite classic throughout the islands, so I’m sure it will be a hit with your family and friends.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs of King fish (sliced about 3/4 inch thick)
1 teaspoon green seasoning
1/4 small onion – sliced
1/4 hot pepper sliced thin (I used habanero)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (your fav)
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
lime or lemon for washing the fish
oil for frying (about 1-2 cups)
1/2 cup all purpose flour

* if you don’t have the green seasoning paste, use I teaspoon each : thyme, shado beni or cilantro, garlic and scallion.

Get the people at the fish market to cut the King fish into 3/4 inch steaks for you, but ask them to use the part closer to the tail (than the belly) so you get full slices and not slices with the belly part missing. Then place the slices (I used 4) in a bowl and squeeze the juice of a lime or lemon over it and cover with cool water. Wash and rinse, then season with everything mentioned in the ingredient list, except the flour and oil. Allow this to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.

After its been marinating, take it out about 15 minutes or so from the fridge before frying, so it can come back to room temperature. The next steps are very simple.

1. Heat the oil in a fairly deep pan. Since it was a nice day outside, I opted to use the burner on my BBQ (also keeps the “fry” smell outdoors).

2. Take each piece of fish and shake off any large pieces of tomato etc and dust in the flour, to coat evenly. Shake off any excess flour.

3. Add to the hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side (until you get a lovely golden brown colour). Remember to be careful when flipping so you don’t splatter hot oil onto yourself.

4. Remove and place on paper towels to soak up as much of the oil it was fried in.

5. That’s it.. enjoy!

This is just as good in sandwiches and served as you would any other fish dish. Remember to be aware that the fish will have a huge center bone (you may call it something else) so be very careful when eating. If you’re making sandwiches or giving this to your children, you can easily remove that bone by poking it out with a fork or by using your fingers. Other than eating this as we did as children (on it’s own) I also enjoy it with a plate of rice and dhal.

I’d love to hear from you, so I invite you to leave me your comments below. And don’t forget to join our Facebook fan page. We’re quickly growing into one of the largest FB fan pages dedicated to Caribbean food. You can be part of it!

Seafood Vegetarian

Cassava boiled and refried with salted cod.

May 28, 2025May 28, 201050 Comments

I wasn’t a huge fan of cassava growing up and even today it’s a last resort type of ground provision for me (when I can’t source dasheen, yam and/or eddoes). I find it a bit overly bland, so when I do cook it I try to infuse some added flavour with salted cod bits and other ingredients. This recipe I’ll be using frozen cassava that one can get in the frozen food section at most grocery stores. However it works just as well with fresh cassava (providing you know how to peel and cook it). If you’re a vegetarian ( I got a lot of talk the last time I suggested that vegetarians eat fish) you can leave out the pieces of salted cod.

You’ll Need…

1 package of frozen cassava (about 1 lb)
1 shallot sliced (or onion)
1 scallion
1/2 hot pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/4 green pepper (sweet) – diced
1/4 red, yellow or orange sweet pepper – diced (optional)
about 1/4 cup shredded pieces of salted cod
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
fresh cracked black pepper

* salt for cooking the cassava (see package)

Start by dicing and slicing the peppers, shallot, scallion and garlic. Then using the cooking instructions on the package of the frozen cassava… cook. In my case it called for me to bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then add the cassava, salt and allow to cook until tender (about 20 minutes).

The next step is to soften and remove some of the salt from the salted cod. Do so by placing it (I used boneless salted cod) in a fairly deep bowl and pour some boiling water over it (cover with water) and allow to soak until the water is cool. There are 3 options for buying salted cod, 1. bone in 2. boneless and 3 salted cod bits. The choice is all yours. After the water is cooled, drain and rinse with water and drain again. Then using your fingers or a fork, shred the fish into bits. Squeeze all the water out of it as best as you can.

By now the cassava should be fully cooked, so it’s time to drain the liquid out and set aside. In a saucepan add the oil and butter and heat. Then add the salted cod and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. After which you’ll add the shallots and garlic. Allow this to cook for a further 3 minutes or so (stir often). Now add the diced peppers and scallions and cook for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat.

It’s now time to add the cooked cassava and stir around so everything gets coated with the wonderful flavours of the salted cod, shallots, garlic and peppers. Cook for about 3-5 minutes and you’re done.

Let’s quickly go through the recipe one more time.

1. prepare peppers etc.

2. cook (boil as you would potatoes) the cassava

3. prepare the salted cod (if you get the salted cods bits, it would mean less work for you)

4. cook the salted cod and peppers

5. drain and add the cassava to the pot..cook for a few minutes and you’re done.

Don’t forget to leave me your comments and questions in the space provided below, as I would love to hear from you. Additionally, I invite you to join our fast-growing group on Facebook (click on facebook image below).

happy cooking

chris…

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Island Curry Duck.

May 27, 2025May 19, 201038 Comments

Yup! there’s a new addition to the “ultimate” family [ Ultimate Curry Chicken | Ultimate Stew Chicken | Ultimate Curry Goat ]. But I must take a moment to say special thanks for all the wonderful emails, Facebook messages and comments I received yesterday, for my birthday (real love shown). Curry duck wasn’t something we had too often at home when we were growing up on the islands. However I do remember whenever my mom’s aunt would make this with dhalpourie and curry potatoes she would always call me to come over to enjoy a plate. Well she didn’t really call me (no phones back in those days), but she would yell out her kitchen window for me to come over. Golden days!

* Please bear in mind that everyone prepares this a bit different depending on where on the islands you go, so your recipe may be a bit different. However, you’ll be very pleased with the results you get from the recipe below.

You’ll need…

6-7 lbs of Duck (trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces)
1 lime or lemon
1 medium tomato – sliced
1 onion – sliced
1 hot pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet) – sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground geera (cumin)
1/2 teaspoon amchar masala
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon green seasoning mix
4 cloves garlic – crushed
dash black pepper
4 shado beni leaves
2 cups water

* if you’re concerned about the heat form the pepper, don’t add any of the seeds.

* if you can’t get shado beni, use about 6 tablespoons of cilantro (chopped)

For cooking the curry…

* My choice for curry powder has always been the “Raja Jahan Special Madras Curry” which you can easily get at any Caribbean food store if you live outside Trinidad and Tobago or online at Amazon.com.

2-3 tablespoon curry powder (depends how strong you like your curry)
3 tablespoon oil
1/4 onion (sliced thin)
1/4 cup water

For this recipe you need (if you live outside the islands) to source a Caribbean style duck and those are readily available at most Caribbean specialty stores in north America and the UK. In the past I used the normal ducks you find in the frozen section at the major grocery stores here in North America, but I find that though they taste great, it’s really not the same. Additionally, when I go to the Caribbean markets, I ask them if they can cut the duck into pieces for me. Since the duck bones can be very hard and brittle. If you try cutting it up at home you risk 2 things. 1. You can do some serious damage to your knife and 2. you may find that you won’t get a clean cut and you be left with jagged bones and bone fragments that can cause some problems when eating. They (the Caribbean markets) usually have a band saw they use, that cuts evenly and clean through. They also roast the outside of the duck (place briefly over an open flame) to remove any tiny feathers the plucking process didn’t remove (some claim that this process also adds a certain flavour to the dish).

Now that we have our duck cut into 1-2 inch pieces, place in a large bowl and squeeze the lime or lemon over it. Then pour some water (not mentioned in the ingredients list) and wash the meat. This is where I usually remove all the fat and skin that I can (some people love the skin, but that’s just not my thing). Rinse with clean water and drain. Then season the meat with everything in the ingredients list mentioned above, except the 2 cups of water (not the “for cooking the curry”). For best results I see my mom marinate this overnight in the fridge, however if you’re in a rush 1-2 hours should suffice

Since this is such a rich curry dish I prefer to cook this outdoors on the side burner of my BBQ. In a heavy pot (one with a lid) heat the oil on high heat. Then add the curry powder to a small bowl and add the 1/4 cup of water to make a runny paste. The oil should be smoking by now so go ahead and add the 1/4 sliced onion and stir. Followed by the curry mixture we just made. Turn down the heat and allow this to cook for about 5 minutes or so, or until it comes to a thick paste and starts sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Turn the heat back up to a medium/high and start adding the seasoned duck to the pot. Be sure to stir around so everything gets incorporated with the curry. Then bring to a boil, turn back down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and allow to cook for about 35 minutes. it will spring up it’s own natural juices.

After about 35 minutes, it’s time to burn off all the liquid that formed, so turn up the heat. Pay close attention and stir often to avoid burning/sticking. When all the liquid is gone, add the 2 cups of water and bring back up to a boil.. then turn back down to a gentle simmer and cover. Allow this to cook for another 35 minutes or so or until the meat is tender. The sauce should be thick by now as well. If you find that it’s runny, turn up the heat (providing it’s tender) and get it to the right thickness you want. Also check for salt at this point, as you will have a different tolerance for salt than I do.

Here’s the finished dish with “buss up shut” roti and curry potatoes. Be sure to leave me your comments below and do let me know if you’d like the recipe for the buss up shut and/or curry potato (BTW it’s also posted on the site)

Don’t forget to join us on Facebook…

Seafood

Oh lovely sardines from a can?

March 5, 2012May 8, 201067 Comments

Fish is a serious turn off for a lot of people and even more unattractive is when that fish comes in a can. But if you’re a regular on the site, you’ll know that I have a series that I call “lazy man” dishes (Corned Beef / Salmon). And today we’re about to add a new member into the family. Since it’s one of those meals you can put together in mere minutes and it’s very delicious. Providing you’re not afraid to try something a bit different.

My Trinbagonian people will know that this is a common snack type dish and everyone seems to have their own way of putting this together. No real cooking is involved, and you can experiment with ingredients as well.

BTW, fellas this is not something you eat before that big date your special someone. The combo of sardines and onions on your breath will not win you any points.

You’ll Need…

1 can sardines (I like the ones with the peppers made by Brunswick)
1/2 tomato sliced thin
1 scallion sliced thin (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
Black pepper
1/4 onion sliced thin
1/4 hot pepper sliced (I used a habanero – you can use whatever you have or like)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like using olive oil)

Let’s see if we can do this in 3 steps.

Step 1.

Slice the onion, tomato, scallion and hot pepper very thin and set aside.

Step 2.

Open and empty the sardines into a bowl. The following step is optional, but this is the way I saw my mom doing it… break each sardine down the middle (length-wise) and remove the middle bone (can be left, but I find that it gives the dish a gritty texture that I don’t like) and secondly you must remove the inside of the belly (there’s no polite way of saying “guts’). Then break apart each fish so you have chunky pieces.

Step 3.

Top with all the stuff we sliced earlier, squeeze in the lime or lemon juice and add a dash of black pepper. Then on high heat, heat the oil in a small frying pan and allow to heat until you’re about to start seeing smoke. Now pour the hot oil over everything and stir well. YOU’RE DONE!

You can call this a salad, choka, talkarie or as in my case… a lazy man’s dish. Works well as a topping for Crix (a locally made crackers), on sandwiches, with roti , pita… you get the point.

I’d love to hear how our friends from the other islands and around the world make this (if you do) so please leave me a comment below and don’t forget to join us on Facebook. Our goal is to have 25,000 fans by the end of the year. Please help us make it happen.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

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