Chris De La Rosa, Author at CaribbeanPot.com

I’ve been blessed with the ability to cook most, if not all the dishes I enjoy (most) and the few that I can’t make, I usually get my mom to cook when she visits. That reminds me that I need her to come for a visit soon, to restock my freezer. Maybe I can get her to share her curry fish recipe with us… it’s to die for. Lately I’ve been having cravings for some of the dishes I grew up on and while in the market last Friday I got a flash back when I strolled pass the fish section. When was the last time I ate “fry dry sardines”? I recall my mom making that for dinner and served up with dhal and brown rice just in time for when my dad would come home from work. That man always had some sort of treat for us in his lunch bag, so it was always an eager anticipation when he opened it. Evening newspaper and a treat was always in that lunch bag of his.

I searched though the few fish stalls that were open and did manage to find one vendor with sardines, but they were a bit to big for what I had in mind (plus they were a bit mushy to the touch). The next option I had, was to use sea smelts as they were very close in size, shape and taste to the sardines we would get in the Caribbean. BTW, if you are getting smelts, note that there is a difference in taste from the fresh water variety, when compared to the sea (salt water) ones. I much prefer the sea smelts.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs smelts (see note below) (cleaned – with tail trimmed and head removed)
1/2 lime or lemon to wash the fish
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper sliced thin (feel free to use your favourite hotsauce instead)
3 tablespoons cilantro (or 2-3 leaves of shado beni if you have- chopped fine)
3 cloves of garlic – crushed and then sliced thin
1 scallion sliced thin
3 sprigs of thyme

For pan frying…

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter (not margarine)
1/4 cup olive oil or whatever type of oil you have in stock.

Couple points. As mentioned above smelts are a great substitute if you can’t get fresh sardines. Also note that the traditional way of making this, includes using the heads of the fish (still attached). Since the smelts at the fish counter comes already trimmed, you may have to check in the frozen fish section of your grocery store to get some that’s complete. But that will mean you’ll have to clean them when they thaw out.

Start by washing the fish. In a bowl place the fish, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon and rinse with water. Then drain as best as you can and set aside. The next step is to prepare the seasonings we’ll be marinating the fish with. Go ahead and slice thin the – scallion, pepper, garlic, cilantro or shado beni and the thyme.

Now it’s time to combine everything we just sliced up with the fish and add the salt, black pepper, curry powder (gives it a wonderful flavour) and stir. For best results, place in the fridge to marinate for a few hours. What I usually do is put it into a sealed container as not to overpower the fridge with the strong seasoning scent. I try to leave it marinating for at least 2 hrs, but after 30 minutes you can go ahead and cook. (stays well overnight as well in the fridge)

After its been marinating it’s time to fry-dry those little morsels of fishy goodness. I try to take it out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before I start fryng so it comes back up to room temperature a bit.

In a wide pan put the oil and butter to heat on medium to high heat. In the meantime, put the flour on a paper towel and onto a plate to start dusting the seasoned fish. The reason why I use a paper towel first, is that when the flour gets soggy it will stick to the bare plate and making washing up after a bit sticky. Take the fish individually out of the bowl you had it marinating in and gently roll it in the flour to get an even coat. Don’t pay attention to any bits of seasoning that may still be attached to the fish. Once fried, that will add some nice flavours when you bite into it.

Once you think the oil is hot (not smoking) …butter should have melted and you’ll start seeing little bubbles around the edges. Start adding the seasoned and dusted fish. Try not to crowd the pan with too many. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes on each sde and then flip to cook evenly and get a well rounded golden brown colour. If you like a bit of a crunch (crispy) texture, allow to cook a little longer. You’ll also notice that the fish will firm up if cooked all the way though and not be limp as when you fist put them into the oil/butter.

Remove that batch and repeat that process once more (dust with flour, place in the hot oil, flip and remove when cooked.

Be sure to drain on paper towels to absorb some of the grease and try to serve hot. If you can’t prepare in time for all your guests, you can stick then in a toaster oven to reheat for a few minutes. This way it will retain it’s crispiness.

As mentioned above, I love this with rise and dhal, but after the first batch was out of the pan, I found myself eating away dipping into a mustard/ketchup/hotsauce combo sauce I made. This is also great as an appetizer (see dip recipe below), in sandwiches, as hors d’oeuvres or as a side to any normal dinner you make.

Here’s a quick and wonderful garlic mayo dip for this..

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Combine everything in a blender or food processor.

I’d love to hear from you, so please leave me your comments below in the box provided.

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Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Curry Goat Recipe.

May 28, 2025February 25, 2010116 Comments

Ever since my Ultimate Curry Chicken recipe I’ve decided to attach the word “Ultimate” to any dish I make for sharing with you all, that goes beyond my expectations. I must say that I’ve never been a fan of curry goat and I’m sure I can count the number of times I’ve had it on my fingers. But I’m so glad that I tried this recipe a couple nights ago, so I now have a new appreciation for it. For the great cook that my mom is and I guess I can add my sister, aunts and grandmother to the list… I think I’ve trumped them all with this recipe. Just don’t tell them I said that.. that will lead to “confusion”.

For those of you who showed interest in the recipe when I mentioned I was cooking it the other night on the Face Book Fan page, I do apologize for the delay in actually posting it here. Lately I’ve been swamped work with the new website I launched as well as my other web properties, so finding time to blog about cooking is not as easy as before.

You’ll Need

2 lbs goat cut into 1-2 inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1 medium onion sliced
3 cloves garlic crushed or sliced thin
3 sprigs thyme
1 tomato sliced
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (any hot pepper you like)
2 scallions
1/2 teaspoon curry powder for seasoning the meat
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder for cooking
1/4 teaspoon geera powder (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon amchar masala (optional but goes well with this dish)
1 leaf Spanish thyme crushed (optional)
4 leaves shado beni (bhandhanya)
1/2 teaspoon ketchup
3 tablespoon oil (something that can withstand high heat)
3 1/4 cups water

* If you don’t have access to the shado beni you can use 1 table spoon of green seasoning or 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

* I used boned goat meat, but feel free to use boneless if you want. If using boned, remember to get the butcher to cut it into pieces for you as the bones are VERY tough and will do damage to your knives.

* If you can’t get goat meat, I’m sure you can use lamb with great results.

Wash and drain the meat, then season with everything listed above except the water, oil, onion, garlic, pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder. BTW if you’re wondering what curry powder I use, it’s the Raja Jahan Special Madras curry. Made by Turban Brand Products of Trinidad and Tobago, it’s my absolute favourite. Mix well, cover and put in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hrs. Try to seal tight as the smell can easily overwhelm the inside of your fridge. Remember to take it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before cooking so it gets back to room temperature.

Here’s a pic of the geera and amchar masalaI used (my 2 secret ingredients) :

Lets get to cooking now. In a heavy pot put the oil to heat on medium/high, then add the onion and garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes (until they go soft and the garlic releases it’s flavours). Now add the hot pepper and curry powder so it cooks with the onion and garlic. Give this a minute or 2, until it starts to stick or go really thick. Now add a 1/4 cup of water and allow this to cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring.

As the water dries off, you’ll notice that the curry will take on a sort of grainy texture and the oil will start being visible again at the bottom of the pot. The colour of the curry will also go darker.. this is an indication that it’s time to add the seasoned meat to the pot.

Turn up the heat and start adding the pieces of seasoned goat a few pieces at a time and stir between each batch you add. This will allow each piece to get coasted with the curry sauce we just created. After you’ve added all the meat, there are 3 steps.

1. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer (it will release it’s own juices).

2. Add the 3 cups of water left from the ingredient list to the bowl that had the seasoned pieces of meat. This will allow the water to pick up any of the seasonings that may be left behind. Set that aside for later.

3. Stir every 5 minutes or so.

Allow this to cook for about 25 minutes on a gentle simmer, then remove the lid and turn up the heat. We now need to burn off all those natural juices that were released as it simmered. You’ll know when it’s all gone when you stir the pot and can see the bottom of it without any liquid. Now add the 3 cups of water we had transferred to the bowl we seasoned the meat in. Bring that to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and let it do it’s thing. Remember to keep it covered and stir every 15 minutes or so. We’re basically braising the meat so it’s nice and tender with a rich thick gravy. This can take up to 1 1/2 – 2 hours depending on how soft you like your meat and how old the goat was before it was butchered. Older goats will take longer to cook.

TIP: Feel free to use a pressure cooker for the step (when we added the 3 cups of water) to cut back drastically on the cooking time. I’ve also seen my aunt do this step in the oven as well. She puts it in a baking dish covered with tin foil and set at about 375 and it cooks away slowly in there. Since I’ve never used a pressure cooker, I’m afraid I can’t say how long it will take using that cooking option.

After 1 1/2 hrs, it’s time to test to see if it’s as tender as you like. Simply take a piece out and allow to cool on a side plate, then press with a fork or bite off a piece to see how tender it is. If you’re happy with it’s texture, it’s time to reduce the gravy to a thickness you like. Usually the gravy will be perfect, but if you find that it’s a bit runny, simply raise the heat and burn off. Pay close attention so you don’t burn it in the final stages of cooking.

So what do you pair this with? This is a classic dish to eat with rice (most people like white rice, but I’m a HUGE fan of brown rice), ground provisions, roti (any type), at Jamaican restaurants you’ll get rice and peas, great for sucking up the gravy with pita bread and if all fails… level it down on it’s own 🙂

Leave me your comments or different versions of this recipe in the box provided below. It’s really appreciated. BTW, this will easily serve 4-5 people.

Happy cooking

chris…

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Meat & Poultry

A non-traditional oven roasted pork recipe.

May 27, 2025February 22, 201026 Comments

With the busy schedule we live (even though I work from home) I try my best to have a family meal on Sundays. And it seems that too is becoming harder to schedule with our girls being older now and having so many plans of their own. I remember how nice it was to have a Sunday lunch (probably the most important meal in the Caribbean) with everyone when we were growing up on the islands. The scent, the food, family being together and the “ethnic fatigue” that makes you want to sleep after that amazing meal. Though our girls may never experience that, at least they will recall Sunday dinners when they grow up and have a family of their own. Do you have a tradition when it comes to meals? Leave me your comments below.

You’ll Need:

1 pork loin roast, about 4-5 pounds (you can use boneless, but I like the extra flavour from the one with the bone intact)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (fresh ground is best)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Hot pepper sauce (or Tabasco)
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons fresh squeezed)
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar

Note: This in NOT a traditional dish from Trinidad and Tobago, but I’m positive you’ll love it.

Note: Many pork loins you get at the butcher or grocery may have the fat trimmed off it. If you can, get a cut with a thin layer of fat on the top (see my pic below) While it cooks in the oven that fat will help keep the meat from becoming too dry.

Start by preparing the baste well be using, by combining all the ingredients (except the pork) in a medium saucepan and then bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer for about 7-10 minutes. I use a whisk to help everything mix together properly.

Then preheat your oven to about 325 while your baste simmers. I also wash the meat off with some cool water and dry it off before placing into my roasting pan. If you don’t have a pan with a cover, you’ll need some aluminum foil to tent the pan to seal in the juices while it roasts for the first couple hours.

Now your oven should be ready. Spoon some of the baste we just made onto the pork loin, cover the pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Let that cook for about 2 hrs at the temp we set. Continue basting (spoon on) every 25 minutes or so. In my case I like pouring the entire basting liquid I prepared into the roasting pan and baste from that. Please note that since we used vinegar in the liquid, you will get a strong smell every time you open the roasting pan. Vinegar is one of those things our noses are very particular about, since we don’t use it as much in the Caribbean as it’s done in North America. Don’t be alarmed… your entire house will have a wonderful smell as this slowly cooks away in the oven.

Allow this to cook for about 2 hours, then remove the lid and allow it to cook for another 30-45 minutes with the lid off. Remember to keep basting. With the lid off you’ll notice that the fat (BTW, place the fat side up in the pan when roasting) will start to get dark and almost look as if it’s burning. Don’t worry about that. That’s added flavour 🙂

Couple points.

1. After removing from the oven, allow the meat to rest a bit before slicing. This will allow any juices to redistribute back to the meat and help the meat itself relax.

2. The sauce at the bottom of the pan will be a bit tangy from the lemons and vinegar. It’s up to you to use it as a drizzle on the slices of roasted pork. But I find that our girls don’t really care for it.

So guess what I’m having for lunch today? Yes, roast pork sandwiches with a garlic/mayo/mustard sauce and slices of red onions.

Let me know if you have any questions by leaving me a message in the comments box below.

Happy cooking

Chris…

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Vegetarian

Let’s put the Pak Choi debate to rest now?

March 5, 2012February 17, 201021 Comments

This recipe is in response to all the comments I got to the Swiss Chard recipe I posted a while back. It seems there were a lot of people who were getting confused with Swiss Chard and Pak Choi. I could easily see why, as not only do they both taste great when cooked and the preparation is basically the same, plus the appearance is very similar. Normally I cook pak choi when I have some left over stew pork as it adds a great flavour to the finished dish, but seeing the nice selection they had at the grocers our last visit. I just had to get some, even though I had no leftover pork.

To understand what I mean when I talk about the confusion caused by the Swiss Chard recipe, you must also check out that recipe and read the comments directly below it. CLICK HERE > Swiss Chard Recipe. While there take a close look at the stems (white part) of the chard, now compare it to the white part of the pak choi (pics below). also note that the green part of the Swiss Chard has a bit more waxy look to it, very crinkled and can be very large. I’ll be sure to plant both pack choi and swiss chard this spring in my garden to get some better pics to show the subtle differences.

You’ll Need

1 bundle of Pak Choi 1 1/2 – 2 lbs (also known as bok choi or Peking cabbage)
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic (sliced tin or crushed)
1 medium onion sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices of hot pepper – optional (I use habanero or scotch bonnet – adds great flavour and some heat)

Start by separating the leaves of the pak choi and rinse thoroughly under running water to remove all the sand and dirt that can accumulate there. Pak Choi is usually planted in sandy soil,as as the leaves develop, sand and dirt can get trapped between the leaves.

The next step is to cut the leaves and stems into smaller pieces (cubes and strips) to allow for fast and even cooking. You’ll notice that in the pak choi I got there’s a lot of stem (white part) and not as much green leafy part. In the Caribbean the leafy part is much bigger, but I have to use what I can find 🙂 What I usually do is cut the white part length-wise into 1/2 thick strips (see pic below). Then I roll the leafy part into a somewhat tight bundle and slice the entire thing. So I get the white parts cubed and the leafy part comes out is shreds.

Lets get to cooking now. Heat the oil in a fairly wide pan and add the onion, garlic and slices of pepper. Allow that to cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and the oil is infused with the garlic. Takes about 4-5 minuets. Now start adding the pak coi to the pot (you’ll think it won’t fit at first.. but it will cook down). Stir and keep adding. Then add the salt and black pepper. With the heat between med and low, cook covered for about 5 minutes.

Now remove the lid and allow all that liquid that accumulated to cook off. I turn up the heat a bit and it takes about 5-10 minutes to cook off. Now depending on the texture you like ( soft or with a gently crunch) you may have to experiment with the final cooking time (after you’ve removed the lid).

TIP!. As mentioned above for an extra level of flavour you can add left over pieces of stewed pork the last couple minutes of cooking. And another way to flavour this is by adding some pieces of salted cod when you’re cooking the onions at the start.

So can you tell the difference between Swiss Chard and Pak Choi now? They both taste very similar, except I find that the Swiss Chard has a bit of a more bitter taste and the Pak Choi seems to be a bit smoky.

I’d love to hear from you, so I encourage you to leave me your comments below. Maybe you have a different version of this recipe you’d like to share?

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Vegetarian

Rice and peas without peas?

March 5, 2012February 7, 201055 Comments

Though you may know it as rice and peas or peas and rice, peas is not actually used in this dish. Instead red kidney beans is the actual “peas” of choice used. And though we may associate this dish as being uniquely Jamaican, it’s also enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. However there are limited restaurants in Trinidad and Tobago that serves it and I’m still to find a home where it’s part of their weekly menu. Our choice for a rice dish with peas is Pelau.

This recipe is a modified version of a recipe that was passed on to me from a good friend from St Vincent. According to him, he makes the best rice and peas in the Caribbean… we’ll leave it as that for now!

You’ll Need…

2 cups brown rice (not instant)
3 cups water
1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
2 cloves of garlic
1 scallion (sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 can red beans (kidney) 19oz
1 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper
1 whole hot pepper (scotch bonnet, habanero or whatever you like) * This is optional.
1 medium onion diced

Start by dicing the onion and scallion and smash the garlic so it’s crushed but not in many pieces. This way you can remove it from the finished dish easily. Also remember to remove the thyme off the sprig or you can leave it on the sprig and take the spring out when the dish is done cooking.

Then we’ll put a deep pot on medium heat and pour in the oil to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, thyme and scallion. Allow this to cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

While this cooks, let’s get the rice ready. I usually wash my rice before cooking to get rid of any grit and dirt. I do so by putting the rice into a bowl and let warm water cover it. Then using my hand and fingers I massage the rice. You’ll notice the water will go a bit gritty/white (see pic below). Drain that water out and rise a couple times again. Be sure to drain out the water well the final time. Now the onion should be soft and the oil infused with the other ingredients we added to the pot. Empty the wash rice and give the pot a good stir.

I’ve seem people empty the can of red beans directly into the pot, but I hate the liquid it’s packaged in. So I drain and give a quick rinse before emptying into the pot. After that I add the water, coconut milk, dash of black pepper, salt and the whole pepper. By putting the pepper whole, I can remove it at the end… plus it will get some of the flavour of the pepper without the actual heat. I then bring it up to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and cover the pot. This will then cook for about 25 minutes.

Stir every 5 minutes or so, and play close attention to the level of liquid. If you find that the liquid is drying up too fast, turn down the heat a bit. The final 10 minutes is crucial, since you want the rice to to cook, but not overcook and go mushy. If after 20 minutes you find that the rice is plump, turn up the heat (remove the lid) and cook off any remaining liquid. TIP: Here’s a simple way to test the rice to see if it’s done. Take a couple gains out of the pot and place on the counter top or on a side dish. Now gently press your fingers down and across the grain of rice. If there’s no solid texture (grainy feel), it means the rice is fully cooked.

As mentioned the last 10 minutes is crucial, since this is where you can control the desired texture of the rice. With the use of coconut milk and the fact that the rice contains starch it’s very easy to go creamy and sticky. I like my rice grainy so I burn off the liquid very fast once I determine that it fully cooked. Most times I under cook it (means the rice could use about 5 minutes more cooking) then I remove it off the heat with the lid covered. The residual heat in the pot continues to cook it while not on the heat of the stove.

* If you find that your rice is not fully cooked and your liquid is gone, simply add some boiling water to the pot and continue cooking.

The finished dish with some curry chicken wings.

I’d love to hear from you, especially if you have a different way of preparing rices and peas. Please leave me your comments in the area provided below.

Happy cooking

chris…

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Seafood

Can smoke herrings be considered comfort food?

March 5, 2012February 5, 201053 Comments

My idea of comfort food is any meal that takes me back to a time or place where I was in total bliss. Words alone could never tell how happy it was for us as kids growing up on the islands, but there are several meals that takes me right back to those days. I still recall days when my dad would bring home ground provisions from the garden and my mom would cook up a batch of smoke herring to top a plate full of yam, dasheen and green bananas. Back then I wouldn’t eat the actual pieces of smoked herrings, but the oil was drizzled all over my plate of provision.

Our girls hate the smell of smoke herrings, so with having the house all to myself today I thought I’d take advantage of this opportunity and fire up the stove to prepare some comfort food from my youth. Little did they know I had this day planned from a few days ago when I first learned that I would be home alone. I had already source some yam and smoke herring fillets.

NOTE: I’m using the herring fillets since it’s a lot less work, but I’m almost positive that you won’t get fillets if you live in the Caribbean. You can check out a pic I took at the San Fernando public market back in October of a huge pile of smoked herrings as it’s sold in the Caribbean.

You’ll Need…

1/2 lb smoked herring fillets
1 tomato
1 medium onion
1 hot pepper (your choice – I use habanero, including seeds)
dash of black pepper
6-8 tablespoons olive oil

Optional ingredients:
– 1/ 2 bell pepper diced
– 1 scallion sliced thin
– 1/4 red onion sliced thin.
– 1 pimento pepper sliced thin

* If you’re using a very hot pepper like habanero or scotch bonnet and don’t want the “flaming” heat, don’t include the seeds or the membrane that surrounds the seeds.

Start by putting the fillets into a fairly deep bowl and cover with boiling water. This will help remove some of the salt and make the fish tender enough to shred. TIP: Smoke herrings will give your hands a very strong smell which will remain long after… even after you wash with soap. If you can get a pair of disposable gloves I ‘d suggest you use it when handing the fish.

If I was making this during the warmer months I would boil it in a pot with water for a few minutes on the side burner of my grill outside. But if I were to do that during the winter months indoor, the smell would be too much for even me to handle. So I did the next best thing and poured the hot water directly over it and allow it to soak from about 15 minutes.

While the smoke herring fillets soak in the hot (make sure it’s boiling and not just hot water from your tap) water, I prepare the onion, pepper and tomato. Basically all you’re doing is slicing the pepper and onion very thin and dice the tomato into small pieces. If you’re using the optional ingredients, all you have to do is slice/dice the same as you did with the onions etc.

Drain out the water from the bowl and rinse the fillets with a fresh batch of cool water. Squeeze dry and start breaking/shredding the fillets into small pieces. You may notice some tiny bones.. try to remove as much as you can. But don’t worry they won’t cause any real harm as they are very soft.

Let’s now assemble everything…

Empty all the onions, pepper and tomato into the bowl with the shredded herring and add a couple dashes of black pepper. Then give it a good mix. The final step is to heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat and as soon as you start seeing smoke, pour it over everything. This will help cook the onion and allow all the flavours to marry. Mix well and serve.

Here’s my complete dish of boil yam topped with the smoked herrings…

The only thing I hate about comfort food is the “ritis” it gives at the end. I could so easily fall asleep now. Do you have a different way of preparing smoked herrings or a alternate way of making this recipe? I’d love for you to leave your comments below.

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Vegetarian

Making bhaji with tender baby spinach and coconut cream.

December 7, 2016January 30, 201036 Comments

One of my favorite side dishes to eat with sada roti as a kid growing up on the islands was dasheen bush bhaji. But living in North America in the early years meant that we had to improvise in the ingredients we used in many of our normal dishes. Dasheen bush (leaves form the dasheen plant) was not readily available, we started using any other type of “greens” we could find. Like spinach and swiss chard to fill the need for some traditional food. Over the years things have changed a bit and we can now get dahseen bush and many of the other ingredients we couldn’t before. However they’re usually quite expensive and the quality lacks a bit. The long voyage from the Caribbean and the Far East takes it’s toll on the fruits and vegetables (even though there’s overnight shipping).

Here’s my version of bhaji made with baby spinach and cooked gently in coconut cream.

You’ll Need…

11 oz baby spinach (pre washed)
1 medium onion sliced thin
3 cloves garlic sliced
1/4 hot pepper (optional) I used habanero
dash of black pepper
salt to taste (I used a little less than 1/4 teaspoon)
3 tablespoon olive oil (I like using extra virgin – love the additional flavour)
1 can coconut milk (5.6 fl oz)

Even though I purchased the pre-washed spinach (please get baby spinach for best results) I still wash it before cooking. Blame our mom for that.. she believes in washing just about everything. Then in a wide sauce pan heat the olive oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes to infuse the oil with the flavours of the garlic.

If you look closely at the edges of the garlic you’ll notice that it’s starting to go golden in color, this is a good indication that it’s time to add the spinach. Since we washed the spinach, make sure to drain it well before adding to the pan with the hot oil and garlic. At first you’ll doubt that the entire batch of spinach will fit in the pan, but as it wilts… everything will fit. Just keep adding as needed.

The next step is to add the black pepper, sliced onion, hot pepper and salt. As mentioned I used a little less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt, so I suggest you add a similar amount and at the end add additional if needed. TIP BTW, if you have a heavy hand and add more salt than necessary, feel free to add a sliced tomato to the pot to try and diffuse some of that salty taste. I then pour in the coconut milk into the pan, cover, turn down the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. You’ll notice that the spinach released a lot of it’s own liquid. No worries.. we’ll burn all that off later.

After 20 minutes cooking with the cover on the pan, you’ll notice that there’s still a bit of liquid left in the pot. After-all we added coconut milk as well to the natural juices of the spinach itself. Remove the cover and turn the heat up to medium/high to cook off all that liquid. Keep a close eye.. if you notice the spinach starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, turn down the heat. It must cook off the liquid evenly.

Note: I like my spinach cooked as we do with dasheen bush bhaji.. melted to a sort of smooth paste. But if you prefer, you can cook this much faster with the lid off the pan for about 7-10 minutes (instead of 20) or until the liquid (coconut) milk dries off. On a higher heat setting. This way you’ll have a finished dish with more texture.

As the liquid dries off, you’re done. It will look a bit mushy, but trust me.. this is packed with flavour and healthy goodness.

I was cooking stew chicken with rice for our daughters, so I added the spinach bhaji to my plate. Still trying to get them to eat bhaji.

I’d love for you to leave me your comments and questions in the area provided below. Maybe you have a different way of preparing this dish?

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Side Dishes Vegetarian

A Spicy Pineapple Salad Inspired by Mangoes.

May 27, 2025January 21, 201016 Comments

One of the things you’d look forward to as a child on the islands is mango season. This is the time of the year when mangoes are mature and starts to ripe on the trees. If you had patience you’d wait for a strong gust of wind to blow the ripe mangoes to the ground or if patience was not your strong suit you’d get a long stick or bamboo rod and gently tap on them so they’d fall. If all failed, you could always get a small rock or stick and toss it at the mangoes. One way or the other you were going to enjoy some of those juicy ripe mangoes.

This was also the season for making mango chow. Slices of green (but half-ripe) mangoes with crushed (or sliced) hot peppers, garlic, shado beni, salt and fresh lime juice. When we moved to Canada sourcing mangoes was not an easy chore, so we had to find another fruit to make this fiery treat (green apples also works great). Not only could we not get mangoes, the other key ingredient which is shado beni was not easy to find either.

So my aunt who I lived with at the time suggested we use pineapple (something she had enjoyed on the islands on one of her trips back), thus started this pineapple salad or chow. And since we couldn’t get fresh shado beni, we started using cilantro. To Trinbagonians this will be considered a form of “chow”, but to others it’ll be a spicy pineapple salad.

This is so easy and full of wonderful flavour, you’ll wonder why you haven’t had it yet.

You’ll need…

1 ripe pineapple (cubed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic sliced thin
juice of 1 lime or lemon
3 tablespoon cilantro
1 small red onion sliced (optional)
1/2 habanero pepper sliced thin (scotch bonnet or any pepper with some heat)

* if you can get shado beni, be sure to use that instead of the cilantro for a true “chow” taste. However if you want to enjoy it as a mild salad, use the cilantro.

* In most grocery stores you can get the fresh pineapple already peeled and cored (usually packed in a plastic container). If you can’t, I’ve created a short video below showing how it’s done. If all fails I guess you can use a can of pineapple chunks. However I can’t promise that the results would be the same as using fresh pineapple.

Basically all you’re doing in combining all the ingredients is a large bowl, mix thoroughly and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

I told you it was simple! Give it a try, it’s a great way to spice things up a bit with some pineapple. Here’s the short video showing how to peel and remove the core from a ripe pineapple.

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Meat & Poultry

A formidable homemade burger with a Caribbean twist.

March 5, 2012January 20, 201029 Comments

It was about 11.30 pm and we had just flown in on a 5 hr flight from Toronto and we were hungry. Normally when we hit Piarco International Airport we would get some KFC for the drive to my sister’s place. We Trinbagonians have a weakness for KFC, but ONLY the KFC in Trinidad and Tobago… supposedly there’s something unique about the taste that you can’t find elsewhere. KFC was closed, plus not everyone in our party wanted fried chicken.

The next option was to drive through St James and grab some fast food at one of the many food vendors that line the street. For those of you not familiar with the area, St James is west of the capital (Port Of Spain) and it’s a place that never sleeps. The two options we found were burgers and gyros. First the gyros or what is supposed to be gyro… basically they had some sort of sliced meat that they were putting onto a wrap you’d use for fajitas and topped with a sort of garlic mayo. Not my idea of a good gyro since I need genuine tzatziki sauce to even consider eating this, but you’d swear it was the real thing as the line was long.

The burger wasn’t a suitable option either, as it was dry, lacked any flavour and basically a cheap frozen patty that was cooked on a flat top in a ton of oil and it’s own grease. Yea, I gave it a try since as mentioned I wasn’t impressed with the gyro. However, they (same burger joint) had a shredded chicken sandwich they were calling a chicken burger that really stood out.

As a kid on the islands the only option for a burger was Wimpeys, then years later Mac Donalds came and left and now there’s several local joints where you can get burgers. Then there’s Burger King and many of the bigger restaurants include it in their menu. BTW the burger at Ruby Tuesday at Movie Town (opposite the national stadium) is well worth the price. We’re usually on the islands about 2-3 times a year and I’m still to find a local spot where you could get a decent burger. Maybe it’s due to the mentality of the people as burgers are not really considered “Trini” food, so it’s not widely accepted.

Here’s a “good” burger recipe I introduced to some friends during our last visit. (btw though you can’t get a good burger on the islands that’s affordable, the buns at the various local bakeries are amazing)

You’ll Need…

For the burger:

2 lbs ground beef (medium or lean works best as regular will have a lot of fat and will shrink when cooked)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon grated onion (or chopped fine)
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper diced very fine (habanero or scotch bonnet gives that true Caribbean twist)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce (your favourite)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

* The hot pepper is optional. If you don’t have fresh hot peppers, you can easily substitute your favourite hot sauce (pepper sauce). Use as much as you think you can handle.

For the topping.

1/2 cup diced tomato
2 table spoon rough chopped cilantro
2 table spoon fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup diced avocado
2 table spoon finely diced red onion (or any sweet onion)
dash salt
dash black pepper
1/2 cup diced ripe mango (try to get a ripe mango that’s firm)

* You’ll notice that I didn’t have any mango in my topping, as I basically used what I had in the fridge. It’s hard to get me outside (except to BBQ) during the winter months or I’d head over to the grocery and pick one up. Try to include the mango if you can.

In a large bowl, put all the ingredients for the burger and mix thoroughly. I use my hands to really ensure everything gets mixed properly. Then I move on to shaping the burgers. I place a piece of parchment or wax paper onto a baking sheet to make the burgers easier to remove when it’s time to grill. Then I form about 6 balls with the meat mixture and place them onto the baking sheet. Using my fingers I press down on the meat working from the inside out to form a burger shape. TIP – To ensure the burgers cook evenly and all the way through I usually make a dip in the middle so that part is a bit thinner (you should be able to see this in the pic below). Also note that the cooked burger will shrink, so try to work it a bit wider than the buns you’ll be using. This way when it shrinks during the cooking process it will still cover the entire bun. I try to form it about 1/2 inch thick. I then place the burgers in the fridge to marinate for about 1 hr. If you don’t have room in your fridge, you have 2 options. 1 grill immediately or 2. Allow the mixed meat to marinate before shaping the burgers.

The final step is to grill the burgers. I try to get the grill up to between 300-400 degrees ( I much prefer 300 to slow cook – a much juicer burger) and I allow them to cook on each side for about 5 minutes (each flip), flipping 4 times . So in total it cooks for about 20 minutes. But do keep an eye on things as depending on the type of ground beef you get (fat content) you may have flare-ups which can char the burger. Also note that if you use a 400 degree grill it will cook faster.

Though I’ve never used one, I’m sure you’ll get great results from one of those indoor grills like the George Foreman.

While the burgers grill, prepare the topping using the ingredients mentioned above. Basically all you’re doing is dicing/chopping and mixing well.

Here’s the finished burger topped with a slice of Swiss cheese and the fresh topping we made above.

Do you have a “Caribbean” burger recipe you’d like to share? Leave me a comment in the area provided below.

Happy Cooking

Chris….

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Site News

Spreading the culinary culture – Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

May 28, 2025January 19, 20103 Comments

My first experience with “food tv” was many years ago when we had just 2 TV stations on the island (both showed the same programs) and there was a lady name Sylvia Hunt who had a wonderful cooking show showcasing many of the traditional and regional dishes we grew up on. To this day I have a lot of respect for Ms Hunt and the fact that she can be partially credited for my love for sharing our culinary culture and being a foodie in general.

Then when I moved to Canada, I would sit in front of the TV on a Saturday and watch public television as that was the only channel that had cooking programs back then. Shows such as Two Fat Ladies, Julia Childs, Jacques Pépin, James Barber – The Urban Peasant, Wok With Yan and Pasquale’s Kitchen Express to name a few. Now with all the specialty TV networks, we’ve got the Food Channel that’s creating celebrities out of everyday cooks and exposing people to foods they would never have known before.

I recently caught an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives which is hosted by Guy Fieri and featured on the Food Network, that I just had to share with you all. It’s a great look at some traditional dishes being made and enjoyed in Seattle. It’s nice to see Pam of Pam’s Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen spreading the culinary culture of the islands.

Here’s a direct link to Pam’s Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen in the event you’d like learn more about her and or you’d like to give her menu a test!

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Sauces & Condiments

A quick pepper sauce when you need a little “zing”.

May 28, 2025January 18, 201013 Comments

For those of you who’ve been following my updates on FierceSauces.com will know that I have a growing collection of hot sauces (peppa sauce as we say in Trinidad and Tobago) and I use this affair I have with spicy sauces to write short reviews. Though I purchase new ones every time I come across varieties I don’t already have, I can honestly say that nothing beats a “fresh” made sauce.

Here’s a simple recipe for a very quick hot sauce that packs a wicked punch. It’s sure to add some zing to whatever meal or snack you introduce it to. For me it was a case of having some jerk pork tenderloin I just took off the grill and I craved a fresh peppa sauce to top the thinly sliced pieces of pork to enjoy while I watched play-off football this weekend.

*This makes about 1 1/2 cups of hot sauce.

You’ll Need…

1 teaspoon salt
4-6 cloves garlic
20 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers (use any hot pepper you like and can tolerate)
3/4 cup vinegar
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
4 mild peppers (banana, Cubanelle, Hungarian Yellow, Biscayne Sweet.. etc)

Before we get to the actual process, I must mention that the peppers I used were all frozen. Every spring I plant an assortment of hot peppers, including my favourite… the habanero. When I reap them in the fall, I place them in freezer-lock bags and keep them secure in the freezer. I then have enough peppers to last me until next harvest. So if you ever have an abundance of peppers, do remember that you can freeze them. During the winter months the very same peppers sell for between $7 and $11 a pound in the local super markets so I can’t afford them. Luckily I have my supply in our freezer.

Wash and remove the stems from the peppers and chop roughly (wear gloves if you’re using scotch bonnet or habanero). Then do the same with the garlic and cilantro so it’s easy to work with in the food processor.

Add everything to a blender or food processor and process for a couple minutes. Try to get a smooth consistency but try not to overwork it, since we don’t want to add too much air and risk it getting foamy.

Taste for salt (if you’re getting a sort of raw taste with no flavour except the heat of the pepper, add a little more salt)

*Fresh squeezed lime or lemons also add another lovely level of flavour to this sauce.

Place in a jar and use as needed. Normally since we used vinegar as the liquid in the sauce, you should not have to refrigerate it. However it may be a good idea to place it in fridge just as a precaution. Please note though that the sauce will loose a bit of it’s heat the longer it stays in the fridge.

Do you have a quick hot sauce recipe you’d like to share? leave me a comment in the comment box below.

Happy cooking!

Chris…

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Meat & Poultry

Ultimate Curry Chicken?

May 27, 2025January 8, 201047 Comments

A few months back I came across a wonderful video online of a fellow Trinbagonian living in the US who created a cooking video called “The Ultimate Curry Chicken” and though his method and ingredients of cooking curry chicken was a bit different than mine, I’m sure it was just as tasty. If you’ve watched my introduction video (click on “About” above) you’ll know that curry is not one of the things we grew up on and only years later when I moved to Canada and lived with my aunt, did I really start eating it. Don’t get me wrong, our mom is an excellent cook when it comes to anything curry, it’s just we didn’t have it as often. I’ve been lucky enough to have my mom close (about 1 hour away) the past few years, so over this time I’ve taken her recipe and made some slight changes to call it my own. BTW if you’re in the Toronto area and you’re looking to have some food catered (Trini dishes), be sure to contact me and I’ll not only get you some amazing food, but I’ll even hook you up with a nice discount. I’m not in the catering business, but my sister is and it seems she’s doing an amazing job with the rate her business is growing.

You’ll Need…

3 Lbs Chicken
3/4 tablespoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (scotch bonnet, habanero or any hot pepper you like) *Optional.
heaping tablespoon curry powder (madras)
1/4 teaspoon roasted Geera (powder)
1 medium tomato diced
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 teaspoon green seasoning mix
2 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons water (to cook curry)
1 scallion
Shado beni (see note below)

* I usually use dark meat (with bones) when cooking curry as I find that the overall taste of the finished dish is more tasty. However the recipe works just as well with white meat (may be a bit dry though)

* Since shado beni is not readily available to us in the city where I live (and I can’t grow it) I usually get some shipped to me and immediately after I get it, it goes into my freezer. Then whenever I’m cooking I break off a few leaves to add to my dish. So if you can get access to some at your local store, remember that freezing is also an option if you get a large package. I also find that the frozen leaves holds more flavour than if you were to puree the leaves as we do with green seasoning mix.

* If you don’t have the green seasoning the recipe calls for, feel free to use about a tablespoon of each of the following (chopped):
– cilantro
– thyme
– shallots
* Spanish thyme would also be a good addition if you can get access to it.

* In the recipe you notice that I cooked the frozen shado beni with the onions before adding the curry. If you’re using fresh shado beni you’ll get better results if you season the chicken with it, rather than cooking it as I did. If you don’t have any shado beni, you can also substitute cilantro for it (add about 2-3 tablespoon chopped to the seasoned chicken)

I got a package of chicken legs with back attached, so this means I had to cut it into serving size pieces before I could get started. After I cut the chicken into pieces it was placed in a bowl with some water and the juice of the lime (see ingredients above) to be washed. I then drained out the water and squeezed it as dry as I could.

The next step is to season the chicken and allow it to marinate for a couple hours. Add the salt, black pepper, tomato, green seasoning, and scallion (chopped) to the bowl with the chicken and stir so everything gets coated.

After it’s been marinating for a couple hrs, it’s time to start cooking. In a fairly large pan, heat the oil (2 tablespoon) on high heat and get prepared to add the sliced onions, garlic and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes until the onions go soft and start to go a bit brown. I then turn the heat to medium and add a few leaves of the frozen shado beni to the pot followed by the curry and geera (cumin) and stir. You may notice that the pot is “dry”, this is when I add another tablespoon of oil to the pot so nothing sticks. The next step is to add the 6 tablespoons of water, turn the heat down and allow this to cook for a couple minutes. This will bring out the true aroma of the curry.

As the liquid burns off it’s time to start adding the pieces of seasoned chicken to the pot. Turn the heat back up to high and stir each piece so it get’s in contact with the cooked curry. After you’ve added all the seasoned chicken, turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

You’ll notice that the chicken will spring it’s own juices, so after 15 minutes remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. We’ll now burn off that liquid. As the liquid burns off from the pot (make sure you keep stirring) you’ll see nothing but a bit of oil at the bottom with a sort of curry paste (this is the good stuff).

In the same bowl you seasoned the chicken add the 1 1/2 cups of water so we can pick up any remaining seasoning that was left behind. Now add the water from the bowl to the pot to continue the cooking process.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer with the pot covered (stir occasionally). After 20 minutes, remove the cover and check the sauce or gravy to see if it’s the consistency you like. Usually I have to turn the heat up a bit to reduce the curry sauce as I like it a bit thick.

I’m sure many of you may have a different way of making curry chicken or as our friends from Guyana say “chicken curry” , so I encourage you to share you method with us in the comments box below this post. Don’t forget to also join us on facebook below:

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