Gluten Free Archives | Page 21 of 33

Looking back I think I originally documented this recipe late summer / early fall last year.. when my garden was loaded with the ‘spinach’ I’m about to use in this recipe. I’m using the word ‘spinach’ a bit loosely, as I’m really referring to several types of greens when I do. I’m a HUGE fan of greens so I usually plant several varieties in my garden every year. I’m told that as a kid on the islands my favorites (bhagi aka greens) were Dasheen Bush (tender leaves of the dasheen plant), Pak Choi and Chorai (Jamaican Callalloo)… mom never had a problem with me eating when she would cook those dishes.

You’ll Need…

2-3 cups chopped Jamaican Callaloo
2-3 cups chopped Kale
2-3 cups chopped Swiss Chard
1 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 med onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 scotch bonnet pepper
2 cups parboiled brown rice

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, drain and trim the different greens (I cut into 1 cm ribbons) and set aside. Don’t use the tough stems of the Jamaican Callaloo (Chorai) and Kale.

In a wide pot/pan heat the olive oil on a med/low flame, then go in with the diced onion, chopped scallions, smashed garlic, black pepper, allspice and thyme. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Start adding all the chopped greens to the pot and stir and add the salt.

It’s now time to add the washed rice (place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and move the grains between your fingers.. the water will go cloudy. drain and repeat until the water is clear. or you can place the rice in a strainer and run cool water over it.. massage until the water runs clear) and mix with everything else in the pot.

It’s now time to crank up the heat to high and go in with the coconut milk and water.

As it comes to a boil, place the whole scotch bonnet on top (don’t break – we want the flavors of the oils on the skin and NOT the raw heat). Stir well, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

It took about 22-25 minutes to cook. Turn off the heat, lid still on and allow it to continue cool/cooking with the residual heat. After about 15 minutes, you can now go in with a fork and fluff the rice. Do remember to remove the scotch bonnet pepper before you fluff the rice to ensure you don’t mistakenly break it. Once broken it will release that Caribbean Sunshine (heat).

An amazing one pot vegetarian rice dish (probably vegan too?) packed with flavors of the islands. Do keep an eye on the level of liquid as it cooks (add more boiling water if necessary) and remember to taste it for salt near the end and adjust accordingly. You can always add vegetable stock instead of water, but be mindful of the sodium level. or go in with chicken stock if not making this vegetarian.

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Simple Oven Roasted Sea Bass.

May 10, 2017April 8, 2017Leave a Comment

Did you get a chance to give the Caribbean Fish Stew Using Fresh Cod a test drive yet? As we continue in this #FishFrday mini-series, I’ve got a super simple way to do a whole fish in the oven. Using a Sea Bass (what’s on sale at the fish store currently) as our main ingredient, we’ll enhance things with some ginger, scallion, lemon and sliced fennel. Yea, the fennel was on sale so I was convinced by my wallet to bring it home from the grocery store. Since Fennel is not your typical “Caribbean” ingredient, you can use a large sliced onion instead.

You’ll Need…

1 Sea Bass (1-2lbs)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 med fennel (sliced)
2 scallions (julienne + sliced)
1-2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
small piece of ginger (julienne)
1 small lemon (sliced)
1 bird’s eye pepper (optional)

Important: If doing this dish gluten free do go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce – get a gluten free version.

Prep your ingredients.. slice, julienne etc. Wash the fish (hopefully your fish market person would have cleaned it for you) and give it two cuts on the belly (each side). With the Fennel I removed the outer layer, gave it a good wash and sliced about 1/2 cm thick.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your roasting dish, place a layer of the sliced fennel and rest the fish on top of it. As we prep the fish, preheat your oven to 400 F.

Open the cavity of the fish and go in with half the salt and black pepper, then 3/4 of the ginger and white parts of the scallion. Then try to get some of the sliced cherry (I think I used grape) tomatoes, which I sliced in 1/2. Finally I tuck one bird’s eye pepper in for a little kick and two slices of the lemon for a citrus punch.

Basically all you have to do next is put everything remaining on top /side of the fish, drizzle the remaining olive oil and go in with the rest of the salt and black pepper. Be sure to drizzle on the light soy sauce over the fish as well.. the flavors will be insane! Then place on the middle rack of the oven uncovered for 25-30 minutes (depends on the size/thickness of your fish).

By roasting uncovered we’ll char the tomatoes so they’ll burst with sweetness. Finally after about 25 minutes, I cranked-up the heat to “broil” (about 525 F) for abut 5 minutes to give everything a lovely color.

A tasty one-dish fish recipe which is super simple to make and looks absolutely stunning in that baking dish (I’m sure you’ll agree). Pescatarians, I’m sure you’ll jump on testing this recipe and for those of you doing the Lent thing.. yea, your boi Chris do read you email requests. You can certainly double up on the recipe if making more than one fish. If you decide to use a much larger fish, do increase the amount of salt and cooking time.

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Gluten Free Seafood

Caribbean Fish Stew Using Fresh Cod.

April 8, 2017April 1, 20172 Comments

I may have mentioned in previous ‘fish’ recipe posts that as a young fella on the islands (along with my siblings) we had NO luv for fish or any sort of seafood, except for shrimp and fried slices of King Fish. However as an adult I can’t get enough of everything coming out of the ocean. With many requests for fish recipes, especially with Easter and Good Friday just around the corner, I thought I’d share this one using cod with you.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs Cod (cubed 1 inch pieces)
1 med onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (diced fine)
1/2 orange bell pepper (cubed)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (cubed)
2 scallions (chopped 1 inch)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika (hot)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon achiote oil (or olive oil)
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
1 stalk celery (sliced thin)
4 sprigs thyme (remove leaves off stems)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 med tomato (diced)
splash of water
1/2 lemon (juice)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the tomato paste.. in the event there’s any thickening agent with gluten in it.

How To Make Achiote Oil (roucou | occo): Video Tutorial Here!

Heat the oil in a wide pan (one with a lid) on a low heat, then go in with the onion and garlic. Make sure the heat is now on very low as we don’t want to burn the garlic. Allow this to cook gently for 3-4 minutes.

Up-next we can add the diced bell peppers, sliced celery and scotch bonnet pepper (be mindful that you can control the heat level by how much scotch bonnet you add). Take the heat up to medium and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the tomato paste and paprika and stir well. Go in with the black pepper, thyme, salt and tuck in the pieces of Cod fish. I used frozen Cod which was thawed and I squeezed out the extra liquid. Stir well, add the tomato and parsley, (heat at med/low) cover the pot and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. You will need a splash of water to help steam-cook the fish. Less than a 1/4 cup.

Remove the lid. The Cod should be fully cooked by now so it’s time to taste for salt and adjust accordingly as your tolerance for salt will be different than mine. Turn the heat off, toss in the scallions and squeeze in the lemon juice.

A delicious fish dish in under 10 minutes! I served this batch with some steamed rice, but you can treat it as you would any fish side dish. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the scotch bonnet pepper. If heat is not your thing, you can leave out that spicy pepper.. do keep in mind that the spicy smoked Paprika will have a heat element. Yes, any ocean white fish will work for this dish.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Caribbean Stewed Pork Ribs.

May 27, 2025March 23, 20171 Comment

We’ve grilled them, done a sort of “oven BBQ” during the winter and this coming summer I plan on doing a classic smoked/jerk over a charcoal fire, but for now I’d like to share yet another way to do pork ribs. You’re free to use the short ribs type you get at the Asian markets (ones sold for making dry garlic ribs), baby-back or your regular rack of pork ribs for this recipe. Using the classic Caribbean technique of ‘stewing’ to start, then we’ll slowly braise these ribs until they tender and packed with rich Caribbean flavor.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs pork ribs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 slices ginger
1 medium onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper – chopped)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
2.5 – 3 cups water
4 sprigs thyme

Important! if doing this recipe gluten free, kindly go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Give the ribs a quick wash with cool water and the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain and get to seasoning. Add everything to the bowl EXCEPT the thyme, veg oil, brown sugar and water. The Bird Pepper is optional.. providing you want a kick to the dish.. you may use any spicy pepper you have on hand or like. Mix well and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least a couple hours.

In a heavy pot over a high flame heat the vegetable oil, then go in with the brown sugar. This step is crucial (we DON’t want to BURN the sugar). Using a dry spoon, stir the sugar until it starts to melt. It will go frothy, then amber in color (act fast). Here is where you add the season pork ribs to the pot. If the sugar goes black. STOP and start over or it will have a bitter taste. (watch the video below for more help with this).

Yes, it’s ok if the marinade goes into the pot as you add the pieces of ribs. But try to keep some back in the bowl. In the same bowl you marinated the ribs add the water and swish around so you can pick up all that goodness to add to the pot later. Stir well to coat the ribs with the ‘stew’ base we started off with. Turn the heat down to medium/low, cover the pot and let that go for about 10 minutes (stir a couple times). It will sprout it’s own natural juices.

After which it’s time to infuse the ribs with the color and flavor of the brown-stew. Remove the lid and crank up the heat to high – we want to burn off all that liquid. Be sure to stir. It will take about 4-6 minutes.

After all the water is gone and you start seeing the oil we started off with at the bottom of the pot, it’s time to add the water we had in the bowl we marinated the ribs in. Stir and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, top with the sprigs of thyme, reduce the heat to a simmer and place the lid on the pot.

Stir every 10-15 minutes. After about 1 hour and 25 minutes, you can now personalize this dish a bit. Taste for salt and adjust to your liking and you can now crank up the heat and burn off the liquid until you have a gravy the consistency you like. If our mom was doing this she would burn off ALL the liquid, but in my case I allowed it to go on high for about 5 minutes.. until I had a somewhat thick gravy or sauce. (I had this with rice)

These Caribbean stewed ribs are a great side-dish for your next family dinner or it can certainly make an impression the next time you hit a potluck at work.. go ahead and take all the praise. You can always start the “stewing” process on the stove-top and finish off in a slow cooker if you wanted.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Simple Crispy Fried Chicken Wings.

May 27, 2025March 17, 2017Leave a Comment

After posting an image of these crispy wings on Instagram a couple weeks back, the DM’s we’re rocking with requests for the recipe. And while this probably won’t be considered a “Caribbean” recipe, I thought that it will still fit within the theme of this website. Infused with herbal flavors as we do on the islands, these wings are super simple to make and with the crispy finish.. you’ll impress your family and guests. Guaranteed!

You’ll Need…

5-6 lbs wings
3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 sprigs thyme
1 scallion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 bird’s eye pepper (optional)
3 cups veg oil for frying

*I’ve posted this recipe within the ‘gluten free’ section of the website (as well), please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Feel free to trim off the tips of the chicken wings, cut them in 2 pieces if you wish and give them a look-over for any nasty feathers. As I mentioned in the video, no-body eh trying to get ah feather! Then give the scallion a rough chop as well as the bird’s eye pepper (use any hot pepper you like – optional) and whisk together with everything (except the wings and oil) to make a brine. I like starting with one cup of warm water so the sugar and salt can dissolve easily. Then I go in with 2 cups of super cold water to bring the temperature down to safe levels.

Place the chicken wings in a deep container (or freezer bag) and pour the brine over them. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for about an hour. Try to not allow them to brine for more than an hour or you’ll risk them going salty.

After one hour, drain and rinse well with cool water. Allow to drain off and air dry.

Place the oil to heat in a deep pot (I used a wok) or use your deep fryer if you have one, on a med/high flame. Pat the wings dry with paper towels (make sure they are DRY) , then into the hot oil.

Depending on the size of your wings, they will take between 17 and 22 minutes to completely cook and go crisp and golden. Remember to flip them and DON’T crowd the pot with too many or it will drop the temp of the oil and make them soggy.

Fry in batches. As I removed the first batch I placed them on a wire rack (on a sheet-pan to collect the oil drippings). Normally I’d say to place them on paper towels, but I find that when they sit on the paper towels they can go a bit soggy and loose it’s crispy finish. For a more crispy finish you can fry them for a bit longer.

Since the wings were in that herb-salty brine, there will be no need to salt these further (but I’m on a low salt diet). Taste and sprinkle on some Sea or Himalayan salt as they come out the hot oil if you want. We enjoyed these with the mango habanero sauce I shared a while back.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Quick Ham And Turkey Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025March 4, 2017Leave a Comment

A few days after Christmas 2016 I was joined by my good friend Marc, who you would have been introduced to some time ago. Marc (Chef Marc) is a fellow Trinbagonian who’s been knocking out the recipes and food-travel videos on his YouTube Channel “Chef Marc“. This time Marc will be putting the leftover ham and turkey from the Christmas holidays for (one of) his signature fried rice. Using ingredients we already had in the fridge, Marc blazed through this recipe in a few minutes.

You’ll Need…

4 cups cooked rice (Jasmine)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 bell pepper (diced)
2 cups cabbage (chopped)
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 cups ham (cubed)
2 cups turkey (chopped)
3-4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce *
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 bird pepper (bird’s eye)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic (fine dice)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce – regular soy sauce will have a gluten element to it.

Start by prepping all the ingredients as this recipe calls for high heat and fast cooking.

Heat a wok or wide pan on a med/high heat, then go in with two tablespoons of the olive oil and the bird’s eye pepper. Marc gave then each pepper a couple cuts to help release some of their ‘heat’. Immediately after he went in with the cubed ham as he wanted to render out some of the fat (for flavor) and the toast the edges.

After about 1 minute it’s time to go in with the chopped turkey and mix well. You may need to add another tablespoon of oil if the pan is getting too dry.

Also add the diced bell pepper and sliced cabbage, toss and mix well. Then go in with the black pepper and garlic (he mentioned that he likes to add his garlic late in the cooking process, as to not risk burning it). At this point you can add the salt and sesame oil, stir! It’s now time to add the rice and break up any clumps. TIP! Be sure to use day-old rice or rice that been cooked in salted water and chilled. This will give you a lovely grainy texture to the fried rice.

After the rice is heated through (about 1-2 minutes), add the frozen peas and drizzle on the soy sauce. Stir well.

You’re dun! Turn off the stove and enjoy. The key is to cook on a relatively high heat, have your ingredients prepped and to not be intimated. The recipe, cooking and being in the kitchen should be fun and we do hope you’ll put this recipe to the test and enjoy the time in the kitchen with your family.

I’d like to take a minute to hit Chef Marc a Massive THANKS and to invite him to pass though the CaribbeanPot.com kitchen whenever he feels like feeding us. With both delicious food and knowledge.

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Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Cider Maple Habanero Peppersauce (hot sauce) Recipe.

May 28, 2025February 16, 2017Leave a Comment

This past Fall I decided to do a peppersauce tribute to my home for the last 20 something years.. Canada. With a bumper crop of Habanero peppers (works great with scotch bonnets as well) in my small kitchen garden at the back of my house, the creative juices were flowing. Habaneros are some of my favorite spicy peppers, with the natural fruity undertones along with the fiery heat they possess. With a dose of fresh made apple cider (not vinegar) and some organic maple syrup, this pepper sauce was truly heavenly.

You’ll Need…

8-10 Habanero Peppers
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 lime (juice)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

* You may need to add a bit more apple cider if it gets too thick.

*Important : If doing this recipe gluten free, kindly go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash the peppers and give them a rough chop. Remember to wear gloves and to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Include the seeds of the peppers for a more pronounced kick of heat!

Add everything (except the lime juice) to a sauce pan, then place the pan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Stir and reduce the liquid by about half and the peppers are a bit tender. (about 10-15 mins)

Turn off the heat and allow it to cool a bit before placing in your blender or food processor. When it cools, add the lime juice and blitz until smooth.

This is a great condiment to use wherever you’d normal use hot sauces. I roasted off some chicken wings in the oven and gave them a slight coating of this marvelous peppersauce while they were still warm. Please store in the fridge – last in excess of 2 months easily.

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Gluten Free Seafood

Roasted Breadfruit In Stewed Saltfish (salted cod).

May 25, 2017February 8, 2017Leave a Comment

This recipe combines two of my favorite dishes into one glorious pot of comfort. After sharing the technique for roasting a breadfruit in an everyday oven, you knew I’d follow up with a recipe for putting that roasted breadfruit to use. Stewed saltfish (salted cod) is as classic as it gets when it comes to Caribbean culinary culture and in the event you cannot source breadfruit, you can use cassava, yam, sweet potato, green cooking bananas or even something as everyday as regular potatoes.

You’ll Need…

– 1 roasted breadfruit
– 3 tablespoon coconut oil
– 1 1/2 cups prepared salted cod
– 2 cloves garlic (diced)
– 2 small onions (sliced)
– 1 teaspoon thyme
– 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (chopped)
– 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
– 1 small bell pepper (sliced thin)
– 2 scallions (chopped)
– 1 large tomato (diced)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

How to roast a breadfruit in the oven << Click To Watch!

How to prepare salted cod << Click To Watch!

Prep the salted fish by soaking in water and/or by boiling in water for 15-20 mins. Discard that water, rinse and squeeze dry before flaking/shred. Roast the breadfruit, allow to cool then remove the skin, cut into wedges and remove the core. Be mindful of the heat of the scotch bonnet pepper, so kindly use as much as you can handle. Don’t use any of the seeds as that’s where you’ll get the raw heat and remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Prep the ingredients and set aside. Then heat the coconut oil on a medium flame and go in with the pieces of prepared salted cod. Reduce the heat to low and let this cook for about 3 minutes.

Afterward add the thyme, garlic, onion and parsley. Heat still on low – cook another 3 minutes.

Now go in with the bell pepper, scallions, scotch bonnet and black pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.. keep stirring to allow all the flavor ingredients to come together.

You can now add the diced tomato (take the heat up to medium), stir well – then go in with the pieces of roasted breadfruit. Try your best to coat the breadfruit with the stewed salted cod base and heat though.

After about 3-4 minutes everything would have come together nicely.. turn off the heat and get ready to enjoy a very tasty and comforting dish.

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Gluten Free Vegetarian

How To Roast A Breadfruit In Your Oven.

May 28, 2025February 5, 20171 Comment

Living in Canada means that it’s almost a ‘treat’ when breadfruit hits our dinner table. Unlike when I lived in the Caribbean as a boy where we had a massive breadfruit tree in our back yard, laden with prime breadfruits. Not only are they expensive in the grocery (when we can actually get them) here, but I find that they are harvested too soon for export, so you never get that true essence of the breadfruit when you prepare a dish. Here’s my take on roasting a breadfruit in your typical kitchen oven, unlike the outdoor fire/coals method we all grew up using in the Caribbean.

Steps!

– preheat your oven to 450 F

– give the breadfruit a shallow cut (like a cross) on the bottom to allow for steam to escape as it roast

– place it directly on the middle rack of your oven. No pan needed as we want the hot air to circulate and cook the breadfruit evenly

– it will take about one hour and 30 minutes to full cook (longer depending on the size)

– it will be HOT, so use oven gloves to remove

– allow to cool completely

– using a pairing knife remove the outer skin (discard)

– slice into wedges, then remove the core and discard

It’s that simple! Now you have a fully roasted breadfruit you can use in any dish you like. Check my YouTube Channel (CaribbeanPot) for a delicious recipe using such oven roasted breadfruit.

Gluten Free Holiday Recipes Rice & One-Pot Dishes Vegetarian

Festive Christmas Fried Rice.

May 28, 2025January 10, 2017Leave a Comment

NO! Mommy didn’t make this for us as kids on the islands and to be quite honest, this was the first time my taste-buds were treated to such a colorful delight. Yes, the colors will play tricks on your mind, since the finished rice will look more like a holiday candy than fried rice. However I can assure you that this was very delicious and quite attractive served-up on a platter. For this recipe we’re joined by my friend Marc, who’s been rocking this recipe for a while now.

You’ll Need…

1 cup rice (leave plain white)
1 1/2 cup “red” rice
1 1/2 cup ‘green’ rice
5 teaspoon green food coloring
5 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon salt each (x 3) for cooking the rice
4 cups water (divided – for cooking the rice)
2 scallions (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
1/2 green bell pepper (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced fine)
2 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Note: The rice amounts mentioned above are uncooked. When cooked it will yield more.

IMPORTANT! Please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your gluten free and vegan dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce and food coloring.

For cooking the rice – place the rice in a pot with water (after you’ve washed it). Leave one plain white and the others add the food coloring. We did a 1-1 ratio of rice to water when cooking the rice. Basically place the rice, coloring and salt in a pot (with a lid), bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes (until tender and the water is absorbed). Then spread the rice onto a sheet pan to cool and air-dry.. to remove the moisture from the rice so you’ll have a grainy fried rice. Please watch the video below if you’re confused at any point.

It will take about 30 minutes or so for the rice to be ready (air dry), so during this time we can prep our vegetables.

Heat about 2 tablespoon of the olive oil on a med/high heat in a wok or wide non-stick pan. Then go in with the diced onions and sweet peppers. Toss and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Toss in the salt and keep stirring. Add the black pepper and here’s where you’ll also add the garlic. Add the rest of the olive oil so you wont have the rice stick to the bottom of the pot when you add it shortly. By this time your onions and peppers will start to take on caramelized edges. Add the rice and stir well. Try to break up any clumps you may have.

Mix the rice well, (heat still on med/high), mix in the soy sauce and continue cooking until everything is mixed properly and heated through. Top with the diced scallions, turn off the stove and enjoy!

If you wanted to add some frozen peas, beans , corn or any of you fav vegetables, you can most certainly do so. Be sure to have all your ingredients prepped before you start, chilled or ‘old’ rice will work best and the higher the heat you can work with.. will all give you great results while ensuring the fried rice is fast!

Special thanks to Marc for sharing this somewhat unique rendition of a festive Christmas Fried Rice… which will certainly keep your guests guess what it is when they see it on the dinner table.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Stewed Black Eye Peas With Leftover Ham Bone.

May 27, 2025December 29, 20163 Comments

If you’re looking for a bit of luck in the new year while enjoying a delightful dish, I got you. It’s said that by cooking/enjoying black eye peas on the first day of the new year, brings a wealth of good luck the entire year. So I thought I’d put my leftover ham bone to use and share the recipe with you. Typically I’d do a traditional Caribbean soup with my ham bone, but I thought it would be an excellent way to add additional flavor to the somewhat bland black eye peas. Did you know that black eye peas is really a bean?

You’ll Need…

2 cups black eye peas (dry)
6 cups water (for soaking the peas)
6 cups water (cooking the peas)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 ham bone
1-2 cups diced ham
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
4-6 allspice berries
4-6 sprigs thyme
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaf
2 large carrots
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon parsley (topping for the end)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Pick though the black eye peas to make sure there’s no debris and give it a wash. Then place then in a deep bowl with 6 cups of water to soak overnight or for at least 4 hours. This will allow the peas to cook faster and to help with digestion when it’s cooked.

Heat the oil in a deep pot on medium heat, then add the onion and garlic – turn the heat down to low and allow it to cook gently for 3-5 minutes. After which you can go in with the thyme, black pepper, allspice and diced pieces of ham. Continue cooking on low for another 3-4 minutes. The goal is to render out any fat in the ham pieces to give the dish a ton of flavor. You can now go in with the ham bone and stir well.

Add the diced carrots and stir well. Turn you heat up to high and go in with all the other ingredients (except the scotch bonnet pepper and parsley) and bring to a boil.

As it comes to a boil skim off any froth at the top and discard. Reduce to a gentle simmer and add the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Do NOT break the pepper or you will release the beast (heat). Place the lid slightly ajar on the pot and allow it to cook for about 1 hour and 40 minutes or so.

If you don’t have a ham bone, you can always use smoked turkey, bacon, pancetta, ham hocks, salted pig tails / salted beef.. or you can do this fully vegetarian by leaving out the meat element and doing a half and half split with the water and more coconut milk. Remember if you’re using salted pigtails or beef you’ll need to boilit bit first to help tenderize and remove most of the salt it was cured in.

By now the peas should be tender. If not, cook for a big longer (add more liquid if needed). Taste for salt and adjust accordingly – I didn’t go heavy on salt as I knew the ham I used was a bit salty already. So if using a ham bone or any salty meat, don’t adjust until near the end.

Remember to fish out the whole allspice berries, bay leaf and sprigs from the thyme before serving and after 45 minutes you can remove the scotch bonnet pepper so you don’t risk breaking it.

If you find it’s a bit too runny you can always use the back of your spoon to crush some of the black eye peas, but do keep in mind that this will thicken considerably as it cools. Top with the chopped parsley for a bit of color and added freshness as you turn off the stove.

Will this black eye peas dish bring you luck? That I can’t confirm, but I do know it’s a lovely dish to serve and enjoy with your family and friends as we start 2017. If you want you can also add some flour dumplings the last 10 minutes (spinners) and make this a more ‘complete’ meal.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Ultimate Jerk Turkey + Simple Gluten Free Gravy.

May 27, 2025December 22, 2016Leave a Comment

“Chris we want ah Jerk Turkey recipe.. tired of boring oven roasted turkey” That was the DM I received on Twitter a couple weeks back.. even before I was thinking about doing this Christmas Special. I’m not a huge fan of turkey as I find the meat boring, especially when you think about the cost of it and the time it takes to get good results. My goal with this recipe is to show you how simple it is to make a tasty jerk oven roasted turkey, using a ‘cheap’ turkey and in much less time than the traditional method used for roasting turkey.

You’ll Need…

1 turkey (abt 12 lbs)
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
5-6 parsley stalks (optional)

Jerk Marinade
2 scotch bonnet pepper
1 medium onion
5-7 cloves garlic
2 shallots
10 sprigs thyme
5-7 scallions
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup citrus juice (I used fresh clementines)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
4 slices ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon allspice (aka ground pimento)

Gluten Free Turkey Gravy
– 3 cups chicken stock (gluten free)
– pan drippings (there was about a cup)
– 2 sprigs thyme (chopped)
– 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
– 1 tablespoon corn starch (potato or rice will also work)
– 2-3 tablespoon water
* adjust salt and black pepper if necessary

IMPORTANT! If doing this gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce and chicken stock.

You may have to watch the video below to fully understand how to spatch-cock the turkey. Basically you have to remove the entire back bone, then press down on the breast to crack the bone so it sits flat (I usually make a cut on the inner part of the breast-bone to help achieve the flatness I require). I also trimmed off the wing tips. please save the back bone, wing tips and if the neck is included with the bird. Please note that I used a ‘utility’ turkey from Walmart. it’s pretty much the cheapest bird available as I wanted to show you that you DON’t need an expensive turkey (works great with more pricey birds as well). Be sure to choose one that not freezer burned, no blemishes and looks overall decent. Be sure to trim off excess fat and skin.

By removing the back bone (spatch cock) it will help the turkey cook MUCH faster in the oven as we’ll have more cooking surface. Give all the ingredients (for the marinade) a rough chop and place it all in your food processor or blender. Please pulse until you have a sort of chunky marinade. Wash your hands immediately after with soap and water after handling the scotch bonnet pepper – same for if you apply the marinade with your hands as I did.

Basically all you have to do now is massage the jerk marinade all over the bird. If you wanted you can also work it below the skin. Then cover and allow to marinate overnight or at least 4 hours. Before I placed the marinated turkey on the roasting tray I was using, I created a bed with chopped carrots, celery and some parsley. This way the turkey had some space below it to allow the heat to do it’s thing. I would also recommend that you line your roasting tray with tin foil or it will take some WORK to clean it after.

I then placed the pieces of clementines I juiced earlier for the marinade as well as the back bone and wing tips (for some reason the package didn’t have the turkey neck) on the roasting tray. As your oven comes up to 35 F, cover the roasting tray with tin foil (loosely over the breast so it doesn’t stick as it roast).

Place the marinated (covered) turkey into the oven (middle rack) and cook for an hour. After an hour remove and baste with the juices. Be VERY careful when removing it from the oven as it will generate a lot of juices and combined with the weight of the bird, it could potentially spill on you.

After another hour in the oven it’s time to remove once again baste it. The remove 90 % of the juices which formed, along with the back, neck and wing tips. Now back into the oven UNCOVERED!

Place the juices along with the back/neck/wing tips in a sauce pan, along with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by about 1/2. It’s then time to strain this and place back on the burner. Go in with the chopped thyme and parsley.. then thicken this gravy. Since we’re doing this gluten free, add the corn starch to the water (cold) and whisk. then into the pot with the gravy. Whisk, taste for salt (adjust) and thicken to your preference. Add a bit more corn starch if needed (you may also use potato or rice starch).

By now the turkey can come out of the oven fully cooked. By having it go the last 40-45 minutes uncovered, it will develop a wonderful color and really heighten the ‘jerk’ flavors. The cooking time will vary a bit according to the size of your turkey, plus your oven may give different results than mine. basically you want the thickest part of the turkey read 165 F on a meat thermometer. (Total cook time was 2 hrs 45 mins for me)

We achieved a few things with the jerk turkey. We took a cheap turkey and evenhanded it with the jerk marinade and at the same time we cooked it much faster than if you were roasting a whole bird.

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Ultimate Jerk Turkey + Simple Gluten Free Gravy.

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