Gluten Free Archives | Page 23 of 33

This is one of those recipes I associate with my grandmother who would always have dried pigeon peas stored in re-purposed glass ketchup bottles, in a dark corner of her smoky kitchen (she cooked with an open wood fire – called a coal pot). While she would save hers for making stew peas and pelau, the odd time she would make this rice dish, it was a bit different than what I’m about to share. If you have a pressure cooker you can cook the peas in a much faster time, but I quite like this slow method.

You’ll Need…

1 cup dried pigeon peas
3 cups parboil brown rice (washed)
1 tablespoon olive oil (coconut oil works great)
1/2 medium onion diced
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (chopped)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (see note below)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups water (divided)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)

Optional ingredients
2 cloves garlic
slice of ginger

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through all the ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. You may float a whole scotch bonnet pepper instead of a cut piece as I did. Be sure to NOT break it while it cooks or you will be in for some SERIOUS heat! Always remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling hot peppers.

Quickly go through the dried pigeon peas to ensure there’s no debris, wash it with cool water then place in a bowl (it will expand, so keep that in mind) and cover with water. Allow it to soak for a couple hours or overnight.

Chop, dice and slice all the ingredients. Then in a heavy pot over a medium heat, go in with the oil, after which you add all the ingredients except the pigeon peas, salt, rice, water and coconut milk. Turn the heat down to low and gently cook for about 4-5 minutes.

It’s now time to add the soaked pigeon peas along with the coconut milk, salt and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a gentle simmer (very low), cover the pot and allow this to cook until the peas are tender. It will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. After that time, check to see if they are tender (cook longer if necessary), then add the washed rice and the rest of the water. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil. To wash the rice you have a couple options. place in a deep bowl, fill with water and massage with your fingers/hand. Dump out the first batch of water when cloudy and repeat until the water is relatively clear. Or you can place in a strainer and run water over it while you massage. Do so until the water runs clear.

When it comes to a boil, stir and place the lid back on the pot. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked – about 25 minutes. Shut off the stove and leave it covered for 15 minutes.

Now it’s time to remove the lid and fluff with a fork so you have nice grainy rice.

Remember to remove the stems off thyme and discard before serving. This pigeon peas and rice is quite comforting and goes well with a side of Jerk Chicken as we enjoyed this night.

Jerk Chicken Stirfry.

May 27, 2025August 29, 2016Leave a Comment

After sharing a pic of this Jerk Chicken Stirfry on Instagram, I had someone comment “what is leftover jerk chicken?” I do agree, there are many Caribbean dishes which always seems to be gone by the end of the meal. Keeping in mind that I make additional dishes with leftover jerk chicken (chicken salad, fried rice and stirfry) I purposely make extra every-time I make jerk chicken (same can be said about Stew Chicken as well). This an absolute WINNER in my home and I’m sure it will make a delicious impression on you and your family.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon veg oil
1 cup diced Jerk Chicken
3-4 cups cabbage
1/2 medium bell pepper
1/2 med carrot
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
thin piece of ginger (diced)
1/2 medium onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
jerk marinade or pan drippings

optional – few drops of sesame oil

* Important. If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs – especially the sauces (soy, jerk, Hoisin and sesame oil)

I usually use chicken pieces with bones when I make Jamaican jerk chicken as I love the additional flavor you get from the bones. In my case I had to remove the meat off the bones (I used a leg and breast) and gave it a rough chop. Set aside. IMPORTANT! If you have any pan drippings from your jerk chicken SAVE it and add to this dish.

Prepare the vegetables and set aside. Try to keep them the same size so they cook evenly.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on low and go in with the garlic for 20 seconds.

Turn up the heat to medium and go in with the peppers, onion, ginger and celery and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the soy and Hoisin sauces and toss.

Now go in with the pieces of jerk chicken, mix well and then the cabbage. At this point you can add all of the other ingredients.

Remember to add any pan drippings you may have and for a MORE intense jerk flavor you can add a tablespoon of your fav jerk sauce/marinade. Please don’t cover the pot as we want the vegetables to maintain a slight crunch. That is unless you like soggy vegetables, then do your thing. The soy and salt we added should be enough to properly season this dish, but you can adjust to your own liking.

Now you have a reason to make extra jerk chicken!

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Shrimp With Pumpkin.

March 11, 2017August 11, 20163 Comments

Pumpkin and shrimp are two things mom struggled to get us to eat as kids, but as an adult I can’t get enough. Looking back I wish I had started eating pumpkin from a younger age as the pumpkins mom would use came directly from the small garden we had at the back of our home in rural Trinidad. Grown organically and under the brilliant Caribbean sun… I still recall mom commenting “gosh this pumpkin cook real gud” every time she made a pumpkin dish.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs pumpkin (butternut squash will work also)
1/2 lb shrimp (med, cleaned and deveined)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon water
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)

Edit! : Forgot to add the curry powder in the list. 1 Heaping Tablespoon Curry Powder (more to your liking)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, which can have flour as a filler at times.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp. Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt and black pepper. Allow the seasoned shrimp to marinate for 10 minutes as you peel and cube the pumpkin.

In a deep saucepan, heat the oil on a low flame and add the diced (or crushed) garlic, then go in with the curry powder (I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean) and stir well. Cook on VERY low for 3-5 minutes. It will go darker and grainy.. this step will cook off the ‘raw’ curry taste and bloom the spices which makes up a good curry blend. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and stir well at this point as well.

Toss in the seasoned shrimp, turn up the heat to med/high and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Coat with the curry base. then remove the shrimp and set aside. We’ll finishing cooking them later. In the same bowl you seasoned the shrimp add a couple table spoons of water and stir, then add to the pot. This will deglave the pan and allow the pumpkin to coat with the curry easier.

It’s now time to add the cubed pumpkin to the pot and stir well to coat with the curry that’s still in the pot.

Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. The pumpkin will naturally sprout it’s own natural juices. Once it starts boiling, add the brown sugar, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes – stir every 5 minutes or so. (lid on)

If you wanted you could add any of your fav herbs and some diced onion to the pot for additional flavor. Remove the lid and using the back of your spoon.. crush the pumpkin so it becomes more smooth. Yes, it should be soft at this point. It’s now time to burn off the extra liquid, so crank up the heat and cook for a few minutes.

As most of the liquid burns off, you can now add back the shrimp and stir well. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly as your salt appreciation will be different than mine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and you’re done.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin, especially with a pile of piping hot buss up shut roti and a side of kuchela! If you wanted to do this recipe fully vegan, you can always leave out the shrimp and add the pumpkin when I added the shrimp.. add a bit of coconut milk for extra flavor.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Grilled Geera Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025July 27, 2016Leave a Comment

As we close off another successful year of July’s Month Of Grilling, I’d like to take a traditional recipe for making Geera Pork and tailor it for the grill. Geera (cumin) Pork is one of those food/snacks you normally associate with enjoying big-people beverages and can be classed as a ‘cutters’. As you’d find Tapas in Spain, we have ‘cutters’ in the Southern Caribbean. To help the pork tenderize without having to cook for an hour plus and to add a bit of a fruity balance to the fiery scotch bonnet kick in the kebabs, we’ll employ the use of a ripe pineapple.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs pork (cubed)
1 tablespoon ground cumin (geera)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (diced fine)
1 medium pineapple
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic (smashed)
* abt 6 Skewers (bamboo or metal)

* If using chicken instead of the cubed pork, only marinate for a couple hours in the fridge before grilling. If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

I used a cheap cut of pork with a bit of marbling/fat, but I did trim off any areas where there were too much fat. Cube the same size pieces (about 1 inch), wash with water and the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and drain/pat dry.

Place the pieces of pork in a large bowl, then add all the ingredients, except the cubed pineapple.

Now add the cubed pineapple and mix well. I used my hands as I like to crush the edges of the pineapple to help release some of it’s juice. We need the enzyme from the pineapple/juice to work as a natural meat tenderizer. Seal with plastic wrap or place in a sturdy zipper bag and marinate in the fridge overnight.

When it’s time to grill, soak your bamboo skewers in cool water for a couple hours, then thread on the pieces of pork and pineapple as you would normally make a kebab. Since there are raw pieces of scotch bonnet pepper in the marinated pork, I’d recommend using gloves for the process and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

I grilled this off on a very hot charcoal flame. Though they were placed directly over the heat, I had them elevated so we didn’t burn the Geera or natural sugars from the pineapple.

I grilled them elevated for about 15-20 minutes, then I went directly over the heat source the final 10 minutes. HOWEVER, do keep an eye on them as they may tend to char very easily. Remember to flip them around for even cooking. Slightly charred bits are ok!

You can personalize this dish by adjusting the amounts of salt, scotch bonnet and cumin you use and you can always cook longer if you wish. I must admit that though I’m not a huge fan of the traditional Geera Pork, this grilled version with the pieces of pineapple is absolutely delicious. NOTE! Traditionalists.. I’d recommend using roasted ground geera for the dark color and STRONG cumin flavor you’d be looking for.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Jerk Burger.

October 25, 2016July 21, 20165 Comments

Last weekend I was asked “what’s your specialty?” in reference to what I cook and without hesitation I said it’s not so much a dish or category of food, but technique. As we continue July’s Month Of Grilling, I’m sure you can tell that I quite enjoy working with the raw heat of the grill. The essence of the fire changes the overall dish in such a manner that’s almost impossible to duplicate on a stove or oven. While we’re not using pimento wood to give the burgers that unique “Jamaican Jerk” depth, I assure you that you’ll be amazed by what a simple jerk marinade can do to basic ground beef.

If you follow me on twitter, the ‘I just had the best burger” tweet was this!

You’ll Need…

1 lb ground beef
3 small scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 lemon (juice + zest)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/5 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 Pineapple sliced.

NOTE: If doing these jerk burgers gluten free, do pay close attention to the list of ingredients… especially the Soy Sauce to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Grate the ginger and finely chop the thyme, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper. Be mindful that you can use less of that scotch bonnet pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat. While jerk is supposed to be spicy, you can also remove the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds to help control that heat. BE sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Add all the ingredients in a bowl (except the ground beef) and give it a good mix to combine. You may wonder if you can puree this in a blender or food processor, but I prefer to have it chopped instead, so you gets hits of flavor with each bite.

Reserve a 1/4 of the marinade and pour the rest over the ground beef and mix well. Allow this to marinate for about 15 minutes before making the individual beef patties (makes 4 burgers). Form the burgers and place in the fridge to firm up a bit so they don’t fall apart on the grill. I do NOT use eggs or bread crumbs in my burgers.

As they firm up in the fridge, peel and slice your pineapple and marinate with the marinade we reserved.

All you have to do now is brush your HOT grill with veg oil (so the burgers don’t stick) and grill as you’d normally grill your burgers. I placed them over direct heat and had the pineapple slices gently warm through away from the direct heat. BTW, in the image below you’ll notice that I poured the marinade from the pineapple slices over the burgers so it wouldn’t waste.

I grilled the burgers for about 10-15 minutes, flipping them occasionally. After I moved the burgers, I placed the pineapple slices over the direct heat for about -3-5 minutes to help get the sugars out.

That natural smoke from the charcoal fire added some of the elements the pimento wood would bring to the jerk game, but you can certainly grill these on a propane grill with much success. The same cane be said for cooking these off indoors in a frying pan or indoor grill plate. The bold flavors from the spices and herbs will be enough to elevate these burgers no matter where or how they are cooked.

Back to what’s my specialty.. I don’t specialize in BBQ or grilling, but it brings me the most joy. BUT.. I hate that smoke (and sort of greasy feeling) on my face though!

Gluten Free Seafood

Caribbean Herb Grilled Fish

July 21, 2016July 12, 20164 Comments

I may have mentioned this in the past, but growing up on the islands I never liked fish and I think the same can be said about my brother and sisters (mom had a tough time with us). While I outgrew this, I still think my sisters are not fans of fish to this day. My brother on the other hand, elevated his taste buds.. so it’s not strange to see him at seafood restaurants in New York sitting behind a massive lobster feasting away. While my fav fish dish is my mom’s curry Kingfish, during the summer months this grilled fish is something I do quite often. So as we continue July’s Month Of Grilling, I thought I’d share this herb grilled fish recipe with you.

You’ll Need…

Large Fish (I used a snapper)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
6 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic (crush or chopped fine)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
2 scallions (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 lemon (slices)
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 medium tomato
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, do pay attention to all the ingredients listed (especially the soy sauce) to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. This marinade will be enough for 3 medium fish or 2 large ones.

Chop, squeeze, slice and grate the ingredients, then place them all in a bowl and give it a good mix. Remember when using scotch bonnet peppers (any hot pepper) to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after (suggest wearing gloves) and don’t include the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds if you want to avoid the ‘raw’ heat.

Clean and wash the fish (I like washing with water and either lemon or lime juice) you’re using and pat dry with paper towels. Then make 2 cuts down the thickest part of the belly to help the marinade do it’s thing and to ensure the fish cooks somewhat evenly. Place the fish in a bowl and pour on half the marinade. Work the marinade in the cuts and cavity of the fish. Since there’s lime juice in the marinade, we’ll only allow this to marinate for about 5 minutes or it will start cooking the fish.

As the fish marinates you can go get your fire started. I used a charcoal fire, but this works good on a propane grill as well. You have a couple options for grilling the fish, you can wrap in tin foil or use a fish grilling wire basket -thing (cheap at Walmart). Place 2 slices of the lemon on the inside of the wire basket, then a sprig of parsley and another lemon slice. Now place the marinated fish (try to keep as much marinade on it) and repeat with the slices of lemon and parsley before closing the wire contraption.

Unlike how we did the Drunk Chicken (indirect heat), this time we want the fish directly over the heat source. The slices of lemon will not only add flavor to the fish as it grills, it will help protect it from the direct heat.

The size/thickness and how well-done you like your fish, will determine how log to cook your fish. For me I had it over the direct heat for about 25 minutes in total. Flipping over every 4 minutes or so. The wire basket makes this really simple (once you lock the hinge) and if you want you can use the remaining marinade to baste the fish as it grills. I like adding the marinade near the end, just before I remove the fish off the grill and get ready to serve. That final blast of heat awakens all the flavors of the marinade for a wonderful finish. Make extra marinade and serve as a dipping sauce!

My appreciation for fish only happened after moving away from the islands, where I would have access to fresh out of the ocean goodness. Today I try to shop at fish markets where I know there’s a lot of foot traffic and turnover, so I tell myself I’m getting fresh stuff (as can be expected). You can make this marinade and store it in the fridge for a solid week. You can use any of your favorite fish for this recipe (may be a bit too bold for salmon..but I’m not a fan of salmon). In my case I try to only eat salt water fish as I get a sort of ‘muddy’ taste when I eat lake or river fish. The salt in the marinade was enough for me (with the soy sauce), but you can sprinkle on some sea salt after grilling.. to your liking.

Gluten Free Seafood

Shrimp Chow – Spicy Shrimp Cocktail?

July 12, 2016June 22, 2016Leave a Comment

“Dad, can you make me chow?” No Mango! “How about shrimp?” That was the brief discussion between Tehya and I a few weeks back when she got her routine craving for mango chow. A spicy pickle usually made with green (tart) mangoes, or any of the variety of fruits we have in the Caribbean. Had to admit, it was a brilliant idea. We both enjoy shrimp cocktail and with the sort of spicy base.. could this be the “Caribbean” version of shrimp cocktail?

This WILL be your go-to dish for summer parties, BBQs and cookouts! It’s so easy to put together, quite impressive visually when served and bold with flavors of the islands.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
1 scallion
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 lime
1/2 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic

* I used previously cleaned and cooked shrimp you’d normally get in the frozen section of your fish market or grocery store. The idea is to make this a no-fuss recipe. If doing this recipe gluten free, kindly go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Thaw the shrimp, rinse with cold water and drain/dry with paper towels. (leave the tail on for better presentation)

Chop the cilantro (in the Caribbean we’d normally use shado beni, aka culantro) and scallions, crush the garlic and finely mince the scotch bonnet pepper. I didn’t add any of the seeds of the scotch bonnet. Be mindful that this will be VERY spicy, so kindly use as much of the pepper as you can handle. Be mindful of your guests as well. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. Any spicy pepper will work.. especially Habaneros which will have a lovely fruity undertone.

I did say this was easy right? Add everything to a mixing bowl and toss well. You’re done! Allow this marinate and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving.

You can obviously use this as a salad, but I would recommend treating this like you would shrimp cocktail.. give your guests a toothpick and have them dig in. To help stretch this a bit, you can add cherry tomatoes, cubed cucumber, diced mango or strawberries. In a previous recipe I made this into more of a salad, where I even went in with diced ripe avocado.

Serve this up at your gig or take it to the next party you’re invited to and watch the praise roll in.

Gluten Free Seafood

Asparagus In Stewed Salted Cod.

June 28, 2016June 20, 2016Leave a Comment

After moving to Canada I was exposed to many ‘new’ ingredients, which were not found in the typical Caribbean garden or market. One such ingredient which became an immediate hit with my taste buds was asparagus. Normally I’d grill them, but early in the season when it’s still a bit too cold to go outside and spark up the grill, I like doing this sort of stew (stir-fry for many). Based on the method we use for making a saltfish (salted cod) stew in the Caribbean, this is certainly one of the best ways to enjoy asparagus.

You’ll Need..

1 cup prepared saltfish (salted cod)
1/2 large onion
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 Cubanelle pepper (or bell)
1 lb asparagus
2 tablespoon veg oil (olive or coconut is better)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8-10 cherry tomatoes
2 scallions
3-4 sprigs thyme

Note: 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.

CLICK HERE to learn how to prepare salted cod (salted fish) for everyday use in dishes.

Prepare the salted cod (or dry salted fish of choice). Basically you’ll soak in water or boil to re-hydrate and remove most of the salt it’s cured in. Then shred into small pieces and set aside.

Now prepare the other ingredients. Remove the woody ends of the asparagus (and discard), then cut into 1 inch pieces. Chop the onion, pepper and scallion. Finely chop the garlic and slice the cherry tomatoes in half. You can use a large tomato cubed if you want.

Heat the oil on a low flame in a wide pan, then add the pieces of prepared salted cod and cook on LOW for about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, thyme and black pepper and cook gently for another 2 minutes. Then turn up the heat to medium and add the sliced onion, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, now go in with all the other ingredients and cook on med-high for 3-5 minutes.

You can personalize this dish according to how ‘cooked’ you like your asparagus. I personally like them with a little crunch, so this cooking time was enough. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to the dish as the residual salt from the fish was enough for my liking. Feel free to adjust.

Do you have a favorite way of preparing asparagus? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

Gluten Free Seafood

Green Fig With Smoked Herring And Cabbage.

May 22, 2016May 22, 2016Leave a Comment

Hopefully you’ve had time to try the Smoked Herring With Cabbage recipe I shared with you last week. A truly classic dish made with subtle differences throughout the Caribbean. This time we’ll do one mom would always make for dad whenever she had leftovers from the cabbage and smoked herrings combo. Since we had a variety of banana trees in our kitchen garden at the back of the house, we always made use of the ‘cooking fig” (green cooking bananas) supply we always seemed to have.

You’ll Need…

5 green cooking bananas (green fig)
salt (optional)
1 tomato
1 tablespoon parsley
1 table spoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bell pepper (sweet pepper)
2 cups leftover smoked herrings with cabbage

Click for the Cabbage With Smoked Herring recipe : written | video

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.

* It may be helpful to watch the recipe video (below) to better understand what I mean.. cut off both ends of the green cooking bananas and discard. Then using a pairing knife, cut a shallow (thickness of the banana’s skin) line the full length of each banana. This will make it easier to peel once they are fully cooked. Place them in a pot, cover with water (slightly salted) and bring to a boil. After about 15-20 minutes on a rolling boil, they will go very dark and start to float. Take off the fire, drain and allow to cool. The cut we made will open up and you can now peel the skin off.

As the bananas boil you can prep the other ingredients(chop the parsley, garlic, tomato and sweet pepper).

Once cooled and the skin is removed, cut each banana into 1 inch sized pieces and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide sauce pan on a medium flame, then add the chopped pepper, parsley and garlic and lower the heat to LOW and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now go in with the pieces of cooked banana and mix well, finally it’s time to add the leftover smoked herring with cabbage and heat though. Mix well and cook for about 4-5 minutes.’

Finish with the chopped tomato to brighten up the dish a bit. Serve warm..wicked one-pot dish.

Instead of green cooking bananas you can also use Sweet Potatoes, Yam, Dasheen (or Taro), Eddoes and my great aunt’s favorite.. boiled cassava. This recipe is one of those I reach for when I’m homesick for the Caribbean, as it takes me back to a happier time on the islands. I can still remember the steam spiraling off our plates, that distinct scent of smoke herrings and the freshly picked scotch bonnet pepper (half-ripe) dad would have on the side. Ever so often between bites he would crunch down on the “Caribbean Sunshine” and you’d hear that crisp sound. Followed by him sucking back air between his teeth and the familiar “this pepper hot boi”.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Coconut Tarragon Chicken Recipe.

May 27, 2025May 6, 20161 Comment

Coconut Tarragon Chicken! Here’s another recipe you won’t normally see being made in the Caribbean as it’s more of a fusion type dish. However with the lovely flavors of the coconut milk and tarragon, I know you’ll quickly fall in love with this ensemble. Not heavily seasoned as we normally treat ‘chicken’, but I wanted the coconut and tarragon to really stand out. It’s probably one of the few recipes using chicken breast (notorious for being dry) that I truly adore.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
4 large chicken breast (boneless)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock (or white wine)
1 clove garlic (dice fine)
5-8 creamini mushrooms (or your fav)
1 sprig thyme
1 heaping tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 can coconut milk

* adjust salt near the end to your liking ** If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients (especially the chicken stock) to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Season the chicken breasts with the salt and black pepper, then heat the pan on a medium flame and go in with the veg oil. Cook the chicken on each side for about 4 minutes. It will develop some color, but it won’t fully cook all the way through. No worries! We’ll cook it further shortly.

Remove the chicken and set aside. Degalze (scrape the bottom of the pan) the pan with the chicken stock, then add the finely dice garlic and now the thinly sliced mushrooms. You can also go in with the fresh thyme and chopped tarragon. Reduce the heat and cook for 4 minutes.

Turn the heat back up and add the coconut milk and stir well. Add the chicken breasts back to the pot (and any juices) and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. The sauce should reduce by about 1/2.

Remember to taste for salt near the end and adjust accordingly. The salt I started with and the chicken stock was enough for my liking. If you wanted to give this a ‘kick’ you can go in with some crushed pepper flakes or Caribbean SunShine!

As mentioned, not your typical “Caribbean” recipe, but I challenge you to find a simpler / tastier dish.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Quick Ham Pineapple Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025April 11, 2016Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen me (just after the holidays) post the pic of me surrounded by a ton of plastic containers. When you visit mom and dad it’s always a time to eat like a KING and have enough food to return home with. Basically I went prepared for the leftover train. This recipe is a byproduct of that visit and the volume of irie food which accompanied us home. By now you should have guessed that I luv fried rice (there are several recipes posted here) and this one certainly delivers.

* This recipe will be enough for two people.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup pineapple
tablespoon veg oil
1 clove garlic (diced fine)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup bell pepper (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 scallion (chopped)

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. Especially the soya and oyster sauces.

Prep all the ingredients as this will be a very quick recipe. Heat the oil on a medium flame then go in with the garlic and cook for 20 seconds or so (don’t burn), now go in with the ham, bell pepper and grated ginger and cook another minute or so.

It’s now time to add the rice and other ingredients and stir well. I would recommend having the rice chilled as it will give you a lovely grainy texture when the dish is done. I used pre-cooked brown parboiled rice, but you can use white rice (any rice you have/like).

So simple and quick, you’ll be eating in less than 10 minutes.

You can certainly personalize this by adding any of your fav vegetables and do remember to taste at the end for salt and adjust accordingly. My rice was cooked with salt and the soy sauce I used was enough to properly season this for me. If you’d like to give it a little ‘kick’ you can go in with some diced hot pepper (your choice). I’m NOT a fan of eggs in my fried rice, but you o your thing.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Coconut Curry Venison (deer).

May 28, 2025April 6, 2016Leave a Comment

Any sort of game, including deer (venison) is what we call “wild meat” in the Caribbean and for the most part it’s a sort of cherished delicacy, especially around Christmas and Carnival time. I have very fond childhood memories of going hunting with my brother and dad and into my early teens we would venture out with my friends. Though I went to school in San Fernando (city), most of my spare time was spent in the country side of Guaracara, so you’d find that I’m an outdoors person at heart.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs Venison
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 slices ginger
1 tomato
1/2 small onion
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 scallion (chopped)
3 sprigs thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 allspice berries
Cilantro or Shado Beni garnish

IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients (especially the curry powder which could have flour as a filler) to ensure everything meets with your gluten free dietary needs.

Have your butcher cut the venison into 1 inch pieces and if there’s bones, please include it as it adds wonderful flavors to the finished curry. Wash with lemon or lime juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and water and drain. Then season with the tomato, salt, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of curry powder, Caribbean Green Seasoning, scallion and scotch bonnet pepper. You can leave out the seeds of the pepper to help control the heat level and remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling. Please allow this to marinate for a couple hours or overnight in the fridge.

Heat the vegetable oil on a medium heat in a heavy pot, then add the diced onion and garlic and cook on LOW for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the curry powder and continue cooking on LOW for another 3-5 minutes. This will toast the spices which makes up the curry blend and also cook off any raw flavors of the curry you could potentially get when the dish is finished cooking.

Now turn up the heat to high and start adding the seasoned/marinated pieces of venison. Yes, it’s ok if the marinade going into the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil.. it will spring it’s own juices and add the ginger and thyme. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and let it go for about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and crank up the heat to high to burn off all that liquid. This step will help to infuse the meat with that rich curry goodness. In the same bowl you marinated the pieces of deer, swish around the 1/2 cup of water to pick up any remaining marinade.

After all the liquid is burnt off it’s time to pour in that water, the coconut milk and all spice berries and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook until tender. It can take between 2.5 and 3 hrs to get fall-off-the-bone tender. After 2.5 hrs it’s time personalize things a bit… cook longer if you want it more tender, adjust the salt and crank up the heat to get the gravy to the consistency you like. If you find that while cooking you’re out of liquid, you can always add a bit more water.

Turn off the stove and top with the chopped shado beni (culantro) or cilantro. You now have a brilliant rich curry using “wild meat”! The funny thing about hunting as a kid on the islands is that for the most part we were hardly ever successful, but that adventure was so much fun.

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