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In the Caribbean our dishes are famous for being cooked low and slow.. some may even argue that we over-cook some of our dishes. However, you really can’t argue once you taste our culinary delights. Such is the case for stewed pigeon peas. Typically if you were using freshly picked pigeon peas, you’d have this cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. The reality is, there are times we just don’t have time and we just want to enjoy something delicious and fulfilling. This pigeon peas recipe is the answer.
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As part of our ongoing #MeatFreeMonday series, I’ decided to share a rice recipe my girls and I get excited about. Not something I grew up eating on the islands, but nevertheless made in an ‘island’ influenced kitchen in Canada (smile). Plump grains of rice with a deep and rice tomato and herb flavor and the gentle heat achieved by adding a Bird’s Eye Pepper. This recipe is somewhat similar to the Roasted Tomato Choka And Rice Soup recipe I shared a while back.
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If you grew up in the Caribbean, especially the Southern Caribbean, “Chow” would have been a key part of your childhood experience. A spicy pickle loaded with Garlic and Citrus juice, along with Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Usually half-ripe mango is the key ingredient, but we use just about any fruit we can find and when all fails, we even use cucumber. With a good batch of fresh strawberries from my garden (watch the video) and since they were a bit tart, I thought I’d rock a quick chow.
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Last fall I did one of my favorite ways to put vegetables from my garden (and fridge) to use, in what I like to refer to as being a Caribbean take on Ratatouille… and I documented it to share with you. Very much like the outstanding Ital food I remember eating as kid at the Ital restaurant in San Fernando Trinidad (Pleasantville / Mon Repos area). While I’m very much a carnivore, this vegan dish is absolutely delicious and something I look forward to making/eating.
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Yea, Honey Nut Squash is new to me too! I had never seen nor heard of it until I was at a local market and the name caught my attention. And even when I posted a clip of me cooking this on Instagram, I had a ton pf people correcting me “it’s butternut squash” so I knew it was kinda unique to many. Like any spinach (greens) type leafy vegetable, I’m also a HUGE fan of all squash and pumpkin, so they came home with me.
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Most people tend to associate a freshly made Salsa with the summertime and hanging out in the back yard with friends, sipping cocktails (and beer) while patiently waiting for the stuff off the grill. However this holiday season there’s no reason to not make this quick and simple Pineapple Salsa to add a bit of the warm tropics to your party. I guess the same can be said for when it’s the height of winter and you’re engaged in supporting your favorite sporting team on television.
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Lately I’ve been doing a series on YouTube called #MeatFreeMondays and it’s been an overwhelming success with fans, though some of the recipes are not necessarily “Caribbean”. The following Kale Salad is one of those demos I shared a while back… which in my humble opinion is one of the best ways to put Kale to use. Kale can be somewhat tough, so by bruising the leaves it breaks down some of the fiber and makes it much more delicious. Especially with the quick vinaigrette we’ll dress it with.
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During the summer months I grow a lot of different varieties of extremely hot peppers, so I’m always looking for ways to put them to use. While I’ve never seen a recipe like this, the end results were just stunning. Based on the traditional way of making a basil pesto, however I’m putting a fiery Caribbean twist to things. So you can expect the Caribbean sunshine (scotch bonnet peppers) to really shine through. Be warned.. this is not your grandma’s pesto.
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As we kick off another year of July Month Of Grilling, I was very excited to find ripe guavas in a local grocery store as I’ve got several recipes I’ve been meaning to share with you all, involving guavas. The scent of ripe guavas takes me right back to my childhood days on the islands and climbing the guava tree in our front yard (no longer there unfortunately) with my little brother and racing to the areas of the tree where the guavas were mature and ready to pick. Besides passion fruit, I don’t think there’s not another tropical fruit which naturally lends itself to the complex (flavor) nature of a good BBQ sauce.
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I’m still to taste a Caribbean-style stewed lentils to rival my mom’s… I still look forward to the bowls prepped for the freezer she usually sends for me when she cooks up a batch. This recipe came about one night when I was craving her lentils, but the freezer was bare. I did find a can of lentils in the pantry, so I did what we “Caribbean” people do best.. improvise! With the addition of diced pumpkin and stewed tomatoes, this version is QUICK and very tasty.
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As a kid growing up on the islands, I can’t remember mom ever making curry corn. And while it’s quite popular in Trinidad and Tobago and some of the other islands of the Caribbean today, I only started hearing about it about this dish a few years now. While in Trinidad a few days ago my neighbor gave me a sample of her version to try and while it was very tasty, it wasn’t ‘my’ version. Which I’m about to share with you today. Yes, those of you requesting more vegetarian / vegan recipes will luv this one.
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Even as a child on the islands (I was told) I had an affection for tomatoes. While most of the stuff we get in the grocery stores today lack any sweetness or flavor, and even something as basic as the scent we associate with tomatoes, when I come across Heirloom tomatoes.. they come home with me. You won’t find any two looking the same, their shape will be somewhat weird (at times) and they may not be that uniform red color you’ve been programmed to associate with ripe tomatoes. My favorite way to enjoy such beauties.. raw a salad!
