Tasty vegetarian recipes with a Caribbean influence by Caribbean cookbook author Chris De La Rosa.
We’re currently updating all of the categories and archived recipes! Can’t find a dish? Please use the search bar; it’s all there.
One of the fondest memories I have growing up on the islands was corn season. We always had a small patch of corn planted among the pigeon peas at the back of our home, so come harvest time, we’d indulge is some of the sweetest corn one could imagine.
Where did the taste, flavor and scent of tomatoes go? As a kid on the islands I remember helping mom and dad in the garden, which meant getting between the tomato bushes during harvest time to pick those lovely beauties off the tree (yes, I’ve had a love affair with tomatoes since as early as…
I’ve noticed the past few months that there’s been an incredible amount of requests for more vegetarian and gluten free type recipes. As you may or may not know, a vast majority of the food we cook in the Caribbean are naturally gluten free and with the abundance of fresh vegetables, we’ve mastered vegetarian cooking…
Collard Green or collards is not native to the Caribbean, so it’s not something we would refer to as being traditional. However, with our love for dasheen bush, spinach, Jamaican callaloo (chorai), Bok Choi and just about every other green there is, it’s natural that collards will find a loving home in my kitchen. If I…
If you’re looking for a way to add a wicked punch of flavor to boring cauliflower, look no further. Along with the wonderful flavors of a good Caribbean style curry, this recipe is also vegetarian and can be done gluten free (check your curry powder to ensure there’s no gluten-flour additive in it). Based on…
As I’ve indicated in the past, I’m addicted to avocados or zabouca and/or pear, as it’s also known in the Caribbean. However, the variety of avocados grown in the Caribbean is much different than the ones you’d get from California, Mexico, and other Central American countries. Ours are much bigger, have a different texture (less…
As a young fella on the islands, my brother and I usually helped mom with the kitchen garden after school and on the weekends. I enjoyed seeing plants go from seeds to actually bearing fruit and harvest time was usually my favorite. Picking bodi (yard beans) off the bush (grows on a vine-like bush) was like a…
Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way to prevent the traditionalists from becoming active with the hate comments. Yes, this not a traditional Trinbago chow recipe, however your taste-buds will be gratified from the different levels of flavor both the grilling and the apple-wood smoke adds to this classic Caribbean salad. Chow is cross between…
If you’re familiar with what we call ‘chow’ in the southern Caribbean, you’ll see the same basic principles used in this recipe. “Chow’ is basically a sort of spicy pickle, usually made from a tart fruit like mango, plum, pineapple and when these fruits are not in season cucumber can also be used. It’s supposed…
If you’re concerned about the supposed heat or spiciness of Caribbean food, know that you can always adjust the amount of pepper and spices you use to your personal liking. Additionally, as we see with classic Jamaican jerk, you can always go with a pairing which compliment the dish and bring in that sort of…
I was doing a chef’s table a few months back and I wanted to include a tropical salad in the mix, so Caron suggested I do a take on ‘mango chow’ and hinted that I should add a “Canadian’ element by using some sliced strawberries in the mix. It was such a hit with the…
One of my favorite dishes growing up on the islands was when mom would make pak choi with leftover stewed pork. The slight crunch from the pak choi (not over-cooked) combined with the flavors brought to the game by the tender pieces of stewed pork with hints of ginger.. I may have to get that…
