Vegetarian Archives - Page 26 of 26

An uncomplicated salad with some “bite”.

May 27, 2025May 22, 200941 Comments

Do you ever wonder how things get their name? I remember my mom had a kitchen garden at the back of our house, where she’d grow things that usually ended up on our plate.. Things like herbs, peppers, tomato, eggplant, ground provisions etc. One of the peppers she grew was called “bird” pepper, which is known as Thai chili or Tabasco peppers here in north America. Why “bird”? not sure, but as a kid I do remember when the trees were laden with those bright red peppers, we’d see birds coming to feed on them. You’d also find these pepper trees in the most out-of-place spots. Simply because the birds would feed, digest and then wherever their dropping fell.. there was the chance that a tree would grow there.

Here’s a salad I started making a few years back to satisfy my taste for something fresh and spicy!

You’ll need…

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 medium ripe tomatoes (cut in wedges)
1/4 red onion (sliced thin)
1 leaf of shadow beni (optional) (sliced thin)
1/2 seedless (English)cucumber (about 6 inches) Sliced thin with skin on.
dash of black pepper (fresh cracked is best)
3-5 chili peppers (Thai, Tabasco or bird)

To control the heat of the pepper, you can cut them down the center, then using a spoon scrape off the seeds. I love the heat so all I do is slice the peppers, including the seeds. Wash and slice the tomatoes into wedges. If you have an English cucumber, wash and slice.. if you have a common cucumber all you have to do is cut it down the center and using a spoon, scrape the seeds out. Slice the red onion into very thin slices.

In a bowl, combine the pepper, vegetables, olive oil, black pepper. I don’t add salt to my version of this salad, but that’s because I don’t eat a lot of salt and your taste may be different. Add accordingly. If you do have shadow beni or cilantro you can add it at this point as well. I also have to say that I’ve seen people add red wine or balsamic vinegar, but like salt I don’t care for vinegar.

Do show some respect for the bird peppers, as they will have a bite to them!

A piquant green mango chutney.

March 5, 2012May 17, 200954 Comments

As with any trip to Trinidad and Tobago, breakfast means sourcing out the best doubles in Port Of Spain as I usually arrive with a severe craving. I came to learn that the doubles vendors are not only judged on the size, texture and taste of the doubles itself, but what makes a doubles considered the “best” is the chutney and other accompanying hot sauces the vendor provides. Without that “good pepper”, an excellent doubles could easily go unnoticed.

Though I can’t make doubles (only a matter of time before I master that… hold tight) I do love me some mango chutney with my scrambled eggs and as a topping for a juicy t-bone steak! As a matter of fact you can use this spicy sauce as aside for just about everything (as you would normally use hotsauce). Opens up your appetite!

You’ll need…

2 green mangoes peeled. (1 diced and the other grated)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped (or shandow beni)
1 hot pepper (I used a full habanero with the seeds)
1 lime

In a bowl add the salt, hot pepper and garlic, then crush to a fine paste. For best results you can use a mortar and pestle. I usually slice the garlic and pepper to make this step easier.

Traditionally the mango chutney is usually grated, but I like a bit of texture so I grate one of the mangoes and the other I dice as if I were making a salsa. Makes a great combination. Wash and peel the mangoes and in a plate or bowl, begin to grate. Remember that the mango will have a seed, so you’ll have to work around it.

With care, dice the remaining mango. Do remember the pit or seed so your knife does not bounce off it and cause injury to you.

The final step is the combine everything. Don’t forget to add the juice of the lime (or lemon) and the chopped cilantro. Give it a good mix and check to see if more salt is required. ENJOY!

Be kind and leave me your comments and thoughts below. I’d love to hear from you.

Fiery creamy coconut curry shrimp.

June 5, 2019May 11, 200960 Comments

You’re probably thinking… “but Chris, you’ve already posted a curry shrimp recipe” . But I assure you that one bite and you’ll experience how different this one is. Spicy, creamy and well balanced with coconut milk. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in my curry dishes as you find in most Asian dishes, as I like to get the real taste of the curry. It was late one night when I got a bad craving for curry shrimp when half-way through cooking I decided to add the coconut cream as I’ve seen done in similar dishes. The result was a rich creamy sauce that went well with the brown rice I had already prepared.

The only problem was a sleepless night. The dish was just too heavy for the time of the night I was done and got around to eating.

You’ll need…

– 1lb shrimp (peel and deveined)
– 1/8 teaspoon salt (add more to your liking if necessary)
– 1 habanero pepper – including seeds (or you control how hot you want this to be)
– dash black pepper

1 medium tomato
– 2 tablespoon cilantro minced
– 2 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
– 1 teaspoon green seasoning mix (optional)
– 1 small can coconut cream (about 1/2 cup)
– 1 med onion (diced)
– 1 tablespoon oil
– 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (your choice)

Let’s season the shrimp with everything mentioned above, except the oil and coconut milk. Remember, to control the heat from the pepper you can remove the seeds and not use an entire pepper. I like this very spicy, so in goes an entire pepper. Mix everything together and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium saucepan (one with lid) heat the oil, then add the seasoned shrimp.

Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then it’s time to add the coconut cream.

With the heat on high, cook for another 5 minutes or so (till the shrimp goes pink and curls in) with the pot’s lid off. This way you’ll allow for the curry sauce to thicken up a bit.

Do share your thoughts on this recipe by leaving your comment or questions below.

Eddoes doesn’t have to be the mystery food.

May 2, 2009May 2, 200999 Comments

This recipe post is inspired by a conversation I had with a lady at the grocery store recently. I recall when we first moved to Canada, finding any food closely related to what we enjoyed in the Caribbean was almost impossible. If you didn’t source out a specialty store, you had to settle for typical North American food. How times have changed. I can now go to just about any grocery store and find things such as yams, eddoes, dasheen, plantain, cassava, ochro … even bodi!

A few days back I was in Fortinos (grocer) and was in the section where they had all the “ethnic” foods when a woman came up to me and asked “what is that and what do you do with it?” as she pointed to the pile of eddoes. I’ve been there many times. You’d see something in the fresh vegetable or fruit section and stand there wondering what it was or how to prepare it, so I was only too happy to explain. So just what do you do with eddoes? Let’s explore an entry level dish featuring eddoes, the step child of the “ground provision” family.

You’ll need…

2 lbs eddoes
1 med-large onion (sliced)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
water (see comments below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

NOTE: If you look under the “videos” page you’ll find a couple videos I created to explain a couple things about eddoes. How to peel and how to shop for eddoes.

Let’s get started by peeling the eddoes. After which you must rinse them off with clean water to remove any dirt etc that may have made it’s way into the bowl.

The next step is to get cooking the eddoes. For this we need to place the peeled eddoes into a pot, cover with water and place on high heat until it starts to boil. Then reduce to a simmer, add the salt and let cook for about 15 minutes. After about 12 minutes or so poke the eddoes with a knife to check to see if it’s cooked. If the knife can go through them without force, they’re done.

Drain the water out and in the same pot, using a potato masher or pestle crush so they’re a bit chunky. We’d like to avoid making a paste.

Slice the onion and garlic and place aside with the chili flakes.

Place a pan (frying pan is great) over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter to heat. Then add the onions, garlic and pepper flakes.

After cooking for about 5-8 minutes or until the onion is soft and starting to brown, add the crushed eddoes. Move everything around so it’s coated evenly with the infused butter/oil mixture. In about 5 minutes you should have a nicely coated mix that’s ready for serving.

Some notes on eddoes…

Like all “ground provision” this can be a stand alone dish or the base for many of the stewed meats that featured on here. In the last step mentioned above you can also add some salted cod chunks to add a whole new flavor. I’d also like to point out that many people would stop after boiling the eddoes as mentioned above and enjoy it with stewed meats as well, so they’re not re-frying after it’s been boiled. The final thing I’d like to mention is that eddoes is also a “must” ingredient for those wonderful heavy soups we’re so famous for in the Caribbean.

Leave me your thoughts and comments below.

BTW… I hope the lady who I had the conversation is reading.

Gourmet salmon from a can?

March 5, 2012April 27, 2009129 Comments

Not sure of this should be classified as a recipe or not, but I do know it’s affectionately known as “bache” or bachelor food among the people I know. “Bache” usually refers to any food that can be cooked (or not) in under 5 minutes… basically something fast. As a youth this was the norm as part of Good Friday lunch. It’s true that we had access to tons of fresh fish being that we lived on islands, but somehow that salmon that came in a can still made it’s way onto our menu. You either had it on rice or with lovely ground provisions, like yam, eddoes and dasheen. My dad used to top his with olive oil, something only in my adult life did I learn to appreciate.

Get past the cat-food like appearance and the fact that it comes from a can, let’s give canned salmon a chance.

You’ll need…

1 can Salmon (Sockeye, Pink or Tea Rose Keta Salmon) 213g / 7.5 oz

dash of salt

dash of black pepper

1 medium tomato

1 clove garlic

1 medium onion

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 green onion (scallion)

hot pepper (optional)

3 sprigs of cilantro or 1 leaf of shado beni. (you may also use 1/4 teaspoon green seasoning mix)

Open the can of salmon and place in a pan over medium heat.

With a spoon or fork, break the salmon chunk in pieces (try not to crush)

Wash and slice the tomato, green onion, cilantro, garlic and onion. All the ingredients should now be added to the pot with the salmon chunks.

Gently stir everything together, including the ketchup, black pepper and salt. I usually don’t use salt, but I’m sure you may like it with a bit of salt. Remember, you can add salt last if it’s required also.

Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until all the ingredients get a chance to add their touch to the dish.

Didn’t I say this was a “bache” recipe… you’re done. Serve over rice, ground provisions or with bread.

I’ve also seen my mom use a bit of olive oil in the pan, then add the onion etc to cook a bit first and then add the salmon last. But I try not to use oil or salt, as the fish is already fatty and it’s usually packed in salt during the canning process.

Be sure to share this with your friends and leave me your comments below. i’d love the hear from you.

Simple, but very tasty tomato choka recipe.

March 5, 2012April 20, 200975 Comments

As kids growing up we (brother and sisters) went to school in “town”, which meant leaving home very early as it was a fairly long drive every morning. This usually meant a quick breakfast that we could grab and go. But on the weekend it was a different story. Yes, we still had to wake early and get chores done if we wanted to be on the good side of our mom for the day, but she would spoil us with some hearty food for breakfast. One of my favorite things to eat on the weekend was tomato choka and roti. My mom is tops when it comes to making roti, something I still have to learn to make. But her tomato choka was phenomenal.

She still makes a mean choka, but I do find myself craving my own simple version.

You’ll need…

3 medium to large ripe tomatoes (leave on your kitchen counter to really ripe)

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 of a small onion (depends on how much you like onions)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 hot pepper (to control the heat, don’t use the seeds)

Note: There are several ways you can prepare the tomato for this recipe, but in this version we’ll use the grill. You can also boil in water, place in the microwave on high for a few minutes, roast in your oven or roast in a frying pan on your stove top. If you’d like more info on any of these other methods, leave me a comment or use the contact link above to send me a message.

Wash and remove the stems from the tomato, then place on grill (BBQ). Try to keep the temperature set at about 400C and rotate a couple times to cook evenly. Try not to play with them as they cook as they are delicate and can crush and be of no use to you. I also roast my pepper for a couple minutes as well. Don’t ask me why… it’s just the way I saw my mom do it.

In a bowl add the garlic (slice to make this step easier), salt, hot pepper and get a pestle or something to crush everything with. The salt will assist in breaking things down since it’s abrasive.

With a little bit of force, try to crush everything into a paste.

After about 10-15 minutes on the grill, remove the tomato. It will look charred and you’ll almost think you’ve ruined it. Nope.. that just brings out the natural sugars in the tomato and it’s exactly what we’re looking for. The burnt skin should easily fall off.. try to remove as much as you can. Then add the tomatoes to the bowl with the already crushed garlic and pepper.

Crush everything into a nice thick sauce. the tomato will let out a bit of liquid (depends on the variety of tomato you use). You’ll probably find that around the stem area of the tomato will be a bit tough to crush. You can remove that from the bowl.

Final steps…

Slice the onion very thin and place on top of the now crushed mixture. Then in a small frying pan, put the olive oil to heat on high. In a couple minutes you’ll start seeing the oil starting to smoke. Try not to keep it on the heat fro much longer as olive oil cannot withstand too much heat. Take the oil over to the bowl and gently (be careful for oil splatters) pour onto the onions. Act fast – stir the entire lot around so the crushed garlic, the salt, pepper, roasted tomato puree and the onions get’s mixed evenly. You’re done!

TIP : I try to use a “sweet” onion instead of a normal cooking onion so it’s not as bitter when eating. In the past I’ve also roasted the garlic before crushing but I’ve found that I missed that true garlic flavor that I grew up with.

Overall a very simple, but tasty side dish that’s just perfect for roti or worst case.. pita!

Potato with leftover chicken in a delightful curry sauce.

May 27, 2025April 12, 20098 Comments

So what do you do with the left over stew chicken from the day before? Our main meal of the week in Trinidad and Tobago is usually “Sunday lunch”. I recall my mom going all out just about every Sunday, which usually included her famous stew chicken. As we were kids and didn’t eat much, there was usually left over chicken… that slowly changed as we grew older and our appetite increased. Back then, Monday dinners usually meant curry potato with the added chicken for extra flavor, paired with either rice or roti.

That tradition now continues in our household, but it’s not a Monday thing…

You’ll need…

2 large potatos

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (any that can withstand high heat)

1 medium onion sliced

2 cloves of garlic sliced

1/4 of a hot pepper – habanero (only add if you like extra spicy)

leftover stew chicken (leave out chicken if you want it vegetarian)

2 cups water

4 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite curry powder.

Peel and dice the potato into 1-2 inch pieces, then wash and keep handy. Prepare the garlic and onion by peeling and slicing into thin pieces. You may also crush the garlic if you wish, but I leave in slices so our girls can see them when the dish is complete. This way they can remove if they wish when eating.

I now add the curry powder to a bowl with the sliced onions and garlic.

In a heavy pan I place the oil over medium to high heat. Just before it starts to smoke, I add the curry, onion and garlic mixture and let cook for about 2 minutes. In the same small bowl that the curry mixture was in, I add the 4 tablespoons of water and rinse (get any curry that was left back). Now pour that water into the pot with the cooked curry, onions and garlic. Let that cook until the water evaporates and you now have a bit of a paste.

Our next step is to add the diced potato and move around, so everything gets coated. This can take a couple minutes.

Add the salt, pepper, habanero and remaining water. The goal is to try and have enough water to cover the potato so it will cook evenly.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Allow this to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the potato is tender and starts to melt away to form a nice thick sauce. Here is where the dish goes from being vegetarian… Add the pieces of leftover chicken and let simmer for about 5 minutes. If you’re going with the vegetarian version, allow to thicken and serve at this point.

The goal is to allow the runny sauce to thicken up, so you may have to crush the potato a bit if necessary by pressing down on them with the back of your cooking spoon. Please taste for salt and add if necessary. I’m not a heavy salt eater, so you may find that some of my dishes do require more salt – basically to your taste!

Tip. If you live in a country where your home is closed up for the winter months and you’re worried about the curry smell lingering around, burn a candle (scented is great) during and after you’re done cooking. If the smell is really strong (depends on the curry powder you use), you add either a vanilla bean or piece of cinnamon to a couple cups of water and boil for a bit. The fragrance will envelop your home, but you may feel like having apple pie.

Share your thoughts on this and all the recipes on CaribbeanPot.con by using the comment box at the bottom of each recipe posted.

Mango chow – the pleasure and the pain.

May 28, 2025April 11, 200937 Comments

One of my favorite snacks when mango was in season as a kid on the islands was mango chow. Even today, whenever we meet at family gatherings, there’s usually a bowl of chow in the midst. I can still recall eating away at this piping-hot combination of tart fruit, garlic and herbs… balanced with the wonderful juice of a fresh squeezed lime or lemon. I guess you were thinking sweet and savory when you think “snack”.

Seems everyone I’ve met over the years makes this a bit different, but you can’t go wrong with my take on mango chow.

You’ll need…

1 green mango (near to ripe is best)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

dash of black pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon shado beni hot sauce (or 1/4 cup cilantro or 1/8 cup of shado beni – finely chopped)

2-3 cloves of garlic (depends how much you like garlic)

1 lime or lemon

1-2 habanero peppers (or your favorite hot pepper)

1 shallot (optional)

Let’s get started. In a bowl, place the salt, sliced pepper, garlic and shallots. For a stronger flavor, instead of slicing the pepper and garlic, crush it with the salt using a pestle.

Wash and peel the mango using a pairing knife or potato peeler. Then slice into wedges and place in the bowl. Remember that the mango will have a hard core (seed) so you won’t be able to slice all the way through. Now add the shado beni hot sauce if you have some stored, or add the fresh shado beni / cilantro.

Basically the only ingredient you should have left is the lime or lemon. Squeeze the lime into the mixture you have in the bowl and toss around using a spoon. Sometimes we’re tempted to use our hands, but remember that you used those hot peppers so it may leave your hand burning if you do.

Taste for salt at this point and add as necessary. Depending on how tart the mango is, you may require some more salt. You have 2 options now.. dig in or cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for a couple hrs. If you decide to have it marinate, be sure to toss it around every 30 minutes or so for best results.

Do you use another fruit for making chow? Maybe your recipe is totally different! Leave us your comments…please.

Shredded salad with or without leftover chicken.

May 27, 2025April 6, 200942 Comments

This one can work both ways, with or without the chicken so you can enjoy just the same if you’re a vegetarian. Some of you are probably saying that this is just a plain salad, but when you kick-in the bbq or jerk sauce to the chicken pieces, your taste buds will be asking questions… what took you so long to introduce me to this sexy number.

A great side or full course on a Monday night when you’ve got extra chicken from Sunday dinner and you’re looking for something light.

You’ll need….

1 medium Iceberg lettuce
1 medium Boston lettuce (can also use a red lead lettuce)
1 Carrot
1 English cucumber (about 6 inch piece)
1/4 of a small red onion
Your fav salad dressing

Optional

– leftover chicken (roast or bbq)
– your fav BBQ sauce (jerk would be excellent)
– salt and pepper to taste

Take the core out of the iceberg lettuce (stem and hard inner) by cutting the lettuce into 2 pieces (makes it easier to get rid of the core parts). Place on cutting board and with the use of a big sharp knife, cut into thin pieces – shred or julienne.

Place the shredded lettuce in a large salad bowl. Now wash, peel (use a potato peeler) and julienne the carrots into 2 inch lengths.

Place the julienne carrots into the salad bowl. Now it’s time to work with the Boston lettuce. Break off the leaves and rip into bite size pieces. Place the pieces into a salad spinner and run cold water over it. Boston lettuce is famous for packing sand on it’s journey to the supermarket. So we must wash really well.

After you’ve rinsed the Boston lettuce a couple times and spun it dry.. add to the salad bowl. Wash and peel the cucumber, using a potato peeler. Now slice very thin so when your fork hits the salad it can grab a bit of everything and not just a massive piece of cucumber. Do the same for the red onion. Along with making my cuts very thin, I go on an angle, so i never get a full ring. Our girls hate onions, so the less they can see it, the better the chance of them eating the salad. Plus, no one wants to bite down on a huge piece of onion.

With the lettuce (both types), red onion, carrot and cucumber in the salad bowl. Cut the tomato into wedges, get rid of the seeds, rib and stem parts. Now wash in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel, then add to the salad bowl. Toss salad now!

In a large non stick pan on medium heat, add about 2 table spoons of your favorite BBQ sauce or to make this really Caribbean-like, add jerk sauce ( I love the “Grace” brand when I’m not making it from scratch). Cut the leftover chicken into strips and add to the heated jerk sauce. Then top with about 2 more table spoons of sauce. We really want to coat all the chicken pieces. Let cook until heated through, since the chicken was already cooked from the day before.

Now it’s time plate and serve.. you’re done!

Tip 1. Add the tomato just before serving. It tends to spring juices and get the salad a bit soggy.

Tip 2. I would get guests to add their salt and pepper. If you add the salt to the entire bowl of salad, the cucumber will tend to spring juices and get the salad a bit soggy.

Tip 3. Add the chicken just before serving. you have the option of cold or hot. If you’re going with cold, you can cook and place in the fridge with the salad in a different container. Hot or warm will enhance the jerk sauce.

Tip 4. Ask guests to not add salad dressing, but get them to toss the pieces of chicken that’s coated in the jerk or bbq sauce. The entire salad will pick up on the flavors.

Tip 5. Not really a tip, but this can be served without the chicken and enjoyed by your vegetarian guests.

I never though that posting a “salad” recipe would take so much work. I really hope you give this one a shot!

Chris…

Hearty Pumpkin, Pigeon Peas and Christophene Soup.

March 27, 2009March 27, 200987 Comments

Stew or Soup? In the Caribbean what we call “soup” is usually very hearty and in places like Canada and the US they would be considered “stews”. A great meal in one pot! Last fall I put this one together with the help from my mom (my personal recipe book) over the phone. Her original version did contain salted meat.

Ingredients.

25g / 1 oz butter or margarine

1 onion, chopped.

2 garlic cloves crushed

2 carrots, sliced

1 – 15g / 4 oz seeded, peeled pumpkin, chopped

1 Christophene, peeled, stoned and chopped (same size as the pumpkin)
Hearty Pumpkin Stew With Pigeon Peas and Christophene.

1 – 15g / 4 oz pigeon peas (that’s about a 1/3 of a normal can)

600 ml / 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock.

2 sprigs of thyme (dried if you can’t get fresh)

1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves chopped.

25-50 g / 1-2 oz coconut cream (liquid or solid)

2.5 ml / 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

hot pepper

salt

Fun Fact : The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as sayote, tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophene, mirliton, and vegetable pear, is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.

Step 1.

Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onion is soft. You may want to cook the onion a bit before adding the garlic, since garlic is know to burn fast and become very bitter. .

Step 2.

Stir in the carrots, pumpkin, christophene, pigeon peas, stock and thyme at this point. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Step 3.

Add the coriander, coconut, cinnamon, hot pepper and salt (to taste). Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is reduced and thick (agin to your liking.. I like mine thick) . Serve hot… garnish with coriander.

Here’s a peek at the finished product…

Do you have another version of this recipe? We welcome you to post your comments or submit your recipe and be featured on one of the fastest growing websites dedicted to Caribbean culinary culture.

Chris…