The Vibrant Caribbean Pot Cookbook
Soup Season Cookbook
Get My Latest Cookbooks
On Sale Now

One Kitchen, Many Cultures

caribbean cookbook

Showing: 37 - 48 of 123 Articles
Gluten Free Seafood

Pong-Up Yam.

Leave a Comment on Pong-Up Yam.

Way back in 2009 I shared the original Pong-up yam with saltfish recipe, a recipe that’s very dear to me as it reminds me of “home” and being a carefree lil fella on the islands. In that recipe we explored how it’s done from scratch, however with this version we’ll use leftover boiled yam and stewed saltfish.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon salted butter
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup leftover stewed saltfish
4 pieces Yam (preboiled in salted water)

Notes! I used leftover yam with the stewed saltfish (salted pollock), but you may use boiled green bananas, dasheen, cassava, eddoes or any pre-cooked ground provision with similar results as explained in the video. This is why I suggest you watch the video below as much more about the recipe itself is discussed there. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Heat the butter in a saucepan on a medium flame, then add the onion, tomato and black pepper. Turn the heat to med/low and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is soft and the tomato starts falling apart.

At this point you’ll add the stewed saltfish and mix well to heat through. Keep in mind that my stewed saltfish had scotch bonnet pepper in it, so there was already a spicy element to it. That said, if you want to add a bit of spicy pepper to the mix, do so when you add the onion and tomato.

Using the pestle from my mortar and pestle, I crushed the leftover yam.

Then it’s just a matter of adding the crushed yam to the pot and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and you’ll get a lovely crust forming. I used a non-stick pan and with my wooden spoon I scraped the bottom as I stirred everything. 4-5 minutes later and we’re done.

Mommy would serve this with hot Sada Roti (four people), but today I ate this as it was for lunch!

Seafood

Delicious Tin Sardines Recipe: Easy and Budget-Friendly.

1 Comment on Delicious Tin Sardines Recipe: Easy and Budget-Friendly.

Make this make sense? Trinidad and Tobago are two relatively small ISLANDS, meaning they’re surrounded by water. Both the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean are teeming with fish, yet if you look closer at our culinary culture, you’ll notice that we use a fair amount of tin (canned) fish in our recipes.

You’ll Need…

1 can Sardines (in oil)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small onion (sliced thin)
1 medium tomato (sliced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (or lime)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Notes! Please follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. Should you want to add some chopped scallions, Shado Beni (culantro) and/or parsley, feel free to do so. I didn’t add any salt as explained in the video.

In the video I spoke about the preferred brand of sardines mommy would make for us growing up in the Caribbean and how over the years living in Canada, that has changed. What I failed to mention is that I much prefer sardines packed in oil, rather than water. However the choice is all yours.

While I enjoy the sardines packed in oil, I usually drain that oil out. Then you have the option to split the sardines open and remove the bones and “inners” as shown in the video. Or simply crush them with a fork.

Add the black pepper, tomato, lemon juice and Scotch Bonnet pepper (if you’re making it spicy) and mix together.

Then top with the thinly sliced onion.

Heat the oil on a medium/high flame, until you start seeing whispers of smoke, then pour it directly onto the sliced onion. Not only will this flash-cook the onions (take away the ‘bite’), the oil will get a lovely onion flavor.

Stir well to combine and enjoy!

My comfort meal includes rice, Dhal, the Sardines like this and slices of ripe zabouca (avocado). If you have lime peppersauce on the side… wicked!

This version of canned sardines (called sardine choka by some), is an excellent topping for salted crackers or on open face sandwiches.

Meat & Poultry

Spinach Rice Recipe: Nutritious and Flavorful One-Pot Dish.

Leave a Comment on Spinach Rice Recipe: Nutritious and Flavorful One-Pot Dish.

The traditional way this dish is made is with Dasheen Bush Bhagi (tender leaves of the Taro plant), however being in Canada means that securing decent Taro leaves is very challenging. Yes, I could drive to Toronto to the many West Indian grocers, but from experience I know that it’s insanely expensive and the quality is (most instances) terrible. Everyday baby spinach, which is easily sourced at any local grocery store is an excellent replacement.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 lbs prepared salted pig tails
1 lemon (juice)
4 sprigs thyme
2 scallions (chopped)
1 pimento pepper (chopped)
1 small onion (sliced)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups diced pumpkin
8 okra (ochro) chopped
1/2 lb baby spinach (chopped)
2 cup par-boiled brown rice (wash)
3/4 teaspoon salt (see note)
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes! May I recommend that you watch the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. Get your butcher to cut the pig tails for you or boil them whole (full lengths) and when tender, cut into smaller pieces. Even though the salted pig tails were boiled, there will still be remnants of salt which they were cured in. With that in mind, adjust the salt later on.

Before we get started we’ll need to boil the salted pig tail pieces for 1 hr and 15 minutes (as explained in the video) to help tenderize them and to remove most of the salt it was cured in. I had my butcher cut them into 1 1/2 inch pieces, which I washed with the juice of a lemon. Then they were boiled for 30 minutes, that water was then discarded and a fresh batch of water was used for the remaining cooking time.

In a deep pan add the oil on a medium/low flame, followed by the pre-cooked pigtail pieces. The goal is to render out some of the fat and in the process, get some of that flavor to start with. After 3-4 minutes add the onion, thyme, black pepper and scallions to the pan and cook for a further 4 minutes.

At this point we’ll add the diced pumpkin (squash will work as well) and okra to the pot.

We’ll follow this up with the washed and chopped spinach. It will look like a lot, however it will wilt down. Cook for 5 minutes.

I used par-boiled brown rice (washed). Add and stir well.

You’ll then add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.

I chose to float the Scotch Bonnet pepper as I wanted the flavors from the oils in the skin and not the raw heat. The goal is to NOT break the pepper while cooking, and fish it out at the end. If you want the finished spinach rice with a kick, you may chop the pepper and add it.

20 minutes later (cooked on a medium low heat) and it’s time to taste and add the salt if necessary. At this point I shut the stove off, placed the lid on the pot and allowed the residual heat to finish cooking things.

About 6 minutes later it was ready to be served. While I used salted pig tails, you may use salted beef or smoked turkey with similar results.

As explained in the video, depending on the type of rice you use, the amount of liquid you’ll need will differ as well as the cook time. White rice cooks quicker.

Meat & Poultry

Simply Delicious 20 Minute Curry Chicken.

1 Comment on Simply Delicious 20 Minute Curry Chicken.

A little over 7 years ago I shared my Amazing 20 Minute Curry Chicken Recipe on YouTube and while that recipe is still very relevant. As we work our way through the #ComfortFood series I’ve been sharing on social media, I thought I’d revamp that recipe a bit. Unfortunately while filming the recipe video for this version, I never took step by step images as I would normally do.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs boneless chicken (dark meat)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon Curry powder
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
2 cups water
2 tablespoon chopped Shado Beni (chadon beni / culantro)

  • you may use cilantro

Notes. Please use the video below to follow along as much more is discussed there. Especially why I used boneless leg and thigh, but also why you may use chicken breast should you prefer that cut.

Cut the chicken into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and wash with cool water and the juice of a lemon, lime or 1 cup white vinegar. Drain dry. If washing chicken is not your thing, you may skip this step as I know many people are opposed to this.. in my culture it’s a MUST!

Heat the oil in a heavy pan on medium heat. Unlike other curry recipes I’ve shared where we lower the heat at this stage, the goal is to maintain a constant heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Scotch Bonnet Pepper (use as much as you can handle) black pepper and roasted geera (cumin). Cook for 2 minutes, then add the curry powder, along with the Anchar Masala and stir well. Cook for a further 3 minutes.

It’s then time to add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat with the lovely curry base we created. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the salt and water (bring to a boil) and cook for a further 10 minutes.

At this point we’ll personalize things by adjusting the salt to your liking and determine if the gravy’s consistency is to your liking. Keep in mind that the residual heat in the pan will further thicken the gravy or sauce as it cools.

Once you’re happy with everything, turn off the heat and add the chopped Shado Beni (culantro) and stir. Should you prefer to use cilantro (coriander), it’s really up to you.

If you want to change up the flavors a bit you may add a bit of coconut milk or cream, a small stick of cinnamon, a bay leaf and/or a teaspoon of grated ginger will not hurt things at all! This recipe is true to a traditional Trinbago (Trinidad and Tobago) curry chicken.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Cabbage With Smoked Pork And Pumpkin.

Leave a Comment on Cabbage With Smoked Pork And Pumpkin.

The only way mommy could get me/us to eat cabbage as kids growing up on the islands, was if she made or bought Chow Mein. Back then I don’t ever recall seeing bean sprouts in Chow Mein as I do in Canada as the norm. Maybe I’ll share that recipe soon! However as an adult, I’m always looking for ways to put cabbage to use. Here’s another (soon to be) classic dish using the humble cabbage..

You’ll Need…

1/2 lb smoked pork soup bones
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 lb pumpkin (cubed)
2 pimento peppers (aka seasoning peppers)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 – 2 lb cabbage
1 medium onion (sliced)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 bell pepper (chopped)

Notes! I used sea salt as it’s the only salt I really use. Use your fav salt. Should you wanted to add 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and 2 cloves crushed garlic, it will add additional flavor to the overall dish. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. May I suggest you watch the video below as some questions you may have should be answered there.

At my local butcher the smoked pork I purchased was labelled as Smoked Pork Soup Bones. In your area it may be called something else. Should you want to use remnants of ham, smoked pork hocks, smoked ribs, or if pork is not your thing, you may use smoked turkey. Regular smoked pork or turkey bacon could be used with success as well.

Heat the oil in a pan on a med/low flame and add the pieces of smoked pork. Allow it to cook for about 5 minutes to flavor the oil and the render some of it’s fat out.

Then add the sliced onion, black pepper and pimento peppers. Don’t stress if you can’t source the pimento pepper (I grew mine, but you can try West Indian and Asian supermarkets). It gives the dish a lovely flavor, without any heat.

After a couple minutes add the curry powder and if you wanted, some garlic and dry thyme.

Next goes the diced pumpkin (butternut squash will work as well) and stir. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, then add the bell pepper.

Two minutes later add the chopped cabbage and mix well to combine and coat everything with that lovely smokey flavor.

Don’t worry if you find that it looks like it will not all fit, as the cabbage gets in contact with the heat from the pan, it will wilt down. Add in layers if necessary. Top with the salt and cook on a medium flame until it’s tender to your liking. BTW I did wash the cabbage before and after slicing.

I allowed it to cook for 5-6 minutes after adding the cabbage (pan uncovered) as the residual water from washing the cabbage and the natural juices it sprouted allowed it to steam sauté.

To personalize things, taste and adjust the salt to your liking and determine how ‘cooked’ you want the finished cabbage. The diced pumpkin will give the dish a wonderful sweet undertone. Should you want to give it a kick, add a few slices of your fav hot pepper. Serve with rice or as you would with any cabbage dish.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

How To Make Apple Kuchela.

Leave a Comment on How To Make Apple Kuchela.

I did it again.. Apple Kuchela, that iconic spicy condiment enjoyed with curry dishes, traditionally made with green mangoes in the Caribbean. While almost identical to the original recipe I shared about 10 years ago, you will find more tips and explanations in the video below than when I first posted the recipe.

You’ll Need…

8-10 Apples (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
Hot Peppers (crushed)
10-15 cloves garlic (crushed)
4-5 tablespoon Anchar Masala
1 cup veg oil (adjust)

Notes! I used Granny Smith (green) apples (explained in the video below), however any tart/firm apple will work. Kuchela is basically a SPICY condiment (side) you enjoy predominantly with curry dishes, so I used 8-12 Wiri Wiri peppers (I didn’t have Scotch Bonnets on hand). Feel free to use any spicy peppers you like or can access. Finally, remember to wear gloves when handling hot peppers and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

May I recommend that you wash the apples you use really well as many in the grocery stores may have a protective wax on them. Or you can buy organic apples which are not normally dipped in that wax (still wash well). Then all you have to do is grate then into shreds.

Yes, it will go discolored (explained in the video below) so don’t fret. It’s time to now squeeze most (if not all) the juice from grated apples (use a cheese cloth to assist if you want) and place it on a baking sheet. That sheet is then placed in direct sun to further dry. The goal is to have grated apples which will soak-up the flavor ingredients we’ll add later. I placed the sheet on the hood of my car in the direct sun, as the radiant heat sped-up the drying process.

It will take between 2-3 hours. If it’s not sunny outside, place the tray in a low oven for a few hours.

You may use a food processor or blender for the next step, but I opted for my mortar and pestle. Add the salt, (it will act as an abrasive) garlic and peppers and crush. You can go until smooth or chunky as in my case.

In a (cold) wide pan, add the vegetable oil and the crushed mixture. Turn the heat to low and gently bring up to a simmer. Cook on that gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes (basically to flavor the oil and to cook out some of the rawness). Turn off the stove now.

Add the dried grated apples to the pot, followed by the anchar masala (check online or your fav Caribbean grocers) and stir well.

It’s now time to get your clean glass containers ready to fill up with this wicked Apple Kuchela. I store mine in the kitchen cupboard and it keeps for months.

Remember to adjust the salt and add more oil should you find that it’s overly dry. Use an oil that’s low in flavor as it will affect the flavor of the finished Kuchela. Feel free to use a dehydrator if you have access to one to dry the grated apples.

Gluten Free

Curry Stew (ed) Goat.

1 Comment on Curry Stew (ed) Goat.

Here’s another Caribbean Classic! Curry Stew Goat.. seasoned with an exciting curry-based marinade, then brown-stewed as it’s typically done on the islands. It’s then cooked slowly to develop rich flavors and fall-off-the-bone tenderness. #Goatober

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs goat (bone in)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
3-4 cups water
1/2 cup coconut milk powder
5-8 cloves garlic (whole)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar + 2 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
2 limes (juice) for washing the goat.

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may have flour as a filler and thickener.

  • this recipe will work with lamb and I find that you get better results with using bone-in goat. Do ask your butcher to cut it into small pieces as you will struggle to get through the bones with your everyday chef’s knife of clever.

Trim the excess fat and wash the meat (with lime juice and cool water), drain well, then season with the salt, curry powder, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, onion, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper (adjust to the heat level you can handle) and grated ginger. Mix well!

Marinate overnight or at least 2 hours in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a deep pot (heavy cast iron works best) on a medium / high flame, then add the sugar. This is the stewing or browning part. The curry element was added when we seasoned and marinated the goat.

This step is crucial as we don’t want to BURN the sugar. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then we need it to go a deep amber color (yes the kitchen will go a bit smoky). At this point (be careful) add the seasoned goat to the pot and stir to coat in the caramelized sugar. Should it go beyond amber (BLACK), STOP. Allow the pot to cool completely, wash, dry and start over. Burnt Sugar will give you a bitter taste.

  • watch the video below to see how I did the step mentioned above.

Turn the heat to medium/low, add the whole cloves of garlic and cover the pot. It will sprout up it’s own natural juices. Let it go for about 10 minutes with lid on.

Place the water in the same bowl you marinated the goat in and swish around to pick up any remaining marinade.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and crank up the heat to burn off all that natural liquid. In the process we’ll develop a lovely color. It will take 4-6 minutes. The goal is to see the oil we started off with and no liquid at the bottom of the pot. Please stir so we get even browning, as this happens.

When this is achieved, pour in the water (from the bowl we marinated the goat in) and bring to a boil. Add the coconut powder and stir well to incorporate. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender (lid on, but slightly ajar).

Depending on how old/mature the goat was when it was butchered it can take between 2 and 3 hours on that simmer to be tender. In rare cases it can take up to 4 hours.

Taste for salt, adjust the gravy (thickness) to your liking (add more water if you find that the goat is still tough) and top with the parsley. Goat can be fatty and the parsley tends to help cut some of that.. I also like adding some lemon zest at times too, for the same reason.

While I’m a huge fan of curry goat and stewed goat, this combination is by far, my fave! I like mine served with plain hot rice or with Paratha (buss-up-shut) roti.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Cassava With Stewed Smoked Herring.

1 Comment on Cassava With Stewed Smoked Herring.

This is yet another one of those “boil and fry” dishes (I’ve shared a few to date) we enjoy throughout the Caribbean. Food we inherited from our ancestors who made use of the land and with limited resources, made incredible meals. Cassava (aka yuca or manioc) was something we always had growing in our kitchen garden growing up, so it’s presence in soups, baked treats, breads and in dishes like this, was the norm. FYI on some islands smoked herring is known as red herrings.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs cassava
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 lb smoked herring fillets
1/2 large onion (sliced)
10-12 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 -3 tablespoon butter

Important! I used frozen cassava, which I cooked according to the package directions. I also used smoked herring fillets which were cleaned (skin, head etc removed) and main center bone removed, however it did have some tiny bones. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Place the frozen cassava in a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and reduce to a rolling boil and cook until tender. For this brand of frozen cassava it takes about 20 minutes to cook. If using fresh cassava, peel, cut into pieces and bring to a boil in the salted water – adjust cooking time accordingly. To test for doneness, simply stick a sharp knife though a thick piece and if there’s no resistance, they are ready.

As the cassava boils, I boiled water in my kettle and poured over the herring fillets in a deep bowl. This will help to do a few things, hydrate them, remove some of the salt, along with excess smoke. Let it sit in the water until it’s cool enough to handle.

Drain the cassava and set it aside to cool as we have to prepare it a bit further.

The herrings should be cool enough to touch. Here is where you need gloves or the scent of that smoky fish will remains on your hands for a while. Drain the water, rinse with cool water and squeeze dry. Now shred and in doing so if you see any tough bones, remove and discard. There will be some tiny (flexible) ones, those can remain as they should not pose a choking hazard.

In a large pan/pot, heat the olive oil (any oil you like cooking with will work) on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic, scotch bonnet, black pepper, scallions and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes. (Please watch the video below as I speak about Scotch Bonnet Peppers)

4 minutes later, it’s time to add the prepared smoked herrings to the pot and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomato and 1/2 of the parsley. Mix well.

The cassava will be cool, (watch the video below) so it’s time to chop it up into 1 inch pieces and remove the woody center and discard.

Now toss the cut cassava into the pot and stir well, so the cassava picks up all that lovely smoked herring flavor and cook for 3 minutes. Add the butter to give the finished dish a bit of rich creamy flavor and toss in the remaining parsley and you’re done!

I consider this one of the classics when it comes to Caribbean culinary culture and it brings me much joy to not only share this one with you, but to enjoy it when I get a little homesick for the islands.

This is a complete dish, but you can always start with a side salad if you wish. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Breakfast Gluten Free

Curry Eggs. The Simplicity of Delicious.

1 Comment on Curry Eggs. The Simplicity of Delicious.

Many of you may be perplexed by this recipe as eggs in a curry sauce may seem strange. However this was a typical dish mom would make for us when she little in the cupboards (we always had fresh eggs from our chickens) or ran out of ideas to keep the menu fresh for 4 children on a daily basis. While many may associate Curry Eggs with Guyana, it’s very normal in Trinidad and Tobago as well.

You’ll Need…

4 hard boiled eggs (cut in 1/2)
1 medium shallot (or small onion – diced)
1 pimento pepper (sliced)
4 wiri wiri peppers
1 medium tomato (remove skin and seeds – diced)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1-2 tablespoon veg oil
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 cup water
2 scallions (chopped)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. I used Pimento and Wiri Wiri (coffee) peppers in the recipe, however they are optional (in the event you can’t source them). Scotch Bonnet, Habanero or any spicy pepper will work of you want a little kick.

Boil the eggs and set aside.

Place a sauce pan on a medium flame and add the oil, followed by the shallots, cumin seeds, the white parts (bottom) of the scallions, pimento pepper and garlic. Immediately turn the heat to low.

Add the black pepper, then as soon as you start seeing dark edges on the onion and garlic, add the Wiri Wiri peppers (whole), followed by the curry powder (heat still on low). Mix well. We’re building that rich curry flavor here, by wet-toasting the spices which makes up the curry powder.

Add the Caribbean Green Seasoning (stir) for that herbal note and the salt. Now add the water to help create the gravy and to cook out the ‘rawness” of the curry. Turn the heat up so it comes to a boil, but as soon as it does, reduce the heat back to low.

Add the diced tomato and allow it to simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Now place the cut eggs, yolk side down as we want them to start absorbing the curry sauce (be gentle).

After a couple minutes, flip the eggs over and add the green tops of the scallion.

Now here is where you get to personalize things. Taste for salt and adjust and reduce the gravy to the consistency you like. I had it with Sada Roti, so I needed nuff sauce.

This a bit of a simplified version of Curry Eggs as we do it in the Caribbean. There’s the more detailed recipe where the eggs are boil, then fried to form a crust, before they go for that curry bath. Then there’s the version mom would do with potatoes, to stretch the dish and give it more body. Those I will share in upcoming recipes.

If you want heat, break the peppers, or remove and discard if heat is not your thing. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Coconut Stewed Shrimp.

Leave a Comment on Coconut Stewed Shrimp.

It’s very rare you’ll find someone from the Islands who don’t enjoy great seafood, it’s just natural I think. Fried, grilled, stewed, curry, oven-baked, fire-roasted and in stews like this one, we’ve got so many ways to enjoy the bounty of the Caribbean Sea. Yea we even do ceviche too! Here’s one of my favorite ways to stew plump shrimp in a wicked coconut sauce. (first try and it will be your fave too)

You’ll Need…

2 lbs 21-25 shrimp (cleaned & deveined)
1 teaspoon sea salt (divided)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 large onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 medium tomato (diced)
4-5 sprigs thyme
3/4 teaspoon paprika
2-3 pimento peppers (aka seasoning peppers)
1/2 teaspoon Scotch Bonnet flakes (or fresh)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 lime (juice)
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

  • lemon juice for washing the shrimp.

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. If you can’t source the pimento (seasoning) peppers, feel free to use diced sweet bell peppers.

Peel (however I left the tails on, but you can remove), devein and wash the shrimp with lemon juice and cool water. Drain dry and season with the 1/2 the salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well and marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a wide saucepan on a medium flame, then add the seasoned shrimp and stir. The pan was dry as we added olive oil when we marinated the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes (so we don’t overcook them), remove and set aside. By cooking the shrimp first, we’ll get that lovely seafood base to start with.

Now crank the heat to med/high and go in with the rest of the olive oil. Should you want to get more of that coconut flavor, you’re free to use coconut oil here. Now toss in the onion, pimento peppers (watch the video below to see what they are), thyme, scallions and remaining salt. Turn the heat down to low so we don’t burn anything, add the remaining black pepper, garlic and scotch bonnet flakes (use any pepper flakes you have or like). Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.

3 minutes later and your kitchen will be blessed with the lovely aroma of niceness. Now go in with the wine and deglaze the pan. Turn the heat back up to medium. As the wine burns off, add the tomato, brown sugar and smoked paprika. This (sugar) will balance the acidity and (paprika) give the dish a smoky undertone.

Go in with the coconut milk now, turn the heat to low and let it gently cook to combine all those flavors.

About 5-6 minutes later (simmer) you’ll have a creamy, velvety sort of texture to the sauce.. it’s now time to add back the shrimp to the pan, heat through, toss in the parsley and BOOM.. you’re done. However, as you turn off the stove, go in with the freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) juice.

Yea taste for salt and adjust according. AND.. have some scented steamed rice ready for an incredible meal.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Shrimp In A Spicy Tomato Sauce.

3 Comments on Shrimp In A Spicy Tomato Sauce.

While this dish is not part of my childhood growing up on the islands, I did have something similar in the French Speaking Caribbean (don’t recall which island at the moment) and it’s something I try to make whenever I have fresh off the vine tomatoes from my garden. The sauce is something you need good bread for and to be honest, you can top pasta, rice or ground provisions with this. My fave? Cassava dumplings!

You’ll Need…

4-5 tomatoes (I used Roma)
3/4 lb shrimp (I used wild caught)
1/4 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
5 cloves garlic (diced)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
4 peppers (birds eye) divided
3/4 teaspoon Paprika (hot)
1/4 cup water
2-3 tablespoon olive oil

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

Clean and devein the shrimp. Season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning and set aside as we prep the tomatoes.

Blanch the tomato in boiling hot water. Give the tomatoes a cut X on the bottom and into boiling water for about 1 minute. Cool, then peel (use the little cuts we made to pull back on the skin- toss out the skin and stem/core) and dice finely.

Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp to the pot. Stir well and cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Then remove and set aside.

In the same pot, with the heat on low add the onion, garlic, 2 peppers (chopped, with the seeds – remove the seeds if you want to cut back on the heat level) and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the smoked paprika and stir well. Add the salt and black pepper and continue cooking on low.

4 minutes later add the diced tomato, water, brown sugar and float 2 more of the peppers. Do NOT cut or break these 2 peppers.

Bring to a boil (medium heat) and cook for 5-6 minutes. Now tuck in the shrimp, stir well and take off the heat. Allow the residual heat to fully bring everything together.

The goal is to have a rich spicy tomato sauce , with plump shrimp. So please don’t overcook the shrimp.

A simple, quick and TASTY dish, packed with tons of tropical flavors. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Incredible Smoked Pigtail Cook Up Rice.

1 Comment on Incredible Smoked Pigtail Cook Up Rice.

Here’s another one of those insanely good comforting dishes we enjoy across the Caribbean. Each island and household will have it’s own take on this classic Caribbean recipe and that’s what gives us that uniqueness as you work your way up and down the island chain. This is a massive one pot dish meant to be enjoyed as a family or.. freeze the rest for those cold winter nights you want a piece of Caribbean warmth.

You’ll Need…

3-5 lbs smoked pigtails
1 large onion (diced)
3 scallions (chopped)
1 and 1/2 scotch bonnet (divided)
5 large cloves garlic (smashed)
6 sprigs thyme
5 leaves of Shado Beni (Chadon beni or Culantro) chopped
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 stick cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups diced pumpkin
12-15 okra (cut 1 cm wheels)
2 stalks celery (diced)
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
8-10 cups of water (divided)
1/4 cup roocoo
1/2 lb spinach
3 cups long grain parboiled brown rice

Notes: If you can’t source the smoked pigtails (or maybe you don’t mess with pork) you can always use smoked turkey. Additionally you can try European supermarkets for the smoked pigtails (in my case I got mine at a Polish market) if you’re finding it difficult to source. If you’re 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.

Using a very large chefs knife or clever, cut the pigtails into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Then into a pot covered with cool water on a medium flame. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Enough time to remove some of the smoke and salt it’s cured in and to start getting them tender.

Drain and set aside.

In a deep heavy pot (it’s a one pot dish) on a medium flame, add the olive oil, then add the onion, scallions, thyme, Scotch Bonnet pepper (no seeds), garlic and shando beni. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add salt, black pepper and the cinnamon stick. Stir well and add the pre-cooked smoked pigtails.

3 minutes later we’ll add the pumpkin, okra and celery. Stir well to coat everything with all those flavors. Add the coconut milk, turn the heat to medium/high and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, add 3 cups water and Roocoo and mix well. (for the roocoo I basically soaked Annatto seeds in hot water)

After it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Since I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon, this is where I removed the cinnamon stick (it’s done it’s work). Wash the rice and spinach and get ready to add them both to the pot. Typically we’d use dasheen bush (dasheen or taro leaves), but baby spinach is an excellent replacement.

Add the washed rice and go in with another 5 cups of water (you may need to adjust later). Stir well and put the heat up so we can bring this to a boil.

Float the Scotch Bonnet pepper (Do NOT BREAK) as we want the flavors off the oil on the skin of the pepper. This step is optional as we already added a piece of pepper at the start.

20-25 minutes later the rice should be fully cooked, taste for salt and adjust. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper, turn off the heat and place the lid back on and leave on the same burner where you cooked it. 10 minutes later the cook up rice should be done. Now if you like your rice more grainy, you will need to adjust the cooking time of the rice or use less liquid. Speaking about liquid, you may need to add more water (In the ingredient list I said 8-10 cups as depending on the rice you use, it may need more water). Feel free to adjust.

I guarantee you that if this is the first time you’re having this dish, it won’t be the last. You can always use some stock in place of some of the water we used, for additional flavor or depth to this dish.

Get my cookbook!