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Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Smoked Cherry Rum Pepper-Sauce (wing sauce).

1 Comment on Smoked Cherry Rum Pepper-Sauce (wing sauce).

Over the years I’ve shared many Peppersauce (hot sauce) recipes with you, but this one here is SPECIAL! Not only is it BANGING with Fiery Caribbean Sunshine (heat), it’s packed with flavor and is very versatile. Your chicken wings will demand to be covered in this Smoked Cherry Rum Sauce. Should you not have the ability to smoke the peppers, feel free to use them as is and hit the sauce with a tiny bit of liquid smoke.

You’ll Need…

20-30 hot peppers
1 lb cherries (I used frozen)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoon Cane Sugar
2 cups Apple Cider (not vinegar)
3/4 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup dark rum

Important: Please wear gloves and wash your hand immediately after handling such hot peppers. I used a variety of some of the hottest peppers in the world when making this sauce. Feel free to use peppers you like or can source (Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, Scorpions, Naga, Seven pod etc – watch the video below where I discuss the peppers I used). If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and air dry the peppers, then place them on your smoker. Please note that we want to kiss these peppers with the smoke, so it’s not on the smoker for long or at a high heat. Additionally, make sure there’s enough space between the peppers, so they take on that gentle smoke quickly.

I believe my smoker was set to 170 and I had them on for about an hour and 10 minutes.

  • Remember the goal is to gently smoke or kiss the peppers with the smoke. I used cherry wood as the wood of choice, but any fruity wood will work.

Remove the stems and into a deep sauce pan, followed by the other ingredients. (keep the gloves on please)

Put the stove on medium heat and bring to boil, then turn the heat down so you have a simmer.

Be sure to vent your kitchen (open a window and/or turn on the fan above the stove). I had the lid on the sauce pan and simmered it for 30 minutes.

Turn the heat off and allow it to cool for about 1 hr before we use the stick blender to make this as smooth as you like. You may use a traditional blender or food processor. Do make sure it cools before blending it, to avoid getting burn.

It will thicken as you puree it, but you’re in control of the final consistency so rock on.

Place in a sterilized bottles. Will last in the fridge for 6 months (at least). Use as you would any hot sauce, but with all honestly, you’ll improve your wing game with this one. And should you dare, top your BBQ Ribs and Chicken with it (after basting with your fav bbq sauce).

BTW, these were not Caribbean cherries, but the North American cherries you can find in the frozen section of your grocery store. Yes, canned cherries will work too. 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/

Site News

Calmdo Vacuum Sealer #Giveaway .

218 Comments on Calmdo Vacuum Sealer #Giveaway .

I teased this giveaway on Instagram back in late February, but with my busy schedule and the arrival of Zyair, I just didn’t have time until now to share the full details. With all the cooking I do, the fact that I’m at Costco shopping on a regular basis and I do a fair amount of gardening, having and using a vacuum sealer is a huge part of my daily life. I package leftover food for the freezer, vegetables from my garden and nothing beats buying in bulk at Costco (and when items are on sale at the everyday grocery stores) and creating pouches to be frozen for days when you need it next. All without the risk of freezer burns.

Giveaway Rules…

  • Open to everyone globally
  • Entries close Midnight April 11, 2021
  • All you have to do is leave a comment below, say what you’d use the vacuum sealer for
  • Comment at IG @CaribbeanPot  FB @RealCaribbeanPot  (bonus entry)
  • Enter your name on the contest post in the Community (bonus entry)
  • You WILL be required to enter your name and email address (only way for us to contact the winners)
  • 2 winners will be chosen randomly
  • We will contact the eventual winners April 13, 2021. Should you be the winner, you MUST respond within 48 hrs of receiving our email or we will select another person
  • All members of your household can enter their name/comment below
  • The Calmdo Vacuum Sealers will be shipped via Canada Post Ground, we cannot provide tracking information (unless you’re based in Canada) and cannot guarantee shipping times due to COVID
  • Do NOT contact us asking who the winner is. It will be announced via Instagram Stories, Facebook and in a subsequent Giveaway video on YouTube.
  • Do NOT Email, Direct Message or Call us to enter – leaving a comment below is the ONLY way to enter.
  • Yes you can enter your name even if you’ve won something from us in the past

I’d like to thank everyone for participating and wish you all best of luck. Unfortunately there can only be two winners, so use the other methods of getting bonus entries mentioned above to enhance your chance at winning.

CaribbeanPot.com is not affiliated with Calmdo. Should you want to own your own (or any of their wonderful kitchen gadgets) Vacuum Sealer please go to Calmdo.com (not an affiliate link). Get 10%OFF for all products by using this code on checkout. CALMDO10 or AMAZON.CA : https://amzn.to/2Z7ZTaO | AMAZON.COM : https://amzn.to/3a71N1E

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Stewed Goat.

4 Comments on The Ultimate Stewed Goat.

I only started making Stew(ed) Goat a couple years now. As a son of the Caribbean soil, Curry Goat was always the go-to recipe when it comes to this meat. And even though I take every opportunity I get to cook on the grill outside, I’ve only grilled goat once. SHAME! I shall do more goat on the grill recipes in the coming months. Back to today’s recipe.. seasoned, marinated, then slowly braised in a rich coconut stew gravy until it’s fork tender.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs goat (with bones)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 onion (diced)
2 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4-6 drops Angostura bitters
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon pepper sauce
1 tomato (diced)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 pimento peppers (seasoning peppers)
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
2 1/2 – 3 cups water
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
5 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon parsley chopped

  • Get your butcher to cut the goat into 2 inch pieces as the bones can be very tough and will ruin your knives even your heavy duty cleaver. Wash with cool water and the juice of a lime or lemon or about 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar. Rinse and drain.

Place the prepared goat in a large bowl, then add the salt, black pepper ketchup (yes you heard correctly), Worcestershire sauce, pepper-sauce, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Bitters, Onion, Pimento peppers (optional) and tomato. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least a couple hours.

Heat a heavy pot on a high flame, then add the oil followed by the brown sugar. Or (if you’re new to it) please watch the video below. Move around the sugar – it will melt, go frothy and then a deep amber in color (do NOT go past this point or it will taste burnt). Add the seasoned goat to the pot and mix well. Should the sugar go BLACK.. STOP – allow the pan to cool completely and wash. Then start back.

Be careful when adding the seasoned goat to the pot as the hot oil/sugar combo can burn you easily if it splatters. Yes the marinade goes into the pot as well, but save the bowl (don’t wash yet).

It’s important that you give this a good mix, then place the lid on and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. A lot of natural juices will spring-up. Lid on and cook for 10 minutes.

Then it’s time to intensify both the flavor and color, so remove the lid, crank up the heat and burn off all that liquid until you see the oil you started off with.

Add the grated ginger, fresh thyme, scallions and garlic. Then (heat still on high) pour the water into the bowl where you marinated the goat in and swish around. Before you add that water to the pot, go in with the coconut milk, then the water and bring to a boil

Be sure to see my tip on removing some of the fat to make this a bit healthier for you, in the video below.

Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (LOW heat), lid on (slightly ajar) and cook until the goat is fork tender. Stir every 10-15 minutes.

2 1/2 hours later after we added the water and started the simmering process, the goat should be tender. However if it’s still tough you may have to cook it longer (depends on the age of the goat when it was butchered).

Here’s where we’ll now personalize things to your liking. Check the salt (adjust if necessary) and keep an eye on the consistency of the gravy (remember it will thicken as it cools down). If to your liking, toss in the parsley and shut off the stove.

Yes I’m sure you can cheat and do part of this in a pressure cooker, but I’m not a fan of those devices and much prefer low and slow cooking, like my ancestors. Note that it’s normal if your goat takes much more time to cook. If that is the case, add more water (boiling) to the pot when necessary.

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/

Meat & Poultry

Soy Sauce Marinated Fried Chicken.

5 Comments on Soy Sauce Marinated Fried Chicken.

Here’s another one of those classic Chinese dishes you’ll find in restaurants and food trucks on islands where Chinese Indentured Laborers settled in the Caribbean, after the end of slavery. Especially Trinidad and Tobago, where this was part of that classic Saturday lunch my brother and I would have when dad took us to the afternoon show (Kung Fu or Western) at the movies n San Fernando, Trinidad.

You’ll Need…

5 chicken legs (legs and back attached)
1-2 tablespoon Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

Note: my sister recommended using the mushroom soy sauce and I’ll say it makes a HUGE difference in taste. However, regular dark soy sauce will work as well. If you wanted to add a tiny bit of sesame oil you can, but I have no luv for that flavor to be quite honest.

I used chicken legs with the skin on as I find that I get the best flavor with dark meat and the skin is lovely when it’s fried.

Give each piece of chicken a couple shallow cuts, so the marinade is allowed to go deep within the flesh to give it that deep flavor all the way through.

Now season with the Mushroom soy sauce, ginger and Chinese 5 spice powder. Yea a very SIMPLE marinade, but TASTY!

I used my hands to work it all over the chicken pieces… if you intend to do as I did, I recommend wearing gloves as your hand/fingers can discolor with the soy sauce.

Allow this to marinate for at least 4 hours. Overnight for best results. << It can go a bit salty if you marinate overnight, so hold back a bit on the amount of soy sauce you use.

When you’re ready to fry, remove the marinated chicken from the fridge to get it back to room temperature. Then using paper towels, pat the chicken pieces as dry as you can get it. Now heat your oil on a med/high flame (about 3 cups vegetable oil or any oil you like frying in), then gently add the pieces of chicken into the pot. I’d say 2 pieces at a time so you don’t crowd the pan. Watch the video below for additional tips.

Fry each piece for about 17-20 minutes (flip if the oil is shallow), then place on a wire rack to cool and dip off the excess oil. The cook time will vary according to your heat and the size of the chicken pieces. The oil was at about 375 F when I was frying.

I much prefer to drain the fried chicken on a wire rack as opposed to paper towels. I find that they steam on the paper towels and go soggy (where it’s in contact with the paper towel). All I do is place the wire rack (I got at the local dollar store) onto a cookie sheet, so the excess oil drips there and it’s easy to wash after.

Serve warm as a side to fried rice, noodles or chow mein.

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 Side Dishes Vegetarian

25 Minutes Red Lentil Dhal.

3 Comments on 25 Minutes Red Lentil Dhal.

I LOVE Dhal.. that rich and thick yellow split peas soup we make in the Caribbean, based on recipes brought to our shores by Indentured Laborer’s from India almost 200 years ago. However, since I dislike using a pressure cooker, I find that I don’t have the patience to wait the 1.5 hours needed. This brings us to Red Lentils, if you enjoy the taste and texture of yellow split peas Dhal, but want in in under 30 minutes.. stay tuned.

You’ll Need…

3 cups red lentils
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9 -11 cups water
2 small scallion (chopped)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8-10 cloves garlic (smashed – divided)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon geera (cumin) seeds

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.

Bring the water to a boil in a deep pot on a high heat.

In the meantime wash the lentils by rinsing in cool water, drain and repeat until the water runs clear.

As the water comes to a boil, add the washed lentils, followed by the tumeric and bring back to a boil.

When you got that bubble going, skim off that froth at the top and discard.

Reduce to a rolling boil and add the black pepper, scallions (adds a lovely touch), salt, onion, scotch bonnet pepper (optional or any spicy pepper you like or have access to) and 5 cloves of the garlic.

It will cook on that rolling boil for 20 minutes with the lid slightly ajar… or until the lentils are falling apart.

I used a traditional swizzle stick (see image), but you can use a whisk or stick blender and get it smooth and silky. If using a stick blender, I’d recommend that you pulse or if you go continuous it will go frothy. BTW, I turned off the stove at this point as it was fully cooked.

Once smooth, taste for salt and adjust to your liking, then it’s time to chunkay (temper) the dhal to give it that finishing layer of flavor.

Heat the oil in a small pan on a medium flame, add the garlic and cumin seeds. Heat until the garlic burns (yes the only time I’ll recommend burning garlic) and you see smoke from the hot oil

All you have to do now is pour that oily mixture into the pot with the dhal, then stir. You’re done. Quick right?

An amazing side to rice and curry dishes or as I normally do.. as a cup of soup that warms my soul. I always make a big batch and freeze into containers for those nights I get my Dhal craving.

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/

Meat & Poultry

Outstanding “Wet” Beef Pelau.

2 Comments on Outstanding “Wet” Beef Pelau.

Lately I’ve switched allegiance to “Team Wet”, when it comes to Pelau. That iconic one pot Caribbean dish you’ll find in some form or the other, across the islands. Don’t get me wrong! A grainy Pelau is just as delicious, but the sort of creaminess you get will a little moisture left in the dish, adds a new level of ‘comfort’. Peep the Wet Chicken Pelau I shared a few weeks back and tell me it’s not a thing of mouth-watering beauty.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs stewing beef (cubed)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 lemon (for washing the beef)
1 med tomato (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Angostura bitters
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
3-5 bird’s eye pepper (bird pepper – or any spicy pepper you like)
2 pimento peppers (optional)
2 cups long grain brown parboiled rice
1 can pigeon peas (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 can coconut milk (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 medium carrot (diced)
6 oz baby spinach
4 cups water (divided)

Cut the beef into 1 – 2 inch pieces, then wash with the juice of a lemon (use a lime or 1/4 cup of vinegar if that’s what you have) and cool water (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain and get ready to season.

In a large bowl with the washed beef, add the tomato, onion, black pepper, salt, Angostura bitters, Worcestershire, tomato ketchup, ginger and Caribbean Green seasoning. Mix well and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Heat a large heavy pot on high heat and add the oil followed by the brown sugar. Make sure your spoon is dry (liquid will cause flareups) and stir the sugar. It will melt, go frothy, then deep amber in color. This is when you’ll add the seasoned beef (yes, marinade too) to the pot and stir well to coat. If the sugar goes black STOP – allow the pot to completely cool, wash, dry and start over. Black sugar will give you a bitter burnt taste. Pour 2 cups of water into the bowl you marinated the beef in so we can pick up anything remaining and add to the pot later on.

Heat still on high, place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Yes it will spring it’s own juices. 2-3 minutes later and it will come to a boil. Stir one more time, reduce the heat to (LOW) a simmer, top with the pimento peppers along with the birds eye pepper and lid on. Stir every 5-10 minutes. Lid on!

40-45 minutes on a that low heat, the pieces of beef will now be somewhat tender, crank up the heat to burn off any remaining liquid. This will give you that rich color we’re looking for along with additional flavor.

Once the liquid is gone and you can see the oil we started with, add the 2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Followed by the washed rice and coconut milk. Rinse the canned pigeon peas under cold water, drain and add to the pot, along with the carrots.

As it comes to a boil, add the remaining 2 cups of water and the spinach.

Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until the rice is plump and cooked all the way through.

After 20-25 minutes, it’s time to start personalizing things. Taste for salt and adjust, keep an eye on the liquid/texture as some people may like it more ‘wet’ than others. I did turn off my stove at this point as I knew the cast iron pot I made this in will continue cooking and burn off most of the remaining liquid. Do keep in mind that more of my liquid was absorbed than what you see in the images.

I did say “iconic” right? Serve HOT with a side salad (even if it’s just sliced cucumber and tomato) or coleslaw and if you want the respect of your family and friends, be sure to have some Mango Kuchela and thick slices of zabouca (aka avocado, pear). Personally, I enjoy Pelau most with Spicy Tomato Choka on the side.

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

Stewed Pumpkin With Salted Cod.

3 Comments on Stewed Pumpkin With Salted Cod.

Here I am again, speaking about how much I HATED (my siblings too) pumpkin and squash as a kid growing up on the islands. Mommy tried, yea she did… but without any luck. She could not convince us.. even when she added “it’s good fuh yuh skin and complexion“. Today, it’s one of my favorite dishes, so much so that I grow them in my garden here in Canada every Spring.

You’ll Need…

5-7 lbs Pumpkin (sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pimento Peppers (aka seasoning peppers)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium onion (sliced thin)
1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups prepared salted cod (boneless)

Important. If making this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Wash, peel and slice the pumpkin thinly (watch the video below).

Prepare the salted cod. Boil and rinse or soak overnight in water. Drain, rinse and break into small pieces. Double check for any tiny bones, remove and discard.

In a big heavy pot on a medium heat, add the olive oil followed by the prepared salted cod and stir. Turn the heat to low (as it will go) and add the black pepper and scotch bonnet pepper. Stir well. Then in goes the onion, pimento peppers (aka seasoning peppers) and the smashed garlic. Stir again to combine all of those flavors and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Go in with the Caribbean Green Seasoning – stir again. Heat still on low. A pinch of cumin (not mentioned in the ingredients list) if you want to add some additional flavor to the finished dish. I’m not the biggest fan of cumin so I don’t do as Mom would.

It’s time to start adding the sliced pumpkin to the pot. It will pile up, but as it cooks it will spring a lot of liquid and cook down. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a boil with the lid on.

Leave the lid off when it comes to a boil and you start seeing that liquid, top with the brown sugar and continue cooking on a medium heat with the lid off. At this point the pumpkin will start getting tender and break down.

The goal is to burn off all the liquid which will sprot naturally, and in the process the pumkin will go tender and packed with flavor.

After about 20-25 minutes, it’s time to turn the heat up a little and burn off all that liquid. It can take up to 1 hours for this to happed.

With all the liquid gone, you can smash any chunky pieces with the back of your spoon, taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I didn’t add any salt as the remaining salt in the salted cod was enough for my taste.

If you can’t source Caribbean Pumpkin, butternut squash will work just as good.

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 Side Dishes Vegetarian

Incredible Cherry Pineapple Chow (pickle).

2 Comments on Incredible Cherry Pineapple Chow (pickle).

CHOW! That spicy pickle we make in the Southern Caribbean, which bring tears of joy running down our cheeks… and a rush for ice cold water to help with the onset of the heat from the ‘Caribbean Sunshine’ (scotch bonnet peppers) we use in making it. Our love for “Chow” is so strong, we find creative ways to make this when green mangoes are not in season. This time, I’ll quickly show you how I rock it in Canada when cherries are in season.

You’ll Need…

1 pineapple (cut into chunks)
2-3 cups cherries (seeded & cut in half)
1 large grapefruit (juice)
1 teaspoon sea salt
bird’s eye pepper (as much as you can handle)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 leaves shado beni (aka culantro)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin)

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. Please wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling hot peppers.

Peel and Core the Pineapple. Basically you trim off the top and bottom, then using your knife with a sawing motion, work your way down the side of the pineapple to remove the skin. Cut in 1/4s length-wise and remove the core. Watch the video below to see how I did it. Rinse with cool water, cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces and set aside.

It will take some time, but cut the cherries in half and remove the seeds. Place them in a deep bowl as all the other ingredients will go in here. I washed the cherries before removing the seeds.

Pour the grapefruit juice over the cherries then add the black pepper, salt and finely chopped Bird’s Eye Pepper. Yes keep the seeds for the kick.. chow is meant to be spicy!

Top with the finely chopped shado beni (culantro), if you can’t source it, use cilantro.

It’s time for the crushed garlic and thinly sliced red onions. Toss in the juicy pineapple chunks and give everything a good mix. In tossing I like to use my hands, so I can bruise the pineapple and squeeze out some of it’s juice to the mix. But be mindful of the hot pepper we added, so you may want to use a large spoon instead.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or do I as normally do and place in a glass jar with a lid and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so to fully soak in all the flavors. Be sure to give it a toss before serving.

Pro Tip! The juice at the end is the real highlight for me. BTW if you don’t know what Chow is, it’s basically a spicy snack made with unripe fruit that’s in season (traditionally mango). Like a pickle or spicy salad.

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

Rosemary Roasted Chicken With Brussels Sprouts.

3 Comments on Rosemary Roasted Chicken With Brussels Sprouts.

There’s nothing “Caribbean” about this dish, but I felt I had to share the recipe here, as it’s one of my go-to recipes on those cold Canadian winter evenings. Toss everything with a quick marinade/dressing, onto a sheet pan and the into a vibrant oven. Sit back and relax and in 45 minutes, you’ll have a very earthy, warm and flavorful dish. No FUSS!

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs chicken drumsticks
1.5 lbs brussels sprouts (cut in half)
6-8 baby carrots (cut in half lengthwise)
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tablespoon salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon rosemary (chop the leaves)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped finely)
1 lemon (juice)

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.

Wash, trim and cut the brussels sprouts in half. The idea is to remove the woody stem and any discolored leaves and discard.

Wash the carrots and cut them down the middle and preheat your oven to 400F.

Put the oil in a bowl, along with the black pepper, 1/2 the salt, lemon juice, rosemary, parsley and garlic. Optional, you can add some fresh thyme or any herbs you like. I didn’t add any further herbs as I wanted the Rosemary to shine on its own, along with the garlic. Whisk well to combine.

Place the chicken, carrots and brussels sprouts on a lined baking tray (makes for easier cleanup after), add the remaining salt (and more black pepper if you want), then pour on the dressing and mix well to coat. BTW I like putting the brussels sprouts cut side down so the cut face can roast on the pan and caramelize.

Then into the 400 F oven on the middle rack. Drizzle on more olive oil if you want.

After 20 minutes you’ll want to flip everything and back into the oven, so we get even cooking.

40-45 minutes later (total cooking time) and you’re done. So simple (as I mentioned above), yet so tasty. Serve with your fav bread and glass of wine?

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/

Desserts Sauces & Condiments

Scotch Bonnet Strawberry Pepper Jelly.

4 Comments on Scotch Bonnet Strawberry Pepper Jelly.

It was a COLD Fall morning that I found myself at the Royal Agricultural Fair In Toronto… when I tried a sample of pepper jelly to hopefully wake myself up with the kick from the peppers. Disappointment set in as soon as it hit my taste-buds.. Yea, there wasn’t any heat. Lovely flavor, but no Heat. This son of the Caribbean came back home with one mission – Make A Pepper Jelly With HEAT! I didn’t grow up eating Pepper Jelly in the Caribbean, but I was going to OWN it.

You’ll Need…

2 quarts strawberries (prepped)
15 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced thin)
4 cups sugar
4 lemons (juice)

Important! Wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. While you cook the jelly, I’ll recommend that you open your kitchen window and turn on the fan above your stove.

Remove the stems off the strawberries, wash, drain and slice. Set aside.

WEAR GLOVES – Thinly slice the peppers (include seeds). Remember this is a SPICY jelly (NOT your traditional bell pepper jelly), but you can definitely remove the seeds to control some of the heat.

Add the strawberries and sugar to deep sauce pan, give it a mix, then add the thinly sliced peppers.

Strain in the lemon juice to remove any seeds, turn on the stove to medium heat and bring to a boil. Mix well.

As it comes to a boil reduce the heat to a simmer, put the fan on over your stove or open your windows and let it gently cook.

After 4 minutes, turn off the stove and use a potato masher to crush things a bit. But you still need some texture.

Pour into sterilized glass containers and you’re done. Yea it’s that easy. Your basic toast will never be the same. Your charcuterie board will have that Caribbean swagger. That Salmon and cream cheese bagel will beg for a drop or two of this.

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/

Seafood

Stewed Red Herrings (smoked herring).

Leave a Comment on Stewed Red Herrings (smoked herring).

One of my favorite memories of Barbados… tired, hungry and just exhausted from a long day of traveling to the island (gotta love slow customs and immigration). Luckily we opted for dinner at a local street vendor who had fresh-off-the-coal-fire – roasted breadfruit, stuffed with stewed red herrings. This son of the Caribbean was in heaven. Here’s my take on that delicious stewed smoked herrings.

You’ll Need…

1 lb red herring fillets (called smoke herring on some islands)
2 medium onions (sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3-5 sprigs thyme
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 scallions (chopped)
10 cherry tomatoes (or 1 large diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato puree
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)
1 scotch bonnet (sliced)
3/4 cup water
1/2 lime (juice)

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. Use as much Scotch Bonnet (any spicy pepper you like) as you can handle and remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

I used Smoked Herring fillets as it meant less work for me. Typically you’d have to remove the skin, large bones etc. TIP! wear gloves or the scent will remain on you hand for hours. Burn that scented candle in your house (smile).

Pour boiling water over the fillets to remove the excess salt and smoke and to rehydrate the herrings. Yes there will be tiny bones, try to remove as much as you can, but if some of them are too small to remove, doh (don’t) sweat.

Once cooled, drain, pour more warm water and rinse. Drain dry and squeeze. Now break up the fillets into small pieces and set aside.

In a saucepan on a medium flame, add the olive followed by the onions. Reduce the heat to low, so we can gently sweat the onion (about 3 minutes). Add the black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes (stir well).

Add the bell pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Then create a space in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste, so it’s in direct contact with the surface (helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the tomato) stir. Raise the heat to medium/low and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the prepared herring, followed by the scallions and tomato. Stir well, crank the heat to med/high and add the water. Bring to a boil. Lid On.

As it comes to a boil, stir, turn the heat down and simmer (lid open) for 3-5 minutes.

Finally (turn the stove off) add the lime juice and parsley, one final stir and you’re ready to enjoy.

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/