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Caribbean recipes.

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Meat & Poultry

Caribbean Christmas Ham.

9 Comments on Caribbean Christmas Ham.

Christmas ham is a must in just about every pork eating home in the Caribbean. There are many who choose not to dine in the swine, but I refuse to be prejudice against this wonderful meat, so you know I had to share this wicked recipe. I fondly recall the ham sandwiches our mom would have ready for us at breakfast on Christmas morning as she had other delectable goodies going in the oven and stove. Speaking about ham, don’t forget to check out the chow chow recipe I shared a few days back.

 You’ll Need…

Ham (smoked/bone in) * about 8lbs
5 sprigs thyme
8 cloves
2 scallions
=========>
Glaze…

1 cup pineapple juice
1 table spoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1/2 cup brown sugar (golden)
2 table spoon honey
pinch of cinnamon

Dressing the ham when glazing…

5-8 slices of pineapple
10-15 cloves
tooth picks for securing the pineapple slices

Note: If using a shoulder ham with a fat cap on the top, be sure to place that side up when roasting. As the fat melt it will keep the ham nice and juicy.

If your ham is encased in a cloth mesh be sure to leave it on at this point, but you’ll have to remove it before get it in the oven. Give the ham a rinse (btw I used a smoked leg), then place it in a deep pot. Cover with water, add the scallions, cloves and fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook for about 30 minutes. This will help remove some of the smoky impurities and infuse it with the herbal notes.

Drain and get ready to finish cooking in the oven. Set your oven to 350F and you’ll be using the lower rack. Remove the cloth mesh if your ham is covered in one, then wrap the entire ham in tin foil and place in a roasting tray. On average you’ll need to cook for 20 minutes per pound.

* Please use a roasting pan with a rack, so you can add a couple cups of water to the pan without the ham sitting directly in it. If you find that the water dries out before it’s fully cooked, do add a cup or 2 more. This will help keep the ham moist.

As we wait for the ham to roast evenly, lets prepare the glaze. In a sauce pan add all the ingredients mentioned above, bring it to a boil then simmer for about 5 minutes. Remember to whisk it so the sugar melts and everything is blended.

When you ham is fully cooked (use the 20 minutes per pound guide), it’s time to dress it up and start the glazing process. Trim off the skin and most of the fat (a little good), then stick in the cloves in a pattern evenly. Attach slices of the pineapple with the toothpicks and hit it a good dose of the glaze (I used a brush). Then place back in the oven for 10 minutes.

Repeat the glaze a couple more times.. brush and place in the oven for 10 minutes. You will start getting a lovely shiny finish on the ham, the slices of pineapple will start getting lovely caramelized edges and the entire kitchen will have a lovely aroma. Remember to brush on the glaze evenly. For additional color I turned on my broiler (about 450 – 500 F)  and allowed the ham to sit in there for about 5 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it as the high heat can burn it very fast.

* You’re free to add as many layers of glaze as you like. For me.. 3 layers was enough.

Allow the ham to rest (cover in tin foil) before slicing. I assure you this will be the best ham you’ve ever had or serve… don’t be surprised if your kids start giving you unexpected hugs and your “special” someone may even get frisky.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

Everyday Cornmeal Dumplings

21 Comments on Everyday Cornmeal Dumplings

This is one of those meals I like to refer to as being ‘country food’ from it’s rustic feel and simplicity. One of my favorite “bush cook” meals as a kid on the islands was corn meals dumplings with dasheen bush bhaji cooked in coconut milk, on the side. A meal which was guaranteed to give you the sleepies after devouring a huge plate. These corn meal dumplings are also excellent in those heavy soups we enjoy on the islands and if all fails, just top with a bit of butter and you’re good to go.

You’ll Need…

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar (granulated)
1  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
lukewarm water

* The cinnamon and sugar is optional, but I assure you that it’s a great way to add some flavor to what would normally be a bland dumpling.

This is so simple you’ll be done in under 20 minutes. Add all the ingredients (except the water) to a bowl and give it a good whisk to mix everything. Then start add a bit of the luke warm water at a time and mix until you have a dough. The dough should be firm but soft. Knead for about 2-3 minutes then get ready to separate into dumplings.

Pinch off a piece (depends on how large you want your finished dumplings – remember they will swell as they boil), then shape like a small cigar. Now flatten out from the center, until you have a shaped dumpling.

All you have to do now is place them into a boiling pot of salted water (about 8 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon salt) and cook for about 15 minutes . They will get bigger in size and float when they’re fully cooked.Drain and serve warm.

If you don’t have a topping for these, you can certainly toss it in some butter or olive oil and crack in some fresh black pepper. But you can also top these with saltfish buljol, Caribbean style stewed meats or any of the vegetarian type sides I’ve share on here in the past. Today I had some smoked herrings I did specifically for these corn meal dumplings and I can let you know that the ethnic fatigue did set in immediately after this lovely meal.

* If you’re wondering what a “bush cook” is… back in the days when we would go swimming at the river across the road from where I grew up, we’d usually have a pot bubbling away as we swam. I guess it could be compared to cooking in the wild as in North America when you go camping. Pot on 3 rocks over a wood flame.. food had a special taste. But cleaning that pot after was a job!

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Recipe Card

Cornmeal Dumplings
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Cornmeal Dumplings

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Description

This is one of those meals I like to refer to as being ‘country food’ from it’s rustic feel and simplicity. One of my favorite “bush cook” meals as a kid on the islands was corn meals dumplings with dasheen bush bhaji cooked in coconut milk, on the side. A meal which was guaranteed to give you the sleepies after devouring a huge plate. These corn meal dumplings are also excellent in those heavy soups we enjoy on the islands and if all fails, just top with a bit of butter and you’re good to go.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. Add Cornmeal (1/2 cup), All-Purpose Flour (1 cup), Ground Cinnamon (1 pinch), Baking Powder (1 1/2 teaspoon), and Granulated Sugar (1 teaspoon) to a bowl and give it a good whisk to mix everything together.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then add a bit of the lukewarm Water (to taste) at a time and mix until you have a dough. The dough should be firm, but soft.
  3. Knead for about 2-3 minutes then prepare to separate into dumplings.
  4. Pinch off a piece, then shape like a small cigar.
  5. Now flatten out from the center, until you have a shaped dumpling.
  6. Heavily season the boiling water with salt. Place them into the pot and cook for about 15 minutes. They will get bigger in size and float when they’re fully cooked.
  7. Drain and serve warm.
  8. If you don’t have a topping for these, you can certainly toss it in some butter or olive oil and crack in some fresh black pepper. Enjoy.

Note

The cinnamon and sugar is optional, but I assure you that it’s a great way to add some flavor to what would normally be a bland dumpling.

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Meat & Poultry

Jerk Chicken Wraps.

243 Comments on Jerk Chicken Wraps.

With just 3 recipes left in the “party food” theme we have going for November, I thought it was time to do something with bold Caribbean flavors. These jerk chicken wraps are excellent as everyday sandwiches for your family or watch your guests make a dash for the platter when you present these at your holiday gathering. You’ll be astonished at how moist and juicy the jerk chicken will be and with the fresh tropical fruit.. your taste buds will achieve a level of excitement reserved for food your mom makes which you still crave.

You’ll Need…

3 lb chicken breast (boneless)
1 1/2 cups jerk marinade
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 1/2 cups carrots (julienne and blanched)
1 1/2 cups lettuce
1 1/2 cup mango julienne
1 1/2 cup cucumber (ribbons)
1 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
10 inch flour tortillas (about 8-10)

Notes: I used my favorite packaged jerk marinade and suggest you do the same to save time. There’s been many requests since posting the video for this recipe, for the sort of garlic spread I used when putting it together. Directly below this recipe I’ll share that with you and since I don’t have a video for it, I’ll get one posted in the coming weeks.

The first step in making these jerk chicken wraps is to broil the chicken. Wash, drain and pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then pour in the marinade and allow to marinate for at least 1 hr. Set your oven on the broil setting and move the rack so it’s about 6-8 inches away from the main heat source. Line a baking pan with tin foil (easy clean up after) and brush on the oil or you can certainly use cooking spray. Now place the chicken on the tray, pour remaining marinade onto them and broil for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven, flip over and broil for another 8 minutes. If you’re using thick chicken, broil an additional 4 minutes. Set aside to cool as you prepare the other ingredients.

As the chicken cools, it’s time to prepare the mango, carrots, cucumber and lettuce. With the carrots, you’ll need to bring about 3 cups of water to boil and toss in the julienne carrots into it for 25 seconds. Then place immediately into a bowl with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Shred the lettuce (I used iceberg) and make sure the mango is firm and not over-ripe or it will be difficult to julienne .When the chicken is cool, slice into1/4 inch strips and if you have any drippings in the pan you broiled it in, pour it over the sliced chicken and give it a good mix.

It’s all about assembling the jerk chicken wraps now.  Open out one of the flour tortillas, then spread about a teaspoon of the garlic spread across a 1 inch strip across the tortilla.  Now place (across one end) a bit of the chicken, mango, pineapple, lettuce and cucumber ribbons and roll (try to tuck in everything as you roll) tightly. Then slice on a bios in the middle so you have two pieces of jerk chicken wrap. You’ll need toothpicks to hold these together.

If you’re wondering if we need a dipping sauce for this, the answer is no. The flavors of this will be enough to captivate everyone’s appetite on it’s own. You can make these ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

For the garlicky spread you’ll need:

2 (8 ounce) containers plain Greek yogurt
2 cucumbers – peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic

Directions: In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

* you can add a drop or 2 of honey as well if you want.

 

Winner Wanted!

Yes, it’s that time again. I’ve got a cool Keith Haring tote bag to give away to one lucky reader and I’m hoping it’s you. Over the past few months we’ve been giving away a lot of cookbooks on the site, so we thought we’d do something a little different tonight. This wicked looking tote bag is very stylish and I’m sure you’ll find use for it on your grocery shopping trips. All you have to do is leave me a comment below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. it’s that simple.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment  there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean cuisine.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning this tote bag

– contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from November 28– to midnight December 10.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with their mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this Keith Haring tote bag out to you. It’s simple, free and fun

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

 

Meat & Poultry

Caribbean Style Chicken Livers.

12 Comments on Caribbean Style Chicken Livers.

Our mom will verify that no matter where in the world you’re doing your parenting gig, you’ll encounter kids who refuse to eat chicken livers. I still recall the look on my face when we’d come home from school and you’d open the pot to see what mom prepared for dinner and with horror you would see chicken livers staring back at you. However, that changed the first time I actually tasted them and I’ve never looked back. Our mom is a boss in the kitchen so it still baffles me that I didn’t trust her skills… why did I avoid chicken livers all those years?

Seasoned and cooked to perfection, these chicken livers will get your kids and stubborn eaters asking for more… trust meh!

 

You’ll Need….

1lb chicken liver
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 med onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon green seasoning
1 tomato
1 scallion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 teaspoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch curry powder

Chop the liver into 1 inch pieces, wash with some lime or lemon juice and water, then drain and set aside for us to prepare the other ingredients. Dice the scallion, onion, tomato, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember to wear gloves when handing scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. If you’re concerned about the raw heat of the scotch bonnet pepper, don’t use any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds.. that where that raw heat is.

With your trimmed, washed and drained chicken livers in a bowl, it’s time to add the salt, black pepper, green seasoning, ketchup, curry powder and scotch bonnet pepper slices. Give it a good stir and set aside (fridge) to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Time to cook… heat the oil on a medium flame, then add the diced onion and reduce the heat to low, so we can slowly cook the onion. After 3 minutes the onions should be soft, translucent and the edges should start going golden. Add the finely diced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

It’s now time to add the seasoned chicken livers. Turn up the heat to medium and give it a good stir (don’t cover the pan).

Chicken livers cooks very quickly and here’s where you’ll have to decide how “cooked” you like it as it will affect the final texture of it all. I like my liver firm, but not leathery., so you can follow my direction.

Add the diced tomato and continue to stir to make sure each piece of liver gets in contact with the bottom of the pan/pot.

You’ll notice that two major things will happen. The liver will start to go a dull color and it will spring it’s own juices (why we need to leave the lid open, so we can burn that off). Cook for about 3-5 minutes, then add the chopped scallion and then turn up the heat to burn off any liquid.

It should take 4 minutes to now burn off the liquid. I like leaving a little gravy, but our mom was strict.. she wanted to see oil (fuss it was dry).

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.. turn off the heat and serve. I love these chicken livers in a sandwich, so that’s exactly what I did after these were hot off the stove. But these are an excellent side dish as part of your family dinner.

I guarantee you (strong words), that this will be the absolute best way you’ve ever had chicken livers and I’m even bold enough to say that your picky eaters will also find this very appetizing (providing you can convince them to give it a test drive). Here’s the video of me preparing this wonderful chicken liver dish:

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Stewed Beef With String Beans.

11 Comments on Stewed Beef With String Beans.

Green beans of all kinds are a favorite of mine, so finding ways to add extra flavor and texture to them is something I’m constantly experimenting with. Like the Stew Chicken With String Beans I shared with you a while back, this stewed beef with string beans is almost identical. However by using beef instead of chicken, you’ll notice a subtle difference in the overall taste of the completed dish.

This dish was usually made by our mom when she had some leftover Caribbean style stewed meats  from the night before (beef, pork or chicken) and even as a child, it was a hit with me. As a matter of fact.. it was a hit with all of her four children. Our dad was never and still isn’t a picky eater, so he’ll do damage to anything placed in front of him (with the exception of pork).

 

You’ll Need…

1 lb beef – cubed into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon green seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 scallion
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
1.5 lbs string beans (trimmed)

 

Trim the beef into 1 inch cubes, then wash with cool water and juice of the lime, lemon or vinegar, Drain dry and set aside as we prep the ingredients we’ll be using to marinate it with.  Chop the tomato, onion, scallion and garlic. Remember to wear gloves when chopping the scotch bonnet pepper, don’t include any seeds as that’s where the raw heat is and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

In a large blow, place the washed beef pieces and season with the salt, black pepper, grate in the ginger, green seasoning, worcestershire sauce, ketchup and all the ingredients we chopped. Give it a good stir and allow that to marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.. 2 hours would be best though. (all you should have left is the veg oil, brown sugar, beans and water from the ingredient list).

Remove from the fridge and allow it to come back to room temp (about 10 minutes) and get ready  to ‘stew’. If you’ve never seen this done you may find it a bit strange, since we’re making a sort of caramel and you’ll think it will be sweet. NOPE! Heat the oil in a large heavy pot (one with a lid) , then stir in the brown sugar. It’s important that you have a long handle (dry) spoon and have the seasoned beef close at hand. This step can be a bit tricky, so be prepared. The long handle spoon is to prevent getting hit with splatters of that hot oil/caramel as you add the seasoned pieces of beef to the pot. Your heat should be med/high and you’ll start to see it smoke and the sugar will start to melt. Keep stirring until you see it go frothy and start to change colour. When it reaches a dark brown colour, it’s time to add the seasoned beef to the pot. Add small batches at a time and keep stirring. Try to avoid the sugar/caramel going black or you’ll end up with bitter tasting beef. Watch the video below to see exactly how I did it.

If you’re wondering.. yes, the marinade all went into the pot. The goal here is to create a lovely flavor base and rich colour. Give it a good stir once you have all the pieces of beef in the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rolling boil (it will spring it’s own natural juices). Cover the pot and let that go for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take off the lid and crank up the heat to burn off all that liquid. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, add the 2 cups of water and swish it around to pick up any remaining marinade.

With all the liquid gone from the pot, add the water from the bowl to the pot and bring to a boil. In case you’re wondering why we burnt off the liquid only to add more, here’s why… t his step infuses the meat with the rich flavor and created a lovely depth of colour which we needed as a base for this stewed beef with string beans. As it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on the pot and allow that to cook for about 50-60 minutes. The idea is to have this beef very tender.

As this simmers away, it time to trim and wash the string beans. If you don’t have string beans, you can certainly use bodi (yard beans) or any type of green beans you may have. Trim off the ends and discard, then break (or cut) into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces. Give it  a wash and allow to drain.

After 50 minutes (remember to stir every 5-7 minutes) you should have tender beef pieces and your kitchen should have a wicked Caribbean scent. There should still be a little liquid in the pot, so start adding the trimmed beans in and give it a good stir. Take the heat up to med and bring to a boil. With the little liquid we have, it will be almost like steaming the beans in the stewed beef.

Here’s where you’ll personalize this dish. I allowed the pot to go for about 12 minutes after adding the beans as I like the beans to maintain a bit of that lovely green colour and have a little ‘bite’ to them. If you like your beans cooked soft, you’ll have to cook it a bit longer. Taste for salt at this point and adjust accordingly. Turn up the heat to burn off any liquid.

This dish is loaded with flavors and uniquely Caribbean! As a side dish it can serve about 5 people and goes well with rice or roti… but Tehya and I usually eat it like a stir fry when we can’t wait for the rice to be done cooking. It’s also great on sandwiches!

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Island Style Chicken Strips.

24 Comments on Island Style Chicken Strips.

After posting  the video recipe for these island style chicken strips on the Youtube channel, it quickly became one of the most requested recipes. Following on the technique we’d use for making fried chicken when I was a kid on the islands (still remember pounding the Crix crackers to make the crumbs), these could easily be the best chicken strips you’ll ever have. While making the Mango Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce I felt I needed to have something to go along with it and I really didn’t feel like grilling, so I went freezer diving and came up with a couple chicken breast. The rest is delicious history.

 

You’ll Need…

2 chicken breast (split) about 1 lb
2 eggs
2 scallions
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
salted crackers (about 1.5 cups crumbs)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 cups oil for frying (veg oil)
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Notes. I used a bone in chicken breast which I got the strips from, but you’re free to use boneless chicken breast if you’d like to save on time. Remember to wash the strips with the juice of a lime or lemon and cool water, then drain dry.

Place the crackers in a zip lock bag or in a tea towel and using a rolling pi or wine bottle, crush until you have the consistency of bread crumbs. I like a bit of texture, so I try to leave some of it a bit chunky. Set aside in a bowl.

Chop (finely) the scallions, thyme and parsley. Then add it to the bowl with the cracker crumbs and give it a good stir. I know this step is a bit strange to my Caribbean readers as we’re seasoning the bread crumbs and not the chicken as we would traditionally do.

Cut the chicken into 1/4 inch strips (don’t fuss with being even), wash, drain and set aside. Crack both eggs into another bowl and toss in the black pepper and salt and give it a whisk. We now have the chicken cut into pieces, the seasoned crumbs and eggs. It’s time to set up a batter and frying station. We’ll need the veg oil in a deep pan (I used a small wok so the oil doesn’t splatter onto the stove while frying) on med/high heat, a plate with the flour, the seasoned crumbs, the chicken strips, egg wash and have a paper towel lined plate or basket to drian off the excess oil when the chicken strips are done cooking.

Take a piece of chicken and dust it in the flour, then into the eggs (make sure it’s covered in the eggs mix) and drain off the excess egg and roll in the seasoned bread crumbs. Do about 4-5 of these so once you start adding to the hot oil, you’ll have a few to go in at the same time.

Your oil should be hot by now, so gently place each strip in. Flip after a couple minutes and keep an eye on them. If you find that they’re browning too fast, turn your heat down a bit. It takes about 5-7 minutes to fully cook and have that lovely golden brown colour. Drain on the paper towels and continue until all the chicken strips are cooked. Sprinkle (while hot) with a little sea salt (not mentioned in the ingredient list).

These chicken strips will look stunning when they come out of the fryer, with the golden colour and specs of green herbs. And not to be out done… they will be absolutely delicious. With a wonderful crunch from the seasoned cracker crumbs (airy as if yo used panko crumbs), tender and very moist (fully cooked) on the inside. You’ll be a super hero to your kids after you serve up a batch of these.But be warned that they won’t want you to go back to the stuff you used to get them at Mc Donalds.

TIP: Thread each chicken strip onto a bamboo skewer before battering (cook as mentioned above) and you’ll have an attractive dish to take to your next company lunch… finger food heaven! Place on a platter lined with some leaf lettuce (gotta have a green back ground) and serve with a little of that mango honey mustard bbq sauce I showed you how to make a couple recipes ago. You’ll look like a culinary star!

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

 

 

 

Meat & Poultry

Jerk Pork Sliders

4 Comments on Jerk Pork Sliders

Traditionalists can be very picky when it comes to any food labelled as being ‘jerked’, as they feel any jerked meat must be done over pimento wood. Though I agree that there’s the unique taste from the smoke off the pimento wood… but when you can’t source the actual pimento wood you must rely on a bold jerk marinade to help achieve maximum flavor. These jerk pork sliders are guaranteed to excite your taste buds with the brightness of the scotch bonnet pepper and the earthy goodness of the all spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. But it doesn’t end there… take a look at the ingredient list below and you’ll see how we do it in the Caribbean to achieve the perfect jerk pork sliders.

 

You’ll Need…

1/2 scotch bonnet (seeded and chopped)
1 scallion
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

Notes: You can use a habanero pepper if you can’t source scotch bonnet peppers or your fav hot pepper (if all fails use some hot sauce for the kick). You can also use ground chicken, beef or turkey if you don’t dine with the swine.

You’ll need a food processor or blender (or chop as fine as you can), but first give the scallion, scotch bonnet pepper and the thyme a rough chop. Then add all your ingredients (except the ground pork)  into the blender and work it until you have a smooth consistency. If the stalk of the thyme is not tender, remember to remove the little leaves off the woody stalk and discard. If you blend any woody stalk it will not break down all the way and you can have a potential choking hazard.

Place the ground pork in a deep bowl and pour the marinade over it. Using your hands (or spoon) work everything until it’s well incorporated. Here’s a trick to help shape the jerk pork sliders to fit evenly on your bun. Place a sheet of cling wrap on a flat surface, then make a log with the now seasoned meat on the wrap. Try to shape it about 1/4 inch bigger (circumference)  than the size of your bun as it will shrink as it grills.  Now roll and shape as you do with the cling wrap until you have a sort of thick sausage. Seal the ends and place in the freezer to set. It may take a couple hours.

In the meantime I prepared a Caribbean salsa to top my jerk pork sliders. Basically avocado, tomato, mango, cilantro, sea salt, black pepper, red onion and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (add a little organic honey if you have as well).

After the roll is firm, slice it with a sharp knife into the thickness you want (wet your knife for easier slicing). All you have to do now is grill on a hot grill as you would normally grill burgers. Since this is pork I like grilling slow, but until it’s fully cooked all the way through.I’m sure you can cook these in a frying pan on the stove top as well.

In my haste to get my dinner on, I totally forgot to toast the buns for that extra “bang”. But all you have to do now is place one of these jerk pork patties on your toasted bun, top with that beautiful Caribbean salsa and enjoy! There’s no need for any other condiments as the salsa will have that rich creaminess from the ripe avocado and the pieces of ripe mango will explode in your mouth with every bite.

These jerk pork sliders will be an absolute hit at your next BBQ as people as drawn to sliders in general, but with the unique punch of the jerk marinade we infused the ground meat with before grilling, will have friends and family begging you for the recipe. Remember when using the scotch bonnet pepper to wear gloves, wash your hands immediately after with soap and don’t include any seeds if you’re concerned about raw heat.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

Ital Soup A Vegetarian Delight.

16 Comments on Ital Soup A Vegetarian Delight.

I’ll be honest and confess that I have little experience cooking Ital food (no salt, no meat.. usually not for me), but I’ve had several requests over the past few months and a friend of mine who’s a practicing Rastafarian commented that I’m not showing him much love with my offerings. So with a little research I came up with this delicious ital soup, which I know is a good representation of their diet code. However I’ve had conflicting info come my way when it comes to cooking without salt. I grew up knowing that my dreddy friends didn’t partake in meats and salt, but I was told that some make the exception and use sea salt.  In this recipe you will notice that I didn’t use any form of salt, so it was a bit challenging to have a well balanced soup since my palate is so dependent on this sinful addiction. Feel free to add salt to your taste if it’s not a dietary restriction.

 

You’ll Need…

1 cup pumpkin (cubed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup dried split peas
8-10 cups water
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 eddoes
1 medium sweet potato
2 potato
2 scallions (aka green/spring onion)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoon oregano (fresh is best)
2-3 cups callaloo bush *
1 carrot
1/2 cup celery
2 cups coconut milk
5 okras
tablespoon freshly grated ginger (optional)
1 plantain (half ripe)
1 carrot

Notes: The callaloo (Jamaica) bush is also known as chorai bhagi or spinach in the Caribbean. If you can’t source callaloo bush, feel free to use typical North American spinach, baby dasheen bush leaves or shredded cabbage. Additionally you can also add yam, dasheen, cassava or green cooking bananas if you have those things readily available.

We’ve got to create the base for this lovely ital soup and since the dried split peas will take much longer to cook than the other ingredients, we need to put that to cook first. Wash the split peas then put it in your soup pot (huge) and pour in the 8 cups of water. Also chop the scallion, garlic, onion and celery. As the peas comes to a boil add these flavourful ingredients. reduce to simmer and let cook until the peas and tender (about 45 minutes). Place the scotch bonnet pepper in the pot whole as we want to flavor and not the raw heat. At the end of cooking you can remove it from the pot. However if you like the heat, you can certainly burst it open to release the Caribbean sunshine.

When the peas are tender and starting dissolving, it’s time to add the other ingredients. So peel, cube and wash the plantain, eddoes, potato, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin, then add it to the pot. Now pour in the coconut milk and don’t forget to add the thyme, black pepper and oregano. Make sure you have enough liquid in the pot to cover everything. You can add more water or coconut milk if more liquid is required. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer.

Trim the stems off the okra and cut then into 1 inch pieces and ad to the pot. When cubing the ground provisions try to keep them uniform in size so they cook evenly (cut them in big pieces so they hold their shape as they cook). After 25 minutes everything should be almost cooked all the way through, so it’s time to wash and trim the callaloo bush and add it to the pot. Basically all you have to do is remove the leaves off the stem, wash and roll like a cigar and chop into 1/2 inch strips.

Allow it to cook for a further 7-10 minutes so the callaloo bush adds additional flavor and the soup thickens up. If you’re adding salt, now would be a good time (adjust accordingly). NOTE: This soup will thicken up quite a bit as it cools, so make sure you leave a fair amount of broth to compensate.

Now is a good time to remove the scotch bonnet pepper and if you added the thyme with the sprigs, do remember to fish them out as well.

With all the natural seasoning we added with the fresh herbs, you’ll be quite surprised at how tasty this ital soup will be. By using herbs like parsley, savory, thyme, marjoram and celery you’ll add so many levels of flavor to meals, you’ll be better equipped to handle a salt free diet. A nice touch is some fresh squeezed lime juice to top your steaming bowl of ital soup and be prepared for one of the most hearty meals you’ve ever had. You’re guaranteed to have the sleepies after a hot bowl of this ital soup.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

Classic Island Peas And Rice.

37 Comments on Classic Island Peas And Rice.

This is a repeat of the original peas and rice recipe I posted a while back, however this time we’re using fresh kidney beans and not the stuff from the can. In that rice and peas recipe there was a lot of discussion about the real name.. is it rice and peas or peas and rice. But here’s the funny part.. we’re not even using peas, but beans. This peas and rice dish is normally associated with Jamaica and quite rightly so, however just about every island in the Caribbean does a version of rice and peas. My daughters refer to this dish as the spicy rice with the beanies (anything with peas or beans are called beanies), as I love to burst the scotch bonnet pepper near the end of cooking to release all that wonderful Caribbean vibe! We’ll get to that later on in the recipe.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup red kidney beans (dry)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sprigs thyme
2 cups long grain brown rice (par boiled)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 scallions
2 cups water

Note: If you have whole pimento berries (allspice) feel free to use about 3 instead of the ground allspice.

Quickly go through the dried kidney beans to remove any debris which may be among them (I’ve seen little pebbles in the past as well as twigs). Then rinse with cool water, drain and place in a bowl. Now add the 2 cups of water and allow to soak for a couple hours. Overnight is probably best as it will cook much faster. Then pour everything into a deep sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Chop the scallion, onion and garlic and add it to the pot as well. Same for the salt, black pepper, all spice and toss in the sprigs of thyme. Don’t worry about the sprigs as we can remove it when the dish is done cooking.. we want maximum flavor from the thyme sprigs. As it comes to a boil, drop in the scotch bonnet pepper whole into the pot. This will give us a ton of flavor and not that raw heat scotch bonnet peppers are infamous for. Place the lid on your pot and reduce to a gentle simmer.

We’re trying to get the kidney beans tender before adding the rice, but at the same time we’re building a wicked flavor base.

Your kitchen will have a lovely aroma as this simmer away. Depending on how long you pre-soak your beans, it should take anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour to get tender. They will plum up and the water will take on a lovely reddish colour.. this will help add that unique color when we add the rice. I had soaked my beans for 2 hrs and it took 40 minutes to get tender enough for me to continue.

Now it’s time to wash your rice. Traditionally the rice is placed in a bowl with water, you then massage with your hands. The action will cause the white grit and impurities from the polishing of the rice to cause the water to go cloudy. Drain that water out and repeat until you no longer have that cloudy appearance. Recently I adopted a new method for washing my rice though.. I place the rice in a strainer, then allow water to pour over it as I work my hand/fingers through it. This method works like a charm and it so much easier to strain and place in the pot.

Now add the washed rice to the pot with the now plump beans and give it a good stir. Add the coconut milk, then bring back to a boil (I’ve seen some people put a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pot at this time as well) … then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid on the pot and allow to cook. Depending on the rice you use (no 2 brands cook the same), it can take between 25 minutes and 40 minutes to fully cook.

The liquid will burn off slowly as the rice cooks away, so keep an eye on things.. in the event your rice is not fully cooked, you may need to add a little water or coconut milk. I like my peas and rice grainy, but if you like the rice a bit more creamy you may need a bit more liquid and cooking time.

Remember to remove the sprigs from the thyme and don’t forget that scotch bonnet pepper. You can certainly burst it open and release the heat or fish it out and discard. However I’m sure one of your family members or friends may appreciate the pepper (set it aside for them). Rice and peas is a sort of tricky dish to prepare as it can be a bit hard to get that perfect texture, where it’s grainy and not soggy. Following this recipe and with close attention near the end of cooking and I’m sure you’ll have a tasty peas and rice dish. Remember that the rice will continue cooking after the stove is turned off, from the residual heat. I usually take mine off the stove when it’s 95%  cooked, so the residual heat will finish it off for me.

I do hope you give this recipe a try and don’t forget to share it with family and friends.. that’s a huge part of being from the Caribbean and adopting our lifestyle.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

29 Comments on Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

I’ve always had a weakness for curry potato, especially if there was hot sada roti on the side to sap-up the lovely gravy. And I’ve never been known to back away for a good dose of curry shrimp... must be a bit spicy though and not overcooked. So when our mom first introduced us to this dish many moons ago, I was in my little personal Shangri-La. Curry potato with shrimp gives you the rich creaminess of tender potatoes, spiced up with the lovely aroma of the curry powder and the kick of the scotch bonnet peppers are indeed present and jumps out at you (you can certainly control the heat level). The herbal notes of the green seasoning paste used in marinating the shrimp adds another level of true Caribbean goodness which words alone can’t describe.

 

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared green seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon parsley
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon anchar massala
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: Use a small to medium sized shrimp for best results (more sweet as we say in the Caribbean). When using and handling scotch bonnet peppers it’s important to wear gloves and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after use. The seeds and area surrounding it will have the most heat, so remove and discard if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. I used a Caribbean style Madras curry powder as this is the blend I enjoy using (stuff I grew up eating), but you can use your fav curry powder. If you can’t source anchar massala, you can use about 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (geera) IMPORTANT! Be sure to read the label of the curry powder (and other ingredients) to ensure it’s fully gluten free as some curry powders have added flour as a filler.

Peel and devein your shrimp if you’ve not already done so (something you get them already cleaned in the supermarkets). In the event you’re not sure how to do so, here’s a short video showing how easy it can be.

Wash your shrimp with the juice of a lime or lemon, rinse with cool water and drain. Now add the green seasoning paste to the shrimp and give it a good stir. Allow that to marinate for about 10-15 minutes or so… try not to go too much longer as the green seasoning can start cooking the tender shrimp.

It’s now time to prep the other ingredients. Basically all you have to do is peel and chop the onion and garlic as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Then peel,wash and cube the potatoes.

Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil, then the garlic and onion. Allow this to cook (reduce your heat to min) for 3 minutes, or until it’s nice and soft and you can get that lovely scent of cooked onion and garlic. Now add the sliced scotch bonnet pepper and curry powder. With your heat still on low, allow the curry powder to toast a bit (2-3 minutes).

Now add about a 1/4 cup of water (not mentioned in the ingredients list) and scrape the stuff off the bottom of the pan. The first step we toasted the curry, this step we’re cooking the curry so we don’t get a raw aftertaste when the dish is done. Bring this to a boil and allow it to gently simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid. The curry paste will go a bit grainy and clump to the cooked onion,garlic and scotch bonnet pepper.

Add the diced potato and give it a good stir, then add the anchar massala and salt and pour in the water. Be sure to scrape off all that goodness from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce your heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato gets tender and liquid starts to thicken up (lid closed).

With the potatoes tender, it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and give it a good stir. After 1 minute, check for salt (add accordingly) and if you find the sauce or gravy is too thin, using the back of your spoon, crush a few pieces of the potato to thicken the gravy. Keep in kind that as this curry potato with shrimp cools, it will naturally thicken up. So not to overcook the shrimp… turn off the stove, top with the chopped parsley (adds a nice punch of colour) and place  the lid on the pan to allow the residual heat to fully cook the shrimp.

I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or any creamy potato for this dish as the overall texture is simply amazing. Remember if you want to control the heat you can use less scotch bonnet pepper or simply leave it out altogether. This curry potato with shrimp is excellent with rice, roti or bread and  I assure you that even your kids will love this one… if not send me their names and I’ll tell Santa they were bad this year (smile).

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood Vegetarian

Spinach Cooked With Salted Cod Bits.

227 Comments on Spinach Cooked With Salted Cod Bits.

 

 

Call me crazy, but even as a kid I loved spinach (bhaji) in all forms and to this day I still can’t figure out why ALL kids don’t love the stuff. Over the years (out of convenience and availability) spinach took the place of my beloved dasheen bush leaves and what some people call Jamaican Callaloo (we call chorai) can always be found in our vegetable garden during the summer months. Cooked with or without coconut milk, spiced up with hot peppers and enhanced with leftover stewed meats, spinach is something I can have on the regular.

Here’s a quick and tasty way to serve/enjoy spinach with a Caribbean twist.

 

You’ll Need…

1lb Baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 sprig thyme
1 scallion
1 medium onion
1/2 cup salted cod bits
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 scallion (green or spring onion)

Note: You can make this dish fully vegetarian by leaving out the bits of salted cod. But be sure to add salt and for more flavor, add a 1/2 cup of coconut milk during the cooking process.

Though the package said the spinach was washed, I still like washing it as there have been times when I did find some sand between the leaves. Try your best to get baby spinach as it’s much more tender and not as ‘bitter” as mature (dark green) leaves. After washing, set in a colander to dry. Take a closer look and remove all wilted (discolored) leaves from the bunch as well.

Chop the garlic, onion, scallion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper… remember to not include any seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper as that’s where the majority of heat dwell. Additionally, be sure to wear gloves if your hands are sensitive and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water.

Make little bundles with the spinach leaves and cut into shreds about 1/4 inch thick.

Prepare the salted cod (I used boneless for easier work). All you have to do is place the salted cod in a pot with water, bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Then discard the water, rinse with new water and allow to cool. Then shred into bits. here’s a video showing how it’s done…

Heat a saucepan on low heat, add the vegetable oil… then the salted cod bits (you can use any dried salted fish). Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes.. it will start to go brown on the edges and stick to the bottom of the pan. Scrape and move around. The idea is to build a base of flavor for the spinach. Next up we’ll add the sliced onion, scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and garlic. Make sure the heat is on low, as we want these items to sweat down and further infuse the dish with flavor. The last thing we want is burnt garlic and onions.

After 4-5 minutes, turn up the heat to medium, add the black pepper and the chopped spinach to the pot. It will pile up, but as soon as the heat gets going it will wilt down.

As it cooks, it will sprout a lot of it’s own liquid and go from that brilliant green colour to a more darker shade. Place the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes remove the lid (remember to stir every 5 minutes as it cooks), turn up the heat to burn off any excess liquid which may still be there and add the chopped tomato to give it some colour. taste for salt. Note that we didn’t put any salt in the dish as in most cases the residual salt from the salted cod bits will be enough to season the entire dish. But since your tolerance for salt is different that mine.. check and adjust accordingly.

If you’ve never used salted cod (salt fish) you’ll probably think this is a bit weird, but I assure you that the flavor will be amazing. My favourite way of having this (other than with flour /cassava dumplings) is with sada roti. Remember you can make this a full vegetarian dish as long as you follow the tip I left in the “Note” above.

WINNER WANTED!

 

It’s that time again! New for the summer one lucky reader will win a spanking new copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“. This beautiful recipe book with tons of grilling ideas, will be shipped to the lucky winner the first week of August (we even pay the shipping cost). All you have to do is tell me what’s your favorite item to grill, in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. it’s that simple.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment  there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about your favorite item is to grill.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“”…

– contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from July 09 – to midnight July 31.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with their mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and would make for a great addition to your cooking library.

Good Luck!

Seafood

Fry Okra With Shrimp.

16 Comments on Fry Okra With Shrimp.

Fry okra with shrimp is fairly new to me, but according to my Guyanese friends it’s a popular dish in the traditional Guyanese home.  This fry okra with shrimp is a recipe which was passed on to me to try by someone with Guyanese roots and I do hope I do it justice. Over the years my appreciation for okra (ochro as we tend to also call it in the Caribbean) has heightened so when the recipe was shared with me I can’t tell you how excited I was to give it a try. Many moons later and I can safely say it’s one of my favorite okra recipes.

 

You’ll Need…

1 lb okra
medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (green onions)
3 tablespoon veg oil
1 lb shrimp (cleaned / deveined)
2-3 tablespoons celery leaves

Notes: When using scotch bonnet peppers or any hot peppers, do wear gloves, wash your hands with soap and water after handling and if you’re concerned about the raw heat.. don’t include any seeds or membrane surrounding (whitish area) the seeds. This is where the real heat in hot peppers are.

Tips: to avoid the okra being overly slimy, wash, pat dry, slice.. then place on a cookie sheet or large plate and place in the sun to dry a bit. Or at least allow to air dry for a couple hours in your kitchen. Additionally, add the salt near the very end of cooking as the salt will draw-out the moisture and cause to go slimy.

As I mentioned above (see tips), there’s a way to prevent the cut okra from being overly slimy, but I was in a bit of a rush and skipped this step. All I did was wash the okras, pat dry with paper towels, then sliced. Remember to remove the stem and end tips and discard.

Next up you’ll have to chop the scallions, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and celery leaves.

Peel and devein your shrimp.. wash clean and chop into small pieces. I had medium sized shrimp, so I simply cut in half. Here’s a short video showing how to peel and devein shrimp (remember you can now purchase shrimp that’s fully cleaned at many supermarkets):

With everything ready, it’s time to cook. Add the vegetable oil into a heavy pan, then add the chopped ingredients (not the shrimp yet). Please also add the black pepper to the mix. Cook that for a couple minutes on low heat to really bring out the flavors.

Now it’s time to add the shrimp pieces and cook on med heat for 2-3 minutes. Here is where you now have 2 options. 1. You can remove the shrimp at this point and set it aside.. then add the final 2 minutes of cooking (to avoid overcooking the shrimp). Or 2. I simply kept the shrimp in the pot and added the cut okra to it. Keep stirring often as it can start to stick to the bottom of the pot/pan (why we started off with so much oil).

Allow the fry okra with shrimp to cook for about 7-10 minutes uncovered. You will start to see slightly browned edges on the okra… that’s the best part of this dish (my humble opinion) Now add the salt, give it a good stir (remember to add back the cooked shrimp at this point if you removed them earlier) and you’re done.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.