chris de la rosa Archives - Page 35 of 50

I grew up with the mindset that tofu could NEVER taste appealing. My mom’s cousins were vegetarians and I would always hear them speak about using tofu and soya chunks in different ways and though we were close.. I don’t ever recall ever having tofu until my adult years. Caribbean culinary culture is not remotely centered around tofu as most Asian countries and quite understandably so. We don’t produce tofu, so why would be be interested in it. If we were to speak about sea food, fish and ground provisions, then we could definitely shine!

You’ll Need…

4-5 cups cubed tofu
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup water (or coconut milk)
2 birds eye pepper
1 tomato
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 sprigs thyme
1 cups frozen peas/carrots/corn mix
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

Optional – chopped cilantro or shado beni

* I used a medium tofu, so I placed it on a plate, covered with another plate and put a weight (large teacup with water) on it to ‘press’ some of the moisture out (about 1 hr). This will open up the pores of the tofu and allow it to really take on that rich curry flavor to enhance this overall.

Cube the tofu into 3/4 inch pieces… and prepare the other ingredients. Heat the oil on a medium flame and go in with the diced onion, crushed garlic and thyme. Turn the heat down to low and let it gently cook for 4 minutes.

With your heat still on low, add the curry powder ( I used my fav – Madras blend out of the Caribbean) and stir well – keep your heat on low. The goal here is to toast the curry and awaken all the spices which make up the blend.

It’s now time to go in with the birds eye pepper (any pepper you like or have and as much as you can handle) and chopped scallions. Cook for another minute or two before you add the cubed soya and stir well. You will notice that I used a nonstick pan as it allows me to cut back on the amount of oil I use.

Finally it’s time to go in with the star of the show – the cubed tofu. Stir well, then add all the other ingredients and (turn up the heat) bring to a boil.

This is a somewhat ‘dry’ curry – no gravy. So I turned the heat down to medium and allowed it to cook for about 6-8 minutes (uncovered). Taste for salt and adjust accordingly, remove the birds eye pepper (notice I left it whole – you can break them for HEAT) and top with some chopped shado beni (culantro) or cilantro.

I’ll be honest and say that I’m still not a fan of tofu (not even the milk), but this vegetarian curry is screaming with wonderful flavors. So I urge you to give it a try the next time you want to hit a Meatless Monday!

Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

May 28, 2025October 15, 20151 Comment

Breakfast was usually a grab and go routine for me as a young fella on the islands during the week, as I went to school in the city and it meant leaving our sleepy village very early in the morning. I had to take a 2nd taxi (shared) when I got into San Fernando (2nd largest city in Trinidad) to make it in time for the first bell. So weekends was when mom would go all out with whatever we wanted for breakfast. Now this sort of breakfast was never included as I only developed a liking for many of the ingredients you’ll see me use, during my travels across the Caribbean as an adult. However the dish itself represents the sort of satisfying breakfast you’d find across the West Indies, especially on the weekends.

You’ll Need…

4 green cooking bananas (cooked)
1-2 cups prepared salted fish (Cod)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup diced bell pepper
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 large shallot (or 2 cloves garlic & 1 small onion)
1 can ackee (drain / rinsed)
2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 small okra (cut in half – length)
6 cups Jamaican callaloo (trimmed/shredded)

Note: If 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.

Video Tutorials:

How To Prepare Jamaican Callaloo For Cooking

How To Shop For, Cook And Peel Green Bananas.

How To Prepare Salted Fish

Please use the video tutorials above to prepare the necessary ingredients. If using canned ackee as I did, be gentle and rinse with cool water to get rid of the brine it’s packaged in and set aside. On a medium flame, heat the olive oil (or coconut) and add the diced shallot and thyme. Lower the heat to low and let it cook gently for 3 minutes.

With your heat still on low, add the prepared salted cod and the black pepper and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the cut/trimmed ockra and scotch bonnet pepper (remember to use as much as you can handle and don’t use any seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Stir well and cook for a couple minutes.

It’s now time to add the prepared Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhaji) and stir well. It will look like it will overflow, but it will shrink (wilt) down as it cooks. Add all the other ingredients, except the cooked green bananas and ackee and mix well.

After 5 Minutes, add the cooked green bananas (cut into 1 inch pieces) and mix well. Then GENTLY fold in the ackee. Please be gentle as it’s very tender and can fall apart very easily. Warm trough and combine the flavors and you’re basically done.

An amazing one pot Caribbean breakfast beast served (enjoyed) hot. Feel free to add other types of ground provisions to the mix (like yams, dasheen, cassava etc) and be sure to have some slices of fried plantains on the side with some coconut bake or johnny cakes.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Ultimate Caribbean Salsa Topping For Tacos, Hotdogs & Burgers.

May 28, 2025October 13, 20151 Comment

When some of your youngest fans get their mom to contact you “mom can you contact Chris to see if he can do a Caribbean taco recipe for us?” you know you have to jump into action. So the first thing I cranked out was the topping for said taco. During the summer months this also works as a great topping for grilled burgers and hot dogs. And when those cold wintry weekends kicks in and I want to brighten up my mood… I put a side of this with my eggs at breakfast! Versatile indeed!

You’ll Need…

2 cups diced pineapple
1 1/2 cups diced mango
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lime (juice)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup diced tomato

* optionally you can add diced cucumber, scallions and for more of a kick you can add a bit more scotch bonnet pepper. 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.

Prep all the ingredients. Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers to wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. You can leave out the scotch bonnet pepper or opt for a milder pepper if you wish. Do not use any seeds or the white membrane surrounding the seeds as that’s where the ‘raw’ heat will be. Basically you’re dicing all the ingredients somewhat the same size.

Then place it all in a large bowl and mix well. Place in the fridge to chill and marinate for about 30 minutes so all the flavors come together.

Hoping to have the taco recipe done in the coming days as I’m sure my little friends are eagerly waiting. It still amazes me that there are kids as young as 1 and 2 years old who watch me on Youtube on the regular and find me entertaining. Brings a joy to my heart to know that I’m helping to preserve and curate my/our culinary culture. Thank you to mom, dad and all the elders who are allowing the young ones to tune in (I’ll keep that in mind when I’m recording to keep the content family friendly). BTW, you can store this in the fridge for about 1 week before it starts to fall apart on you and loose it’s texture and zing.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Jerk Chicken Chili.

May 27, 2025October 7, 20153 Comments

Understandably we don’t automatically associate chili with the Caribbean when we envision the meals being prepared in homes across the islands. However, times are indeed changing and we’re experimenting with different recipes, ingredients and flavors. Just take a peek at the many international restaurants you’ll find in any capital city of any island in the Caribbean and you’ll see that our dining habits are changing. Some may argue that it’s a bad thing as our culinary culture is quickly losing out to these outside influences. Topic for another day! Chili is made on the regular in our home, from the traditional beef, to using spicy sausages, turkey and in this case.. we’ll be using some leftover jerk chicken we had on hand in the fridge.

You’ll Need…

4 cups chopped jerk chicken
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 stalks celery
2 med onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
1 package chili powder (about 2 tablespoon)
2 carrots
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
2 scallions

IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, chop and prep all the vegetables. Then heat the oil in a deep pot (try to use a solid pot) on med heat and go in with the diced onion, garlic, celery and black pepper. Lower the heat to low and allow this to cook for about 4-6 minutes. This will soften up everything and start that flavor base we’re looking for.

With the heat still on low, add the chili powder (pre-packaged stuff is goo enough) and stir well. Cook for another 3 minutes to awaken all the spices in the chili powder mix. Then go in with the diced carrots, mushrooms (yea, I use anything I could find in the fridge) and scotch bonnet pepper (for heat). Stir well, then go in with all the other ingredients – raise the heat to bring to a boil.

Basically I took all the meat off the jerk chicken legs I had and added it to the pot.

Reduce the heat (after it comes to a boil), put the lid on and let it simmer for about 70 minutes. You can start this in a pot, then pour it into a slow cooker and have it go on low for a few hours while you do your everyday routine.

The bits of jerk chicken (especially if you did them on a coals fire) will add a lovely (unique) smoky flavor to the chili and the ‘jerk’ marinade will be a lovely undertone. Taste for salt (adjust accordingly) and near the end, go in with the chopped cilantro.

This is a lovely dish for those cold winter nights (well if you’re like me and based in a country with winters) and feel free to play with other ingredients in the chili to personalize it a bit. Serve with some grated cheddar and a tablespoon of sour cream!

Meat & Poultry

Summer Chicken Chow Delight.

May 27, 2025September 28, 2015Leave a Comment

With the success of the Pork Chow recipe I shared prior to the summer, I thought I’d share a quicker version using rotisserie chicken one can pick up at most supermarkets, being that it’s a great party food idea when visiting friends. As with the pork chow recipe, it’s based on the traditional method of making the spicy pickle usually with mango or other tart fruits. Typically I’d classify this as ‘cuttas’ or drinking food, usually served alongside adult beverages, but it’s just as great a side dish for your dinner.

You’ll Need…

1 roasted chicken (cut into pieces)
1 lemon
2-4 tablespoon water
1 scotch bonnet pepper
pinch sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic
3 scallions
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
drippings from roasted chicken (if there’s any)

Finely chop the cilantro, scotch bonnet pepper (remember to avoid the seeds and white membrane around the seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat and to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers), scallions and you can either crush the garlic or chop it finely as well. Put in all in a bowl, along with the water, salt, black pepper and the juice of the lemon (btw lime juice will work great as well). A good idea is to cut the scotch bonnet pepper into big pieces so people can easily identify them.. so as to avoid it if necessary. Place it all in a bowl and give it a good mix…set aside.

Allow the chicken to chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes so it firms up a bit (makes chopping easier), then cut into small pieces. You can keep or remove the skin.. with rotisserie chicken I find that the skin is quite attractive to some people, so I left it on. It’s now time to assemble the chicken chow. BTW, if you click on Recipe Index at the top we have a couple recipes for roasted chicken if you choose to make your over chicken from scratch.

Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and gently mix it to combine all the flavors. That’s it!

You can allow it to marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes to really absorb the flavors of the marinade or serve immediately. The goal of ‘chow’ is to be spicy, but you can certainly tailor it to your own liking. I forgot to mention that should you have any dripping in the container the chicken came in, add that to your marinade for extra flavor!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Caribbean Style Stewed Lamb Chops.

May 28, 2025September 22, 20155 Comments

As a young fella on the islands, I don’t ever recall having lamb (had to call mom and she confirmed this). And to be quite honest, I didn’t even start eating goat until my adult years in Canada after living with my aunt, who’s a master at cooking it in a rich and spicy curry sauce. Today I’m not a huge fan of lamb, as I find the taste and texture turns me off a little (plus the price), but the odd time it is cooked in our home, this is my go-to recipe. Not necessarily “Caribbean”, but you’ll noticed a lot of flavor-adding ingredients being used as we would in the Caribbean.

You’ll Need…

5 Lamb chops (shoulder/cheaper cut)
2 scallions
5 allspice berries
1 small stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 med onion
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato puree (concentrate)
2 slices ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper
8 cherry tomatoes
Optional – pinch nutmeg

Note: 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.

Usually we season and marinate meats first in the Caribbean, but in this case we’ll add the seasonings (herbs etc) a little later. Heat the vegetable oil on med/high and brown the pieces of lamb on both sides (takes about 8 mins). Then remove them and set aside.

Turn the heat to low and add the onion, garlic, scallion and thyme, let it gently cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add the tomato puree (concentrate) and cook another 2 minutes. It will go dark.

Now add the add orange juice, black pepper, ginger, allspice berries and bring to a boil. Then go in with the lamb, water, salt and place the scotch bonnet pepper whole. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 50 minutes or until it’s as tender as you like.

After about 50 minutes, taste for salt and adjust accordingly as my tolerance for salt will be different than yours. Remove the lid and crank up the heat to help the gravy thicken to the way you want it. Here is also where I also add the cherry tomatoes (use chopped regular tomatoes if you wish). Stir every 10-15 minutes or so and try your best to NOT break that scotch bonnet pepper or you will release major heat… unless you want that heat.

Fish out the scotch bonnet pepper, stems from the thyme and all spice berries and discard before serving so no one gets the nasty reality of biting into them. Serve with rice, boiled provisions, flour dumplings or roti.

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Fried Chicken Sandwich.

May 27, 2025September 14, 20153 Comments

Though this recipe was influenced by an image/advertising poster we saw at a local McDonalds restaurant, the manner in which we marinate, ‘bread’ and fry the chicken is 100% Caribbean! It’s a recipe our mom would use when making fried chicken for us and not unlike many such recipes you’ll encounter as you make your way up the island chain which makes up the West Indies. For maximum flavor and texture, I’ll highly recommend using boneless chicken thighs, but if chicken breasts are your thing… you’ll also have fun with that.

You’ll Need…

6 chicken thighs (boneless)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/2 teaspoon peppersauce (hot sauce – as much as you can handle)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
3 cups veg oil frying

Optional: season flour with a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

To learn how to debone chicken thighs, WATCH THIS VIDEO << CLICK! Season the chicken with the salt, curry powder, Caribbean Green Seasoning, black pepper, lemon juice and peppersauce (hot sauce) and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge about 10 minutes before you’re ready to get started frying, so it comes back to room temperature. Place the all-purpose flour on a plate and whisk the two eggs in a wide bowl. The goal here is to create a sort of breading station. Heat the vegetable oil on on a medium heat as we prepare the chicken pieces for frying. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, then dust in the flour so it’s fully coated. Dust off any excess flour.

Don’t worry about the remaining marinade on the chicken pieces as we really want that. Now gently add the dusted chicken pieces to the hot vegetable oil. Try to not over-crowd the pan. Fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. When deboning your chicken thighs, try to make sure they are all the same thickness, so they cook evenly.

Have a plate or wire basket lined with paper towels handy, so when you remove the pieces of fried chicken from the pan, you can set them to drain off some of the excess oil as they cool. Since we seasoned the chicken with salt you will not have to salt it further.. but, your tolerance for salt will be different than mine, so here is when you can sprinkle on some sea salt if you want as the pieces of chicken are hot out of the oil.

This in itself is an amazing way to do fried chicken, so feel free to serve this up if you wish. In our case we’re doing a sandwich. So I had some wonderful brioche buns which I lightly toasted, then on went a piece of (still warm) chicken and I topped it with some of my homemade coleslaw<< click for the recipe. The crunch from the fried chicken, followed by the juicy-seasoned meat itself and the slight creamy tangy coleslaw will set this off as the best fried chicken sandwich – without doubt!

You can obviously top it any which way you like.. so if ketchup, more hotsauce and a bit of mustard is your thing – ENJOY! So back to McDonalds… we were at the drive-thru when Tehya saw the poster with their chicken sandwich and challenged me to make a version. You NEVER challenge a Caribbean bred to anything! Here’s one challenge she lost, but WON.. guess who had two sandwiches?

Gluten Free Side Dishes Vegetarian

Zesty Cucumber Chow (Salad).

May 27, 2025September 8, 20151 Comment

As a young fella on the islands my brother and I would always volunteer to go help dad in the garden whenever we knew cucumbers were in season. We had a stash of salt and a few cloves of garlic in the make-shift shed, where dad would take his breaks from the midday sun. With scotch bonnet pepper (congo as we’d say) and shado beni fresh from the garden.. we’d always make a huge bowl of this ‘chow’ with the ‘baby’ cucumbers (always the sweetest). Immediately after we’d hit the river to go fishing, followed by hours of swimming in the cool refreshing waters of the Guaracara river. Funny thing is dad never got our assistance, but he never peeped a word to mom!

You’ll Need…

6 Dill cucumbers
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon (juice)
8-12 cherry tomatoes
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1 clove garlic (crused or diced fine)
1/2 small red onion (optional)

Note: you can use any cucumber you have on hand and the option to peel or not is totally up to you. Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. You can cut back or use more of the pepper if you wish. Traditionally we would use shado beni (culantro) instead of the cilantro.

It was early summer when I did this recipe so I had access to what’s called dill cucumbers (basically small cucumbers) for this recipe, but you can use any cucumber you have on hand. You have the option of peeling or not. In my case, these small cucumbers are quite sweet and I find that the skin adds a lovely texture to it all. What I would recommend doing is not only washing them very well, but to soak them in cool water to make sure all the dirt and sand drops of them.

Cut the stems and bottoms off and cut into spears and place in a large bowl. I also had some cherry tomatoes, so I opted to add them to the salad/chow for some added flavor, color and texture. You can use any tomato you have.

Crush or dice the garlic very finely, chop the cilantro and you can dice the scotch bonnet or cut it into large pieces so when you serve it, your guests can easily identify the pieces and avoid them.

Basically all you’re doing at this point is assembling everything together and giving it a good toss. For best results, allow it to chill and marinate in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.

If you’re new to Caribbean cuisine or this website, ‘chow’ is basically a spicy pickle we make with tart fruits.. in most cases green mangoes, pineapple etc. In this case we used cucumbers with the same sort of effect.. except, you’ll get a more juicy and refreshing finish.

If you don’t have lemons you can use lime or orange juice for a different flavor profile and if spicy is not your thing.. you can leave out the scotch bonnet pepper. In the video below you’ll notice that I didn’t add any red onions.. so that is totally optional.

Meat & Poultry

Breakfast Sausages With Bell Peppers.

May 27, 2025September 2, 2015Leave a Comment

Your typical Caribbean breakfast is usually laden with ground provisions, dumplings, porridge, curries and roti (depending where in the Caribbean you are) and usually some sort of stewed salted meats (salted cod in most cases), so this recipe will not rank among those traditional type recipes. However, if you’re looking for something with wonderful flavors, brilliant colors and textures, you’ll be quite impressed with this dish. I’ll be using pork (bratwurst) sausages, but you’re free to use any sausage you like (I know some people are into turkey sausages.. just not my thing).

You’ll Need…

4 sausages
2 bell peppers (med)
1 medium onion
3 scallions
1/4 teaspoon Spanish pimentón (smoked hot paprika)
1 teaspoon veg oil
1 clove garlic
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the veg oil on a low flame and add the sausages. TIP.. add about 1/2 cup water to the pan so the sausages cook before they start burning on the outside before the inside in cooked or you can also place a lid on the pan. By the time the water burns off, your sausages should be close to being fully cooked. Now turn up the heat to fully ‘brown’ them on the outside. Takes about 20 minutes or so, depending on the thickness of them.

Remove the now cooked sausages and set aside. Then add the garlic (crushed) and onion (chopped) to the same pan and cook on low for about 3 minutes. Then go in with the thyme, black pepper, salt, scotch bonnet and pimentón. Stir well and cook for a minute.

It’s now time to add the chopped bell peppers and scallions to the mix and stir well. The goal is to pick up all the flavors from the bottom of the pan from when we cooked the sausages.

Let it go for about 2-3 minutes so the peppers soften up a bit, but retain a bit of texture. The sausages should be cool by now, so chop into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. Be sure to save any juices which may run off while cutting and add to the pan as well. Stir well, cook another 2 minutes and you’re all done.

This sausage with bell peppers will have a slight kick to it from the scotch bonnet peppers, but you can certainly control that. It goes well with cassava dumplings, ground provisions, roti, coconut bake or even something as simple as toasted bread. So give it a try and enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Gluten Free Vegetarian Callaloo Recipe [creamy spinach soup].

August 23, 2015August 23, 20152 Comments

Callaloo, the delicious soup-like dish of the Southern Caribbean is traditionally made with the inclusion of fresh ocean crabs for it’s unique and rich flavor. If one cannot source that wonderful ‘blue’ crab, we then look for that layer of flavor from salted meats like pigtails and beef, and I’ve seen some people use smoked meats on some occasions. I must point out that the traditional recipe for making callalloo (not to be confused with Jamaican Callaloo) are the tender leaves of the dasheen or taro plant. However, sourcing those in Canada is almost impossible, so we’ll be using baby spinach with brilliant results in this vegetarian version of Callaloo.

You’ll Need…

6-8 cups chopped spinach
2 cups diced butternut squash (or pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups diced sweet potato
2 birds eye pepper (1/4 scotch bonnet)
4 cloves garlic
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 scallions
1 med onion
1 heaping tablespoon sofrito (see note below)
4-5 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water (or veg stock – gluten free)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
10-15 okra

Note: If you don’t have sofrito you can use 1/2 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning – or leave it out if you wish. If you have access to Caribbean seasoning peppers (pimento peppers) I’d recommend adding a couple. Remember to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Click here for the >> Sofrito Recipe

Heat the olive oil in a deep pot (soup pot) and go in with the diced onion, garlic, thyme, chopped scallions and black pepper. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook (stir) for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cubed sweet potato, chopped okra, squash (use pumpkin if you have) and stir well. Then turn up the heat to med and go in with the chopped spinach. Top with the coconut milk and then add all the other ingredients. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.

As it comes to a boil, reduce it to a gentle bubble (like a simmer) and let it go until everything goes tender and starts falling apart (about 40-50 minutes).

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly as my tolerance for salt will be different than yours. It’s now time to ‘swizzle’ the callaloo.. I have an old-school swizzle stick, but you can use an immersion blender or wire whisk. If using an immersion blender try to PULSE in short bursts – do NOT go continuous or you’ll end in with a forty mess. The goal is to have a somewhat smooth soup-like texture/consistency.

Traditionalists may argue that you need the crab or salted meats for a GOOD callaloo to stand out, but I assure you that this vegetarian version, which happens to be gluten friendly is stunning. As a soup or with rice, stewed meats (for non vegetarians), sides of plantains and salad and you’re in true Caribbean heaven. You and your belly can thank me after that food-induced nap!

Seafood

Pepper Shrimp Recipe – Memories Of Korea.

August 18, 2015August 18, 20151 Comment

Tehya and I had the pleasure of being hosted by the City and Mayor of Seoul Korea a couple years ago and it was one of the most amazing culinary and cultural experiences we’ve ever had. You know a trip is starting off on a good note, when on your 14hr flight your first meal comes with a tube of peppersauce (Gochujang)! A rich, deep pepper paste with a hint of fermentation, balanced by the gentle heat of the peppers and an undertone of soy (sauce). This recipe is in memory of the beautiful people f Korea and the way the City of Seoul catered to our many senses and opened the door for my awareness of the rich culinary culture of Asia.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
2 scallions
1 scotch bonnet
2 birds eye pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 table spoon Soju
2 table spoon Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (light)
pinch of salt

Tips: Substitute Chinese cooking wine for Soju, add fish sauce instead of salt and tomato paste (1 teaspoon) for the Korean chili paste.

Prep you ingredients .. clean and devein the shrimp, chop the garlic finely, slice the scotch bonnet pepper (wash you hands with soap after), chop the scallions and grate the ginger.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or wok on a low flame, then go in with the garlic and the ‘white’ ends of the scallions. Allow it to gently cook for a couple minutes.

Add the scotch bonnet pepper as well as the Bird’s eye chili (bird pepper in the Caribbean) – open your kitchen window and turn on the exhaust fan above your stove if you have one, as the fumes with the frying pepper will be extreme.

Please note that I included the seeds of the pepper for that EXTRA kick, but you can exclude them if you’re ‘shy’ of real Caribbean sunshine. Turn the heat up to medium and add the shrimp. Stir well and cook until they turn pink (about 3-4 mins).

Now add the soy sauce, pepper paste and a pinch of salt (I didn’t mention it in the ingredient list.. but you can balance things with a pinch of sugar if you want).

Stir well and cook for 2 minutes, then add the Soju and top with the green parts of the scallion. Stir well.. turn off the stove and get ready to enjoy a perfect example of East meets West (Korea + Caribbean) in the form of a brilliant pepper shrimp.

Quite honestly, I enjoyed these as they were, but as a meal you can place this on a bed of steamed rice and you’ll have a delightful (but spicy) meal. A great snack (we say Cutters or cuttas in the Caribbean) for when you’re enjoying some adult beverages with friends.

The Caribbean will ALWAYS be “home” for me, but I’m quite intrigued by the possibility of calling Korea (or maybe another Asian country) home for a little while. The food, culture, people and SHOPPING is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced to date.

Meat & Poultry

5 Tips For Perfect BBQ or Grilled Chicken.

May 27, 2025August 11, 20151 Comment

It’s not strange to see me in a parka, winter boots and full “blizzard” gear during the coldest of Canadian winters, tending to my grill with loving care and admiration. Ever since I started playing with fire and smoke on the $15 charcoal grill from Canadian Tire about 25 years ago at the back of the basement apt we rented in one of the most run-down areas of town, I’ve been a huge fan of bbq and grilling. Yes, there is a difference (so the “experts” will have you believe), but this post is not about the differences between BBQ and grilling, but rather the basic idea of getting the most flavor and best texture from chicken on your grill. These tips will work on propane, charcoal or any other form of heat you use to get that lovely sticky goodness.. you know what I mean.

I’ll try my best to be as quick and to the point as I can be, so this does not become a confusing post.

Tip 1. Season and marinate your chicken. (click > How To Season And Marinate Chicken Like It’s Don’t In The Caribbean) This step will help you start off with a layer of flavor, even before you add the smoke and your favorite BBQ sauce. Wet marinade or dry rub, use flavors you like!

Tip 2. Leave the skin on the chicken – but trim of all fat and excess skin. The skin will serve as a protective barrier from the heat to keep the chicken moist, plus as it slowly renders it will add additional flavor and moisture.

Tip 3. Indirect heat – low and slow. Think of this like a marathon rather than a 100m dash. Yes, you can certainly go with direct heat, but you’ll end up with chicken which is void of any real flavor and a texture similar to the shoes you’re currently wearing. You WON’T win any friends!

Tip 4. Baste with leftover marinade so the chicken remains moist as it grills. (add fruit juice, beer etc to the marinade to baste) To help add additional flavor and moisture, baste that chicken so it doesn’t dry-off as it grills. Remember we do not want leather or chicken jerky!

Tip 5. Warm BBQ sauce in metal pan (remember it will be hot, so don’t touch) and start glazing the last 5-10 minutes of grilling. Do not marinate your chicken with BBQ sauce as the sugars will cause it to char or burn even before it’s cooked internally. Invest in a metal cup or pan and warm though your BBQ sauce on the grill, so you’re not applying cold (from the fridge) bbq sauce to your perfectly cooked chicken. To give it that rich color and sticky goodness, apply layers of that sauce and finish up over the direct heat.