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Gluten Free Seafood

How to Make Swiss Chard With Shrimp.

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One of the last vegetables to survive into the colder months in my Canadian garden, is usually Swiss Chard! And while nothing will replace Chorai or Dasheen-bush Bhaji as far as I’m concerned, Swiss Chard tends to satisfy my cravings. Therefore I’m always grateful to have some I can harvest fresh and get busy in the kitchen on those cold nights.

You’ll Need…

5-6 lbs Swiss chard (washed, trimmed)
1 lb medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 tablespoon (divided) salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/4 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoon Coconut Cream

Notes! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I recommend that you use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe may be discussed there.

It’s important that you not only wash each leaf individually, but you must check the crevices and stems of them as well, as you rinse with cool water. Then remove the stems and chop them into 1 cm pieces and set aside.

Roll the leaves like you’re making a cigar and cut into 1 cm shreds.

Season the cleaned and deveined shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning and curry powder. Mix well and allow to marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

Heat the pan (deep) on a medium/low flame and add the seasoned shrimp. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes. Now remove the shrimp and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the same pan.

Add the sliced Scotch Bonnet pepper (optional) and garlic, turn the heat to low and cook a further 2-3 minutes.

Add the stems of the Swiss Chard as they will take longer to cook than the leaves, stir well and cover the pot. Allow the water from washing the stems and the steam it will create to deglaze the pan and release all the wonderful flavors. Cook for 4 minutes with the lid on.

It’s then time to remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium and add the washed/cut Swiss Chard leaves to the pot. Top with the remaining salt and black pepper and at this point you may add the coconut cream and mix in well. Should you not have coconut cream, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

It may seem like a lot as it crowds the pan, but it wilt quickly.

Cook uncovered for about 8-10 minutes.

Try to burn off any liquid which may have sprouted naturally, then add the pre-cooked shrimp and stir well. As the shrimp heats though for 2-3 minutes, taste and adjust the salt to your liking.

Turn off the stove once everything checks out (no liquid at the bottom of the pan and the salt is ideal) and enjoy with rice or hot Sada Roti.

Seafood

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Shrimp.

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I mentioned in the video (see below) on YouTube, this dish takes me back to being ah lil fella on the islands. There was a Chinese restaurant on Mucurapo street in San Fernando Trinidad, where our dad would always take my brother and I after the afternoon show (movie theatre – usually western or Kung Fu movies) on Saturdays. As kids we’d get the Chicken version of this dish, however we did ‘sample’ from dad’s plate.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs med shrimp (21-30)
3 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
veg oil for frying (about 2-3 cups)
1 large onion (cut large)
1 large bell pepper (cut large)
3 scallions (cut 3/4 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 tablespoon pineapple juice | 1 small can Pineapple rings (cut into pieces)
3/4 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Notes. Please refer to the video below in the event you have any questions which were not addressed in this post. Should you want this spicy, you may add your fav peppersauce (hot sauce) or fresh chopped hot peppers. I did add fresh chopped scallions (not mentioned in the recipe list) at the end as I turned off the stove

How To Peel And Devein Shrimp

I left the tails on the shrimp, but it’s your choice. Peeled and deveined, the shrimp where washed with the juice of a lemon and cool water then drained. They were mixed with the black pepper, salt and corn starch to coat.

In another bowl I mixed the sweet and sour sauce. Add the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, grated ginger, dark soy sauce and pineapple juice (I used canned pineapple which I chopped and I reserved some of the juice/syrup from the can).

Set the sauce aside and lets get back to the shrimp. Heat about 2-3 cups of vegetable oil in a wok (any post or pan with high sides will work) on a medium/high heat. Individually add the shrimp to the hot oil and fry for one minute to a minute and a half. Remove and place on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. I did this in batches to not crowd the wok.

I drained and filtered my oil for frying fish at a later date, but I did reserve a tablespoon or so to continue.

With my wok back on a medium flame (with the tablespoon of oil), I added the onion and bell pepper. Cooked it for 3-4 minutes (toss to cook evenly), then add the scallions and stir.

Cook for another minute, then add the pineapple chunks (use fresh pineapple if you so prefer) to the wok and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the sweet and sour sauce we created earlier.

Heat the sauce through as it combined with the flavors of the bell pepper and onion… about 2 minutes, then add the pre-fried shrimp to the pot and stir well to coat with the sauce.

As soon as the shrimp heats though (2-3 minutes), shut off the stove as I’d hate for you to over-cook the shrimp. While we did season the shrimp with salt, you will need to taste and adjust the salt at the end to your liking. I’ve been trying my best to cut back on my sodium intake, so I didn’t add any to the onion and peppers at the start.

The corn starch we coated the shrimp with at the start will allow for the sweet and sour sauce to stick to the shrimp, thus giving us that perfect balance of sweet and sour with every bite! Should you be interested in the Chicken version of this recipe I briefly mention above, drop a comment below.

Seafood

Caribbean Compound Butter Shrimp.

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Hot on the heels of the Caribbean Compound Butter recipe I shared a couple days back, here’s the amazing shrimp recipe I promised. Succulent shrimp with deep flavors of butter and the Caribbean. WARNING! …your family and friends will DEMAND you make on the regular. Take the glory, Uncle Chrs doh mind.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (medium size | 36:40)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon Caribbean Compound Butter
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/2 lemon (juice)

  • juice of a lime or lemon to wash the shrimp

Place the cleaned/deveind and washed shrimp (I like washing them in cool water with the juice of a lime or lemon and then drain) in a bowl, followed by the salt, black pepper and smoked paprika. Stir well with the olive oil.

I used a cast iron pan as I like the even way it heats up. However, any pan will work. Medium heat, then add the shrimp to the pot. Since we coated the shrimp with the olive oil, we’re using a dry pan. Make sure you stir them and cook for about one minute. They will curl and change color.

Add the compound butter (straight from the freezer) and stir well to coat the shrimp with that herb buttery goodness. It will take on a sort of creamy consistency.

2 minutes later and the shrimp will be perfect. Turn off the stove, toss in the lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Note! I added a chopped bird’s eye pepper at the end for an additional KICK to the shrimp (optional).

Seafood

Fry-Dry Curry Shrimp A Family Classic.

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This is definitely one of those dishes that takes me back to my childhood. Seafood was our mortal enemy (with the exception of fried King Fish) of ours when we were kids, however this fried dried curry shrimp was something we always requested from mom. Normally served with hot-out-the oven coconut bake. Unlike traditional curry shrimp where you’d normally have a gravy or sauce and sometimes you’d find pieces of potato in the mix, this curry shrimp is all about that rich and intense curry flavor.

You’ll Need…

1 lb small/med shrimp
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 hot peppers (any you like)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tomato diced-fine
1 scallion diced -fine
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2-3 tablespoon veg oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Note: It seems that I forgot to take pics of the actual cooking process as I normally do. However you’ll manage with the written instructions and directly below you’ll have access to the full demo video. IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder which may contain flour as a filler.

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Peel, devein and wash the shrimp – drain dry. Then season with the salt, black pepper, scallion, tomato, hot pepper of your choice (this curry is usually spicy – but you can leave out the peppers if you wish)  and Caribbean Green seasoning. Allow it to marinate for about 10 minutes.

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Heat the oil on a medium flame in a heavy pot, then add the diced garlic and turn the heat down to as low as it can go. We don’t want to burn the garlic. After a minute add the curry powder (I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean) as well as the cumin seeds. Heat still on low – we’re trying to bring out the flavors of the spices which makes up the curry blend.

It will go a bit grainy and darker. After about 3-4 minutes, it’s time to crank up the heat to med/high and start adding the marinated shrimp. Yes, add everything from the bowl and keep mixing as to pick up all that curry goodness from the bottom of the pot.

shrimp-curry-4

We’re using a heavy pot as we want to heat to be evenly distributed so we can cook the shrimp quickly before it’s overcooked and goes rubbery. Do NOT cover the pot and DON’T walk away as we don’t want it to stick and burn. Mix well and after about 4-6 minutes you’ll have a delightful fry-dry curry shrimp. As you turn off the stove toss in the chopped cilantro (typically Shado Beni would be used) and mix well Feel free to use a non-stick pot if you’re worried about the amount of vegetable oil used or if you’re worried about it possibly burning on the high heat.

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Besides being and excellent side dish, I love these curry shrimp on sandwiches. As mentioned above, mom would make thick coconut bake and we would line up in the kitchen for a sandwich stuffed with these shrimp. She did use smaller shrimp though.

Seafood

Caribbean Style Popcorn Shrimp Recipe.

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After just one bite of Popeye’s popcorn shrimp many years ago I knew I had to find my own version of making this delicious snack. I needed something where I would control the ingredients used and as a son of the Caribbean soil, I knew it had to reflect our love for seafood and passion for rich flavors. But don’t take my word for it, give the recipe a test drive!

 

You’ll Need…

3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs (see note below)
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped finely)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
pinch teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Note: I like using crushed salted crackers instead of the bread crumbs.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp (Video demo how to peel and devein shrimp). Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt, crushed garlic, black pepper and finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper. Allow this to marinate for 10 minutes.

As the shrimp marinates, prepare the breading station. In a bowl place the bread crumbs (I like using crushed salted crackers as I find the texture and airiness is much better) , in another bowl you’ll have the flour and the final bowl you’ll whisk together the milk and egg.

Since these popcorn shrimp cooks very fast I suggest you bread all of them before you start frying. Each shrimp – dust in the flour, then the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumbs (you may need to press them down into the bread crumbs a bit) and set aside.

Basically all you have to do now is deep or shallow fry these until they are golden brown. With my flame on medium/high (oil hot) I gently placed each shrimp (do in 2 batches to not over-crowd the pan) and cooked them for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Fish them out and place on paper towels to try and absorb some of the excess oil.

Serve warm with some Caribbean pepper sauce or any sort of dip you like using. (top with some chopped parsley and lemon wedges to make the dish look even more appetizing)

There’s enough popcorn shrimp here for 5 people as a snack and the recipe can easily be doubled if needs be. One bite and you’ll never go back to Popeye’s or anywhere else that serves popcorn shrimp.

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

Caribbean Spinach With Shrimp Recipe.

5 Comments on Caribbean Spinach With Shrimp Recipe.

Today we’ll be using two of my favorite ingredients in a combination similar to how our mom would do bhaji (dasheen bush) and salted fish (salt cod) when we were kids. With a little heat from scotch bonnet peppers and with a wicked garlic/onion base, it will be outstanding. And very quick to put together.

You’ll need…

1 med onion
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch spinach
2 cloves garlic
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup pre-cooked shrimp.

Note: You can leave out the scotch bonnet pepper if you’re concerned about the heat (it’s minimal) and do try to get tiny pre-cooked shrimp as they tend to be “sweeter” as we say in the Caribbean.

This is a very quick recipe as spinach cooks really fast and the shrimp is already pre-cooked.

Heat the oil on a medium flame and add the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook (soften) for about 3-4 minutes.

Wash and drain the spinach, turn up the heat to medium high and add the washed spinach. Top with the black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper  and salt. Add the shrimp (I would recommend giving them a rinse in cool water and drain before adding to the pot) and give it a good stir. Do not cover the pan (you don’t want to create any additional moisture). It will quickly start to wilt and darken in colour.

Here is where you’ll personalize it a bit. When it’s cooked to your liking (about 3-4 minutes for me) turn off the stove. Remember to taste for salt and adjust accordingly.

Note: The spinach will naturally release liquid, so you may have to turn up the heat on your stove to burn that off quickly and not over-cook the spinach.

There’s enough here for 3-4 people as a side dish, so feel free to add more spinach if you’re cooking for a bigger party. Simply adjust the salt! If you can’t source spinach, Jamaican callaloo (or chorai bhaji) would be a good substitute.. just cook longer to soften.

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.