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Gluten Free Vegetarian

Okra and Tomato Stew.

3 Comments on Okra and Tomato Stew.

I can’t recall which of the French Caribbean islands my friend was from (I’ve been disconnected from him for a few years now, so I can’t ask) but this is a dish he taught me how to make. Okra (say ochro in the Caribbean) in a rich tomato sauce served over steamed rice, with stewed fish.. a dish we made (and enjoyed) during our college days in Hamilton.

You’ll Need…

1 lb okra (cut into 1 cm wheels)
1 can tomato (I used stewed tomatoes)
4 tablespoon veg oil (divided)
1 medium onion (diced)
3-5 cloves garlic (smashed)
4 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper flakes
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chicken stock

Important! Please go though the full list of ingredients if making this gluten free to make sure it meets with your gluten free dietary needs. Especially the stock you use. Speaking about sock, I used Chicken stock, but to keep this vegan / vegetarian, please use vegetable stock.

Wash and air dry the okra, then trim (the ends off) the okra and cut into 1 cm thick wheels.

Heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil on a medium heat in a wide pan. Toss in the okra and stir well. The goal is to get the edges brown.

5-7 minutes later, turn the heat down to low and remove the okra. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan, toss in the onion, garlic and thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes. During this time you may add the black pepper and pepper flakes (leave out if you don’t want the dish spicy).

Create a space in the middle of the pan and add the tomato paste and stir well – cook for a minute or two. This will caramelize the natural sugars in the tomato paste and give the dish a lovely sweet undertone.

Add the can of stewed tomato (540ml) and smash the tomato with your spoon to break it down a bit. Add the bay leaf, red wine vinegar and salt. To help balance the flavors, add the brown sugar.

Turn the heat to medium, add the stock, bring it to a boil and reduce to a smimmer for 8-10 minutes.

Now add the pre-cook okra to the pot and bring back to a boil. That okra will absorb all the tomato goodness and plump up. Feel free to remove the thyme stems and discard.

5-6 minutes after adding the okra and it should be done. (cook longer if it’s too runny), taste for salt and adjust accordingly (* chicken stock had a sodium element to it so it was to my liking) and keep in mind that it will thicken further as it cools.

Enjoy on steamed rice! BTW, you can add chunks of your fav fish to this dish if you wanted. Just adjust the seasoning accordingly.

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

Gluten Free Side Dishes

Spectacular Cherry Tomato Salad.

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With an abundance of plump Cherry Tomatoes in our garden and the thousands of requests I get for more recipes in the #MeatFreeMonday series on YouTube, I thought I’d share (while not “Caribbean”) a simple and delicious salad with you all.

You’ll Need…

1- 1 1/2 lbs cherry tomatoes (sliced in 1/2)
1/2 large red onion (sliced thinly)
2 tablespoon chives (chopped)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
3 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt (divided)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
2 tablespoon honey
2 sprigs thyme (leaves)
1/2 orange (juice)
1 cup bocconcini cheese (pearls)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. If doing this recipe vegan, use what you normally use to replace cheese. Feel free to add nuts and dried fruits to the salad if you wish.

Wash and prep the ingredients. Slice the tomatoes in half, trim off the leaves of the thyme, slice the red onion VERY thin, crush the garlic and give the chives a fine chop.

  • The tomatoes, chives and garlic were from my garden.

Now it’s time to make the dressing. In a bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic, 1/2 of the black pepper, 1/2 of the salt, garlic, thyme leaves, honey and orange juice and whisk until combined.

It’s time to assemble things. Add the chopped tomatoes to your salad bowl and top with the sliced onion, then sprinkle on the remaining salt and black pepper.

Now add the cheese (feel free to add your fav).

Pour on the salad dressing and top with the chives. Give it a good mix and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes for the flavors to marinate and come together (mix again before serving). This will also allow the cheese to soak in some of the dressing.

Fresh chopped basil (I’m not a fan, so while I do have it in my garden, I sparingly use it) and diced cucumber is a great addition to this salad.

Should your tomatoes be tart, you may need to add a bit more salt. Enjoy! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Rice & One-Pot Dishes Side Dishes Vegetarian

Delightful Tomato Rice.

4 Comments on Delightful Tomato Rice.

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As part of our ongoing #MeatFreeMonday series, I’ decided to share a rice recipe my girls and I  get excited about. Not something I grew up eating on the islands, but nevertheless made in an ‘island’ influenced kitchen in Canada (smile). Plump grains of rice with a deep and rice tomato and herb flavor and the gentle heat achieved by adding a Bird’s Eye Pepper. This recipe is somewhat similar to the Roasted Tomato Choka And Rice Soup recipe I shared a while back.

You’ll Need…

2 cups Basmati rice
5 large tomatoes
small bunch parsley
1 small onion (diced)
2 large cloves garlic (diced)
1 birds eye pepper (chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 – 2 cups vegetable stock (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste/puree
1-2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped – optional)

Important! 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. Especially the stock you decide to use.

The first thing we need to do is to wash the tomatoes (make sure they are fully ripe), remove the area where the stems were with a pairing knife and make an X cut on the bottom (not deep). Then place in a pot with boiling water for about 2-4 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Then go back to where we made the cuts and peel back the skin and discard.

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Give the tomatoes a rough chop and along with the parsley, give it a minute or so in your food processor.

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I pulsed it as I wanted a bit of texture (chunky)  to the finished “puree”. Now in a deep pot, heat the vegetable oil on a medium heat and then go in with the onion, garlic, thyme, bird’s eye pepper and black pepper. Cook on LOW for 3-4 minutes, then add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes or so, so we get the natural sweetness of the tomato paste coming out.

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Pour in the tomato puree into the pot and bring to a boil (raise the heat). Add the salt and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

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Wash your rice at this point (basically all you’re doing is rinsing it with cool water until the water runs clear -repeat as many times as necessary). Washing the rice will help to remove any grit and extra starch, so your finished dish is not sappy (thick and clumping together). Then add it to the pot and give it a good mix so each grain is coated with this wicked tomato base. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. After which you need to turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot.

TIP! You may use chicken or beef stock if you wish (if not doing this dish vegan) and for a lovely twist you may replace 1/2 the stock with coconut milk if you wish.

After about 10 minutes check to make sure you have some liquid left.. but don’t stir. If you stir it will help release starch and you’ll get that clumpy rice we don’t necessarily want. Cook for another 5 minutes (so 15 in total), then turn off the stove, but leave the lid on and do nothing else, except top the rice with the chopped cilantro.

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After 5 minutes, go in with a fork and fluff the rice.. you’re done! Time to enjoy one of the best rice dishes you’ll ever make. Guaranteed!

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Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

 

Recipe Card

Tomato rice in a serving dish surrounded by three tomatoes
Print Recipe

Caribbean Tomato Herb Rice

Cuisine: Courses: , , Recipe Keys: Gluten Free Vegan
Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 30 mins
Servings: 4

Description

A vegan, gluten-free Caribbean-style rice dish simmered with fresh tomato, herbs, and gentle pepper heat.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. Blanch tomatoes 2–4 minutes in boiling water, cool, then peel and wipe core.
  2. Roughly chop tomatoes and parsley; pulse until chunky.
  3. In a deep pot, sauté onion, garlic, thyme, pepper, and black pepper in olive oil over low heat for 3–4 minutes.
  4. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, then add tomato-parsley mix.
  5. Add salt and simmer 5 minutes until mixture thickens.
  6. Rinse rice under cool water; stir into tomato base to coat grains.
  7. Pour in stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

  8. Turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes; then stir in the cilantro and fluff.

    +1 photos

  9. Serve and enjoy.

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Gluten Free Vegetarian

A Classic Tomato Salad With Heirloom Tomatoes (Vegetarian & Gluten Free).

1 Comment on A Classic Tomato Salad With Heirloom Tomatoes (Vegetarian & Gluten Free).

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Where did the taste, flavor and scent of tomatoes go? As a kid on the islands I remember helping mom and dad in the garden, which meant getting between the tomato bushes during harvest time to pick those lovely beauties off the tree (yes, I’ve had a love affair with tomatoes since as early as I can remember). The scent of the tomatoes would remain on your hands for a full day (or two), even after you’ve washed with soap and water. Back then I didn’t care much for the scent (or the itch from being between those buses in that HOT Caribbean sun), but oh how I miss that lovely aroma from the ‘pretty’ store bought tomatoes we get in North America.

With a good crop of heirloom tomatoes this past summer, I thought I’d share a quick and delicious way to enjoy a tasty tomato salad. I grew my own tomatoes (very much like the ones I grew up enjoying), but you can now go to the ‘organic’ section of your grocery store and find them there.

 

You’ll Need…

heirloom tomatoes
grape tomatoes
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 small white habanero peppers (optional)
1/2 small red onion
1 tablespoon parsley (mint or basil)
2 tablespoon goat cheese (crumbled)

Plus you can also add some chopped walnuts, balsamic vinegar, cucumber and avocado if you wish.

Note: I used about 4-6 cups of tomato in total (mix of both heirloom and grape).

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Wash and prep all the ingredients for the salad. Using a pairing knife, remove the stems off the tomatoes then slice in different shapes and thickness. I like cutting a cross at the bottom of the grape tomatoes (not deep) so we can get them to bleed out some of their sweetness and to get the flavors of the lemon juice, herbs and onion infused in them. By cutting the larger tomatoes in different sizes and shapes (rounds and wedges) you’ll find that the finished salad will be more ‘eye-catching’!
Slice the onion relatively  thin (in rounds), if using a hot pepper (white habanero or whatever you like or have) be sure to dice if very finely and chop the parsley.

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Basically all you have to do now is add everything (except the cheese) to a large bowl and gently mix. The tomatoes will have the tendency to break apart, so do be gentle. I would recommend serving immediately after mixing everything together or give it about 5 minutes to let the tomatoes release some of it’s wonderful natural juices. If you’re making this ahead of time, do not go in with the goat cheese, salt, lemon juice and olive oil until you’re close to serving. Remember to only top with the goat cheese (no need to mix in)

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according to wikipedia..  heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar of tomato

If you’re like me and know what ‘real’ tomatoes are supposed to taste like (and miss them) I recommend trying your hands at growing heirloom tomatoes in your garden (grows well in containers as well). You can get the seeds online and most plant nurseries stock the baby plants in the spring.