This being the holiday season I thought I’d take a classic recipe for making saltfish buljol and put a little festive spin on it, to serve at your holiday party or to take with you as you visit family this holiday season. We’ll follow the same basic rules of making traditional saltfish buljol (basically a fish salad) and add a few other ingredients to help balance and brighten up the overall flavors of this classic dish. You’ll notice that I did post this under the gluten free recipe section, but do keep in mind that you’ll need a gluten free bread or cracker to serve these on, to meet with your complete gluten free dietary needs.

You’ll Need…

2 cups prepared salted fish (cod / shredded)
2 scallions (green part only)
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced tomato (seeded)
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon (juice)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig thyme (chopped)
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper) seeded and diced

The first step is to prepare the salted cod – place in a deep pot with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 20 minutes (you can watch this video : How To Prepare Salted Fish For Use. Then drain, rinse with cool water and flake/shred. This process removes the majority of the salt (or it will be too salty) and rehydrates the fish. I would recommend using deboned salted fish as it makes for less work. But do remember to still be on the lookout for tiny bones as you flake the fish after boiling. Tip – after preparing the saltish, you can add it to a food processor and give it a couple pulses to get a lovely shredded texture.

Basically all you have to do now is dice the mango, tomato (please remove the seeds), scallion and cucumber. If you want to add more pizzazz to the dish you can also add some chopped grapes or pineapple.. or basically any firm fruit you like.

It’s all about assembling now. In a large blow place all the ingredients and gently fold together so you keep the shape of the mango and any tender fruit you use. I would then allow this to marinate for about 30 minutes, then top on your favourite cracker or bread.. in my case I used slices of French Baguettes. Another great idea would be to use lettuce leaves as wrappers and scoop some of the buljol in the middle and wrap them like spring rolls.

You’ll notice that we didn’t add any salt to this dish as the remaining salt from the salted cod (or whatever salted fish you use) will be enough to season this dish. Be carefully when handling the hot pepper and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. I would not recommend assembling these (on the bread etc) until you’re about to serve it as the bread or cracker will go a bit soggy after about 30 minutes.

Spinach Rice Simmered In Coconut Milk And Salted Pigtail.

May 27, 2025October 26, 201317 Comments

To avoid the “check yourself emails” let me make my Trinbagonian people happy and say “bhagi rice” instead for spinach. Now on to a recipe which I try to make on those cold winter days when I crave the bright Caribbean sun and long for the days when I can be back down in my little piece of heaven The Caribbean. This is as good as it gets when it comes to comfort food for me. Though I’d much prefer to use dasheen bush bhagi, it’s easier to grow (short summers here) and easy to access (in grocery stores) Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhagi) so that will be the ‘spinach’ I’ll be using today.

You’ll Need…

2 cups chopped Jamaican callaloo
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 scotch bonnet pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon celery leaves
1 tablespoon chopped shado beni (optional)
1 scallion
2 seasoning peppers (pimento peppers)
2 cups brown rice (parboiled long grain)
tablespoon olive oil (veg oil or butter)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups water (or stock)
1 lb salted pig’s tail

* No salt as pigtail should have enough salt remaining, but do taste near the end and adjust to your liking. Important: Please go through the ingredient list if making this recipe gluten free to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Start by cutting the salted pigtail into 1 inch pieces. Use a heavy Chinese cleaver or ask your butcher to cut them for you. Rinse off, then place in a deep pot with water (cover) and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a rolling boil and let it cook for about 45- 55 minutes. The goal is to get the pieces tender and to remove most of the salt it was cured in.Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

As the oil heats in a deep saucepan (med heat), chop the onion, celery, scallion, garlic, seasoning peppers and shado beni (chadon beni or culantro. you can substitute cilantro).

Add all the chopped ingredients to the heated oil and reduce the heat to low. Let that gently cook for about 3 minutes. It’s all about flavor! In the meantime, wash, trim and cut the Jamaican callaloo into 1/4 inch ribbons. Basically take the leaves, roll into a large cigar and cut across the length of them.

Add the pieces of pre-cooked salted pig tails and give it a good stir. Let that cook for about 3 minutes. Then start adding the chopped callaloo (chorai bhagi) and stir well.

Wash the rice to remove any grit (place in a bowl with water and massage with your hands, drain and repeat until the water runs clear or place in a strainer under running water and massages until the water runs clear) then add it to the pot. Now add all the other ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil.

You’ll notice that I placed the scotch bonnet pepper whole in the pot. This will allow me to get a lot of flavor without the raw heat. If you’re into the hot-stuff, near the end you can burst that pepper open and deal with the heat. Remember to remove it from the pot when your done and DO NOT break it when stirring the pot.When the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat so you have a gentle bubble going and cover the pot. The idea is to let this slowly cook, until all the liquid is gone and you have plump grains of rice flavored with the coconut milk, salted pigtails and herbs.

It will take between 20 and 25 minutes after putting the rice in for the dish to be fully cooked, but it depends a lot on the brand of rice you use. If you find the liquid is burning off too fast, place on a smaller burner and simmer. If after the rice is fully cooked you find that it’s a bit runny, turn up the heat to burn off and excess liquid. But do keep stirring as the high heat will cause the natural sugars in the coconut milk to burn and the rice will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Turn off the heat and keep the lid on the pot for about 5 minutes before serving.. According to my mom, this will cause the rice to ‘yield’ nicely.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry Vegetarian

Pak Choi With Smoked Bacon A Twist On A Caribbean Fave!

May 27, 2025October 15, 20139 Comments

This is a take on traditional Caribbean technique of cooking “bhagi” or greens especially in Trinidad and Tobago. You’ll notice that I also placed this within the vegetarian section of the website, so before the flood of emails… I wanted to point out that you can leave out the bacon and start with olive or coconut oil for additional flavor. So by simply leaving out the bacon you could have a delicious vegetarian dish.

Traditionally our mom would prepare this dish when she had leftover stewed pork (Stewed Pork With Pak Choi) from the night before and it’s one of those dishes everyone of my siblings quite enjoyed with hot sada roti. Oh the joy when mom got us all to eat the same thing.

You’ll Need…

6 – 8 cups chopped pak choi (about 2lbs)
1/4 lb smoked bacon (I used smoked pork belly)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 scallion
4-6 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

* IMPORTANT: If you don’t eat pork or prefer to have this vegetarian, leave out the bacon and start with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. If you don’t have bird’s eye pepper, you can use scotch bonnet or habanero (very small piece). If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific dietary needs.

Cut the bacon into small pieces and place in a dry pan on medium heat. The idea is to cook until crispy and to render off the fat. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the fat. Once crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Remove each leaf/stem of pak choi and wash under running water individually as you’ll find dirt between each leaf (natural as it grows), Rinse well and drain – now get ready to chop. I usually cut each leaf lengthwise first (about 1/4 inch, then make into a bundle and cut in the other direction the same thickness. Besides trimming off the very bottom of the white stems (discard), do use the rest of the pak choi (white and green).

Also chop/dice the onion, garlic, tomato and scallions (green onion) and set aside.

In the same pan you rendered the bacon (don’t wash) heat about 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat on a low flame, then add the onion, garlic and scallion pieces. Let it cook on low for about 3 minutes to basically soften up and create a flavor base.

Toss in the birds eye peppers (don’t cut open) then start adding the chopped pak choi to the pot and finish off with the salt and black pepper. It may seem like a lot at first, but it will wilt down (have your heat at med/high at this point). Give it a good mix.

The rest of this dish takes some personalization. I like my greens (still green) and not over cooked. So I let it go for about 5 minutes, then I topped it with the pieces of bacon and stirred well. The pak choi will release a bit of liquid so at this point you’ll need to raise the heat to high and burn off the excess liquid (took another 3-5 minutes).

The last 2 minutes of cooking you can toss in the tomatoes so they too are brilliant in colour, retains it’s shape and give the dish a brightness. Remember to taste for salt and if you wanted, you can certainly cook this a bit longer if you’re not like me and like a little texture to the pak choi. You’ll note that at no time did I cover the pot as it will only help to create liquid you really don’t need.

This is excellent on steamed (or boiled) rice, with roti and when all fails, I make sandwiches with this… lovely! If you break the peppers while cooking it will release the raw heat (though mild since they are bird’s eye) so if you like playing with “the Heat”.. break them open! BTW if you don’t dine with the swine, you can use some prepared saltfish (salted cod) instead of the bacon for additional flavor.

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

Traditional Curry Pigeon Peas Recipe.

December 3, 2014September 10, 20139 Comments

I hated going with our mom and dad to pick peas (harvest pigeon peas) in our garden as it was always in the afternoon when my friends would be playing football (soccer) plus the heat between the trees (from the day’s sun) was stifling. You had to sort through fully developed peas and avoid the younger ones which were not ready for harvesting. You couldn’t just grab the whole bunch off the trees and make fast work of the harvest. The good part about this job was that if I helped to pick peas I didn’t have to participate in shelling… something I hated even more (I would eat tons while shelling so I always got into trouble with our mom) and the residue on your fingers was not appealing.

Peas season (as we called the 2 month period where pigeon peas were in abundance) was a fun time for me as it always meant getting a good dose of two of my favorite dishes.. pelau and curry pigeon peas, so when I got access to fresh pigeon peas I knew right way that I had to share this recipe with you all.

You’ll Need…

3 cups pigeon peas (shelled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1.5 tablespoon curry powder
1 small tania (coco in Jamaica)
2 cups water
2 leaves shado beni (chadon beni, culantro) *

* I used fresh green pigeon peas, but I know this recipe works well with canned pigeon peas, but cooked for a shorter time and less water. Email me if you need help with that. If you can’t get the tania you can use 2 medium potatoes.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan on medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, turn the heat down to low and cook for 3 minutes. With the heat still on low, add the curry powder (I used a madras blend made in the Caribbean) and stir well. Let that toast for about 3 minutes. It will cook the raw taste of the curry off and waken up the spices which make up the curry.

Now add the diced pepper and give it a quick stir.

Rinse and drain the pigeon peas then add it to the pot at this point. Turn up the heat, add the water, diced tania, salt, black pepper and shado beni. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 35-40 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. If you’re using canned pigeon peas, cook for about 1/2 hr.

As the peas cook your kitchen will have that wicked scent of a good vegetable curry and do remember to stir it occasionally. The gravy will start to thicken up and if it’s till a bit thin, using the back of your spoon you can crush some of the now cooked peas to help thicken the gravy. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.You can also turn up the heat to burn off any extra liquid.

This is an excellent side for roti, rice or bread, and if you’re like me you’d even treat it as a soup? As it cools it will thicken up a bit so do keep that in mind when cooking off any extra liquid in the pot.

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.

Desserts

How To Make Currants Roll And Cookbook Giveaway.

April 21, 2013April 21, 2013346 Comments

Ask any Trinbagonian what’s their favorite dessert/snack and I can guarantee it would be almost impossible to find someone who would not say currants roll. A lovely flaky dough filled with cinnamon, brown sugar and currants.. layers and layers of island delight. There are some who like it somewhat wet or moist and compact and then there are those of us who look for that balance of perfect pasty exterior and a filling you’re only too excited to bite into. Before I drool on my keyboard, lets get to the recipe…

You’ll Need…

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter (cold, in cubes)
1/2 cup veg shortening (cold, in cubes)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup or more ice cold water

Filling mixture:

1 1/2 cups currants
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk

* Sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Notes. The key to flaky pasty crust is to use cold ingredients (water/butter) and don’t overwork with your hands as the natural heat can warm things up quickly.

Let’s start off by making the dough for the pastry, since we’ve got to give it time to chill in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour (2hrs is best). Cut the chilled butter and shortening (place in the freezer for about 25 minutes if you want), then sift the flour into a food processor, add the salt and cubed butter and vegetable shortening. Remember it’s important to use ice cold water. Before adding any water, give the mixture a few pulses in the food processor.. until you have the texture of little peas. Now start adding the water, about 3/4 cup to start and work it until you have a dough which will start to take shape. Add more water was needed. (it will look crumbly)

Empty the now semi-formed dough onto a flour-dusted surface and (work quickly) shape into a smooth dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for about 2 hours.

As the dough chills in the fridge you can make the mixture for the filling. Very simple – in a large bowl, place the cinnamon, currants and brown sugar and give everything a good mix. If you want to be a bit creative you can certainly add some raisins and a drop of vanilla.. but remember that the vanilla is not a traditional ingredient.

It’s now time to put things together and get these tasty treats in the oven. Cut the main dough ball into 2 pieces, then roll out the first one on a flour dusted surface. Be sure to dust your hands and rolling pin with flour as well. This dough can be a bit sticky. Roll until you have a thin (less than 1/2 centimeter) rectangle shape. Now brush the surface with 1/2 of the melted butter.

It’s now time to add the lovely stuffing and roll into shape. Pour 1/2 of the currant mixture onto the flattened dough, but leave about 2.5 centimeters as a border without any. Try to make sure it’s spread evenly. Now as if rolling a fat cigar (very tight) roll into a cylindrical shape. Remember the tighter you can roll this, the more lovely layers the finished currants roll will have. Be sure to pinch the ends to create a seal.

Repeat with the next piece of dough and remaining currant mixture. And set onto a parchment line baking sheet.

Beat the egg and milk and brush the surface of each roll to give it a lovely golden color when it’s done in the oven. The final step (optional) is to sprinkle with some granulated sugar before placing into a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes (middle rack). You’re looking for a lovely golden color.

The scent coming out of your oven will have you impatient (can you say eager anticipation?)and your children will be pacing and finding every excuse in the book to see what’s going on in the kitchen.

Allow to cool before slicing (the traditional way is to slice on an angle) so it has enough time to set and not fall apart especially if you’re using a blunt knife (I used a serrated blade). BTW you can brush with melted butter and sprinkle more sugar immediately after it comes out of the oven for that extra touch.

Yes, it’s that time again. I’ve got a wicked cookbook “Italian Kitchen – Traditional and contemporary recipes for perfect Italian cuisine” to give away to one lucky reader and I’m hoping it’s you. Each recipe comes with a beautiful picture so you know what the dish is supposed to look like, simple step by step instructions and best of all.. they’re very easy to put together. All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered..

WINNER WANTED!

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.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning this cookbook.

– 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 April 21 – to midnight May 1.

– 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 wonderful cookbook out to you. It’s simple, free and fun!

Meat & Poultry

Apple Mango Chicken Salad.

May 27, 2025February 25, 20135 Comments

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no fan of chicken breast or “white meat”, so this recipe came about out of the necessity to use that part of the chicken after having roasted chicken for dinner. Now we purposely buy chicken breast, as this apple mango chicken salad is simply outstanding and it’s one of the few dishes I make which EVERYONE eats! Cooking for teenagers can be a bit tricky at times.

With most things I prepare I like to bring a bit of the “island” into it, so the addition of the ripe mango and pinch of curry powder, was only natural.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup cubed mango
3 cups shredded chicken (cooked.. I used oven roasted)
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red onion
3/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1/2 cup diced apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch curry powder

Notes: Try to get a mango that’s about 90% ripe, so it’s firm and will be easy to dice and handle in general, without falling apart. If you don’t have a red onion, any sweet or mild onion will work. The idea is not to have karate breath after eating this.

Wash, peel and dice the mango.. you’ll need about 1/2 of a large mango. No need to peel the apple as the skin will give it some extra texture, but do pour the lemon juice over the diced apple to prevent it from going discoloured. Dice the celery and onion a bit smaller than the apple and mango.

All you have to do now is basically assemble. With the chicken in a deep bowl (shredded), place the other ingredients and give it a good mix.

There’s enough here to make about 5-8 sandwiches (depending on how generous you are) and I would recommend chilling it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using. It can keep for about 2 days in the fridge, but you may notice that some liquid may form in the container. Just give it a good stir and you’re good to go. If you’re daring be sure to add some pepper sauce or some finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper for that extra kick!

Don’t forget to get some nice crunchy lettuce and the key to a fabulous sandwich is getting the right bread.

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

The Ultimate Oven Roasted Pork.

May 27, 2025February 11, 201320 Comments

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of roasting meat in the oven, especially when you have that eager anticipation of a lovely dinner. Though over the years I’ve modified this recipe from it’s original beginnings (our mom’s recipe) , it really one which I’m very proud and excited to share. As with the other recipes in the “ultimate” series, you’ll find that this roasted pork will be an instant hit with your family and friends. And if by chance you have any left the following morning, don’t hesitate in making up a sandwich or two… you’ll be counting down the lunch hr at work.

You’ll Need..

4 lbs Pork *
1 cup orange juice
1 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
thick slice of ginger (about 1-2 tablespoon)
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 large onion
3 scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 pimento berries (allspice)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Notes: Do try to get a piece of pork which is not overly lean. With some fat or marbling, you’ll have a much more tender and juicy roasted pork. If you want to control the heat, don’t include any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper. At first you may think this is overly spicy, but the other flavors we add will help balance things.. trust me!

First up we must make the marinade so we can infuse this lovely piece of pork with some wicked flavors. Give the scallion, thyme, onion, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop, then place everything (except the pork) into a food processor (or blender) and puree for a minute or two. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, chop everything mentioned above very finely and mix in the other ingredients.

Wash and pat dry the pork, then place it in a deep bowl (or large zip lock bag) and pour the marinade over it. Give it a good toss, cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours (at least).

Place the well seasoned pork into a roasting pan (with a cover) and pour in all the marinade into the pan as well. Set your oven at 400F and place on the middle rack for 1 hour. After 1 hr, flip to the other side and go for another hour. Be sure to baste the pork as it roast with the marinade at the bottom of the pan.

After 2 hours, remove the lid and roast for another 15 minutes to give it some lovely colour and to reduce the gravy at the bottom of the pan. Remember to spoon some of that gravy over the pork as it roasts. I like my pork well done, but you can certainly tailor it to your liking. You’re looking for an internal temp of 160 F.

You would have noticed that I didn’t add any salt to this, that’s because I found that the soy sauce gave it all the salt I needed. But I’m sure you may want to add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so.. to your liking. The orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed if you’re wondering. Cover and allow to rest about 15 minutes before slicing through. The gravy at the bottom of the pan will be outstanding, so don’t you dare toss that out. There’s enough here to feed between 5-7 people.

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

Chicken Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025January 1, 201315 Comments

If you’re new to my website or Caribbean cuisine you’re probably wondering how does fried rice relate to the Caribbean. Our cuisine is heavily influenced by the many faces who make up our unique culture. With over 150 years of Chinese history in the Caribbean, our Chinese style food may be a bit different to what you’d find else where, but I assure you that we’ve been very busy over those years and (IMO) perfected many Chinese dishes. Ask any Tringbagonian, Guyanese or Jamaican (countries where there’s a heavy Chinese population) about this and they will only confirm what I’m saying

You’ll Need…

5 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1 lb chicken (chicken breast)
1 cup diced carrot
2 scallions (chopped finely)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic crushed or grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)
3 tablespoon dark soy sauce *
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tablespoon shado beni (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I used white rice, which was cooked in salted boiling water. For best results place the cooked rice in the fridge to chill before using. This will give you a lovely grainy texture (no clumping) and remember when cooking the rice, stop the cooking process when it’s about 95% done, so it’s not soggy. Start off with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, but depending on how dark you want the finished chicken fried rice, you may need to adjust. Please dice the scotch bonnet pepper very finely and don’t include any seeds. We simply don’t want the raw heat.

Tip. To get the chicken sliced thin, when it’s still a little frozen use a sharp knife and you’ll be better able to get thin slices since it will be firm.

The first thing we need to do is to season the sliced chicken with the 5 spice powder and black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for a few minutes. Heat your wok or non stick frying pan (you’ll need a large one) on med/high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the veg oil then add the seasoned chicken. Since we’re working with fairly high heat, remember to stir and it will cook in about 3-4 minutes. Now remove and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of veg oil to the wok, then add the diced onion and grate in the garlic and ginger. Let that cook for a minute, then add the diced carrots, bell peppers and celery. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Now add the diced scotch bonnet pepper and soy sauce.. followed by the pre cooked chicken and sesame oil. It will go very dark… that will change soon.

Now it’s time to add the rice (make sure you chilled it a bit so we get that grainy texture) and stir well. Since the rice is already cooked, all we’re doing is heating it through and infusing it with the main flavors of the fried rice.

Now it’s time to add the remaining 3 ingredients. Add the bean sprouts and toss, then top with the finely chopped scallions and if you were able to source the shado beni (see West Indian, Asian or Latin grocery stores.. may also be called Culantro) and cook for a minute or 2. That’s it.. you’re done.

As you can tell this can be a one pot dish with all those lovely vegetables, chicken and the rice itself. With such a large batch it can easily feed 6-8 people and I assure you, they will all be satisfied. Remember to taste for salt, but the soy sauce should add enough sodium to make this ideal (but you can adjust if you want more). If you find that the rice is a bit too pale for your liking you can add a tablespoon more soy sauce to darken it up a bit. If you have some frozen peas you can also add a cup of that for extra vegetables. Speaking about vegetables, did you know that my vegetarian fried rice recipe video is one of the most popular on Youtube?

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

Chinese Style Fried Chicken.

May 27, 2025October 16, 201220 Comments

I still recall the first time I had this fried chicken at my aunt’s kitchen in Trinidad, topped with the juice of lime pepper sauce which had been marinating for a couple months. The succulent pieces of chicken was just outstanding with the drops of spicy sauce, but the crispy skin stole the show. It’s just one of those things (moments) which will forever be engraved in my memory. The recipe itself is very simple and even with minimal ingredients, the flavor really stands out.

You’ll Need…

1.5 cups light soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 chicken (about 4 bs)
Vegetable oil for frying

Notes: You can add a 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice powder to the marinade for extra flavor and a little finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper will add the “wickedness” to everything. You’ll also need the juice of a lime or lemon to wash the chicken.

Here’s a tip to know how much vegetable oil you’ll need for frying so you won’t have a dangerous mess with overflowing hot oil when you add the seasoned chicken to the pot. It will also help you determine how large a pot you’ll need. Place your chicken (before seasoning) into the pot you plan on using to fry, then using a measuring cup, pour in water until the chicken is covered. Be sure to write down how many cups of water it took to completely cover the chicken (this will be how much oil you will need). After covering the chicken with water, make sure there is about 3 inches of space before the rim of the pot. Since as you add the chicken to the hot oil it may rise and try to flow over.

Now remove the chicken and get ready to marinade.

Wash the chicken with cool water and lime or lemon juice, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Then place in a large zip lock bag and place the bagged chicken in a bowl which can fit in your fridge. So in the event of a leaky bag, you won’t have a mess in your fridge. All you have to do now is pour in the soy sauce and grate the ginger directly into the bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can as you seal the bag.. then massage the entire chicken so the marinade gets up-close and personal with the entire bird.

Allow the now seasoned chicken to marinate in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove from the fridge and allow to come back to room temperature as you heat the oil for frying (get it to about 325F). Using paper towels, dry off the chicken so we won’t have any liquid causing problems when we introduce it to the hot oil.

With my oil nice and hot (med/high flame) I gently added the chicken to it.

Depending on the size of your chicken, it can take between 40 and 50 minutes to cook all the way though and get you that lovely crispy skin. If you’re using chicken pieces, it should be fully cooked after about 25 minutes. I then placed the fried chicken to cool on a cooling rack in a baking tray. So the excess oil will drain into the tray.

Since we’re using soy sauce to marinate the chicken, you may find that the chicken may turn out to be a bit salty (why we went for light soy sauce). You can certainly rinse the chicken with cool water after marinating overnight to help with that, but the sort of salty base is what’s unique about this fried chicken.. get some Hoisin sauce and the sweetness will work as a good balance for the chicken. Don’t forget to have some good Caribbean pepper sauce ready as well.

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

Fried Shark For Bake And Shark.

November 9, 2014October 11, 201217 Comments

Seems the masses are getting impatient. After posting the fried bake recipe last week, I’m getting ‘friendly’ reminders from readers about part two in this three part Bake and Shark series. NO! I didn’t forget about you guys and the other parts to this classic fish sandwich. As website, videos and facebook fan page gets more popular, it’s taking up much more of my time. This is quickly demanding full time hours and I’m really hoping a sponsor would come on board soon so I can have the funds to really focus on overall growth (Still have my day job to put ‘food’ on the table).

Bake and shark is one of those classic street foods (sandwiches) in Trinidad and Tobago and if you’ve ever had the pleasure of spending a day on the beach at Maracas bay, I’m sure you may have patronized “Richards” or one of the other vendors who made this sandwich so popular.

You’ll Need…

2 lb shark
1 lime or lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon green seasoning
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
veg oil for frying (about 2-3 cups)

Notes: Save a few drops of the lime or lemon juice for seasoning the shark as well.

The first step is to prep the shark (cut into thin pieces). You can watch the following video: How To Fillet And Skin Shark For Frying or follow along with the aid of these pics.

The idea is to remove the skin, then remove the meat off the center bone and finally.. slice thinly.

Next up we need to wash the shark pieces with a bit of cool water and the juice of the lime or lemon. Rinse with cool water and squeeze dry. Shark ‘meat’ is known to hold extra liquid, so do remember to squeeze dry. Then place in a bowl and season with the salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, green seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper chopped finely.

Give it a good stir and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Personally I like frying fish outdoors as the smell can be very strong inside the house. So we used the burner on my propane grill for this step. But before we get started you’ll need to create a sort of frying station as we’ve done in the past. Plate with flour, seasoned shark, pot with vegetable oil and a wire basket (or bowl) lined with paper towels to dry off the extra grease from frying.

Heat your oil on a med/high heat.. then take each piece of seasoned shark and dust all sides in the flour, then place into the now hot oil. Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side and remember to flip. If you over-cook the shark, it may go a bit tough. Remove from the hot oil, drain and get ready to assemble your bake and shark sandwiches.

The final part in the series is to show you how to make the creamy coleslaw to go as a topping for these delicious bake and shark sandwiches. So here is that video:

If you’ve ever purchased bake and shark in Trinidad and Tobago you’ll know that the condiments are just as important as the sandwiches themselves. So be a bit creative.. top with fresh tomato, red onions, slices of pineapple, fresh lettuce.. and how could one forget the variety of sauces.

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

Stewed Pumpkin With Shrimp.

September 1, 2012September 1, 20128 Comments

Like okra, pumpkin is one of those things I’m only just starting to really appreciate. Pumpkin is heavily used throughout the Caribbean to add extra body to stews and soups, in desserts like cassava pone and how could one forget the classic pumpkin rice. However ever since my mom made pumpkin with shrimp a few years back for me, it’s got to be tops on my list. This pumpkin talkari (word for side dish) recipe is a clone of her’s, but like so many things this woman prepares… I could never match her skills.

You’ll Need…

4 cups pumpkin (peeled and cubed – 1 inch pieces)
1 medium onion
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
3 cloves garlic chopped fine or crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin works best for me as it gives it a nutty flavour)
1/2 teaspoon salt (check at the end of cooking to add more if needed)
3/4 teaspoon golden brown sugar
3/4 cup shrimp
1 teaspoon green seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Notes: I was able to track down the same type of pumpkin we use in the Caribbean (Common Name: “calabaza”, “Caribbean pumpkin”, Cuban squash, West Indian pumpkin) at a local West Indian grocery, so I was quite happy. Click Caribbean Green Seasoning if you’d like to see a video showing how to make this versatile green seasoning we use in most of our meat and fish dishes in the Caribbean.

Before we get to the prep work and actual cooking, lets briefly marinate the shrimp for a few minutes. You should have cleaned and deveined shrimp (wash with a little lemon or lime juice and cool water), then add the black pepper and green seasoning paste and give it a good stir. Let that marinate as we get ready to cook (no need to marinate too long or the green seasoning will start cooking the shrimp).

Peel, cube and wash your pumpkin.. the skin may be a bit tough as it’s thick and waxy. Use a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler. Chop the onion and scotch bonnet pepper and do remember to wear gloves when handling such potent peppers and don’t include any of the seeds. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where most of the explosive heat will be, so discard. Crush or chop the garlic in thin slices.

It’s now time to start cooking (if you prepped the pumpkin in advanced, be sure to keep it in a bowl with cool water to prevent it going discolored) , heat the olive oil (you can also use veg oil) on a medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp. Stir quickly as we want to cook the shrimp half the way through and create a flavor base at the same time. After 2 minutes, remove the shrimp and place it back in the same bowl it was marinated in.

Now add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on low heat. Again we’re building the layers of flavor, so the finished pumpkin with shrimp is finger licking.

Add the slices of scotch bonnet pepper and give everything a good stir. Now add the cubed pumpkin (be sure to drain first), top with the salt and give it a good stir. Place the lid on the pot and after 2-3 minutes you’ll start to hear a sort of sizzle. That’s the pumpkin starting to boil as it will release it’s own natural juices. Give the pot a stir, turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for about 25 minutes. Be sure to stir every 4-5 minutes.

After 25 minutes the pumpkin should start to melt away and you’ll notice there will be a lot of liquid in the pot. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to start burning off the liquid as an ideal pumpkin with shrimp will have a sort of dry finish. After most of the liquid is gone (about 4-5 minutes), add back the semi cooked shrimp to the pot, as well as the brown sugar. Continue cooking to burn off any remaining liquid. It took about 4 minutes for it to go to the consistency I wanted.

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Depending on the texture you like, you can use the back of your cooking spoon to crush any remaining chunks of pumpkin, so you have a relatively smooth finish. But if you like it a bit chunky, do nothing.

Personally I like this pumpkin with shrimp with roti, but I learned that is just as delicious with brown rice since I was too lazy to make roti. You can do this fully vegetarian by following the vegetarian version of cooking pumpkin at pumpkin talkari recipe.

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

Fried Okra With Salted Cod.

August 27, 2012August 27, 201215 Comments

Okra or ochro as it’s passionately known in the Caribbean is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to prepare. Gone are the days when our mom couldn’t even beg us to eat fried okra or okra in general. Steamed, fried, stuffed or in stews.. I love me some okra now. I recall my mom always having okra in her small kitchen garden at the back of our home and it was my duty to pick them for making callaloo on a Sunday. That was my only okra intake as a child.. in callaloo. I still recall getting wet by the dew drops on the leaves of the plant before the morning sun came up and how you had to be careful not to brush too much against the plant or you’d have to deal with itchy skin.

You’ll Need…

1lb okra
4 tablespoon Veg Oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup salted fish *
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I used salted cod but you can use your fav type of saltfish. Since the flakes of salted fish will still contain some salt, you may not need to add any salt to the dish. However do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly. Remember when working with scotch bonnet (and any hot pepper) that most of the raw heat is in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. Discard if you’re concerned about the heat. Cooking okra like this uses a lot of oil, so I used a non stick pan to help cut back on the amount of oil I needed.

Okra is notorious for having a slimy texture and this is what usually turns people off it. This little tip will help you overcome this.. wash and dry the okra with paper towels, then trim off the stems. Cut into 1/4 inch wheels (or any shape you like), then line a cookie sheet with more paper towels or a tea towel and spread the now cut okra onto the cookie sheet. Try to make it one layer, then place in direct sun for a couple hrs to dry off. If you don’t have that wonderful Caribbean sunshine, simply place it in a corner of your kitchen and allow it to air dry for a few hours.

If you’re not sure how to work with salted fish, you must check out this video : How To Prepare Salted Fish Basically you have to place the salted fish in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Leave for 2-25 minutes on a rolling boil, then drain and rinse off with cool water. Now break apart into flakes or shred. The goal is to remove most of the salt the fish is cured in, rehydrate the fish so it plumps up and to sort of tenderize it a bit.

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a non stick pan and add the shredded salted cod. Reduce to a low heat and allow to cook for about 4-6 minutes. As the pieces of fish starts to crispy up and edges go brown, it’s time to add the sliced onion, scotch bonnet pepper garlic and black pepper. Allow this to cook on a medium heat for a couple minutes. The idea is to create a very flavorful base before we add the sliced okra.

With your heat still on medium, add the now dried okra slices into the pan and give it a good stir. Please don’t cover the pan.. we don’t want to add any moisture to the pan or risk it going slimy.

Here’s where you can personalize the dish. I like my fried okra with a little crunch but the edges must be browned, so I allowed mine to cook for 20 minutes but you can certainly cook longer or less time. After 20 minutes I topped with the tomato (please remove all seeds and liquid before dicing) and gave it a good stir. Basically the tomato is to brighten up the dish, so 2 minutes of cooking and the fried okra should be done. The last couple minutes is when you should taste for salt and adjust accordingly. It’s important to add salt near the end of cooking when working with okra as it will also cause moisture to develop and you really don’t want that.

I could honestly have this for breakfast. lunch or dinner.. give me some brown rice, roti or flour dumplings and I’m cool as a cucumber. This fried okra recipe is a HIT and I’m sure you’ll change your thoughts o okra after you’ve given it a try.

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.

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Festive Saltfish Buljol Recipe.

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Traditional Curry Pigeon Peas Recipe.

How To Make Currants Roll And Cookbook Giveaway.

WINNER WANTED!

Apple Mango Chicken Salad.

The Ultimate Oven Roasted Pork.

Chicken Fried Rice.

Chinese Style Fried Chicken.

Fried Shark For Bake And Shark.

Stewed Pumpkin With Shrimp.

Fried Okra With Salted Cod.

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