trinidad recipe Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

Over the years I’ve shared many traditional (mango, cucumber, pineapple and Pommecythere), along with nontraditional type Chow recipes with you. Including ones made with Cherries, Grapes, and Strawberries. Surprisingly I’ve never shared my Peach Chow with you. Until today!

You’ll Need…

5 Peaches (firm)
3-5 cloves garlic
3 leaves Shado Beni (aka chando Beni or culantro)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 fatali pepper
2 lemons (juice)
1 lime (juice)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 small red onion (sliced thin)
* water

Note! Please watch the video below to see how easy it was to cut the peaches into wedges and why using firm peaches which are air-dried first, gives you best results. The type of hot pepper you use is up to you. Chow is supposed to be spicy, but you’re free to tailor this to your own liking and heat tolerance. Reminder – wash you hands with soap and water after handling hot peppers.

Give the peaches a rinse then remove the seeds (stone, pit) and cut into segments. At this point I like for the pieces to air dry for about 30 minutes.

Try you best to get firm peaches as the more ripe (softer ones) will have the tendency to go to mush easily.

Add the salt, garlic and hot pepper you decide on using to your mortar and crush until smooth. To control the heat a bit you may adjust the amount of pepper you use and should you want… remove and discard the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. Be mindful that the smashing action may cause it to splatter and get to your eyes.

I like squeezing the citrus juices directly into this mixture so I can somewhat rinse the mortar out with it and collect all that spicy garlic goodness.

In a large bowl with the peach wedges, add the thinly sliced red onion and top with the chopped Shado beni. Then pour the spicy juice directly over it all.

Since we air-dried the peaches for a bit, you’ll find that the chow base (juices) will soak in and get deeper into the peach and not just sit on the surface. Give it a good mix and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge before you jump in to enjoy. Yea, taste for salt and adjust.

Providing you used firm peaches, it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. Feel free to add a bit of water should you want more of the sauce. Yes, as a lil fella on the islands we enjoyed that juice as much as the actual fruit we used.

Should you not be able to source the shado beni, cilantro (aka coriander) is an excellent replacement.

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.

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

Quick And Tasty Curry Chicken Livers.

May 27, 2025February 8, 20149 Comments

A coworker had invited me out for lunch many moons ago saying that the restaurant in the mall where we worked had the best liver with onions on special every Thursday… I still recall his enthusiasm when he spoke about how delicious they were. I also recall other coworkers having a sort of disgusting look on their faces as they heard him describe this liver with onions. No-Lie it was the most revolting thing I had ever tasted. Still a bit bloody and that metallic taste stuck with me the rest of the day. No wonder parents in North America struggle to get their children to eat chicken liver. It’s the way YOU cook it!

If you’ve tried my other chicken liver recipe : Caribbean Inspired Stewed Livers , you’ll know it’s all about flavor so don’t be alarmed when I get all the liver haters loving livers.

You’ll Need…

1 lb Chicken Livers
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bell pepper
2 scallions (green onions)
1 shallot (or small onion)
4 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
4 bird’s eye pepper (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
3 leaves shado beni (or cilantro)

1 tablespoon curry powder

Note: Shado Beni (Chadon beni) can be found at most West Indian stores as well as Asian and Latino markets where it may be called culantro. The best substitute is cilantro or coriander. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, do ensure that the curry powder has no flour filler to meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Prepare the ingredients (slice the shallot, bell pepper and scallion, then diced the garlic and shado beni). Please leave the bird’s eye pepper whole as we want the flavor but not the raw heat. Obviously if you want the kick, dice them. Bearing in mind that the seeds will pack a real kick if you include them. Clean, chop the liver in equal sized pieces (so they cook evenly) and wash/ drain.

Heat the oil on a medium heat then add the shallots and garlic, lower the heat and let it cook slowly for a couple minutes. Now add the curry powder and cook (still on low) for another 2-3 minutes. The curry will go a bit darker and grainy. The goal here is to wake-up the spices which make up the curry blend.

Toss in the whole peppers (stems removed) and heat through, then add the pieces of liver to the pot and stir well to coat with that lovely curry base we created. Turn the heat up to medium/high now. Then top with everything else except the shado beni, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes.

It’s important to not cover the pot or it will release a ton of moisture and then it will mean cooking longer than necessary to burn off that liquid. The last minute of cooking, top with the finely chopped shado beni or cilantro. Taste for salt as your tolerance for salt will be different than mine.

Now here’s the kicker (after my gallivanting above about how YOU cook livers).. our girls refuse to eat liver, even with this delicious version. Liver has a bad reputation, falsely spread by people who (in most cases) have never given them a try. Yes the texture is a bit weird, but once cooked correctly, the tasty flavor will make up for that. Serve warm!

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

Gluten Free Seafood Vegetarian

Baby Pak Choi With Salted Cod The Caribbean Way.

November 24, 2014February 5, 20147 Comments

One of my favorite dishes growing up on the islands was when mom would make pak choi with leftover stewed pork. The slight crunch from the pak choi (not over-cooked) combined with the flavors brought to the game by the tender pieces of stewed pork with hints of ginger.. I may have to get that one done very soon as I now have a craving. Back to the pak choi with salted fish recipe… This version is just as tasty, as I find that the bits of salted cod brings it’s own unique flavor to the finished dish.

You’ll notice that I added this recipe to the vegetarian section as the salted fish can easily be omitted with great results. I would just double up on the onion and garlic for added flavor.

You’ll Need…

2 lb baby pak choi
1 cup prepared salted cod
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 large onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (diced)
2 tablespoon olive oil

Optional – Cashews and/or sliced almonds

Double wash the pak choi as there’s usually sand/dirt between the stems and drain, then chop into 1/4 inch pieces (cut across into ribbons). You’ll need to boil the salted fish (cod) then rinse and shred. The boiling will remove most of the salt it was cured in and help hydrate it a bit. If you don’t boil the salted fish in water before using it will be too salty for use. Watch this video if you’re unfamiliar with working with salted fish (click link) : How To Prepare Salted Fish. Try to purchase boned salted fish to avoid having to pick out the tiny bones.. but still keep an eye out for any bones which may still be present in boned saltfish.

Now heat the oil on a medium flame in a wide pan and add the diced garlic and onion. Reduce the heat to low and slowly cook for 3-5 minutes. Then toss in the bits of salted cod (any dry salted fish) as well as the black pepper and with the heat still on low cook for another 2-3 minutes The goal here is to get a ton of flavor created before adding the chopped pak choi.

Raise the heat to medium and start adding the chopped pak choi to the pot. It will wilt as it cooks so don’t get alarmed when you get the feeling it won’t all fit in your pan. Top with the scotch bonnet pepper and stir well. Do not cover the pot or you’ll risk having too much moisture/liquid form.

Cook with the pan uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until you get the desired texture you like with your pak choi. I like it with a slight crunch. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to the dish as the remaining salt from the salted cod will be enough to season this properly.. but do taste and adjust accordingly.

If you want to add some cashews or sliced almonds, you can do so the final 2 minutes of cooking. This will add a lot of texture to the dish (and protein). Remember when working with scotch bonnet (or any hot pepper) to wear gloves if your skin is sensitive and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Also note that the scotch bonnet is optional and do not include the pepper’s seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where the majority of heat will be.

This is a wonderful dish to have with steamed or boiled rice, works well with roti and other flat breads and if all fails.. make a sandwich with it. Superb! 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

Curry Cabbage With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Chicken.

May 27, 2025December 29, 201312 Comments

Cabbage is another one of those vegetables mom could never get us to eat, unless it was in chow mein or if she added leftover stewed meats to it. However these days you can always find cabbage in our crisper in the fridge as I add it to many dishes I prepare. Especially if I’m trying to ‘stretch’ a dish to feed more people. With left-over stewed chicken in the fridge, I thought this would be an excellent time to share the curry cabbage with stewed chicken mom would bribe us into eating cabbage when we were kids.

If you’re new to the website and don’t know what ‘Stewed chicken” is, see: Tasty Trinidad style stew chicken recipe.

You’ll Need…

1 medium cabbage (shredded)
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon curry powder (your fav)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* left over stewed chicken

Notes: I used a Caribbean made Madras curry powder in making this dish , but you’re free to use your favorite kind. This dish is just as delicious if you choose not to add any meats and have it fully vegetarian.

Shred the cabbage, crush the garlic, dice the onion and slice the scotch bonnet pepper (don’t use any of the seeds of the pepper or it will be very spicy). Then heat the oil on a medium flame and add the garlic and onion. Turn the heat down to low and allow this to slowly cook for 3-5 minutes.

With you heat still on low, add the curry powder and black pepper and mix around. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.. basically we’re toasting the curry powder to release all the flavors of the spices. It will go darker and grainy.

Turn the heat up to medium and start adding the cabbage, it will wilt as it cooks in the event you find that your pan is crowded. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and salt.

Turn the heat down to med-low, cover the pot and let it go for about 7 minutes or so. Stir a couple times during this cooking period.

Remove the lid (here is where you’ll personalize it a bit) and taste for salt and see if the texture is close to how you like it. Add the pieces of leftover stewed chicken, stir and turn up the heat to burn off any excess liquid (about 3-4 minutes).

For a little flair I added some chopped cherry tomatoes at the end. This is a wonderful side dish and goes well with rice or roti and is excellent on sandwiches.

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

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

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.

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

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Jamaican Callaloo And Swiss Chard A Wicked Vegetarian Combination.

December 3, 2014September 11, 20135 Comments

With both Jamaican callaloo (aka amaranth, callaloo, chorai or bhagi) and Swiss chard both in abundance in my garden this summer, I thought I’d combine them both for a delicious vegetarian recipe. Here’s the thing, DON”T for one minute think this will be a bland or petty recipe since you heard me use the word vegetarian. If you’re new to Caribbean cuisine be aware that NO recipe is ever bland. We love bold flavors and our food always reflect the vibrancy of our people.

You’ll Need…

1 table spoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
6 cups Jamaican Callaloo (trimmed)
6 cups Swiss Chard (trimmed)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk

Notes: You can also use vegetable or olive oil if you don’t have coconut oil. IMPORTANT: if doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, drain and trim the Swiss chard and callaloo bush. With the Swiss chard do wash them thoroughly as the ribs of the stem can hide dirt. With the calaloo bush, don’t use any tough stems. Roll into bundles and cut into ribbons/shreds. Also prep the onion (sliced thin) , scotch bonnet pepper (dice), garlic (sliced thin) and tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a deep sauce pan on medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low so we can gently cook the onion/garlic. After 3 minutes, turn the heat back up and start adding the shredded callaloo and Swiss chard to the pot. It may seem as if it won’t all fit, but it will wilt down. Then add the scotch bonnet pepper, salt and black pepper. Top it with the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Now reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

If there’s any remaining liquid in the pot at this point, remove the lid, turn up the heat and burn it off. Yea, it’s that simple a dish to put together.

After you turn the heat of, drizzle on the lime (or lemon) juice, top with the chopped tomatoes and cover the pot. Let that sit for about 3 minutes before serving. For those of you who get that sort of itch at the back of your throat when you eat “greens” the lime juice will help with that, plus it will brighten up this dish 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

Caribbean Spinach With Shrimp Recipe.

May 18, 2013May 18, 20135 Comments

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.

Seafood

Zesty Caribbean Pan Fried Sardines Recipe.

August 7, 2013May 6, 20134 Comments

I remember our mom having this ready for our dad when he came home from work after a long day with dhal (yellow split peas) and rice.. always had some sliced cucumber and water cress on the side. My king would be in dinner ecstasy! Fry dry as it was known in our home, wasn’t something me and my siblings looked forward too as our dad, as we hated the tiny little bones of the sardines. Something if fried correctly will have a slight crunch and can be eaten as well.

You’ll Need…

1lb sardines
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
2 sprig thyme
2 scallions
1 tablespoon parsley
3 leaves shado beni
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
pinch black pepper
1 lemon (juice) for the marinade
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
* about 2 cups of veg oil for frying

Notes: If you can’t source shado beni, use double the amount of cilantro. Remember to not use any of the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat. And do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling these lethal peppers.

* Scale and gut the sardines (if it wasn’t already done for you at the fish market), then wash with the juice of a lime or lemon and cool water. Drain and get ready to marinate.

Place all the ingredients mentioned above (except the flour, curry powder and fish) into a blender or food processor and blend into a paste. Be prepared for a very refreshing (herbal) scent.. you’ll love it!

Pour the marinade onto the cleaned sardines and mix well. Try to get some into the belly cavity of the fish. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours. If you don’t have a blender, chop the ingredients very finely.

As the vegetable (any oil which can withstand high heat) oil heats on a medium flame, it’s time to make the seasoned flour to roll the marinated sardines in. Basically all you have to do is place the flour (all purpose) on a plate and mix in the curry powder (madras blend). Then coat each sardine in the seasoned flour. Try to keep some of the marinade on the fish as you dust them in the flour. Be sure to shake off excess flour.

Place in the hot oil and cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes… you’re looking for it to go golden in color and crispy. After about 7-8 minutes (I know it sounds like a long time to cook tiny fish.. but we want these crispy) remove, drain on paper towels and do try to serve as hot as you can.

There will be enough here for 3-4 people as a side dish and these crispy fried sardines can also double as a snack. Serve warm, with pepper sauce as a dip.. a garlic sauce would also go 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.

Desserts

Peanut Butter Stuffed Prunes.

March 27, 2013March 27, 20137 Comments

It’s always the little things in life you tend to cherish and miss. As a boy on the islands I fondly recall these wonderful treats at parties and any sort of social gathering and how much they remind me of happy times. When one thinks about dessert, prunes is definitely not something which comes to mind. After-all, people only eat prunes if they have problems going to the bathroom..right? WRONG! And I’ll prove it with this simple recipe.

You’ll Need…

Pitted Prunes
Smooth Peanut Butter

Notes. You can certainly use prunes with the seeds, but it’s takes a lot of time to remove them. Other than peanut butter, you can also stuff them with Nutella or a combination of nutella and peanut butter. For a more fancy finish you can place the peanut butter in a piping bag and use that to stuff the prunes.

* Remember if you’re serving this to guests, to mention that there is peanuts in this in the event there are any relating allergies.

The amount of prunes and peanut butter needed depends on how many of these you plan on making. You’ll need about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter for each prune.

Using a pairing knife or scissors cut a slit in each prune, about 1 inch across and deep enough to stuff (be careful). Then open each slit and stuff with about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter. You’re done!

You can make these in advance and place them (covered) in the fridge for a a day or two. This is without a doubt the fastest recipe I’ve ever shared and those of you familiar with these lovely treats may not even see this as being a 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.

Vegetarian

Tasty Vegetarian Mashed Yams.

February 7, 2013February 15, 20134 Comments

Did you know that the tuber most people outside the Caribbean call yams are really a milder sweet potato? On the islands we have several varieties of yams and in this recipe I’ll be using Kush Kush, which is probably one of the more harder varieties to source. I recall as a young fella on the islands how excited our dad would be when he came across some Kush Kush, but today I can readily get them at any of the larger Asian grocery stores which seem to be popping up everywhere.

As we have different varieties of yams, so too the taste, texture and starch content. Kush Kush is a much more drier when cooked and it’s texture is somewhat sandy and brittle, so you’ll find that the finished dish will be crumbly as compared to if you used another common variety.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs kush kush yam
1 large onion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tables spoon shopped parsley
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Notes: Be sure to wear gloves or coat your hands with vegetable oil when peeling the yams as they may irritate your skin. You can add additional flavor to this dish by adding some fried bacon or salted cod when you cook the onions.

The first step in preparing this dish is to peel, wash and cut the yams into similar size pieces. Then place the yam pieces in a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water, reduce to a rolling boil and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). After 15 minutes, use a sharp pairing knife to pierce the yam pieces and if there’s no resistance, you’ll know it’s fully cooked. Boil as if you’re boiling potatoes. Skim of any frothy residue at the top of the pot when boiling and discard.

As the yam boils, it’s a good time to prepare the other ingredients.

When the yam is fully cooked, drain and crush while it’s still hot (chunky).

In a saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat, then add the onion and cook for a couple minutes. Then add all the other ingredients and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the crushed (boiled) yam and give it a good stir.

You have a couple options now. You can heat through so all the flavors marry and you get all the lovely goodness with every bite (2-3 minutes of cooking) Or you can allow it to cook for a longer period, until you start getting a nice sort of crust. Try to serve hot!

This is a lovely vegetarian meal on it’s own, but it’s just as good as a side dish paired with stewed, curry or grilled meats. Remember you can add additional flavor by adding bacon or salted cod fish pieces. If adding bacon or salted cod, cook these items first before adding the onions etc. Remember to wear gloves and to wash your hands immediately after handling scotch bonnet peppers. And if you’re concerned about the raw heat… don’t include any seeds or the white membrane surrounding the seeds.

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