Bodi or Bora, and some may even know it as Yard Beans, Snake Beans, Pea Beans, Asparagus Beans or Chinese Long Beans, is one of my favorite curry dishes, even as a lil fella on the islands. And while the recipe will work with French or String beans, Bodi has a unique flavor it imparts into the finished dish like nothing else.
You’ll Need…
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion (sliced) 5 cloves garlic (crushed) 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Geera) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon Green Seasoning 2 tablespoons curry powder 3 Bird Pepper (bird’s eye) 2 lbs Bodi (trimmed) 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust) 4 medium potatoes (chunks) 2 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 tablespoon coconut cream
Notes. May I recommend you use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain fillers. I used Bird’s Eye Peppers in the amount I can handle, use any pepper you like or can source or you may leave it out.
Wash and trim the ends off the Bodi (discard), then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse again and drain.
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic and Cumin (geera) seeds. Turn the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the Caribbean Green Seasoning, Bird’s Eye Peppers and black pepper, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the curry powder. Heat still on low.
The goal is to slowly cook the curry powder to bloom the spices which make up this wonderful blend. Should you need to add a bit more oil, do so.
Four minutes later add the washed and trimmed Bodi to the pot and stir well.
Turn the heat up to medium high.
Follow up with the salt and potato pieces. Mix well to coat.
The water goes in now and bring to a boil.
Tuck in the coconut cream and reduce to a simmer. Cook with the lid on but slightly ajar.
At the 25 minute mark you may check and adjust the salt. Remember to stir a couple times and add a bit more water if you need to. Here’s when you’ll decide if the sauce of gravy at the bottom is to your liking.
The potato pieces along with the Bodi should be fully cooked by now and it’s important that you consider that any sauce at the bottom of the pot will further thicken as it cools, especially with the residual heat of the pot.
While in my youth Sada Roti was my fave way to enjoy this delightful vegan dish, over the years Buss Up Shut Roti is my go-to!
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.
About 10 years ago I had my first culinary encounter with tomato and rice soup while visiting Caron’s grandparents and though I wasn’t (so I thought..silly me) a fan of tomato soup, the plump grains of rice in it got my attention. I could not believe I was asking for seconds even though my bowl was only half the way through. I had always reflected back to that dish, but for some reason I never ventured to ask Heddi (ma-mere) for the recipe. Somehow I’m glad I didn’t as when it came time to prepare it it this past summer when we had an abundance of vine ripe tomatoes in our garden, I decided to put my own twist on this tomato and rice soup I first fell in love with a decade ago.
Tomato choka is one of my favorite ways to enjoy ripe tomatoes, so I thought I’d mimic the same technique in making this rice and tomato soup for those rich roasted and spicy flavors. Basically, here’s my take on tomato choka soup.
You’ll Need…
3 large tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chicken stock (or veg)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch ground coriander
* If you don’t have access to a grill as I did, toss the tomatoes in about 2 tablespoon of olive oil (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and roast them in your oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes or so. You will notice that I used chicken stock, but the recipe is posted in the vegetarian section. For vegetarians, please use vegetable stock and it will be a complete one-pot vegetarian meal. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the ingredient list to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
As with making traditional tomato choka I placed the ripe tomatoes on my grill, along with a whole green scotch bonnet pepper to cook. The pepper will take about 2-3 minutes (remove), but give the tomatoes about 20-30 minutes, flipping them so they char evenly. Yes, it’s normal for them to look burnt on the outside.
Remove the tomatoes off the grill and place in a bowl to cool. They will release a lot of liquid as they cool, thus the reason for having them in a bowl so you can save this lovely liquid to add to the pot later. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin and give them a rough chop.
Heat the olive oil on a med/low flame in your soup pot and gently cook the diced onion, thyme and garlic for about 4 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. By adding the tomato paste at this point the sort of frying will increase the natural sugars in the paste and give the dish a lovely sweetness.
Now turn up the heat and add all the other ingredients except the rice. Bring to a boil.
Wash the rice to remove any grit and extra starch. Do so by placing the rice in a strainer and run cool water over it while moving it around until the water runs clear. Or you can place the rice in a deep bowl, top with water, then massage the grains of rice. The water will get cloudy. Drain, repeat until the water runs clear. As the pot comes to a boil add the rice, then turn the heat down so you have an active simmer going.
Let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice grains are plump and fully cooked.
Skim off any sort of reside off the top of the pot as it cooks and discard. Remember to taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If you used a whole scotch bonnet pepper as I did, you now have 2 options. Remove it so you don’t have that ‘kick’ or burst it open to reveal that Caribbean sunshine. WARNING! It will be live!
Top with some chopped parsley and get ready to serve with a thick slice of coconut bake or bread. This is not your typical Caribbean soup which is usually thick with ground provisions and salted meats (for the most part), but I assure you that this absolutely delicious, quite filling and a great twist on traditional tomato soup and rice soup.
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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.
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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.
My first true encounter with ‘good’ Jamaican festivals was breakfast at our friend Dino’s home in Portmore Jamaica several years ago. Imagine waking up to a full spread of festivals, ackee and saltfish, boiled green bananas and to top it all off, a piping hot cup of rich and creamy Milo! Moms (Dino’s mom) had us set for the day! When the day came for us to continue our trek through Jamaica (Ocho Rios > Montego Bay then Negril) it was painful to know that we won’t be waking up to such a wonderful home-cooked breakfast anymore.
My inquisitive self had to investigate this wonderful Jamaican Festivals recipe in more detail, so with some arm-twisting I got mom to leave me with some hints. Here we go…
You’ll Need…
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
* About 3 cups of veg oil for frying.
In a large bowl sift in the flour and baking powder, then add the cornmeal, sugar and salt. Give that a quick whisk to mix the ingredients, before we start adding water.
It’s now time to start adding the liquids, so pour in the vanilla and start adding the water a little at a time as you whisk everything around. As it stars to take the shape of dough, you will need to get your hands in there and start kneading. If you find that the 1/2 cup of water was not enough, do drizzle in some more. The idea is to work it for 5-7 minutes, until you have a well formed dough ball that’s firm dough and slightly sticky. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for about 1/2 hr.
After it’s rested, dust your work surface with four and divide the dough ball into 8 equal (as best you can) parts. Then using your hands form each piece into a cigar shape. Try to make them about 6-8 inches long and not overly thick. They will increase in size as they fry.
It’s now time to fry these until they are golden brown and get ready to enjoy some of the best fried dumplings you’ve ever had. Heat the vegetable oil on med, then gently add the shaped festivals dough into the pan. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes before you flip them over. In total you’ll probably need between 5-6 minutes for each to be fully cooked and take on that lovely golden color we’re looking for. Have paper towels ready to drain off the excess oil after they’re cooked.
These Jamaican festivals are just amazing and you’ll love the crunchy exterior and the fluffy interior will have a lovely texture followed by the flavored sweetness of the vanilla and sugar.
Do try to serve warm and if you want to get a bit creative you can certainly dust them with some icing sugar if you want to make them more like a snack for the kids.
WINNER WANTED!
As I promised on Facebook a few days back, we’ve got a lovely 7 piece Tomodachi knife set to give out to one lucky winner. There was a lot of excitement when I posted that note, so I do expect to see a lot of entries for this giveaway. All you have to do is watch the following video and in the comment section directly below, let me know if the tutorial was helpful (basically what you like about it).
Your name will be automatically entered to win this beautiful knife set which I’m sure you’ll enjoy using. One lucky winner will then be chosen (randomly) and we’ll mail out the prize to you as we normally do.
Here are the rules pertaining to winning this knife set.
– contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)
– 1 winner will be chosen at random
– contest is open from May 30 – to midnight June 30.
– 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 collection of knives out to you. It’s simple, free and fun!
I must mention that I used chicken broth in this recipe and you’ll find it’s listed under the vegetarian section of the website so please use vegetable stock to make this fully vegetarian as I didn’t have any left in the pantry when I was putting the recipe together. If you can’t source Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhaji), any ‘greens’ will work (spinach, collard greens… even the green parts of pak choi (bok choy) or Swiss chard).
The flavors from the fresh herbs, scotch bonnet pepper, onion and the textures of the sweet potato and callaloo, will all combine for an excellent Caribbean inspired soup.
You’ll Need…
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (540 mL) Bean Medley
1 large onion diced
1 potato
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
8 cups Jamaican callaloo
1/4 cup parsley leaves with stems
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper.
1 diced sweet potato
2 scallions (spring / green onions)
1 tablespoon thyme
Notes. use veg stock for the veg version of this recipe. If you don’t have coconut oil, use extra virgin olive oil.
Start by prepping the ingredients.. wash, chop and dice. The sweet potato is peeled and diced as you would any regular potato and try to cube them in the same sizes. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet pepper, wash your hands with soap and do not include any of the seeds. That’s where the real fire is when it comes to such lethal peppers.
Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot on medium heat, then add the diced onion, garlic, parsley, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper. Turn the heat down to low and let that gently cook for about 3-5 minutes. We’re creating a lovely base for the soup at this point.
Wash, drain and trim the callaloo (cut into smaller pieces).. feel free to use any tender stems if you wish. Tough stems will not cook down and will give the soup a woody texture. Now add all the chopped callaloo to the pot and give it a good stir. It will wilt down as it cooks.
Add the cubed potatoes and all the other ingredients to the pot. Bring that up to a boil and reduce with the cover slightly ajar to a rolling boil for about 20-25 minutes.
I don’t like using beans straight out of the can, so I usually place the beans in a strainer and let cool water run over them to remove the grit and excess sodium in packed in.
Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. The vegetables will still have their shape so it’s now up to you (if you want to thicken it up a bit as I did), to use a stick blender and give it a couple quick buzz. DO NOT over do it. If you don’t have a stick (immersion) blender, you can take about a cup or 2 (not all) out and place it in your traditional blender and give it a couple pulses. Then return it back to the pot and give everything a good mix. If you don’t have either you can use a whisk or swizzle stick to break things down a little so it thicken up a bit.
This recipe is enough for 4-6 people as a starter and 3-4 as a full meal with some coconut bake or your favourite bread… please serve hot.
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Though a very popular side dish/snack sold by many road-side vendors in Trinidad and Tobago, our only encounter with these tasty treats came yearly. Our mom’s cousin would always invite us to her home for Divali, where she would have a buffet of Indian influenced dishes and treats waiting for us. I can still remember that distinct scent of coconut oil burning in the deyas and the lovely aroma from the variety of dishes she prepared earlier in the day. Cousin Ivy is no longer with us (sadly), but the wonderful memories we have of her and the influence she’s made in my culinary journey will never be forgotten.
As part of the ‘party food’ theme for the month of November, I know you’ll be greeted with rave reviews after serving up a batch of these.
* In Trinidad and Tobago eggplant is sometimes called baigan.. maybe that’s where we get baiganee from?
You’ll Need…
I large eggplant (baigan.. about 1.5 lbs)
1 cup split peas powder/flour
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon salt (for eggplant)
1/4 teaspoon salt (for batter)
Pinch curry powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup allpurpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (minced)
Water (see notes)
2 cups veg oil
Notes: I ended up using close to 1 1/2 cups of water in making the batter. You may have to adjust this slightly as the flours you’ll be using may be a bit different than the one I had. I used 2 smaller eggplant as I wanted them to be somewhat slim so the slices would not be like huge tires.
Wash, trim and dry the eggplant (cut off the stems and discard). Then cut into wheels about 1/4 inch thick.
The eggplant (baigan) usually has a sort of bitter aftertaste and contains a lot of moisture, so we need to remedy this. Line a cookie sheet or cutting board with paper towels (or tea towel), then arrange the sliced eggplant one layer thick. Now sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of salt over the cut surface (press into it), then flip over and do the other side. Allow this to sit for about 1 hour. You’ll have soaked paper towels and beads of liquid on top of each slice of eggplant. Using a towel or more paper towels, blot (press) and soak up this moisture.
Set aside and lets make the batter. Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and give it a good whisk, to incorporate everything. Start adding water and whisk until you have a thick, well mixed batter. It’s important that the batter is thick (but runny enough) so it can coat each piece of eggplant.
It’s very important that the slices of eggplant are dry for the batter to really hold on to them. Tip: You can certainly dust each piece in flour before placing then into the batter if you wish. Heat the vegetable oil on a medium high flame, then set up a sort of frying station. You’ll have the slices of eggplant, the batter, the heated oil and a basket (or bowl) lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil after they’re fried.
Dip each slice into the batter and coat evenly. Shake of excess batter and gently place into the hot oil. Cook for a minute on one side, then flip and cook for another minute. Cook for a minute or two after and flip for an even golden colour. They will float as they cook and will only take about 3-4 minutes to fully cook. Fish out with tongs and allow to drain on the paper towels.
Depending on the size of frying pan you use, only fry about 3 slices at a time. Try not to over-crowd the pan, or you will alter the temperature of the oil and end up with soggy baiganee. These are best served warm and with a spicy dipping sauce. On the recipe index page, there’s the mango chutney, tamarind sauce and other spicy condiments you can serve these with.
After further thought I think our mom never made these at home since we were not fans of it as children… oh how that’s changed over the years. This is a wonderful vegetarian treat to pass around during the holiday season and if you’re having guests over for Divali (or have no friends to invite you these days like me), you can whip up a batch of these… they’re sure to be a hit.
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.
Call me crazy, but even as a kid I loved spinach (bhaji) in all forms and to this day I still can’t figure out why ALL kids don’t love the stuff. Over the years (out of convenience and availability) spinach took the place of my beloved dasheen bush leaves and what some people call Jamaican Callaloo (we call chorai) can always be found in our vegetable garden during the summer months. Cooked with or without coconut milk, spiced up with hot peppers and enhanced with leftover stewed meats, spinach is something I can have on the regular.
Here’s a quick and tasty way to serve/enjoy spinach with a Caribbean twist.
You’ll Need…
1lb Baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 sprig thyme
1 scallion
1 medium onion
1/2 cup salted cod bits
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 scallion (green or spring onion)
Note: You can make this dish fully vegetarian by leaving out the bits of salted cod. But be sure to add salt and for more flavor, add a 1/2 cup of coconut milk during the cooking process.
Though the package said the spinach was washed, I still like washing it as there have been times when I did find some sand between the leaves. Try your best to get baby spinach as it’s much more tender and not as ‘bitter” as mature (dark green) leaves. After washing, set in a colander to dry. Take a closer look and remove all wilted (discolored) leaves from the bunch as well.
Chop the garlic, onion, scallion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper… remember to not include any seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper as that’s where the majority of heat dwell. Additionally, be sure to wear gloves if your hands are sensitive and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water.
Make little bundles with the spinach leaves and cut into shreds about 1/4 inch thick.
Prepare the salted cod (I used boneless for easier work). All you have to do is place the salted cod in a pot with water, bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Then discard the water, rinse with new water and allow to cool. Then shred into bits. here’s a video showing how it’s done…
Heat a saucepan on low heat, add the vegetable oil… then the salted cod bits (you can use any dried salted fish). Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes.. it will start to go brown on the edges and stick to the bottom of the pan. Scrape and move around. The idea is to build a base of flavor for the spinach. Next up we’ll add the sliced onion, scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and garlic. Make sure the heat is on low, as we want these items to sweat down and further infuse the dish with flavor. The last thing we want is burnt garlic and onions.
After 4-5 minutes, turn up the heat to medium, add the black pepper and the chopped spinach to the pot. It will pile up, but as soon as the heat gets going it will wilt down.
As it cooks, it will sprout a lot of it’s own liquid and go from that brilliant green colour to a more darker shade. Place the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes remove the lid (remember to stir every 5 minutes as it cooks), turn up the heat to burn off any excess liquid which may still be there and add the chopped tomato to give it some colour. taste for salt. Note that we didn’t put any salt in the dish as in most cases the residual salt from the salted cod bits will be enough to season the entire dish. But since your tolerance for salt is different that mine.. check and adjust accordingly.
If you’ve never used salted cod (salt fish) you’ll probably think this is a bit weird, but I assure you that the flavor will be amazing. My favourite way of having this (other than with flour /cassava dumplings) is with sada roti. Remember you can make this a full vegetarian dish as long as you follow the tip I left in the “Note” above.
WINNER WANTED!
It’s that time again! New for the summer one lucky reader will win a spanking new copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“. This beautiful recipe book with tons of grilling ideas, will be shipped to the lucky winner the first week of August (we even pay the shipping cost). All you have to do is tell me what’s your favorite item to grill, in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. it’s that simple.
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. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about your favorite item is to grill.
Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“”…
– 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 July 09 – to midnight July 31.
– 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 book out to you. It’s simple, free and would make for a great addition to your cooking library.
Fry bodi is yet another dish I only grew to appreciate as I got older and if I’m being completely honest, I must mention that it’s one of those dishes I can’t replicate as good as our mom’s. How come we can do a dish “exactly” as our mom and never be able to replicate the taste (and consistency in some cases)? Like the curry bodi recipe I shared with you all a while back, this one is a favorite among vegetarians and I’ve received many compliments from it. So I know you’ll just love it.
* BTW, bodi is also known as the yardlong bean, bora, long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean
You’ll Need…
1 bundle bodi (about 1.5 lbs)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil (veg oil works great as well)
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion | 1 medium tomato
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (any spicy pepper)
dash black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Notes: I must mention to you all that if you’re getting bodi freshly harvested, the cooking time will be a bit less (about 5 mins less). I know from my days on the islands that the bodi tends to cook faster and is more ‘meaty” (thicker). The bodi we get here in North America (see Asian and West Indian grocery stores) tend to be much thinner and take longer to cook. To brighten up this dish (this is optional), add a chopped tomato the last couple minutes of cooking. If you can’t get bodi, a good substitute would be french or string beans.
The first thing we need to do is to wash and trim the bodi (refer to the video below). Basically all you’re doing is removing both ends of the bean and discard. Then trim each bean into pieces about 1/5 inches long.
Chop the onion, scotch bonnet pepper (remember to not use the seeds as that’s where most of the heat will be) and slice the garlic very thinly. Then is a saucepan, heat the oil on med/high heat and add the sliced onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and allow this to cook for about 3 minutes. We’re trying to infuse the oil with the wonderful flavors of the garlic and onion.
After 3 minutes add the scotch bonnet pepper, black pepper and toss in the trimmed bodi pieces. Give this a good stir and top with the salt. Raise the heat to high, add the water and bring to a boil. Should take 2-3 minutes.
When it comes to a boil reduce to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook for about 25 minutes. Remember to stir every 4-5 minutes. You will notice that the fry bodi will start changing colour.. go from the brilliant green to a darker shade.
After 25 minutes your beans should be fully cooked and there should be no liquid in the bottom of the pan. If there’s liquid, do raise the heat and burn it off. Here’s where you’ll now add the chopped tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes.. just to heat through. The bodi will be fully cooked, but have a slight firmness to it. If you like your beans cooked to the point where they’re tender and sort of melting away, feel free to cook longer.
Fry bodi is a lovely vegetarian dish which goes well with rice, roti or bread. You can add additional flavor by using coconut milk instead of water when cooking and if you have leftover pieces of Caribbean style stewed meats (chicken, beef or pork), you can add it during the final 5 minutes of cooking. I recall our mom adding pieces of salted cod to the fry bodi and our dad would be in heaven. Maybe I’ll share that recipe with you soon.
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.
Pumpkin rice rice is a dish I only just started to appreciate after having it at an “Island Grill” fast food joint in Kingston, just over a year ago. Though that pumpkin rice was rather bland, it worked well with the side of spicy jerk chicken and creamy coleslaw or maybe I was terribly hungry after a day with friends exploring the sights and sound of Jamaica. I recall our dad speaking about this dish when we were growing up and how good it was with pieces of “saltfish”, but I don’t ever recall my mom making it. The two main rices dishes in our home were cook-up rice and the king of rice dishes.. pelau. Even if our mom did make pumpkin rice, it would be her and the old man eating it alone as you couldn’t force us to eat pumpkin as kids.
Notes: By using the whole scotch bonnet pepper in the dish I got the flavor and not the heat. Break open the pepper near the end if heat is your thing. I used vegetable stock as I wanted to keep this dish vegetarian and I also wanted a mild stock which wouldn’t over power the pumpkin. You’re free to use chicken or beef if you prefer, but be aware that the overall flavor of the dish will be changed. I used Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata), also known as West Indian, Cuban, or Caribbean pumpkin, but I think butternut squash would make for an excellent substitution. Be aware that a lot of stock comes loaded with sodium, so if you’re not familiar with the stock you’re using, add half the salt and adjust near the end of cooking.
* Be sure to watch the video at the bottom to see how I peeled and cubed the pumpkin and for general instructions on cooking this tasty vegetarian pumpkin rice dish.
Start by peppering everything for cooking. Peel and dice the pumpkin, dice the garlic and onion and grate the ginger. Then in a deep pot, heat the oil on a med/high heat and add the diced onion, garlic and the thyme. I left it on the sprig as I wanted the flavor from the stems and near the end of cooking I have the opportunity to remove the stems from the pot. Allow this to soften up on a med heat for a couple minutes.
Now add the grated ginger and black pepper to the pot and give it a good stir. After cubing the pumpkin do give it a good rinse under cool water and drain. Now you can add the diced pumpkin pieces and give it a good stir. With your heat at a med/low setting, allow this to cook for a couple minutes to infuse all the wonderful flavors. As this cook, be sure to wash your rice (see video below) as we’ve done in the past. Basically all you’re doing is… place the rice in a deep bowl and cover with water, now using your hands do a sort of massage motion to allow the grains to work between your fingers. You will notice that the water will go cloudy… pour out and repeat until you have clear water. usually 3-4 times.
With the rice now washed/drained, add it to the pot and stir. Pour in the stock, add the salt (remember my note above) and plop in the scotch bonnet pepper into the pot.
Bring this up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot to cook off the liquid and get the rice nice and tender. After about 10 minutes or so you’ll notice that your liquid would have reduced, the pieces of pumpkin will start to fall apart and the rice grains will start to get plump.
Here is where this can become a bit tricky as the brand of rice you use may have a bearing on this part going forward. After 18 minutes of my rice simmering away I noticed that the rice grains were almost all the way cooked and I still had some liquid. So I turned up the heat and burned that off… remember to stir or it will stick to the bottom of the pot. I like my rice a bit grainy so I had to account for it cooking further in it’s own heat, even after I turned off the stove. If you like you rice creamy, give it a bit more time cooking to really plump up the rice. The texture and consistency of the final pumpkin rice dish will depend on your own liking. remember to now remove the whole pepper and sprigs of thyme. Check for salt and if you want a blast of heat, do burst open the pepper.. but be warned.
There you go, a hundred times better than what you’d find at Island Grill and be sure to add a pinch or nutmeg and/or allspice (pimento berries) to really give this a wicked flavor infusion.
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.
