Da real Jerk chicken mon

Over the years I have posted many Jerk Chicken dishes. This one is really good. This gentlemen went to great pains to make sure it was indeed, "authentic." Yawd cooking at its best mon!

Jamaican Seafood

This is great dish to eat anytime of the year. I love seafood (those of you that have been following me probably know that already). This recipe calls for "vegetable oil," but I used canola oil instead.

Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil
raw prawns 1 lb (deveined and peeled)
2 bunches of green oinions (scallions)
1 garlic clove chopped
1 small habenero pepper (scotch bonnet) -use a green chili for less spicy
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into sticks
5 fluid oz of white wine
5 fluid oz of cream of coconut
4 oz shitake mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat a large skillet or if you have a wok it will work better, add oil. When oil is hot (almost smoking) then add the prawns and stir or about 5 minutes. Remove the prawns (keep warm in a low heat oven). Add the mushrooms, stir for about 3 minutes, remove and add to prawns to plate in oven. add the wine and coconut milk to the skillet. Let this mixture boil for about 5 minutes. reduce the heat. Return the prawns and mushrooms to the this mixture,stirring occasionally. Stir in the other seasonings. add salt and pepper to taste. (do notbreak open the scotch bonnet (habenero pepper) in the skillet). If you choose to use the sliced chillies then add to taste for spiceness.

Serve with cooked rice

Jamaican Coconut Seafood

This is great dish to eat anytime of the year. I love seafood (those of you that have been following me probably know that already). This recipe calls for "vegetable oil," but I used canola oil instead.

Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil
raw prawns 1 lb (deveined and peeled)
2 bunches of green oinions (scallions)
1 garlic clove chopped
1 small habenero pepper (scotch bonnet) -use a green chili for less spicy
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into sticks
5 fluid oz of white wine
5 fluid oz of cream of coconut
4 oz shitake mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat a large skillet or if you have a wok it will work better, add oil. When oil is hot (almost smoking) then add the prawns and stir or about 5 minutes. Remove the prawns (keep warm in a low heat oven). Add the mushrooms, stir for about 3 minutes, remove and add to prawns to plate in oven. add the wine and coconut milk to the skillet. Let this mixture boil for about 5 minutes. reduce the heat. Return the prawns and mushrooms to the this mixture,stirring occasionally. Stir in the other seasonings. add salt and pepper to taste. (do notbreak open the scotch bonnet (habenero pepper) in the skillet). If you choose to use the sliced chillies then add to taste for spiceness.

Serve with cooked rice

Jamaican Stew Beef

This is one of those recipes that will mek yuh slap yuh madda! Nothing like the one pot meals

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups red peas
• ½ lb salt beef
• 1 lb stew beef (you also can use pigs-tail if you like)
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 2 stalk scallion
• 3 sprig thyme
• 2 cups coconut milk (or 1/4 box)
• 6 pimento seed
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• spinners (See Recipe Below)

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Boil and drain salt beef twice, in a medium size pan. Place peas, meat and garlic together in the pan, boil until peas are tender, about 1 ½ hour. Add coconut cream, spinners, and seasoning, cook for about an hour. Season to taste. Thicken the mix with 3 tablespoons of flour combined with 1/4 cup water. Strain the mixture into the stew. Boil until it thickens. Serve with rice.

Patty is not Patty, without Coco Bread

Their is nothing more enjoyable then Patty and Coco Bread. The two go together like milk and cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 packets of yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 fl oz of warm water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 6 fl oz warm milk
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 3 cups white flour
• 4 oz melted butter

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water, then add in the milk, salt and egg while stirring.
2. Pour half of the flour and stir. Then slowly add flour to the mixture until it becomes stiff. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth. In a clean bowl, add oil and roll the dough in it until coated.
3. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rise for 1 hour. Cut the dough into 10 pieces and roll each piece out. Brush each rolled piece of dough with melted butter and fold it in half. Brush dough with more butter on and fold it again.
4. Place the folded dough pieces on a well-greased cookie sheet and pre heat the oven to 425 degrees and place a pan filled with water on the bottom rack.
5. Bake the coco bread for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Jamaican Bully Beef

Jamaican Bully Beef what is that?..lol Is it some authentic island dish. Actually Bully beef is simply "corn beef" in jamaica. (above picture is a bully beef sandwich and some mango juice). It is usually beef that cured or pickled in brine. Common name used in both the UK and in Canada.

Some people in Jamaica call it the "Poor man's" meal. However, I use to heat it up and eat it with rice.

Below is a popular way of preparing it in Jamaica. Enjoy,

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 can corned beef
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 medium ripe tomato (chopped)
• 2 stalks scallion (chopped)
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (de-seed and chopped)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or coconut oil

Directions:

:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan (skillet) over moderate heat.
2. Add onions, garlic (optional) and scotch bonnet to frying pan. Sauté for approx 1-2 mins.
3. Add thyme and corned beef. Turn down heat to medium- low and stir until cooked.
4. Add onions, garlic and chopped scotch bonnet in frying pan
5. Add chopped tomatoes, scallions, and browning (optional), stir well and cook for another 3 minutes. Use paper towels to absorb the extra vegetable oil, if any.
6. Bully Beef is usually served for breakfast with Johnny Cakes, boiled green bananas or toast. It can also be served with white rice.(Serves 4)

Jamaican Potato Salad

This recipe comes by way of Jamaicans.com. This is a traditional Jamaican Potato Salad dish.'

INGREDIENTS: 4 cups potatoes diced 2 large eggs 2 stalk escallion chopped 2 tablespoon margarine 1 clove garlic 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup miracle whip 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 stalk celery (optional) 1/4 cup corn 1/4 cup baby peas (blanched) 1/4 cup carrot (optional) 1/4 tsp. salt Directions Wash, dice and cook potatoes with eggs, about 10 mins. Dice celery, slice escallion and finely chopped garlic. When potatoes are boiled, drain instantly. Place in a large bowl, toss with margarine. Add corn, peas, escallion, garlic and celery. Stir in miracle whip with pepper and salt. Add chopped eggs and stir lightly, serve warm or cold.

History of the Scotch Bonnet Pepper

Scotch Bonnet Pepper is what I term the "essential" spice in most Caribbean dishes. Its hot, aromatic flavor lends a spark to the tongue and brightens up most dishes.

According to Wikipedia- The Scotch Bonnet (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is a variety of chilli pepper similar to and of the same species as the habanero. A cultivar of the habanero, it is one of the hottest peppers in the world. Found mainly in the Caribbean islands, it is named for its resemblance to a Tam o'shanter. Most Scotch Bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville Units. For comparison most jalapeños have a heat rating of 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale

The "cousin" of the Scotch Bonnet Pepper is the Habanero pepper. This gives Jerk dishes (pork/chicken) and other Caribbean dishes their unique flavour.

Global Destinations has this excellent Scotch Bonnet Sauce you can make homeade.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 onions, diced2 ripe mangoes or pawpaws (papayas), skinned, seeded, and diced to 1/2 inch6 carrots, diced2 cho-cho squashes, peeled and diced12 pimento (allspice) berries10 whole black peppercorns4 thyme sprigs1 ounce ginger root, finely diced1/2 cup sugar8 to 12 Scotch bonnets1/4 cup cane or cider vinegar

more...

Fish Tea Soup

I know it sounds gross, but actually Fish Tea (because all it is bascially is water and fish) is very nutrious. Once you had some island spice and flavoring to the water, you will love this recipe.

1 lb Fish Fillet

2 sprig Thyme

1 medium Onion

4 pimento balls (Allspice)

1/2 tbsp Salt

1 tbsp Garlic (minced)

3 stalks Scallion

1 tbsp Butter

1 tsp. Black Pepper

4 Green Bananas

2 Qt. Water

In a stock pot, add fish, onion, thyme, and salt. Cook the fish for about ten minutes. Mean while wash green bananas and then cut each banana into halves.

Next use a strainer to remove the fish from the pot before the pieces get separated. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, except the butter. Cook for another ten minutes then check to see if the green bananas are soft. If not, wait until they are and then add butter and fish. Simmer for another ten minutes.

Serve in 8 oz cups.

Breadfruit

There is nothing like roast breadfruit with your Sunday morning breakfast of Ackee and saltfish.


I found this brief history and thought I would share with my readers


The reason for the name “breadfruit” is that when eaten before it is ripe, breadfruit not only feels like fresh bread, but also tastes like it. Not only are breadfruit trees in the Pacific prized for their fruits but their wood is also highly valuable. In Hawaii, the wood of breadfruit trees were made into fine quality canoes, drums, and surfboards. In Guam and Samoa, the bark of the breadfruit trees were used for making tapa cloth.

King George III was convinced of the necessity of transporting breadfruit from the Pacific to the Caribbean and in 1787 Captain Bligh was sent to Tahiti with the mission of delivering the breadfruit trees to the Caribbean. Upon reaching Tahiti the following year, the Bounty’s crew spent six months there collecting and preparing the young breadfuit trees for shipment. Over a thousand such plants were placed on board the Bounty. Unfortunately, when the men were informed that a portion of their fresh drinking water would be used for irrigating the breadfruit plants, they became quite upset and was yet another contributing factor to their mutiny.

Captain Bligh and his loyal crew members were cast adrift following the mutiny on April 28, 1789. Their voyage in a small longboat, where against all odds they traveled over 3600 miles to the island of Timor, was dramatically chronicled in the popular Nordhoff and Hall mutiny book. What many have today have forgotten is that following Bligh’s return to England, he returned to Tahiti in another ship in August, 1791 on the same mission, which was to deliver breadfruit trees to the Caribbean. This second mission was successfully accomplished. Unfortunately, after the breadfruit trees were delivered to the Caribbean, the slaves there, disliking its taste, refused to eat it. Years later the Caribbean descendants of those slaves learned to appreciate the breadfruit and now prepare it in a number of tasty ways.

Today, all over Jamaica one can find if you visit the St. Vincent Botanic Gardens in the Caribbean you will see a very old breadfruit tree. Look at it closely. It is living history


Here is an easy Breadfruit Recipe...enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

250	grams	stewing beef or pork
1	medium	fully ripe breadfruit
500	grams	coco or dasheen
2-3	Tbsps.	vegetable oil
3	litres	water
1	cup	carrots
1	medium	green ripe papaya
1	cup	green sweet pepper
1	cup	tomatoes
1		bay leaf
1/4	tsp.	salt
1/4	tsp.	black pepper
2	tsps.	FISH AND MEAT SAUCE
1	tsp.	HOT PEPPER SAUCE
1	large	onion

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1.	Cut beef or pork in small cubes. Peel and cube breadfruit, coco or dasheen, carrots and green papaya. Chop sweet pepper and onion.
2.	In a skillet, brown beef or pork pieces thoroughly on all sides in the cooking oil, turning often with a slotted spoon or spatula.
3.	Turn meat and its oil into a large heavy pot with cover, add all ingredients except salt, black pepper, Fish and Meat Sauce, and Hot Pepper Sauce.
4.	Bring to a quick boil, reduce heat, cover pot and simmer over low heat until vegetables and meat are tender, stirring occasionally.
5.	Towards end of cooking, seasoning to taste with suggested seasonings. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
6.	Serve soup while very hot, either as is, or passing through your electric blender and correct seasoning.

Source: Caribbean Choice

Okra and Saltfish Video

Here is a simple recipe for those who love Okra.

Cassava Bread

This goes great with many gravy dishes

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cassava meal
2 tablespoons counter flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl then add egg and milk to produce a thick batter. Stir in oil and lime juice.
2. Pour one half of batter into well greased non-stick frying pan.
3. Cook on moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Jamaican Music Video I did

Interesting Jamaican Meatloaf Recipe

I found this interesting Meatloaf recipe at Jamaica Travel and Culture.

Ingredients - coco bread casing 2 packets yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 medium egg
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp salt
3.5 cups white flour
1/2 cup melted butter

Ingredients - filling

1lb ground beef
1 medium onion
4 scallion (or 1 more medium onion)
2 stalks fresh thyme or 2 tsps ground thyme
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 scotch bonnet pepper (or 1 tbsp curry powder / chilli sauce)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation - coco bread casing

Follow the instructions for making coco bread, up to the point where you roll out the dough

Preparation - filling

Follow the instructions for making the filling for patties.

Combining the coco bread and the filling

Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on one side of each dough circle










Moisten the edges of each meatloaf with water and fold pastry over to make a crescent shape.
Seal the edge of each meatloaf by crimping with a fork

Cooking

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place folded pieces on a well greased sheet and place on the bottom rack of the oven.
Bake until golden brown (this should take around 15 minutes).

Jamaican Foods at Penn Relay

Jamaican Lady sells food at Penn Relay at Pennsylvania.

Steamed Cabbage-Jamaican Style

I have been neglecting my sites for awhile, due to my moving again. However, like my life right now(fast paced) I found something quick and easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 medium cabbage
• 2 tablespoon margarine
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (cut up and add for spicy)
• 2 sprig tyme
• 1 crushed garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 or 3 small slices of a sweet green pepper.
• 1 medium chopped onion or 2 table spoon onion powder
• black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water

METHOD:

1. Wash cabbage
2. Cut up/slice cabbage leaves in pieces.
3. Sauté onion, garlic, pepper, tyme in margarine.
4. Add cut up cabbage water and stir.
5. Cover saucepan and cook cabbage are tender.
6. Add whole scotch bonnet pepper
7. Sprinkle with pepper and salt.
8. Simmer then serve with avocado pear.

source: Jamaicans.com

Jamaica Curry Stew Beef

1 tablespoon of curry powder or more to taste
2 lbs. Stewing beef cubed
2 tbsp. Oil
4 tbsp. Sugar
2 large onions, sliced
1 bottle beer (12 oz) (red stripe)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (or pickapeppa sauce)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tsp. Basil
1 small carrot chopped up
salt & pepper (and optional hot pepper, of course) to taste

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

In a heavy frying pan or skillet, heat oil, add sugar and allow to burn until dark brown. Add seasoned beef and stir well to coat pieces of meat; cook for 6-8 mins., stirring constantly. Add onion and cook for 5 mins more Sprinkle in the curry powder, Stir in beer, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, hot pepper and basil. Bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender. If potatoes or taro root are desired, cut them into small pieces and add them just before beef is tender.

Server over rice

Pigeon Peas Soup

The pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan, syn. Cajanus indicus) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Other common names are arhar (Bengali), red gram, toovar/toor (Hindi/Gujarati/Marathi/Punjabi), toovaram paruppu ( Tamil),togari (Kannada), Kandi (Telugu), gandul, guandul, Congo pea, Gungo pea, Gunga pea, and no-eye pea.

(source: Wikipedia)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 c. cooked and sieved pigeon peas.
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot
• 3/4 c. stock (chicken or beef)
• 3/4 c. Milk
• salt and pepper to taste

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Add stock to peas and bring to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, mix milk and cornstarch and add to peas; add salt and pepper and continue to boil for a few minutes.

Brown Stew Fish Recipe

This is another recipe I found for Brown Stew Fish at Jamaica Travel and Culture.

Earth Day Dish-Jamaican Spinach Soup

Okay, strictly "Green" food for this Earth Day.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chopped zucchini
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, celery, garlic, ginger, and sugar. Cook 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Season with salt, turmeric, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix in potatoes and zucchini, and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Remove soup from heat, season with cayenne pepper, and stir in spinach. Using a hand blender, blend soup until smooth. Garnish with red bell pepper to serve.