Caribbean Recipes

Pelau

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup sugar (white or brown)
* 1 chicken, cut up (about 2½ to 3 pounds), or substitute goat meat or beef
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1½ cup pigeon peas, soaked overnight, or substitute black-eyed peas
* 2 cups rice (do not use instant rice)
* 3 cups water
* 1 cup Coconut Milk
* 2 cups cubed fresh Hubbard squash
* 2 carrots, chopped
* ¼ cup chopped parsley
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 bunch scallions or green onion, chopped including the greens
* ¼ cup ketchup
* 3 tablespoons butter

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or skillet. With the heat on high, add the sugar and let it caramelize until it is almost burned, stirring constantly. Add the chicken (or meat) and stir until all the pieces are covered with the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Drain the pigeon peas and add them to the pot along with the rice, water, and coconut milk. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir until well mixed, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. The pelau should be moist at the end of the cooking time.

Conch Souse

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - whose people are described as "Vincentians" - is an independent sovereign state of the Caribbean, having a British colonial history and now part of the Commonwealth of Nations.Seafood is abundant, and most people eat fish every day. Shrimp, whelk, lobster, jackfish, dolphin fish and lambi (conch) are mixed with scotch bonnet peppers, fruits and vegetables in a variety of dishes. A popular meal is buljol (salted fish, tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions, served with roasted breadfruit). Other common dishes include callaloo (a type of stew), pigfoot souse, roti and pumpkin soup.


Ingredients

2 pounds Conch
1 onion (medium)
1 cucumber
2 limes
Parsley
Celery
Sweet pepper
Hot pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Method

Clean away slime from conch using salt and lime.

Pound conch well, this helps to make it tender. Boil until tender. Prepare pickle using cucumber, onion and other seasoning.

Cool conch and cut into small pieces. Put into pickle. Decorate with parsley.

Roast Breadfruit and Saltfish

I just spoke to my dad and it brought back some wonderful memories. I can remember when he use to take me to the fields, we call The Garden and the river where we would fish. We would spend all day in The Garden picking fruits and veg. I spent most of the day eating fruits and sleeping on banana leaves for a bed. I'm a city boy at times I wish I had a garden or even a green house. Well if gas prices keep getting higher I may just have to get one. Thanks for reading. Here is a recipe for breakfast or lunch it doesn't matter. My Grand Father is still alive and everything he eats comes from The Garden and yes they raise animals also.


Roast Breadfruit and Saltfish



Ingredients

1 large Breadfruit
¼ cup water
1 pound saltfish
1 onion
1 tomato
¼ cup oil
1 small cucumber
1 teaspoon butter

Method

For Breadfruit: Roast Breadfruit. Slice when cooled.

For Saltfish: Boil salt fish until it is not too salty. Clean and strip saltfish into small bits. Dice or chop onion and tomato. Slice cucumber. Add to saltfish along with a little seasoning.

Put oil in a frying pan to hot. Add saltfish along with other ingredients including butter and water and let simmer. Serve hot.

Ginger Shrimp with Mango-Citrus Salsa

Ingredients

For the salsa:

1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoon red bell pepper, diced
½ lime, diced
½ orange, diced
¼ teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper
½ cup ripe mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

24 large shrimps
2 tablespoon canola oil

Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside:

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon fresh lemongrass, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon canned, unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup shredded coconut, finely chopped
White pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients of the salsa. Check for salt and hot pepper. You can get this part of the recipe out of the way up to 4 hours before the main event.

Prepare your shrimp: Peel, devein and remove the tails of 24 large shrimp. Heat 2 tablespoon canola oil in a large sauté pan and quickly sear prepared shrimp on each side, cooking about half way.

Add reserved coconut mixture, stir to combine and cook about 2 - 3 minutes. Serve with Mango-Citrus Salsa.

Chicken Roti

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 boneless breast of chicken
* 1 medium onion, chopped chunky
* 1 green pepper, chopped chunky
* 1 large carrot, peeled sliced thinly
* 2 large potato, peeled and cubed
* 1 can chicken broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 cloves crushed garlic
* 2 Tbs. curry powder
* 2-3 tsp. Blind Betty Original Recipe
* salt and pepper to taste
* fresh chopped parsley
* 4 large flower tortillas
* 1 jar mango chutney or fruit salsa

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet sauté garlic, onion 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and sauté till cooked but tender add green pepper and carrots. Sauté 1-2 min. Add chicken broth, potatoes and as much water as needed to cover everything. Simmer till potatoes are very tender and begin to reduce broth. Add all spices and flavorings to taste.

Cover and turn off. This can now stand till just before serving time. It will thicken a little as it cools. At suppertime heat the roti mixture to a boil stirring with a wooden spoon. You want a nice thick curry stew. Reduce more if too runny. Warm tortillas, place on plate, put generous portion of roti in center of tortilla. Fold into flat tube with ends folded under. Serve with chutney on top. Salad and rice good accompanyments.

This recipe comes from my friends at Caribbean Choice STILL STANDING

St. Lucia Cuisine

The cuisine of St Lucia is influenced by West Indian, Creole and French food. Popular dishes are pepper pot stew, callaloo soup and fried jackfish.

Shellfish and fish are caught daily. Salt fish is used in a number of recipes. Vegetables include cassava, dasheen (taro) and sweet potatoes. Breadfruit is also grown.

Fruits cultivated are bananas, coconuts, guavas, mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, pineapples and soursop.

Fresh fruit juices are available and alcoholic drinks, such as beer (Pitons) and rum (Bounty), are brewed locally. CLICK HERE to learn how to get paid to travel


Green Fig & Saltfish Pie



Ingredients

2 pounds green figs
1 pound saltfish
½ pound cheese
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 sweet peppers
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion sliced
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon bread crumbs

Method

Boil the green figs until tender. Peel and crush with fork while still hot and sprinkle with lime juice to prevent darkening.

Soak the fish in boiling water to remove most of the salt. Remove the skin and bones; shred fish. Press half of the crushed fig in a greased baking pie dish. Sprinkle ½ of shredded fish on fig.

Spread half of sweet peppers (cut into thin strips) onion, tomatoes, cheese and black pepper. Repeat layer - beginning with green fig and ending with grated cheese and black pepper. Top with milk and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake in an oven at 340°C, for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.