My good ole Chow Mein

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

200g/7oz chicken , sliced (thigh, breast)

2 garlic cloves , minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger

2 packet ramen or instant noodle cakes , discard seasoning 

200g/7oz pre shedded Coleslaw mix , (cabbage, peas, corn and carrot)

3 green onion stems , (cut into 5cm/2" lengths)

1 cup beansprouts

1 cup water

CHOW MEIN SAUCE:

1.5 tbsp light soy sauce 

1.5 tbsp Oyster Sauce 

1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine or Mirin

2 tsp sesame oil , toasted

1 tsp white sugar (SKIP if using Mirin)

Instructions

(Mix Sauce in a bowl.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic, cook 10 seconds.

Add chicken and cook until mostly changes from pink to white, then add Sauce.

Cook for 1 minute, then add Coleslaw mix and white part of green onions.

Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until cabbage wilts, then push everything to the side to make room for the ramen.

Add water then squidge the ramen cakes in side by side.

When water simmers, leave for 45 seconds. Flip, then leave for 30 seconds.

Loosen noodles, add bean sprouts and green onion, then toss energetically for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until sauce reduces and coats noodles. 

Serve immediately!

Vincy Rum Punch

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle St Vincent very strong rum

1 1⁄4 cups water

1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar

1⁄4 cup lime juice

1 1⁄8 cups orange juice

1 1⁄8 cups pineapple juice

1⁄2 cup grenadine

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

7 cups rum (Malibu Caribbean coconut rum)

1 dash Angostura bitters

Ice

Mint (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Mix water and sugar together in large container. Add all other ingredients together. Serve chilled.

Antigua Pepper Pot

Ingredients

• 1 cup (½ pound) dried pigeon peas, rinsed and picked over*
• 1 pound corned beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 smoked ham hock, cut in half crosswise 2 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 fresh hot chile pepper, such as Scotch bonnet, seeded and minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can peeled tomatoes in juice, drained
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or 1 teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound calabaza or acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ pound white yam (name), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¾ pound fresh spinach, stemmed, well washed, and coarsely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the pigeon peas and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for minute. Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let stand for 1 hour. (Or soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.)

2. Drain the peas and return them to the medium saucepan with enough fresh water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. Drain again.

3. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven or soup kettle, bring the corned beef, ham hock, and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours. Drain the meat, reserving both the meat and the cooking liquid. Remove the meat from the ham hock and chop it coarsely; discard the bones.

4. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, and chile pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes. Then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chives, and thyme, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in the eggplant, calabaza, and white yam and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the reserved meat cooking liquid and the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked pigeon peas and the spinach, and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with the pepper, depending on the hotness of the chile pepper Serve immediately.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 tbsp allspice
  
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 (or 2) habanero peppers or scotch bonnet
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 2 spring onions
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime to taste

METHODS

1. To make the jerk marinade, combine the spring onions, ginger, garlic, onion, scotch bonnet chillies, dried thyme, lime juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar and ground allspice in a food processor along with 1 tsp salt, and blend to a purée. If you’re having trouble getting it to blend, just keep turning off the blender, stirring the mixture, and trying again. Eventually it will start to blend up – don’t be tempted to add water, as you want a thick paste.

2. Taste the jerk mixture for seasoning – it should taste pretty salty, but not unpleasantly, puckering salty. You can now throw in more chillies if it’s not spicy enough for you. If it tastes too salty and sour, try adding in a bit more brown sugar until the mixture tastes well balanced.

3. Make a few slashes in 12 chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the meat, rubbing it into all the crevices. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.

4. If you want to barbecue your chicken, get the coals burning 1 hr or so before you’re ready to cook. Authentic jerked meats are not exactly grilled as we think of grilling, but sort of smoke-grilled. To get a more authentic jerk experience, add some wood chips to your barbecue, and cook your chicken over slow, indirect heat for 30 mins. 

5. To cook in the oven, heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken pieces in a roasting tin with the halved lime and cook for 45 mins until tender and cooked through.

   

Trinidad Doubles

• For the bara (flatbread):
• 
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (ideally Trinidadian) or ground turmeric
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon yeast
  
• 1/3 cup warm water
  
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 cup Canola oil (for frying)
• 
  

• For the curried chickpea (channa) filling:
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon curry powder mixed with 1/4 cup water
  
• 1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed with cool water
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper
• 
  

• For the cucumber filling:
• 3 cucumber, grated 
  
• 2 tablespoon Green seasoning

Directions

1. For the bara (flatbread):
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, curry powder or turmeric, and cumin.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set aside for about 5 minutes, until it foams.
4. Add the yeast mixture to the spiced flour mixture and enough additional water to form a slightly firm dough. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 60 to 90 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the chickpea filling (recipe follows).
5. After the dough has risen, punch down and then allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then dampen hands with water or oil and pull off tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into 4 1/2 inch rounds. Repeat until you have used up all the dough and have an even number of rounds.
6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium high heat (should be about 3 inches deep). When oil is ready, fry the baras until puffed an golden, about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack.

1. For the curried chickpea (channa) filling:
2. Warm a large frying pan or skillet, add oil, and warm until shimmery.
3. Add garlic, onion, and the curry mixture and sauté for a few minutes.
4. Add the drained chickpeas and stir to coat with the spice mixture and cook for another five minutes.
5. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of water and stir. Then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered, until the chickpeas are very soft. There should still be sauce. If not, reconstitute with enough water to form a medium-thick sauce. Add pepper sauce and stir.

1. For the cucumber filling:
2. Squeeze cucumber juices out.
3. Add cucumber mix to a bowl, add green seasoning and mix together.
4. Finally, assemble your doubles by placing one bara on a plate, spooning one tablespoon of the chickpea filling on it, topping with cucumber filling as desired. Enjoy at once!

Caribbean stew chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 Whole Chicken
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Peanut Oil
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
10 Finely Chopped Pimentos (Seeds Optional)
3 Medium Sized Onions
1 Bundle of Chive
2 Bundles of Chadon Beni or 10-12 Leaves (Culantro)
1 Thyme
5 Garlic Cloves
2 Cups Water or Vegetable Stock
1/8 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Golden Ray (Vegetable Cooking Butter)
1 Hot Pepper
Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

METHOD

Cut chicken into desired pieces.
Clean, wash, drain and set chicken aside.
Finely chop onion, pimento, chive, chadon beni and garlic.
Put chicken in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
Add onion, pimento, chive, chadon beni and garlic and thyme leaves to chicken.
Massage ingredients into chicken until well incorporated.
Let marinate for 4-6 hours in refrigerator.
Heat pot over high heat.
Add oil and brown sugar.
As soon as sugar begins to melt stir constantly until all the sugar is dissolved.
(this ensures the sugar from burning and tasting bitter)
Add chicken to pot and stir until well coated with melted sugar.
Cover and allow chicken to brown for 10 minutes.
Stir in water, soy sauce and golden ray.
Place whole pepper in center of pot.
Reduce heat to medium to low and let cook 30-45 minutes (checking every 15 minutes)
Remove whole pepper.
Check for salt and black pepper and add to taste.

Indian Samosa

INGREDIENTS

Samosa Dough

• 2 cups Maida
• 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Water + a few tablespoons extra

Samosa Filling

• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Saunf (fennel seeds)
• A pinch of Methi Seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste (freshly ground ginger)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste (freshly ground garlic)
• 1 teaspoon chopped Green Chillies (or Jalapeno)
• 2 teaspoons Red Chilli Powder
• 2 tablespoons Coriander Powder
• 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 tablespoon Raw Mango Powder (Amchoor)
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 2 large Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
• 6–7 Curry Leaves
• Salt to taste

Oil for Frying

METHOD

Samosa Dough: To start making the samosa dough or pastry, mix together flour and salt and add oil. Rub the oil with the flour till it resembles bread crumbs. Start by adding 1/2 cup water and knead it into a firm dough. You may need a few extra teaspoons of water but add as you go. The consistency of the dough should be firm and smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside while you make the filling.

Samosa Filling: Heat oil in a pan. While the oil is heating, crush the coriander seeds, saunf (fennel seeds) and methi (fenugreek seeds) roughly and add it to the pan. Fry the spices till aromatic but be careful not to burn them. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies and stir fry for a minute or two. Add the remaining spices, mashed boiled potatoes and salt. I like to use a potato masher to just mash everything together and then mix it. Add the curry leaves right at the end, give it one more good mix and then set the mixture aside to cool.

Wrapping the samosas: 

Take a lime sized bowl of dough, roll it between your palms till smooth and dust it with flour.

Roll it out into a circle which is less than 1 mm thickness and about 6 inches in diameter.

Cut the rolled dough in half. Pick up one half and brush it with a little water along the straight edge of the pastry.

Now take one edge of the straight side, and place it on the other edge of the straight side in such a way that the dough forms into a cone (watch the video for more clarity). Pinch the corner of the cone so that its sealed. Place a tablespoon and a half of the filling in the cone, making sure to fill it only 3/4th of the way. Brush the inside of the unfilled dough with a little water and seal it by pinching the edge together. Repeat till all the dough is used up. Place the samosas on a greased tray making sure they don’t touch each either and cover them with a damp cloth.

Frying the samosas: Heat about 2-3 inches oil in a pan. To test if the oil is hot enough, add a tiny piece of dough to the oil and if it bubbles and floats on the surface, your oil is ready for frying. Add the samosas to the oil making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and reduce the flame to a simmer. Fry the samosas on a low flame till golden brown on either side. Its important to fry them on a low flame, or the pastry would be raw from the inside and golden brown on the outside. Take them out on a plate lined with paper to absorb any extra oil and serve them immediately with ketchup, coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.