Vincy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes (2 large)
Vegetable oil
4 rashers of bacon
½ cup of any cooked diced meat
½ cup Whole Kernel Corn
1 medium onion
1 tbs.. margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Scrub potatoes well. Dry and brush with oil, place on a baking sheet and cook at 400 F for 1 ½ hours until done. Fry bacon and onion until bacon is crisp and onion is transparent.

Remove potatoes from oven, cut each in half and scoop out the flesh. Chop roughly, add butter, corn, seasoning and bacon mixture. Mix well.

Spoon mixture back into the potato shells. Reheat in the oven for 10-15 min

Vegetarian Samosa

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups all purpose flour plus more as needed
• 1-2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3- tablespoon ghee Clarified butter or oil
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

Filling

• ½ -3/4 pound potatoes cubed and boiled
• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
• 1 finely chopped carrot
• ½ large onion chopped
• ½ teaspoon pepper sauce or chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger grated
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2-3 tablespoon parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon
• cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Filling

1. In a medium- large skillet, add oil, onions, garlic, ginger and sauté, for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent any burns.
2. Then add, curry, pepper sauce and paprika, and continue stirring with a heavy wooden spoon, about 2 minutes.
3. Add boiled potato cubes, and peas. Slightly smash the potatoes and peas then thoroughly mix until ingredients are fully combined, add a little bit of water to prevent any burns. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Finally throw in cilantro, adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and let it cool. You may prepare this a day in advance.

Dough

1. In a large bowl, add flour and make a well then add sugar and salt. Followed by water, ghee or oil.

2. Knead to form soft and sticky dough.
3. Place dough on a heavily floured board and knead for about 5-7minutes. Continue to flour dough as needed to facilitate kneading. Be careful not to over do it. Dough should be soft, elastic and smooth.

4. On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into 16 balls.

5. Roll the dough using a lightly floured rolling pin; cut it half. Spoon a generous 1-2 tablespoons filling in the center of a half-circle; lightly moisten the dough edges with water or flour paste, using your finger. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, and then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like you would a flag. Continue with remaining dough. Set samosas on tray.

6. In a large sauce pan, pour vegetable oil, until it is at least 3 inches), and place on medium heat until oil is 350 degrees.

7. When ready gently place a few samosas at a time into saucepan.

8. Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is light brown
9. Turn over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is light brown.

10. Use a large spoon or something like that to take it out of the oil. Repeat the process until finish. Best serve warm with this pepper sauce.

Gtound Beef Samosa

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive oil + Oil for frying
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon of your favorite curry powder (or more to taste)
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 large potatoes, diced
• 1 cup peas
• Coconut or olive oil
• Tortillas store bought or homemade
• 2 Tbls flour + enough water

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat and add onions, garlic, curry, and salt. Cook until onions are translucent.
   
2. Add remaining ingredients, cover skillet and cook on low until meat is cooked through. Set aside.
3. Cut Tortillas in half. Prepare "glue" with flour and water. Add just enough water so that your glue is still thick.
4. Add "glue" to half of tortilla curve and fold over. Add enough to seal well (see below).
5. Add meat filling and seal.
6. Heat oil in a pot. You only need to add about 2 inches. Heat until it shimmers.
7. Add samosas to hot oil carefully. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side (or until browned), and remove. I place mine onto paper towels to drain some of the oil

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.