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.

POPEYE'S SPICY CHICKEN

3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
4 cups flour
2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 quart buttermilk (optional)
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder (to taste)
1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Peanut Oil, for frying

1. Place cut-up chicken in a large bowl, and cover with buttermilk. Cover and chill for two hours, or overnight. This is an optional (but recommended) step.
2. In a large bowl, add eggs, water, and red pepper sauce. Whisk until combined.
3. In a large gallon freezer bag, mix flour, pepper, paprika, and cayenne.
4. Remove chicken from buttermilk (if marinated) and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Place all chicken pieces in freezer bag with flour mixture. Shake until all pieces are evenly coated.
6. Remove chicken pieces one at a time, shaking excess flour. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, and return to bag of flour. After all pieces of been dipped in the egg mixture and put back in the bag, give it a second shake to coat chicken pieces again.
7. Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan to 350 degrees. Working in batches, drop each piece of chicken into the hot oil. Fry for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown, turning occasionally if oil does not completely cover chicken. Keep in mind that dark meat chicken takes longer to cook than white meat. Watch your wing segments, as well; these will finish cooking first.

Eggnog

3 cups (700ml) whole milk
1 cup (240ml) heavy or double cream
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds removed
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
5 eggs, separated
2/3 (130g) cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175ml) Bacardi Dark Rum, or bourbon

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, and nutmeg. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and allow to steep.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until combined and thick ribbons form when the whisk is lifted. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to mix until the mixture is combined and smooth. Add bourbon or rum, and stir. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.

Before serving, beat the egg whites in a large bowl or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into eggnog until combined. Serve and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Gingerbread cheesecake

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/4 recipe of the dough for Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6 gingerbread men (see above)
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.
On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour filling into cooled crust.
Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark

Punch à crème

12 eggs
6 tin condense milk
2 tins carnation milk
4 tbs bitters
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
2 tsp nutmeg
2  lime
1 bottle rum/vodka/punchline  (located in Asian shops)

In a large bowl, beat eggs with 1 entire lime skin peel until frothy.  Remove lime peel from eggs and transfer to blender.  Grate 1/2 tsp lime peel into eggs and blend. Add milks, spices and rum last. You can use 1/2 bottle first then add to your peference. Blend well. Shake bottle before serving. Chill and enjoy.
(Please make sure to blend your ingredients well before adding your rum. Also, if you plan to keep for long period,  please shake bottle every week at beginning. )

It is very important to use clean and sanitised equipments and bottles. This recipe makes approximately four 750ml bottles.

Beef Pelau

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs Beef
1 lb Rice
800 Grams Pigeon Peas
50 Grams Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Peanut Oil
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
15 Finely Chopped Pimentos (Seeds Optional)
1/2 lb Onions
1 Bundle of Chive
2 Bundles of Chadon Beni or 10-12 Leaves (Culantro)
1 Bundle of Thyme
5 Garlic Cloves
1/2 lb Pumpkin
1/8 Cup Soy Sauce (Optional)
2 Tbsp Golden Ray (Vegetable Cooking Butter)
1 Hot Pepper
Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

METHOD

Cut and trim beef to desired size ensuring to remove connective tissue.
Clean, wash, drain and set beef aside.
Finely chop onion, pimento, chive, chadon beni and garlic.
Put beef in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
Add onion, pimento, chive, chadon beni and garlic and thyme leaves to beef.
Massage ingredients into beef 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 beef to pot and stir until well coated with melted sugar.
Cover and allow beef to brown for 10 minutes.
Add rice, pumpkin, coconut milk, peas and golden ray ensuring to mix until well incorporated.
Add enough water to cover.
Place whole pepper in center of pot.
Reduce heat to medium to low and let cook 30-45 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.
(checking every 15 minutes)
Remove whole pepper.
Check for salt and black pepper and add to taste.