Caribbean Island Cuisine

Welcome to Caribbean Island Cuisine

Caribbean Island Cuisine!

Let me first say Thank You for viewing my lens I know that there are thousands of other lens. My lens is a combination of two things that I love the Caribbean Islands and Cooking. I will try my best to post Authentic West Indian Recipes. Almost everything on this lens will be related in one way or another.

Recipe of The Month

Callaloo ( Trinidad Style)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped celery

1/4 cup fresh thyme

1/2 cup chopped chives

15 okra, sliced

1/2 cup chopped west indian pumpkin (substitute butternut squash)

15-20 dasheen leaves, washed and coarsely chopped (or 1 bunch swiss chard and 1/2 bunch spinach)

1 cup coconut milk

1 maggi seasoning, cube plus

4 cups water or chicken stock

2 live blue crabs, cleaned and washed in lime juice (or 5-6 pieces salted beef or salted pigtail)

1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (Congo pepper)

2 tablespoons golden ray cooking margarine

1 teaspoon salt (if using maggi cube taste first before adding salt or the soup will be too salty.) Directions
1. Put salted pork pieces in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Drain off this water. Repeat this process to draw off the excess salt from the salted meat.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, garlic, celery and fresh herbs. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add okras, pumpkin and dasheen leaves and sauté for another minute or so. Add the coconut milk and stock or water, crab and hot pepper.
3. Keep an eye on that hot pepper use one that is not bruised. You DO NOT want that pepper to burst while cooking. The heat from the burst pepper will overpower the other flavours.
4. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 35 minutes.
5. Taste and add salt if needed.
6. Remove hot pepper and crab or meat, and swizzle the callaloo, or put in a blender or you can use an immersion type blender, and beat until smooth. Return the crab or meat pieces to the soup. Add the cooking margarine or butter. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir well.
7. Serve hot as a soup on it's own or as a side dish.

SERVES 6 -8

This was from my friends at Caribbean choice. You can visit them at www.caribbeanchoice.com

Jamaican Chicken Curry

Jamaican Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1/2 chicken (cleaned, with skin removed)
4 stems of fresh thyme
1 onion
5 tablespoons curry
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon all purpose seasoning
3 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chicken seasoning
3 white potatoes (peeled, cut in cubes)
1 lemon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon butter
2 cup water
1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper

Method

Wash chicken with lemon and cut into bite size pieces. Season with all dry ingredients.

Chop all herbs and add to chicken (use hands to rub in seasonings, and let sit in refrigerator for 1/2 hr.

Place chicken, water and oil in a pot, stir, and cook on high till it comes to a boil, stir, lower heat until chicken is almost cooked.

Add potatoes and butter. Cook until water is reduced and potatoes are tender.

Serve over steamed white rice Serves 4 people.

Costillitas (Cuban Style Baby Back Ribs)

Costillitas (Cuban Style Baby Back Ribs)

Ingredients

6-8 pound lean baby back pork ribs
8 cloves of garlic
Juice of 3 large lemons
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1 cup sour orange juice (Or 1 cup of Orange Juice with the juice of 1 large lime)
5 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of olive oil

Method

Cut the ribs in 5 to 7 inches sections. Wash well under faucet and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Smash the garlic cloves in a mortar or garlic press.

Mix the sour orange juice, lime juice, oregano, garlic, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside about 1/2 cup of this mix (the marinating sauce) to be used when serving.

Place ribs in a large non-metal container and pour the rest of mix over the ribs. Rub the remaining salt thoroughly on all surfaces of the ribs. Place in the refrigerator and let stand for 2 to 3 hours.

Set you gas or charcoal grill to low and place ribs so that they are not exposed to direct flame. Cook slowly for about 30 - 45 minutes. Time will depend on the temperature of the grill. Cook very slowly to ensure tenderness. Turn ribs once or twice while cooking.

Once they are cooked, increase the heat to high or in the case of a charcoal grill place ribs over direct high charcoal heat in order to brown. Turn as needed to brown both sides well.

Serve with black beans and rice.

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.