Crab and Callaloo

Crab and Callaloo 

Hi folks hope you having a wonderful Emancipation holiday. Today I thought I would quickly show you how I make an all time favourite Trini cuisine. My dad loves to have this with Basmati rice however, many people make dumplings to accompany this dish. I would suggest you make whole wheat dumplings which is a much healthier option. 

Dasheen leaves (Taro leaves) are used to make the callaloo portion of this awesome combo and you can see some of the nutritional benefits of the Taro leaves and root by clicking the following links.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2676/2
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/taro-root.html

INGREDIENTS

• 3 crabs (cleaned - not necessary to pre-season it)
• 20 Dasheen leaves (Taro leaves)
• 10 young ochroes sliced
• 1 hot pepper (cut up)
• 2 pimentos chopped
• 1 oinion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• blended green seasoning
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• chopped chive
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp geera seeds (cumin)
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• boiling water 

METHOD

• Heat pot  and add coconut oil. When hot, add geera seeds until toasted. Meanwhile boil kettle/pot of water.
• Add chopped onion and hot pepper and stir, then proceed to add the crushed garlic.
• Add curry powder and stir until it gives off a fragrant aroma. It must grip the bottom of the pot.

• Add the crabs, tomatoes, pimentos, blended seasoning, some chopped chives, cover and  let it simmer on medium heat. 

• When the crab sticks in pot add more green seasoning, boiling water, cover and let it cook on medium heat. It is very important that the crab cooks properly.

 Approximately 20 minutes after add the ochroes followed by the dasheen leaves.

Squeeze a few drops of  lime juice on the leaves then add salt, stir and cover and continue cooking. Ensure you stir at intervals and monitor the water level.

• This dish should take approx 1hr to cook. Taste for salt and pepper. Remember you always have the power to tweak the recipe to your liking.

Have a look at how mine turned out.

For additional flavour some people use coconut milk in this dish.

Hope you try this soon. Enjoy the rest of the Holiday!!!

Remember to cook with love and good vibes.

Spicy Curried Shrimps

Spicy Curried Shrimps

Gosh it has been a super hectic Sunday thus far but I just had to spare a few moments to share with you my spicy curried shrimps. My dad is probably devouring this at the Queen's Park Oval right now.

For the CPL T20 finals he requested i make curried shrimps to go with the whole wheat bread. It was quick and very simple to prepare.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb shelled, de-veined shrimps  (seasoned with salt and green seasoning)
• 1 hot pepper (cut up)
• blended green seasoning
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• chopped chive
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp geera seeds

METHOD

• Heat pot  and add coconut oil. When hot, add geera seeds until toasted.
• Add chopped onion and hot pepper and stir, then proceed to add the crushed garlic.
• Add curry powder and stir until it gives off a fragrant aroma. It must grip the bottom of the pot.
• Add the shrimps, tomatoes and some chopped chives, cover and  let it simmer in its own juices for a few minutes on low heat. 

• When shrimp grips pot add some blended green seasoning,  Please ensure the texture of the shrimp is not rubbery. 

• Garnish with chopped chives as seen below. 
  

I sampled one shrimp and it was awesome. Hope you try this soon. This also goes well with dhalpourie or sada roti. 

All the best to the TT Red Steel team today!!

Remember to cook with love and good vibes.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal

It's been a while since my last post. Hope you guys have been experimenting with my recipes. Well I recently got a  request for the use of Steel-Cut Oats. This type of oats is nuttier and chewier than other varieties of oats such as rolled oats. One of  the easiest ways to incorporate this into the diet is by making oatmeal popularly known as porridge. There are several ways to make this but I will outline a method I have tried before. It takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare.

The only tools/equipment you require are: Measuring cup, spoons and a 2 quart saucepan.

For the oatmeal I  use the following basic ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

BASIC INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup steel-cut oats

• 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) salt

• 3-4 cups water (or a mixture  of water and milk)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

• 1tsp slivered almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder or nutmeg
• 1 tsp lecithin granules 
• elychee (cardamom) (crushed)
• sliced banana
• 1tbsp honey

METHOD

• Bring the water to a boil:  for firmer, more intact oat grains use 3 cups of water or 4 cups of water for creamier oatmeal. Pour the water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat.

• Stir in the oats and the pinch of salt
• Let the water return to a rolling boil — this should only take a few seconds. Monitor very carefully.  Sometimes as the water comes back to a boil it can overflow from the saucepan.
• Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and bring the oats to a simmer. You may need to lower the flame on your stove to keep the oats at a barely perceptible simmer. Intermittent bubbles are visible every few seconds.
•  Let the oats simmer for anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until the oats are very tender and the oatmeal is as creamy as you like it — longer cooking will make thicker oatmeal.

• Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 week: The oats are ready to eat immediately. You can also let the oats cool and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. for up to a week. The oats will thicken in the fridge; stir a little milk or water into them when reheating to loosen.

For a more comprehensive oatmeal you can add any combination of the optional ingredients that I listed above before eating. Have a little fun with the flavours. Remember it all depends on the flavour  you desire. This is indeed a very nutritious breakfast. 

Enjoy!

Remember to cook with love and good vibes.

Sawine (Vermicelli)

SAWINE (VERMICELLI)

Eid Mubarak to all! I thought it very fitting to do one of the most popular dishes made in Trinidad for Eid-ul-Fitr. This delicious dessert is called SAWINE. There are several ways to prepare sawine. However, I will outline a very popular version below. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 oz Vermicelli broken into small pieces - may be used as gluten free alternative
• 1 tsp ghee or unsalted butter
• 4 oz Demerara gold brown sugar
• 2 tsp crushed elychee (cardamom)
• 1 oz raisins  (currants or cranberries  can be used instead)
• 2 sticks spice 
• A few grains of clove
• 2-3 tsp almond essence
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 1 tin low fat evaporated  milk
• 8 cups water

METHOD

• Boil 8 cups water with raisins, clove, sugar spice, some of the elychee. The remainder may be used as garnish.
• Meanwhile heat ghee/unsalted butter in large non-stick pot.
• Add Vermicelli and roast until golden brown . This gives off a fragrant aroma.

• Carefully add boiling water to the vermicelli.
• Add evaporated milk, condensed milk and allow to boil until vermicelli is tender.

• Remove from heat.

You have the option to serve this hot or cold with the following : Chopped maraschino cherries, slivered almonds, prunes for garnishing. A sprig of fresh mint also adds flavour. Additionally Rose water can be used in place of the Almond Essence.

Basically this dish takes about 15 mins to make. It all depends on the type of vermicelli used.

Below is my finished product.

It was so yummy!

Remember to cook with love and good vibes.