Gluten Free

Fig or green cooking bananas is one of those go-to ingredients we love to incorporate in soups, stews and many times, simply boiled on it own (treated like most cultures would potatoes). Growing up on the islands, most homes had a banana tree in their backyard, so both ripe and green bananas were always plentiful. Today I’ll show you how you can take the same green cooking bananas and make a pie (casserole) as we did with Macaroni and Breadfruit a while back.

You’ll Need…

11-12 green cooking bananas
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium tomato (diced)
1 1/2 cup prepared salted cod (salt fish)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
6 cloves garlic (crushed or diced fine)
5 scallions (divided)
3-4 tablespoon chopped parsley (divided)
6-8 sprigs thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds | diced fine)
1 bell pepper (sweet pepper – diced)
3/4 cup Jarlsberg Cheese (grated)
1 1/2 cup aged cheddar (grated)
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray to grease the baking dish

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Trim the stems off the green bananas, then cut a shallow line (the thickness of the skin) along the lenght of each banana. Rinse with cool water, place in a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. reduce to a rolling boil and cook for 15-18 minutes or until they float or you see the cuts we made open up wide. Don’t salt the water – as the remaining salt from the salted cod (later) should be enough to season the dish.

Heat a saucepan on a med flame, add the olive oil followed by the prepared salted cod. (basically you soak the salted cod in water over night, then drain, rinse and shred or in my case, I poured boiling water over it in a bowl, when it cooled, I rinsed it in cool water, drain and shredded)

As soon as it starts frying, turn the heat to low, add 1/2 the black pepper and stir. Then add garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and turn the heat to med/low and add the 2/3 of the scallions, 1/2 of the parsley, thyme, bell pepper and tomato Stir well and cook for 3-5 minutes then turn off the heat.

The green bananas should be cooked now, drain and allow to cool before removing the skin (discard), then slice into 1/4 inch pieces.

As the banana cools, grate your cheese. TIP! Place the cheese in the freezer for 5-8 minutes and it will firm up nicely to grate easier. To this cheese add the remaining black pepper, scallions, parsley and thyme. Mix to combine.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 F. Add the melted butter and 2/3 the cheese mixture to the sliced cooked banana and mix well to combine.

Spray or grease your oven proof dish, then add a layer (1/2) of the banana/cheese, followed by the tomato/saltfish (place down the center, then spread evenly across), the final layer of green fig (banana) and top with the cheese we reserved.

Into the oven on the middle shelf (uncovered) for 40 minutes. Then hit the broil setting (about 550 F) for 2-3 minutes for a bit more color on the top.

I’m sure you can recognize that Uncle Chris brought his A Game with this recipe, as most Fig Pie don’t include the stewed Salted Cod (saltfish). I also opted for slicing the cooked green bananas and not smashing or mash them as others do. Sadly I’m no longer in the Caribbean where I can get ‘choice’ green fig (banana), but so it goes I guess. Remember to look for Green COOKING Bananas if you’re outside the Caribbean. Asian, Latin and Caribbean markets will usually stock it.

The Ultimate Masala Shrimp (curry shrimp).

October 30, 2020September 3, 20205 Comments

The biggest PUNCH of flavor you can do to any dish, is to rock it Masala style! We’ve done fiery geera shrimp, curry shrimp with potato and curry shrimp in the past, however this version is my ultimate favorite. Quick seasoning, develop that rich masala base and quickly cook the shrimp in the deliciousness.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs medium shrimp (cleaned)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped fine)
2 scallions (chopped)
6-8 cloves garlic (diced fine)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 tablespoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 tablespoon Anchar masala
4-6 wiri wiri peppers
2 tablespoon chopped Shado beni (culantro)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.. Especially the curry powder you use. The Anchar masala can be found at your local West Indian market or feel free to use roasted cumin powder if you cannot source it. The Wiri Wiri peppers came from my garden via my freezer. Use as much of any spicy pepper you like or can source.

Season cleaned shrimp (shell removed, deveined and washed with the juice of a lemon or lime and cool water – drained) with black pepper, salt, Caribbean green seasoning and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir well.

I enjoy cooking curry type dishes outdoors, so I employed the use of my propane stove in the back yard. However, on a wood fire you’ll get exceptional flavors (or you can certainly cook on your stove-top indoors). In a heavy pan on a medium heat, add the remaining oil, then the onion and garlic and set you heat on low for 1-2 minutes. Then add the geera seeds (cumin) and stir well (heat still on low), followed by your fav curry powder. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then add the water and bring to a boil on a high flame.

Add the finely diced tomato and scallion. Two minutes later add the Anchar Masala and stir it well. Now and add the Wiri Wiri peppers (whole). And allow this masala gravy to cook down.

After all the liquid is burned off and you start seeing the oil we started with as you stir (it will be thick), it’s then time to add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and stir well to coat.

Remember that you are to avoid breaking the peppers or you will release the beast (heat).

On the high heat the shrimp will fully cook in 3-4 minutes. Top with the chopped Shado beni aka culantro (or use chopped cilantro if you cannot get Shadon Beni) and enjoy.

An incredible way to prepare and cook shrimp packed with bold flavors. Break a couple of the peppers and make this spicy. Sanctification on a different level for pepper heads.

Gluten Free Seafood

How To Grill Monkfish Right.

September 3, 2020August 6, 20202 Comments

After having my first ever Monkfish experience at La Paradeta Sants in Barcelona last year, not only did I fall in love with Monkfish, I knew I’d be rocking my own recipe. While not a pretty fish, once the skin and bones are removed, the flesh is quite beautiful and a sponge for flavors. Here’s my “Caribbean” version to what we enjoyed in Spain.

You’ll Need…

1 lb Monkfish (fillet – no bones, nor skin)
2 scallions (chopped finely)
2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
1 lemon (juice)
3 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 bird’s eye pepper (chopped)
6 grape or cherry tomato (diced)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper

Important. If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go though the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Note: You’ll see me use a grill pan on my propane grill to prepare this dish. The main reasons are 1. To show you that you can do this on a stove top in a cast iron pan and 2. To keep it away from the direct heat/flame off the grill while still being above the heat source (though we need a hot surface) so we don’t overly char the fish.

The main sort of component to this dish other than the actual grilling, is to prepare the marinade/dressing. Add all the above mentioned ingredients (not the fish), into a bowl and whisk together. Then drizzle 2/3 of it on the fish (make sure the Monkfish is clean.. feel free to wash with cool water and the juice of a lemon as it’s traditionally done in the Caribbean) and allow it to marinate for 4-5 minutes (basically while your grill comes to temperature). Reserve the final 1/3 of the marinade to use as a dressing over the finished grill fish.

Crank up the heat on your grill to 400-450 F, brush or spray the grill with some oil (so the fish doesn’t stick) then gently place the seasoned fish onto the hot surface. Using the heavy cast iron skillet on my grill gave me better control of the heat. You can also do this in your indoor oven or stove top.

Close the lid on the grill and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Then flip over, and pour the marinade that it was marinating in directly on top. Place the lid back on.

Flip one more time if necessary. You’ll need between 6-10 minutes in total depending on the thickness of the Monkfish you used. What I forgot to mention above (but I did explain in the video below) is that I did ‘butterfly’ the thick parts of the fish so I had an even thickness overall. Thus being able to cook evenly.

Try your best to NOT overcook the fish or it WILL go tough on you. As soon as it comes off the grill, it’s time to drizzle on the reserved marinade.

I can guarantee you, that this will be one of the best (and easy) grilled fish recipes you’ll ever enjoy. I did use the seeds of the bird’s eye pepper, but you can discard those if you don’t want the raw heat of it. Scotch Bonnet or Habanero (small amounts) is a good substitute for the Bird’s Eye or.. leave it out or use basic pepper flakes if that’s all you have.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Masala (curry) Chicken.

May 27, 2025July 12, 20203 Comments

If you’re looking for a Caribbean style Curry Chicken with rich flavors of spices, deep hints of herbs and a gravy that could compete with the best sauces at the gravy Olympics (if such a thing existed), you’ve found such a recipe. Did I mention that it’s a quick dish to whip up? Masala Chicken is the dignified older brother of the basic curry chicken. Follow along and all will be revealed.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs chicken (bones, fat and skin removed)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
3 tablespoon olive oil
8-12 cloves garlic (divided)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 shallot (diced)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground roast geera (cumin)
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
2 tablespoon chopped parsley (cilantro or shado beni will be better)

3/4 cup water to cook off the curry

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filler. Remember to use as much scotch bonnet as you can handle and don’t include any seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds (unless you like the raw heat). Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

I used boneless chicken thighs which were cut into 1.5 – 2 inch pieces. Season with the Caribbean Green seasoning, salt, black pepper, ketchup and tomato. Allow to marinate for about an hour. The acidity of the ketchup and tomato will help to balance the overall flavors of the dish. Plus help in getting a thick sauce or gravy at the end.

During the warm months in Canada I try cook outdoors as much as I can, as being cooped-up during the winter months can be taxing on your mind and well-being. Today you’ll see me cook on my outdoor stove on HIGH heat! Feel free to use your indoor stove.

Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot (I used a classic Caribbean dutchie) on high heat and immediately go in with 1/2 the garlic, onion and shallots. Cook for 25-35 seconds then add the curry powder of your choice. Cook for a minute or 2, then add the water and stir well. The first step was to bloom the spices which made up the curry powder, this step will cook off the rawness of the curry.

Add the Geera and Anchar Masala at this point, so they also get to cook and be part of this rich masala./curry base.

The slurry will now cook down and you’ll see the oil you started off with. Time to now add the seasoned chicken and stir well to coat and degalze the bottom of the pot. All this time my heat is on high. But be mindful that you can burn things easily – so you can go with medium-high if you’re overly concerned.

The chicken will sprout it’s own natural juices. Cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes, so you develop those rich flavors we spoke about, cook the chicken through and achieve a lovely gravy in the process. If you find you’re running out of liquid, you can add a bit of water. At this point is where you’ll add the remaining garlic as well.

I didn’t cover my pot in case you’re wondering. As I turned off the heat I went in with the finely chopped parsley. Here is where you can taste for salt and adjust accordingly and cook the gravy to the consistency you want.

This Masala Chicken will be something requested by your family and friends on the regular – be prepared! Since we used small boneless pieces of chicken the cook time is quick and by using the thighs (dark meat) you’ll find that it assists in the overall flavor of the finished dish.

Gluten Free Seafood

Ultimate Grilled Lobster #JulyMonthOfGrilling

July 19, 2020July 6, 2020Leave a Comment

It’s that time of the year! We’re now into the 10th edition of the annual July Month Of Grilling and we’re starting off with a BANG! (a recipe which is heavily requested on Instagram) This recipe is influenced by the folks at Ducky’s Ortoire Organic Roast Seafood and the delicious offerings they sorted us out with last year. While I wish I had Caribbean lobsters, the cold water lobster is an excellent substitute to accompany the steaks grilled this night.

You’ll Need…

3 1 lb lobsters
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 scallions (chopped fine)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pimento peppers (seasoning peppers – chopped fine)
2 bird’s eye pepper (chopped fine)
3/4 lb butter
6-8 leaves Shado Beni (culantro – chopped fine)
8 cloves garlic (diced fine)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 shallot (diced fine)
1/2 cup coconut milk

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Banana leaves can be found in the frozen section of your Asian, Latin or Caribbean grocery store. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

Please use the video below as a guide when cleaning the lobsters. These were live lobsters, so using a sharp chef’s knife I made a quick (but forceful) cut down the head of the lobster, then continued down the tails to cut into two equal halves. This swift method of cutting through the head, is probably the most humane way to kill the lobsters.

Remove the rubber bands from around the claws and wash out the belly cavity with cool water. In the video you’ll see the stuff I removed. Feel free to wash the lobsters with some lemon juice.

With the ingredients prepped, it’s now time to go crank up your grill. I used my propane grill, but you can use a charcoal grill should you prefer (better flav actually). You’ll want a hot grill.

Heat a pot and add all the ingredients mentioned above (except the lobster and banana leaves). This is the key to this succulent grilled lobster.

Allow it to simmer for about 3-5 minutes after it comes to a boil, to allow flavors get an opportunity to combine. Keep warm as we grill the lobsters.

I prefer to go flesh-side down to start, over direct heat. But.. not for long. 40-50 seconds later, flip them over and hit then with the first basting of the coconut buttery goodness we created. Then cover them with the banana leaves. Should the leaves be difficult to source, simply close the lid on your grill.

4-5 minutes later (depending on how big your lobsters are) remove the leaves (discard) and baste with another round of the flavored butter. Give it another minute or 2 and you’re done.

Serve warm, with the remaining coconut garlic butter as a dip. BTW, this butter is excellent on steaks as well. The goal is to have juicy lobsters, so please don’t over-cook and be sure to be generous when applying the melted butter. BUT be mindful that you may get flare-ups.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Caribbean Style Compound Butter.

May 28, 2025June 16, 20201 Comment

Why Mommy? You never put compound butter on our boiled corn! Yea, this is not something I grew up eating on the islands, but if you look closely you’ll see how we’ve adapted the flavors we enjoy down the islands, into this wonderful compound butter. Great of grilled meats, grilled and steamed vegetables and Indy (my youngest) luv this on mashed potatoes. In the next post I’ll show you how to make an amazing shrimp dish with this.

You’ll Need…

2 sticks butter
2 scallions
3-4 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
3-5 cloves garlic
4 leaves shado beni (culantro)
1 teaspoon dried pimento peppers
1-2 bird’s eye pepper

Note! If doing this recipe Gluten Free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the butter. I used dried/dehydrated pimento peppers, but if all you have is fresh, that will work too. If you cannot source pimento peppers, use your fav sweet peppers. While Pimento peppers are NOT hot (spicy), you can use a bit of Habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper in here should you want it EXTRA spicy.

Leave the butter out on your counter to soften naturally in a bowl.

Remove the leaves off the thyme stem and along with the scallion, parsley and shado beni (use cilantro as a subsitute) and give it all a fine chop. BUT… before you do, try to dry the herbs with paper towels after you wash them and before you begin chopping. We don’t want extra water influencing the overall taste later on. I used salted butter.

Dice the garlic (finely) as I prefer that way than crushed. I love the little chunks of garlic when I use this compound butter later on.

Remove the seeds out of the bird’s eye pepper (discard) and chop finely. You may keep the seeds if you want this with some kick.

Basically all you have to do now is combine eveything until completely mixed.

Place it all on plastic wrap as we’ll now wrap it in the form or a log about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Pinch the ends and wrap tightly. As you twist the ends, the shape will form naturally. Watch the video below to follow along.

Into the freezer to firm up. (store in the freezer)

My fav way to use this compound butter is on hot of the grill steaks (as in the images you see here) but as mentioned above, this is very versatile and can be used in many ways.

This summer try it on your grilled or boiled corn. Even those lobsters or fish you’ll end up grilling at some point. BTW, this can keep in the freezer for months.