Gluten Free

Here’s an old school curry dish I don’t recall eating until I left the Caribbean. Essentially mommy never made this vegan curry dish for us, however over the years I’ve learned that it was very commonplace in many homes in Trinidad and Tobago.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs mature green papaya (1 inch chunks)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large shallot (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoon curry powder (depending on how strong a curry you want)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
2 green chili peppers (sliced)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Optional – 2 green chili peppers to finish

Notes! I used green chili peppers in the dish, but you may use any spicy pepper you prefer or should you not enjoy spicy food, leave them out. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure that they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I suggest you watch the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there.

As mentioned in the video, it’s best to wear gloves or coat your hands with vegetable oil to prevent the Papaya’s sap from irritating your hands. Trim the stem off the papaya, then cut it into wedges. Use a spoon to scrape off the seeds and discard. Now it’s time to peel off the skin with a pairing knife or potato peeler. Rinse well and cut into 1 inch wedges.

Heat the coconut oil in a deep saucepan on a medium flame and add the sliced shallots. Turn the heat down to low and cook gently. After a minute add the curry powder, Anchar masala (get at your local Caribbean grocer), Caribbean Green Seasoning and black pepper. Should you not be able to source the Anchar Masala, use ground roasted cumin (Geera).

After about 4 minutes, turn the heat back up to medium, then add the prepared papaya to the pan and stir well to coat the pieces with that lovely curry base we created.

It’s now time to add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. Add the 2 chopped chili peppers and salt at this point as well.

Reduce the flame to a sort of rolling boil and simmer and cook until the papaya is tender.

Depending on how large you cut the Papaya it will take between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes to get tender. Use a pairing knife and poke the thickest piece of Papaya and if there’s no resistance, it means that it’s fully cooked.

Here’s where you’ll then taste and adjust the salt to your liking, add the cilantro and if you want a finishing kick as I do, add the other 2 chili peppers. I did stir the pot every 20 minutes or so and you will be required to pay attention to the level of the liquid and add more water should the need arise.

A wonderful vegan/vegetarian curry, which can also be enhanced with salted Cod… but that’s a recipe for another day.

How to Make Swiss Chard With Shrimp.

May 27, 2025December 29, 2023Leave a Comment

One of the last vegetables to survive into the colder months in my Canadian garden, is usually Swiss Chard! And while nothing will replace Chorai or Dasheen-bush Bhaji as far as I’m concerned, Swiss Chard tends to satisfy my cravings. Therefore I’m always grateful to have some I can harvest fresh and get busy in the kitchen on those cold nights.

You’ll Need…

5-6 lbs Swiss chard (washed, trimmed)
1 lb medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 tablespoon (divided) salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/4 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoon Coconut Cream

Notes! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I recommend that you use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe may be discussed there.

It’s important that you not only wash each leaf individually, but you must check the crevices and stems of them as well, as you rinse with cool water. Then remove the stems and chop them into 1 cm pieces and set aside.

Roll the leaves like you’re making a cigar and cut into 1 cm shreds.

Season the cleaned and deveined shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning and curry powder. Mix well and allow to marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

Heat the pan (deep) on a medium/low flame and add the seasoned shrimp. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes. Now remove the shrimp and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the same pan.

Add the sliced Scotch Bonnet pepper (optional) and garlic, turn the heat to low and cook a further 2-3 minutes.

Add the stems of the Swiss Chard as they will take longer to cook than the leaves, stir well and cover the pot. Allow the water from washing the stems and the steam it will create to deglaze the pan and release all the wonderful flavors. Cook for 4 minutes with the lid on.

It’s then time to remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium and add the washed/cut Swiss Chard leaves to the pot. Top with the remaining salt and black pepper and at this point you may add the coconut cream and mix in well. Should you not have coconut cream, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

It may seem like a lot as it crowds the pan, but it wilt quickly.

Cook uncovered for about 8-10 minutes.

Try to burn off any liquid which may have sprouted naturally, then add the pre-cooked shrimp and stir well. As the shrimp heats though for 2-3 minutes, taste and adjust the salt to your liking.

Turn off the stove once everything checks out (no liquid at the bottom of the pan and the salt is ideal) and enjoy with rice or hot Sada Roti.

Gluten Free Seafood Side Dishes

Re-Fried Boiled Plantain.

May 27, 2025December 27, 2023Leave a Comment

The perfect combination of sweet and savory with the merger of ripe plantain and salted fish, as we do in the Caribbean. As explained in the video below I always have leftover plantain since I’m the only one in this home who eats it. Frankly, I question if these children are mine every time they refuse my offer for fried or boiled plantain.

You’ll Need…

2 Ripe Plantain (pre-boiled)
‘1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 sprigs thyme
5-6 chives
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
1/8 lb salted Pollock (salted fish)
1 pimento pepper (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Notes! Please watch the video below as much more is explained there, especially why I didn’t use any salt and other ingredients you may add to this dish. If doing this gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

In doing this dish please consider that I had leftover boiled plantain for the night before dinner. However you may simply trim off the ends of ripe plantain, cut into 2-3 inch pieces and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, cool and remove the skin. Please boil with the skin on, so it holds its shape, especially if they are over-ripe.

Cut the plantain into bite sized pieces and set aside. Then heat the oil (you may use any oil you prefer and butter is also an option) in a saucepan on medium flame.

Unfortunately I couldn’t locate the full assortment of pictures I took, so this post will be lacking of the step by step images.

Once the oil is hot, add the salted fish (use any prepared salted fish you like) and stir well. Turn the heat down to medium/low and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the onion, thyme (leaves), garlic and pimento pepper. Should you want the dish spicy, add any hot pepper you like and in the amount you can handle.

For the salted fish, you will want to make sure you remove most of the salt, rehydrate it and remove any of the tiny bones it can sometimes have. Basically I used boned (bones removed), which I poured boiling water on, allowed it to soak until the water was cool and squeezed out that water. Then shred it into smaller pieces.

After about 4 minutes, add the cut plantain pieces into the pan and stir well to coat with the flavors of the other ingredients. Here’s where you’d give it a taste and adjust the salt should you want.

You have 2 options here. Cook the plantain until it’s heated through, or crank up the heat to medium high and cook until you get caramelized edges. This will bring out the natural sweetness of the plantain even further.

ENJOY!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

How To Make The Perfect Lamb Pepperpot.

May 27, 2025December 21, 20232 Comments

When my Guyanese friends speak about Pepperpot, there’s a certain passion and pride that lights up their faces. And to be honest, I know why. The deep rich flavors of this meat-packed dish is simply outstanding and very comforting. And while most pepperpot includes an assortment of meats, in this version we’ll stick to using lamb alone.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs lamb (with bones)
3/4 cup cassareep
2 cinnamon sticks
3 pieces of orange peel (1 inch each)
3 cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4-8 sprigs thyme
2 scallions (chopped)
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion (diced)
water
2-4 wiri wiri peppers

Notes! Please watch the video below to follow along as much more is discussed there. Optional ingredient includes, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise and a thick slice of ginger. I like pepperpot spicy so I used 8 fine wiri wiri peppers, should you not be able to source those peppers, any spicy pepper (in the amount you can handle) will work. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

With my lamb washed and drained, it went into a deep pot (no oil) on a medium/high flame. Cheap cuts of lamb can be fatty, so I do it this way (as explained in the video) to render out and remove some of that fat. The goal is NOT to brown the meat.

After about 6 minutes, turn the flame down (so you don’t get burned) and tip the pot to allow for the fat to accumulate. Remove the fat and discard (NOT down your sink).

Turn the heat back up to medium and add all of the other ingredients mentioned. Stir well, then cover completely with water and bring to a boil.

After coming to a boil, reduce the heat to low as we want this to slowly cook on a simmer until the lamb is tender. I did place the lid on slightly ajar.

Depending on how old the animal was when the meat was harvested, it can take between 2 hours and 15 minutes to 3 hours.

It took just over 2 hours of cooking slowly and me stirring every 30 minutes or so for the lamb to be tender. At this point you’ll taste for salt and adjust to your liking. The gravy’s thickness is a personal choice, so if you want it thicker, cook with the heat raised a bit. However be mindful that as this lamb pepperpot cools, it will thicken further.

In the video I explained how at the end, I used a spoon to scoop out even more fat out of the dish. All you need now is some homemade plait bread to break and dip in this wickedly delicious gravy.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Easy and Delicious Curry Lamb with Potato and Chickpeas Recipe.

May 27, 2025December 11, 2023Leave a Comment

If you’ve tried my Coconut Curry Lamb recipe, you can attest to the absolute delicious nature of a good Caribbean curry. With this version of Curry Lamb, we’ll give the overall dish more body and help to stretch it for more people.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs lamb (I used shoulder w bones)
lemon (juice)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
8-12 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
4 medium potatoes (1/4s)
1 can chickpeas (rinsed/drained)
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1 teaspoon black pepper
5-6 cups water
1 scallion (chopped)
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
2 tablespoon coconut cream

Notes! If making this recipe gluten free please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet your specific gluten free requirements. Especially the curry powder you used (discussed in the video below). Use any hot pepper you like/can source and in the amounts you can tolerate. I prefer using bone-in lamb for this recipe, however you’re free to use boneless cuts should you prefer.

Wash the pieces of lamb with the juice of the lemon and cool water, drain and set aside. for now. Get your deep pot on a medium flame and add the olive oil. You may use any oil you enjoy using.

Then add the onion, garlic, cumin seeds, Caribbean Green Seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper, cook for about 2-3 minutes, before adding the anchar masala (see your fav West Indian grocers, in the video below I explained what to use should you not be able to source it). Stir well.

Follow up with the curry powder (I discuss my fav curry powder in the video below) and stir well. Continue cooking on that medium flame for another 2-3 minutes. Then it’s time to add the diced tomatoes and stir well.

Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the prepared lamb pieces (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and I included the bones) and stir well to coat.

Add the salt and black pepper, continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes with the pot uncovered. It’s time to add the potato (cut into large pieces) as well as the chickpeas (channa) and stir well.

If you watched my curry Channa and Aloo video you’ll see how I removed the outer skin of the chickpeas and why I do so. Add the coconut cream (use 1 cup coconut milk if you don’t have cream) and water to cover everything.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and place the lid on the pot, slightly ajar. The goal now is to cook everything slowly and in doing so we’ll not only get tender pieces of lamb, but we’ll develop the rich and deep flavors of the curry.

After 1 1/2 hours, we need to check to see if the lamb is tender as well as taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Keep in mind that during the cooking process, should you need to add additional water (if it goes too THICK), feel free to do so. Also note as this cools it will thicken further, so adjust the gravy consistency accordingly.

Once the lamb is tender, salt is perfect and the gravy is to your liking, add the scallions, parsley (explained why I didn’t use cilantro nor shado beni in the video) and roasted cumin (geera) powder, stir well and shut off the stove.

A couple additional flavors you may consider adding as it cooks are a small stick of cinnamon and 2 bay leaves.

Gluten Free Seafood

Green Fig (cooking banana) With Saltfish.

May 27, 2025December 2, 2023Leave a Comment

When we did the Green Fig Salad we would have already discussed that for the most part, bananas are lovingly called FIG/s and the green ones are used in cooking in the Caribbean. There were comments when I posted the video that these were not figs, so I wanted to clarify things again.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs green cooking bananas (green fig)
1/2 lb boned salted cod (prepared)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 scallions (chopped)
3-5 bird’s eye peppers (see notes below)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Notes! In doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet your gluten free dietary requirements. I used coconut oil, however you may use any oil you prefer using. While I only had Bird’s Eye peppers on hand, you may use any spicy peppers you have or prefer. Or should you not like the dish spicy, the option to leave it out is up to you. Please use the video below to follow along, especially when preparing the green cooking bananas. When shopping for the green bananas (fig) outside the Caribbean, they may be called Green COOKING Bananas.

May I recommend that you try to source boned or boneless (bones removed) salted Cod or any salted fish you can afford. However, as you shred it (after you’ve boiled or soaked) be sure to keep an eye out for tiny bones and remove. Please refer to the video below (or above) to learn how to prepare the salted fish for use, so it’s rehydrated and most of the slated it was cured with, is removed.

In the video below I explained that you could peel the green bananas before boiling, but this step is much easier. Simply cut off both ends, then using a paring knife, cut the length of the banana, the depth of the skin. Then place them in a pot with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Drain and allow it to cool before peeling off the skin.

I explained in the video that I didn’t salt the water when boiling the green figs (banana) as I’m trying to cut back on the salt intake in my diet. Traditionally, 3/4 teaspoon of salt is added to the water.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide saucepan on a medium flame, then add the prepared salted Cod and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes to flavor the oil.

After 4 minutes, add the onion, garlic, scallions, black pepper and tomato to the pan and stir well. The goal is to soften everything and in doing so, combine all of those flavors. Should you have some fresh thyme, add a couple sprigs (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Additionally, should you want to add diced bell peppers, you’re more than welcome to do so at this point.

The cooked green bananas should be cool enough to handle at this point. remove the skin (discard) and add them to the pan with everything. Feel free to cut them into smaller pieces should you prefer. I added the Bird’s Eye peppers whole as I didn’t want the heat throughout the dish (I munched on the peppers as I ate later). Should you want the raw heat, cut the peppers into small pieces and add them when you added the onions etc.

All we have to do at this point is coat the bananas with that lovely base we created, heat them though and we’re done. Essentially you’re looking at about 4-6 minutes or a med/low flame.