With an abundance of fresh Callaloo (aka spinach or chorai bhagi) in my garden last summer and with the many requests for a version of the classic Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish (salted cod) without the saltifsh, I’ve been playing around with a few variations. I’m a HUGE fan of salted cod and NOT a fan of turkey, but I had to admit that this recipe was simply delicious. You may also use ground beef, chicken or pork if you so desire.. with similar results.

You’ll Need…

Jamaican callaloo
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic (diced or crushed)
1 small onion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 grape tomato
juice 1/2 lemon (I used red wine vinegar)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Prep the Jamaican Callaloo and set aside. Basically I only used the leaves and not the stems as I would normally do. I washed them thoroughly, then rolled into a sort of cigar shape and sliced about 1 centimeter thick ribbons (watch the video below). I must stress that you wash the leaves really well and it won’t hurt to give the chopped leaves a second wash. Do drain.

Since ground turkey is very lean, I add the oil to a heavy pan and tossed in the turkey on a low/medium flame. The idea is to break it up (I used a wooden spoon) as it’s cooks through. It would be near impossible to give this any color. Took about 10-15 minutes to get it fully cooked and broken up into tiny pieces.

I then turned the heat down to low and added the onion, garlic, black pepper, scotch bonnet (no seeds and do remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such peppers), parsley, thyme and allspice. Mix well and cook on low for 3-5 minutes.

It’s now time to start adding the prepared Jamaican Callaloo (Chorai bhagi) to the pot. As you do, try to mix well. It may seem like too much for the pot but it will wilt as it cooks down. BTW the heat should be back up to medium at this point. Top with the salt and cover to sort of steam cook.

Remember to stir it every 4-5 minutes.. it will spring its own natural juices. After about 25 minutes it will be fully cooked. Remove the lid to burn off any remaining liquid (I didn’t have any) and adjust the salt to your own liking. Now top with the tomato, give it a stir and cover the pot – turn off the stove. Allow the residual heat to soften the tomato. At this point is also where I’d normally go in with some fresh lemon or lime juice. I didn’t have any so red wine vinegar went in instead. This helps to prevent any sort of itch one can get at the back of the tongue with Callaloo at times.

If you wanted to add a bit of creamed coconut or coconut milk while it steamed cooked, that will add a lovely flavor to the entire dish. So there you go, Jamaican Callaloo with Turkey.. yea traditionalists will be shaking their heads at this point – until they give it a try.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Outdoor Curry Duck Recipe.

May 27, 2025February 16, 20194 Comments

I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of curry duck nor goat, growing up on the islands. While I do eat curry goat occasionally now, I did develop a weakness for spicy curry duck in my adult years. Especially when it’s summertime and I can use my outdoor wood-burning stove, as we’re doing in today’s recipe. Nothing beats the deep flavor you get cooking over a wood fire.. the spices which makes up a good curry powder seems to take on a totally different flavor profile, compared to when cooked indoors or even on a propane flame outside.

You’ll Need…

8-10 lbs Duck
1 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon Roasted Geera (Cumin powder)
1 tablespoon Amchar Masalla
8 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 small onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 small onion (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 big leaf thyme (podina aka Spanish thyme)
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers
2-3 cups water.
4 tablespoon curry powder
3-4 tablespoon veg oil
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 cups water

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure that they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler.

Have your butcher use his band-saw to cut the duck into 1 – 2 inch pieces as the bones can be rather tough and brittle as well. Additionally, if you source your duck (Muscovy) at a Caribbean store, ask them to fire roast it (outer skin) if they can. This will help burn off any baby feathers. I’m not a huge fan of the skin and fat (duck can be very fatty) so I trimmed off as much as I could, then I washed the now trimmed pieces of duck with the juice of a lemon and cool water. Drain and get ready to season.

In a large bowl, place the duck, tomato, salt, black pepper, 2 scotch bonnet pepper (be mindful that this is supposed to be a spicy dish but you can tailor it to your own liking) , thyme, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Geera, Amchar Masalla, the small onion, scallion and big leaf thyme (crushed of chopped finely -optional). Give this a good mix and allow to marinate for at least a couple hours, but overnight in the fridge is probably best.

I had a good bed of coals and a couple logs in my fire, so on went a heavy iron pot over the heat, along with the vegetable oil. This was followed by the diced 1/2 onion, which cooked for 2 minutes (try to have a low heat if you can), then I went in with the garlic. After 30 seconds I added my curry powder and cooked until it got fragrant and darker. This step allows us to cook off any raw curry taste which could happen at the end and allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to fully bloom.

It’s now time to start adding the seasoned duck to the pot and try your best to stir well, so every piece of duck is coated in the lovely curry base we created. If you can, turn up your heat (I can adjust the heat by how much oxygen I allow into my wood burning stove) and allow the pieces of duck to sear a bit. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir it a couple times.

It’s now time to burn off all the liquid which will naturally spring-up. This step is to give the duck that rich curry flavor and color. Do NOT skip this step please. So basically all I did was add a bit more fire, removed the lid off the pot and got things back to the oil we started off with. Be sure to stir well, so it doesn’t burn during this step. This may take between 5-10 minutes to burn off.

Put the water in the same bowl you marinated the duck in, to pick up any marinade which may have been left back. Then pour it into the now ‘dry’ duck meat in the pot. Give it a good stir and bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook with the pot closed for about 40 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5-8 minutes or so and if you find that it’s drying up too fast, do add a bit more water. NO.. do NOT add any type of stock to the pot. Add some coconut milk if you want to add a different flavor to the curry.

Here’s where you’ll now personalize things. Taste for salt and adjust, see if the meat is tender enough for you (depending on the age of the duck, it can take a bit longer to get tender).. if not cook a bit longer, and adjust the gravy to the consistency you like. Finally add the chopped cilantro (shado beni will be the typical choice in Trinidad and Tobago) and I like adding another finely diced scotch bonnet at this point as well.

Remove the pot off the heat source and allow the residual heat to warm the diced pepper and cilantro. Get ready to enjoy the best ever curry duck you’ve ever made/had. You may thank me by sharing this recipe with your friends. (smile)

Couple things.. be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the Scotch Bonnet peppers and you can control the amount of heat in this dish by how many peppers you choose to use as well as by using the seeds of the peppers or not. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where the raw heat will be.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Amazing 20 Minute Curry Chicken With Spinach.

May 27, 2025February 10, 20194 Comments

Curry Chicken With Spinach.. a classic Caribbean combination (in my humble opinion). A dish which screams flavor, simple to put together and done in under 20 minutes. I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast as I much prefer the texture and flavor of darker meat, especially with bones. However, if there’s one time you can make chicken breast stand out in a curry, it’s now. Be sure to use baby spinach leaves for best results.

You’ll Need…

1 lb chicken (1 inch pieces)
3/4 lb baby spinach
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 shallot (diced finely)
2 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
8-10 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper

Important! If doing this dish 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 as some may contain flour as a filler. Also, keep in mind that you must wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers as scotch bonnets.

Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning and set aside. No need to marinate as we want to get this tasty dish done asap. I used boneless chicken breast but you can certainly use chicken thighs. To be 100% honest, you will get better results with chicken thighs.

Wash the baby spinach with cool water and set aside to drain.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over a low heat, then go in with the shallot and garlic. Allow this to cook on that low flame for 2-3 minutes, then add the slices of scotch bonnet pepper. Don’t use any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. Then add the curry powder and cook for 3-5 minutes. This step will do two things. Cook out the rawness of the curry and help to bloom the spices which makes up the curry blend.

Crank the heat up to med/high and start adding the season chicken to the pot. Mix well to coat the chicken with that curry goodness. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

Your kitchen should have the lovely aroma of a good curry being cooked. There should be no liquid in the pot and the chicken pieces properly coated with the curry. Add the washed spinach to the pot and stir well. The remaining water on the spinach leaves (from washing) will help to deglaze or release the flavor bits on the bottom of the pan.

The spinach will wilt down so after about 2 minutes you may now go in with the tomato and stir well. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Then taste for salt and adjust to your own liking. You may crank up your heat if you have a ton of liquid on the bottom of the pan. In my case it was done to my liking at this point.

Feel free to add a couple tablespoon of coconut cream if you’d like to add a bit more flavor to this curry dish. I never covered the pan if you’re wondering.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Flavorful Cabbage With Diced Ham.

May 27, 2025February 5, 20191 Comment

This is a dish mom would make for us when she had leftover ham (usually around Christmas time) as it’s was the only way she could ever make ‘cabbage’ seem attractive to us. When she didn’t have ham, show would use salted pork or tiny pieces of salted pig tails. If pork is not your thing you can always use smoked turkey or pieces of salted codfish as we did in a previous recipe.. where we also added boiled green bananas as our cousins in St Lucia would normally do.

You’ll Need…

1/2 large Cabbage (sliced)
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1 carrot (julienne)
1 stalk celery (sliced)
2 pimento peppers
1 bird’s eye pepper (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

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, as some may contain flour.

Dice the ham into 1 cm pieces and place into a heated (wide) pan over low heat. My ham was a bit fatty so I didn’t need any oil in the pan. Allow to cook (render down the fat) and go a bit golden in color. It may take a few minutes. Should you have a lot of fat in the pan, remove some and discard. Do NOT pour that fat down your kitchen sink or risk clogged pipes.

With the heat still on low, go in with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the black pepper and pimento pepper, along with the Bird’s Eye Pepper (any hot pepper will work.. providing with want some kick) and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir well to incorporate the flavors.

Its now time to add the carrot and stir well. Right after you can go in with the cabbage. Heat on medium at this point please.

Here’s where you now add the salt (be mindful that the ham will add a salty element to the dish already), taste and adjust and personalize how long you want to cook the cabbage. I like it with a slight crunch, so I gave it 4-5 minutes, then the stove came off.

A quick and tasty way to put leftover ham to use.. goes great with rice, roti or as I did on this occasion.. on sandwiches.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Bodi (aka Yard Bean or Bora).

May 27, 2025December 4, 2018Leave a Comment

Here’s a dish I grew up enjoying, but rather than starting with the chicken as I’m about to show you, mom would typically use curry or stewed chicken she made the day before. After sharing similar recipes using both French and String Beans, I was asked to do this version.. with Bodi (aka Bora or Yard Beans). The only real difference in using Bodi is that it can be a bit tougher and needs a few extra minutes to go fully tender.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs chicken (cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon veg oil
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 shallot (or small onion)
5-7 cloves garlic
1 bundle Bodi (about 4-5 cups when trimmed)
1 – 1 1/2 cup water

Note: Add more Scotch Bonnet when cooking the ‘curry’ at the start for an extra kick to the dish. Important! If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may have flour as a filler.

Clean and trim the chicken (fat and skin etc) then season with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling the spicy pepper. Allow to marinate for 1/2 hour.

During this time you can trim and prep the Bodi. Cut off the tips (discard) then cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces, wash with cool water. To keep it fresh I usually leave the trimmed bodi (any beans I use) covered in cool water in a deep bowl.

Heat the veg oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, then go in with the sliced shallot (substitute an onion if necessary) , and garlic. Turn the heat to as low as it will go and cook for about 3-4 minutes. I added a few extra slices of scotch bonnet pepper for an extra kick.

Add the cumin seeds and stir well, then add the curry powder and cook for another 3-5 minutes. This will ensure we won’t get a “raw” curry taste at the end, plus it will allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to bloom and give us an amazing curry base. The longer you cook the ‘curry’ the darker it will get. Heat still on low as we don’t want things to burn.

Now crank-up the heat to high and start adding the marinated chicken to the pot. Yes it’s ok if the marinade goes in too. Stir well to coat the chicken with that lovely curry base.

Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to medium. It will spring it’s own natural juices. after bout 5-7 minutes, remove the lid, crank up the heat and burn off that liquid. That will infuse the chicken with the curry flavor. Then add the trimmed Bodi to the pot and stir well. heat on high.

Swish around the water in the same bowl you marinated the chicken in to pick up any remaining marinade, then add that water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for about 25-30 minutes.

After 25 minutes or so the bodi should be nice and tender and the chicken fully cooked. You may check for salt and adjust accordingly and you have the option of having a gravy or turn the heat up to burn off all the liquid. I was serving this on rice so I wanted a bit of gravy.

An amazing curry dish with chicken and beans, packed with Caribbean goodness. Excellent served with hot roti, rice or a side dish as you’d normally serve.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Jerk Ham With a Mango Orange Pineapple Rum Glaze.

May 27, 2025December 3, 201810 Comments

You’ll Need…

9-10 lb ham

1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup orange juice
1 inch piece ginger
4 scallions
4 cloves garlic
8-10 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup rum

Glaze…

2 cups orange juice
1 lemon (juice)
1 can pine apple tibits (14 fl oz)
1 1/2 cup mango pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup rum
zest of 1 orange

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 requirements. Especially the Soy Sauce which will need to be replaced with a gluten free alternative.

I used a smoked ham leg which had a thick fatty skin which I removed and I made incisions in a diamond pattern across the ham to allow for the marinade to get in and do it’s thing.

I like using a food processor to make the marinade as I can control the texture/consistency much better this way. S omewhat chunky is the goal. Pulse until you get the consistency you like. I didn’t use any salt as I knew the smoked ham would be salty already, plus the soy sauce is loaded with sodium.

Pour the marinade over the ham and work in with your hands, so some of it goes into the incisions we made. Typically I’d say marinate overnight, but in my case I marinated for 30 minutes. Wash your hands immediately after with soap and water as there’s scotch bonnet pepper in there.

Place into your baking dish and loosely tent with foil to cover and into a 350 F oven on the middle shelf.

Now it’s time to make the mango pineapple rum glaze. In a saucepan place all the ingredients (except the orange zest) over a medium flame and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes on low. Then crush with a potato masher to thicken things up a bit. Turn off the stove and go in with the orange zest.

After about 30 minutes in the oven, I used the liquid in the pan to baste the ham every 10-15 or so.

It will take about 10 minutes per pound, so after about 1 hour and 15 minutes I did the following. I turned the heat up to 400 F, removed the foil which was covering it and allowed it back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

At this point I turned my oven setting to ‘broil’ (about 500 F) and went on with my first layer of the glaze we made. I prefer to spoon it on, as I figured using a brush would remove the jerk marinade which should be cooked on at this point. In total I glazed it 3 times.

IMPORTANT! This glaze (due to the high sugar content) can burn very easily, so do keep an eye on things. It was 3-4 minutes between each application of glaze and if you’re wondering.. yes it was still on the middle rack of the oven. Feel free to serve this amazing jerk ham with any leftover glaze.

So there you go.. the ONLY way to do ham this holiday season!

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Meat & Poultry

Jamaican Callaloo With Turkey.

Recipe Card

Jamaican Callaloo with Ground Turkey

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

The Ultimate Outdoor Curry Duck Recipe.

Amazing 20 Minute Curry Chicken With Spinach.

Flavorful Cabbage With Diced Ham.

Curry Chicken With Bodi (aka Yard Bean or Bora).

Jerk Ham With a Mango Orange Pineapple Rum Glaze.

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