Call me crazy, but even as a kid I loved spinach (bhaji) in all forms and to this day I still can’t figure out why ALL kids don’t love the stuff. Over the years (out of convenience and availability) spinach took the place of my beloved dasheen bush leaves and what some people call Jamaican Callaloo (we call chorai) can always be found in our vegetable garden during the summer months. Cooked with or without coconut milk, spiced up with hot peppers and enhanced with leftover stewed meats, spinach is something I can have on the regular.

Here’s a quick and tasty way to serve/enjoy spinach with a Caribbean twist.

You’ll Need…

1lb Baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 sprig thyme
1 scallion
1 medium onion
1/2 cup salted cod bits
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 scallion (green or spring onion)

Note: You can make this dish fully vegetarian by leaving out the bits of salted cod. But be sure to add salt and for more flavor, add a 1/2 cup of coconut milk during the cooking process.

Though the package said the spinach was washed, I still like washing it as there have been times when I did find some sand between the leaves. Try your best to get baby spinach as it’s much more tender and not as ‘bitter” as mature (dark green) leaves. After washing, set in a colander to dry. Take a closer look and remove all wilted (discolored) leaves from the bunch as well.

Chop the garlic, onion, scallion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper… remember to not include any seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper as that’s where the majority of heat dwell. Additionally, be sure to wear gloves if your hands are sensitive and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water.

Make little bundles with the spinach leaves and cut into shreds about 1/4 inch thick.

Prepare the salted cod (I used boneless for easier work). All you have to do is place the salted cod in a pot with water, bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Then discard the water, rinse with new water and allow to cool. Then shred into bits. here’s a video showing how it’s done…

Heat a saucepan on low heat, add the vegetable oil… then the salted cod bits (you can use any dried salted fish). Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes.. it will start to go brown on the edges and stick to the bottom of the pan. Scrape and move around. The idea is to build a base of flavor for the spinach. Next up we’ll add the sliced onion, scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and garlic. Make sure the heat is on low, as we want these items to sweat down and further infuse the dish with flavor. The last thing we want is burnt garlic and onions.

After 4-5 minutes, turn up the heat to medium, add the black pepper and the chopped spinach to the pot. It will pile up, but as soon as the heat gets going it will wilt down.

As it cooks, it will sprout a lot of it’s own liquid and go from that brilliant green colour to a more darker shade. Place the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes remove the lid (remember to stir every 5 minutes as it cooks), turn up the heat to burn off any excess liquid which may still be there and add the chopped tomato to give it some colour. taste for salt. Note that we didn’t put any salt in the dish as in most cases the residual salt from the salted cod bits will be enough to season the entire dish. But since your tolerance for salt is different that mine.. check and adjust accordingly.

If you’ve never used salted cod (salt fish) you’ll probably think this is a bit weird, but I assure you that the flavor will be amazing. My favourite way of having this (other than with flour /cassava dumplings) is with sada roti. Remember you can make this a full vegetarian dish as long as you follow the tip I left in the “Note” above.

WINNER WANTED!

It’s that time again! New for the summer one lucky reader will win a spanking new copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“. This beautiful recipe book with tons of grilling ideas, will be shipped to the lucky winner the first week of August (we even pay the shipping cost). All you have to do is tell me what’s your favorite item to grill, in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. it’s that simple.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about your favorite item is to grill.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Meal In A Minute – Everyday Grilling“”…

– contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from July 09 – to midnight July 31.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with their mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and would make for a great addition to your cooking library.

Good Luck!

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Grilled Caribbean Vegetarian Kebabs.

November 8, 2014June 21, 20127 Comments

As we make our way through our month of grilling, I thought it was time to do some vegetarian kebabs, to satisfy the vegetarian cravings in us. These grilled Caribbean style vegetarian kebabs are sure to excite your taste buds and make a grand impression on your guests. Not only are they eye-pleasing, they also bring out the true vibe of the islands with the wonderful spicy marinade we’ll use to marinate our favorite vegetables before grilling.

In this grilling/bbq journey we’ve been taking the past couple weeks you’ll see how creative, vibrant and exciting our Caribbean cuisine can be once we step out of the traditional mold. Since I was brought up in a home where traditional dishes took priority I have a deep appreciation for such dishes, but the creativity in me is always challenging me to be experimental… I do hope you find the journey as enthralling as I am.

You’ll Need..

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tables spoon shado beni
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper

8 mushrooms
1 sweet corn
1 large red onion
4 bell (sweet) peppers – different colors

Bamboo skewers – soak in water for at least 20 minutes prior to using.

Notes. The shado beni can be found in Asian, Latin and West Indian grocery stores and may be called culantro or bandanya. If you can’t get the shado beni, a good substitute is fresh chopped cilantro (about 2 tablespoons as it’s milder). With the scotch bonnet pepper remember to wear gloves and don’t include the seeds as that’s where most of the heat can be found. You can use any vegetable you like and if tofu is your thing.. hey add it. Important: Please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free diet.

De-seed the scotch bonnet pepper and give it a fine chop.. chop the garlic, shado beni, thyme and parsley as well. In a bowl, pour in the olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and add the salt, black pepper. Whisk in the chopped garlic, thyme, shado beni and parsley. You can add some balsamic vinegar in here as well.. added flavor.

Now it’s time to prep the vegetables to be marinated. Peel your corn, remove the silk and give it a wash. Now using a chefs knife, cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash and remove the seeds etc from the bell peppers and cut into 1 inch pieces.. try to keep the vegetable pieces the same size so they cook evenly. Peel and dice the red onion and put everything into a large bowl. With the onion, try to keep it 2 layers thick so they’re as thick as the bell peppers.

Pour in the marinade we made earlier and give it a good mix. Place some plastic wrap over the bowl and allow to marinate for a couple hrs in the fridge.

It’s now time to thread your vegetables onto your bamboo skewers (remember to soak them in water for at least 20 mins prior or they will burn on the grill). Get your grill nice and hot (about 375-400F), brush the grates with some veg oil (on a paper towel) or spray with non-stick spay and place the vegetable skewers onto the grill. Cook for a couple minutes on each side, until they have beautiful grill marks and cooked enough so they have a slight crunch. Remember they will continue to cook for a bit after coming off the grill, so try not to over-cook or risk having soggy vegetables. The grilling will intensify the natural sugars in the vegetables and with that wicked Caribbean marinade we made.. yup.. pure niceness!

Tips: Please use the remaining marinade in the bowl to brush onto the vegetarian kebabs as they grill and if you’re worried about your bamboo skewers burning, you can wrap the exposed ends with tin foil.

These are best served warm when the vegetables still have a little crunch to them and the marinade is still vibrant from being heated with the flame of the grill. I like using the leftover grilled vegetable to add to my eggs for breakfast.. can you say omelet?

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Grilling Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Homemade Tamarind BBQ Sauce

June 2, 2025June 12, 20129 Comments

One of the first personalized bbq sauces I’ve ever made was this tamarind bbq sauce and in the process I learned the foundation of making good tomato based bbq sauces. I have a number of sauces I’m still to share with you as we dig deeper into this culinary tour of the Caribbean, so do stay tuned in. Using a less glamorous fruit from the Caribbean called Tamarind (In trinidad and Tobago we refer to it as tambran) to add a wonderful jolt of true Caribbean vibe to this versatile bbq sauce (can be used as a dipping sauce as well), the final taste will surely excite your taste buds.

One of my first memories of tamarind is sucking back on a piece fresh off the tree and that wicked punch of sour where your taste buds go into immediate shock… thinking about it brings my mouth gushing with water from that memory. Those of you in North America.. it’s similar to the sour candy you enjoyed as a kid… the ones your friends would dare you to place in your mouth and not open it.

You’ll Need…

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cider vinegar
1 large onion diced (I used a sweet onion)
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoon yellow mustard (commercial stuff is fine)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3/4 cup tamarind pulp (see note below)

Notes: You’ll need between a cup and a cup and half of hot water to prepare the tamarind pulp into a liquid form. You can certainly add some cinnamon and fresh herbs to personalize this Tamarind BBQ Sauce if you like. When using the scotch bonnet pepper try to wear gloves as the oils can be painful on your bare skin and try not to use the seeds, since that’s where a lot of the heat is.

The first thing we need to do is dice the onion and pepper very small.. remember to not use the seeds of the pepper if you’re concerned about explosive heat. Put the tamarind paste into a bowl and top it with hot water (I used just over a cup of boiling water). The hot water will allow us to break the tamarind down into a concentrated liquid form.

In a deep sauce pan on medium heat, pour in the olive oil (to help cook the onions and it will also give the finished tamarind bbq sauce a brilliant sheen), then empty in the diced onion. Turn your heat down to low and let this slowly cook for 5 minutes (remember to stir). It will soften up, go translucent and release it’s natural sugars.

After 5 minuets it’s time to add the black pepper and allspice.. this step will help toast the spices a bit and release it’s flavors. Cook that for a minute or two, then start adding everything else into the pot (see video below).. except the tamarind. Raise your heat to medium to bring to a gentle boil (remember to keep stirring). As this comes to a boil, the water with the tamarind pulp should be cool enough for you to handle.

Using a fork (at first), break up the tamarind pulp, then get in with your fingers and massage it. This action will release the pulp and the water will become a sort of tamarind concentrate. Discard as much solid (seeds and fibers) as you can. Now strain the liquid into the pot and give it a good stir.

Turn the heat back up so you get this back to boiling, then turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. The idea is to cook this very slowly so all the flavors marry and form a tasty tamarind bbq sauce. Typically after 30 minutes it will be finished, but I allowed my batch to go for 45 minutes to really thicken up. You can leave it for additional time if you want a more thick bbq sauce. Do remember that when the sauce cools it will also thicken up quite a bit.

Not only will you have the satisfaction of knowing you made your own BBQ sauce, you’ll now have the most tasty tamarind bbq sauce you’ll ever enjoy. This sauce is not only meant for grilling, it makes a wicked dipping sauce for your chicken fingers and is a great topping for burgers. Store in glass containers in the fridge and it will remain good for at least a couple months (it won’t last.. you’ll find uses for it before then)

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Picante Mango Kuchela.

May 28, 2025May 17, 201215 Comments

My first memory of mango kuchela goes way back to my childhood, when I first had kuchela flavored with mustard oil, along with dhal, rice and fry dry (small herrings or sardines fried very dry until crispy). The memory of that mustard oil clearing my sinus still haunts me and to this day.. I’m still to try anything with mustard oil after that experience. This is the reason why in this mango kuchela there’s no use of mustard oil as in some traditional recipes.

This mango kuchela is one of those spicy condiments you’d get served on popular street food, such as doubles and aloo pies (deep fried dough stuffed with seasoned mashed potato) and versatile enough to accompany many curry dishes at dinner.

You’ll Need…

3 green mangoes
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon amchar massala
3/4 cup veg oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers

Notes: Try to get really green mango (skin and flesh), which will be very sour or tart. I stared with 3/4 cup of oil, but you may need about 1/2 cup more as it’s important that the entire jar (when storing) of the kuchela is covered with the oil. The oil can be used to drizzle onto food as well, as it will be well flavored. The 2 scotch bonnet peppers are used as a starting point, so feel free to add more as you’d like. The same can be said about the amchar massala…so add more if you want your finished mango kuchela to be darker and packed with more flavor.

The first thing we need to do is peel and wash the mangoes. Use a potato peeler or sharp paring knife and remove the outer skin off the mangoes. Don’t go too deep or you’ll be wasting the mango! When shopping for the green mangoes, be sure to get ones that’s firm (hard), no blemishes and if you were to knock them against something, they should give a solid sound (like a rock).

Next up, get your box grater and with some care, grate the mangoes. Remember there’s a seed in the middle of the mango, so be prepared when you get close to it. Discard this seed.

The grated mango will have a lot of moisture in it, so we’ll have to get rid of as much as we can. That moisture (what I was told) is what causes the mango kuchela to go bad fast, so we have to remove as much as we can. Using one of Caron’s new kitchen towels, I placed a heap of the grated mango in the center.. then used some elbow grease to squeeze out as much liquid as I could (see video below).

I recall as a kid my mom and grandma always having a galvanize (metal sheet) when mango was in season, covered with grated mango in the sun drying. It had that sort of musty scent, you’d also get when they were making mango amchar. Now it’s time to spread the grated mango onto a cookie sheet and allow to air dry for a few hours. If you’re blessed with Caribbean sunshine, make use of it and place it out in the sun. WARNING! Don’t place in the oven on low heat as I thought would be clever. The end result is parched mango, which will not work for this.

The next step (as the mango air-dries) is to puree the pepper and garlic. I used the entire pepper.. including the dreaded seeds, as I wanted the raw heat in this mango kuchela. I used my magic bullet, but you’re cool using a blender or a mortar and pestle. I know it may be hard, but try not to use any liquid in the blending process (puree). I ended up shaking my magic bullet a few times during the process to move the contents around. BTW, I gave the garlic and scotch bonnet peppers (feel free to use any hot pepper you have or like) a rough chop to make it easier to puree.

After about 3 hrs (overnight may be best) of air drying the grated mango should be ready now. So the next step is to place a sauce pan on medium/low heat, add the vegetable oil (don’t allow it to heat yet) and add the pureed pepper and garlic mix to it. If you add the puree to hot oil, it will splatter and give of a very strong (peppery) scent. Now allow the oil/pepper mixture to heat up and on medium/low heat, allow to cook for about 5 minutes.

Empty the dried grated mango into a bowl, then add the salt and amchar massala and give it a good stir. With the peppered oil mixture cooled, add that as well. Make sure to mix the entire batch of mango kuchela well.

Place in a dry bottle or container and it will keep for a few weeks. Additionally you can store this in the fridge for a couple months at least. When stored in the fridge be prepared for it to loose some of it’s heat. If storing on your kitchen cupboard, ensure that the mango is covered with oil. To add more oil.. heat (on high) vegetable oil, then allow to cool completely.. then add to the jar to cover the mango kuchela.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Spicy Cucumber Chutney.

May 28, 2025May 8, 201219 Comments

Cucumber chutney is one of those spicy condiments which may well be native to Trinidad and Tobago, especially when it comes to the street food called ‘doubles’. A truly good doubles will always be topped with cumber chutney or depending on the season.. green mango chutney. The sour or tart base, spiced with the shando beni and the vibrant heat of the scotch bonnet pepper can cause serious drooling to take place (wipe your beak). As with many of the delicacies we enjoy in the Caribbean, we never give it much thought as to how simple it is to make. We all assume that there’s some level of difficulty when it comes to making traditional dishes, especially since our cuisine is not as readily documented in cook books etc.

Let’s take a look at how simple this cucumber chutney is to make.

You’ll Need…

1 large cucumber
2 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon
2 tablespoon Shado Beni

Notes: To kick this up a bit, you can add a dash of cumin (geera). I used a scotch bonnet pepper, but you’re free to use a habanero and any hot pepper you may have or like using. If you don’t have shado beni, feel free to use 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro (coriander). I used the entire pepper (seeds and all), but if you’re overly concerned about excessive heat, don’t include the seeds.

I used a seedless English cucumber for making this cucumber chutney so I didn’t have to remove ay seeds. Additionally I didn’t remove the skin as I like the texture and contrast the skin gives to the finished chutney. If using cucumbers with seeds, do use a spoon to remove them and any soft mushy areas. Must be firm for easy grating.

I simply washed, then cut my cucumber into 2 pieces (easier to handle), then I grated with my box grater. Use the side which gives you that sort of shredded finish. (see pic)

After grating I placed the now shredded cucumber into a strainer and squeezed out as much of the liquid as I could.

I then placed it back into a bowl and prepared the other ingredients. I gave the garlic, shado beni and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop so it would be easier to puree.

You can use a Magi Bullet as I did, a food processor, a blender or just use your knife to give this a really fine chop. Additionally you can also use a mortar and pestle. In my magic bullet I squeezed the juice of the lemon, added the salt, black pepper and rough chopped – shado beni, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. I started with a few quick pulses, then I let it run until I had a fine puree.

The scent of the lemon juice, with the garlic, shado beni and scotch bonnet pepper will be divine and cause your mouth to start springing juices (you know what I mean). The final step is to assemble everything. Pour the pepper puree into the same bowl where you have the shredded cucumber and give it a good mix.

The idea is to marry all the flavours so you have a nice spicy cucumber chutney. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for a couple hours and you’re good to go. This spicy cucumber chutney will last in the fridge for at least a week and goes well with anything you normally eat spicy condiments with..even your scrambled eggs at breakfast. Do remember to taste for salt.. the idea is to have a mellow/well-rounded undertone and have the shredded cucumber absorb the goodness of the garlic, shado beni and heat from the pepper.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

How To Cook Fry Bodi.

June 23, 2024April 28, 201210 Comments

Fry bodi is yet another dish I only grew to appreciate as I got older and if I’m being completely honest, I must mention that it’s one of those dishes I can’t replicate as good as our mom’s. How come we can do a dish “exactly” as our mom and never be able to replicate the taste (and consistency in some cases)? Like the curry bodi recipe I shared with you all a while back, this one is a favorite among vegetarians and I’ve received many compliments from it. So I know you’ll just love it.

* BTW, bodi is also known as the yardlong bean, bora, long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean

You’ll Need…

1 bundle bodi (about 1.5 lbs)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil (veg oil works great as well)
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion | 1 medium tomato
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (any spicy pepper)
dash black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Notes: I must mention to you all that if you’re getting bodi freshly harvested, the cooking time will be a bit less (about 5 mins less). I know from my days on the islands that the bodi tends to cook faster and is more ‘meaty” (thicker). The bodi we get here in North America (see Asian and West Indian grocery stores) tend to be much thinner and take longer to cook. To brighten up this dish (this is optional), add a chopped tomato the last couple minutes of cooking. If you can’t get bodi, a good substitute would be french or string beans.

The first thing we need to do is to wash and trim the bodi (refer to the video below). Basically all you’re doing is removing both ends of the bean and discard. Then trim each bean into pieces about 1/5 inches long.

Chop the onion, scotch bonnet pepper (remember to not use the seeds as that’s where most of the heat will be) and slice the garlic very thinly. Then is a saucepan, heat the oil on med/high heat and add the sliced onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and allow this to cook for about 3 minutes. We’re trying to infuse the oil with the wonderful flavors of the garlic and onion.

After 3 minutes add the scotch bonnet pepper, black pepper and toss in the trimmed bodi pieces. Give this a good stir and top with the salt. Raise the heat to high, add the water and bring to a boil. Should take 2-3 minutes.

When it comes to a boil reduce to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook for about 25 minutes. Remember to stir every 4-5 minutes. You will notice that the fry bodi will start changing colour.. go from the brilliant green to a darker shade.

After 25 minutes your beans should be fully cooked and there should be no liquid in the bottom of the pan. If there’s liquid, do raise the heat and burn it off. Here’s where you’ll now add the chopped tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes.. just to heat through. The bodi will be fully cooked, but have a slight firmness to it. If you like your beans cooked to the point where they’re tender and sort of melting away, feel free to cook longer.

Fry bodi is a lovely vegetarian dish which goes well with rice, roti or bread. You can add additional flavor by using coconut milk instead of water when cooking and if you have leftover pieces of Caribbean style stewed meats (chicken, beef or pork), you can add it during the final 5 minutes of cooking. I recall our mom adding pieces of salted cod to the fry bodi and our dad would be in heaven. Maybe I’ll share that recipe with you soon.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

Spinach Cooked With Salted Cod Bits.

WINNER WANTED!

Grilled Caribbean Vegetarian Kebabs.

Homemade Tamarind BBQ Sauce

Recipe Card

Homemade Tamarind BBQ Sauce

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Ingredients

Instructions

Picante Mango Kuchela.

Spicy Cucumber Chutney.

How To Cook Fry Bodi.

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