chris de la rosa

As a lil fella growing up on the islands I recall it was a sort of expectation to see people ‘sunning’ out the freshly prepared bottles of traditional pepper sauce, when peppers were abundant (usually during dry season). Recycled bottles (which once housed peanut butter, jam or mayonnaise) packed with pureed, chunky or a combo of both. Vibrant red, orange, yellow and green, depending on the variety of pepper they used and the type of “peppersauce” they made. According to the elders, that Caribbean sun helped to cure the sauce and add even more wicked flavors.

You’ll Need…

25-35 hot peppers
20-30 bird pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2-3 cups white vinegar
1/2 large bitter melon
12-18 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 large carrot (or 10 tiny ones)
6 limes (divided)
11 lemons (divided)

IMPORTANT! Wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after handling such hot peppers with soap and water.

Wash everything and allow them to dry, then remove the stems off the peppers.

Cut the bitter melon in half (lenght) and using a tablespoon, scrape out the seeds and area around the seeds and discard. Slice thin.

Cut the limes in 1/4 (lenght-wise), then 1/2 cm slices. Do the same for four the lemons. TIP.. remove the center core of the lemons to make them more tender later on. (please watch the video below to follow along)

I used a variety of extremely hot peppers as I had an abundance in my garden. Feel free to use what you can source (watch the video below to see what I used). Slice each pepper thin and include the seeds for more heat. I left the bird peppers whole (stems removed).

Place the lime and lemon pieces in a deep pot and pour in the vinegar. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a simmer and cook on that simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off the stove after 15 minutes (by cooking the lime and lemon pieces first in that vinegar will help to break down the skin and release a ton of that citrus flavor). While still warm, add the thinly sliced peppers, followed by all of the other ingredients (not the remaining lime nor lemons).

Stir well. I used baby carrots as that’s all I had on hand, but you can definitely slice up a large carrot. Allow this to fully cool.

Juice the remaining limes and lemon. (set aside)

It’s now time to place the pepper mixture into your clean glass containers. I used tongs, then I poured in the vinegar juice. I then strained in the freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice.

By adding the juice now it’s brings out that fresh citrus flavor and brightens the finished pepper-sauce.

Now tuck everything down with a wooden spoon. If you find that your peppers are not covered in liquid, add a bit more white vinegar and mix well. Uncovered peppers may tend to ferment and go bad quickly.

While you’ll be tempted to get into this asap, give it a week to fully ‘cure” before sampling. Store in the fridge for longer shelf life (about 6 months). Admittedly I was tempted to do as my ancestors did and place it in the sun, but it’s wasn’t a Caribbean sun so instead I hid mine in a cool dark corner in my kitchen. I find that when peppersauce goes in the fridge its heat level drops! It’s been there for about 9 months now. The sauce is excellent in soups and on the side of my beloved Pelau!

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Comforting Braised Beef Short Ribs.

May 17, 2021May 15, 2021Leave a Comment

Yet another recipe on here you won’t associate with the Caribbean, however it’s one I do quite often and felt the need to share with you. Slowly braised in the oven until the meat falls of the bones, it’s packed with deep rich and comforting flavors. Winters can be quite brutal in Canada, so a dish like this hits the spot on those cold nights and the leftovers can be frozen and reheated easily.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs beef short ribs
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
6-8 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate
2 scallions (chopped)
2 cups beef stock (adjust if necessary)
1 large carrot (cut into wheels)
2 bay leaves
2 pimento peppers (sliced)
1/2 lb mushrooms
3/4 cup Port (or your fav wine)
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
zest of a lemon
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Note! Remember to taste at the end for salt and adjust to your own liking. Also note that if you find you have little liquid left and the ribs are not tender, feel free to add a bit more beef stock (warm it in the microwave first as you don’t want to add cold stock to the pot). I left the mushrooms whole as they were small, plus I wanted them to maintain their shape and not fall apart during the lengthy cooking process.

The ribs were washed and pat dry. Then I hit them with 1/2 the salt and black pepper. If you wanted you can dust them in all-purpose flour as that will help you develop a thicker gravy at the end. I didn’t.

Heat a heavy oven-proof pot (with a lid) on a medium high flame, then add the oil and (in batches) brown the pieces of beef ribs. Takes about 3-4 minutes on each side. Do in batches so you don’t crowd the pan and enable it to spring liquid. Then it will boil.

Remove and set aside. Then in the same pot (remove some of the fat – leave back about 1 1/2 tablespoon) and reduce the heat to low. Now add the onion, garlic, pimento peppers (optional as they can be difficult to source), scallions and the remaining black pepper. Cook on low.

After 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and stir to coat with all that flavor we have in the pot. Turn the heat to medium/low.

After 2-3 minutes, it’s time to add the tomato paste and spread so it gets in contact with the bottom of the hot pot. This will bring out the natural sweetness of the tomato paste.

3 minutes later it’s time to add the Port (or your fav red wine) and scrape the bottom of the pan to release everything (Fond – brown bits on the bottom of the pot) at the bottom of the pot. It will take a couple minutes for that alcohol in the Port to burn off and leave us with the deep rich flavor we need.

Add the stock and stir. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Bring this to a boil (turn up the heat).

As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and tuck in the pieces of browned ribs into this liquid.

Add the remaining salt (be mindful that the stock you use will have sodium), bay leaves, thyme, sugar (helps to balance the acidity from the Port and Tomato Paste) and carrots. Bring back to a boil.

Place the lid on and onto the middle rack of the oven. Stir every 30-45 minutes.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later and they should be TENDER and falling off the bones, with a robust gravy. Tip the pot and remove some of the oil on the surface (my ribs were a bit fatty) and discard. Finish with the parsley and lemon zest to brighten things up.

This here is PURE COMFORT! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Desserts

Juicy Jerk Pineapple Bites.

May 28, 2025May 10, 20211 Comment

Juicy and BURSTING with the flavors of Allspice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar and Scotch Bonnet peppers, these Jerk Pineapple Bites are guaranteed to be a hit with your family and friends. Roasted in the oven or slide them onto a bamboo skewer and grill them off on your BBQ this summer. Your pineapple game will take on a new brilliance.

You’ll Need…

1 large ripe pineapple
2 tablespoon Jerk Marinade
2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 lemon

Feel free to make your own Jerk Marinade or use your fav store-bought jar. Be mindful that the ones from the store can be a bit spicy (read the label).

Peel, Core and Cube the pineapple.

In a bowl, place the jerk marinade, lemon juice, olive oil and sugar. Now give that a good mix and your marinade/dressing is ready.

The jerk marinade I used was out of a bottle I bought at my local grocery and I know it’s very spicy. Be mindful of the spice level in the jerk marinade you use.

Pour the marinade over the cubed pineapple pieces and give it a good mix.

Pre-heat your oven to 500 F. Line your baking tray with foil or as in my case I sprayed on cooking/baking spray to make clean up easier later.

Pour the seasoned pineapple pieces onto the tray and make sure there’s space between each piece of pineapple.

Onto the middle rack of your oven.

20-25 minutes (depending on how large you cubed the pineapple) later and you’re done. It will take on some color on the edges.

Serve warm on it’s own or as a side to your fav ice cream. Excellent on pancakes and waffles too!

If you’ve ever seen people go crazy for the grilled pineapple at Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurants, you can guess how tasty grilled pineapple can be. Add the wonderful flavors of the Jerk marinade and you’re on another level of tasty. The sweet juicy flavors complement the slight heat of the jerk marinade. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

The Ultimate Shrimp Lo Mein.

June 14, 2021May 5, 20212 Comments

In places where the Chinese Indentured Laborers settled in the Caribbean after the end of slavery (to help facilitate the shortage of labor in the sugar cane fields), you’ll find that the Culinary Culture is heavily influenced by their culinary heritage. Countries like Guyana, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago to be more precise. Here’s one such dish! The perfect one pot meal in my humble opinion.

You’ll Need…

1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 lime or lemon (juice)
400 g Lo Mein Noodles (I used fresh)
1 1/2 tablespoon stir fry (spicy) oil
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
3 cloves garlic (diced fine or crushed)
2 onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 large red, green and orange bell pepper (cut into wedges)
10-15 mushroom (white button)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 1/4 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
2 scallions (chopped)

Tip! Prep the ingredients as this is a really quick dish to put together as with most stir-fry type recipes.

Peel and devein the shrimp and wash with the juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon and cool water.

Place your wok (or frying pan) on a medium flame and add the spicy chili oil.

Then add the garlic, grate in the ginger and toss in the shrimp. I left the tails on the shrimp (for presentation) but you can remove them. Stir and add the black pepper (use white pepper for a different flavor profile).

As this quickly cooks, cook your noodles according to the package directions and set aside.

2 1/2 – 3 minutes later, remove the shrimp from the wok (set aside) and add the vegetable oil back to the same wok.

Now add the bell peppers, onion, mushroom (cut in 1/2) and stir well.

2 minutes later it’s time to add your precooked noodles and mix well.

Now it’s time to add more flavors by adding the Chinese cooking wine, Hoisin sauce, Sesame oil, Oyster sauce and Soy sauce. Mix everything well to coat the noodles and vegetables. Cook for a couple minutes so the noodles absorb the sauces.

Toss in the shrimp, warm through and finish with the scallions before turning off the stove.

You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to this dish as I find that the sauces I added already got a sodium element to them, especially the dark soy sauce. But taste at the end and adjust to your liking.

Serve warm! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Rice & One-Pot Dishes Vegetarian

Comforting Stewed Lentils (slow cooker).

May 28, 2025April 28, 20211 Comment

Mom never owned a slow cooker (and we’ve talked about her and her dislike for pressure cookers – that she passed on to us), so the lentils she would make about 2 times a month, was slow-cooked on the stove top. That recipe I’ll share with you another day. For now, here’s my take on what I believe is one of the simplest ways to prepare comforting lentils from scratch.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs dried lentils
1 large carrot (cubed)
2 cups butternut squash (cubed)
3 stalks celery (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 sprigs thyme
4 tablespoon parsley (divided)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups vegetable stock
3-4 cups water
3 pimento peppers (chopped)
1 tablespoon Molasses
2-3 tablespoon Maple syrup
1 tablespoon Caribbean browning
2 thick slices ginger
1/2 teaspoon Scorch Bonnet pepper flakes (optional)
6 cloves garlic (whole)
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

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 Caribbean Browning, vegetable stock and Worcestershire sauce you use. This will be a MASSIVE pot of lentils, so be prepared to freeze and reheat on a later date or make when you’re having a large crowd over for dinner.

Wash and soak the lentils in warm water for 15 minutes. There’s no need to soak overnight as we’re slow cooking.

Place the lentils (drained) in the slow cooker, followed by the pimento peppers, ginger, scallions, celery, 1/2 of the parsley, black pepper.. basically everything in the ingredients list.

Later on we’ll adjust the salt. If you’re doing this vegan, keep and eye on the ingredients in the Worcestershire sauce as you may have to avoid it.

With the carrot and butternut squash, I like putting in bigger cubes as it will maintian a bit of texture later on as we slow cook this.

Stir well and place the lid on. Setting on high.

You can walk away form it at this point.

6 hours later (watch the video below) and this should be tender, tasty and thick! Don’t forget to fish out the thyme sprigs and ginger and toss before serving. Yea, taste for salt too and adjust to your liking.

Top with the remainder of the parsley and enjoy. NOTE! For a more grainy lentil, cook for less time and cut back the water by 3/4 cup. Yes you can use Veg (or Chicken) stock instead of water, but be mindful of the sodium content as it will affect how salty the final dish is.

Freeze the remainder for another night you feel like having a comforting side or bowl of lentils you made from scratch.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Smoked Cherry Rum Pepper-Sauce (wing sauce).

May 28, 2025April 21, 20211 Comment

Over the years I’ve shared many Peppersauce (hot sauce) recipes with you, but this one here is SPECIAL! Not only is it BANGING with Fiery Caribbean Sunshine (heat), it’s packed with flavor and is very versatile. Your chicken wings will demand to be covered in this Smoked Cherry Rum Sauce. Should you not have the ability to smoke the peppers, feel free to use them as is and hit the sauce with a tiny bit of liquid smoke.

You’ll Need…

20-30 hot peppers
1 lb cherries (I used frozen)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoon Cane Sugar
2 cups Apple Cider (not vinegar)
3/4 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup dark rum

Important: Please wear gloves and wash your hand immediately after handling such hot peppers. I used a variety of some of the hottest peppers in the world when making this sauce. Feel free to use peppers you like or can source (Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, Scorpions, Naga, Seven pod etc – watch the video below where I discuss the peppers I used). If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and air dry the peppers, then place them on your smoker. Please note that we want to kiss these peppers with the smoke, so it’s not on the smoker for long or at a high heat. Additionally, make sure there’s enough space between the peppers, so they take on that gentle smoke quickly.

I believe my smoker was set to 170 and I had them on for about an hour and 10 minutes.

Remember the goal is to gently smoke or kiss the peppers with the smoke. I used cherry wood as the wood of choice, but any fruity wood will work.

Remove the stems and into a deep sauce pan, followed by the other ingredients. (keep the gloves on please)

Put the stove on medium heat and bring to boil, then turn the heat down so you have a simmer.

Be sure to vent your kitchen (open a window and/or turn on the fan above the stove). I had the lid on the sauce pan and simmered it for 30 minutes.

Turn the heat off and allow it to cool for about 1 hr before we use the stick blender to make this as smooth as you like. You may use a traditional blender or food processor. Do make sure it cools before blending it, to avoid getting burn.

It will thicken as you puree it, but you’re in control of the final consistency so rock on.

Place in a sterilized bottles. Will last in the fridge for 6 months (at least). Use as you would any hot sauce, but with all honestly, you’ll improve your wing game with this one. And should you dare, top your BBQ Ribs and Chicken with it (after basting with your fav bbq sauce).

BTW, these were not Caribbean cherries, but the North American cherries you can find in the frozen section of your grocery store. Yes, canned cherries will work too. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/