As I’m sure you’re here from Instagram, YouTube and Facebook for the CalmDo Vacuum Sealer giveaway, I’ll try my best to explain the rules of the giveaway quickly, so you can be one of two winners we’ll select come August 28th.
Giveaway Rules…
Open to everyone globally
Entries close Midnight August 28, 2020
All you have to do is leave a comment below, saying what vegetable I used in the promo video for this giveaway
Should you not mention the vegetable (Bitter Melon aka Carilie) your name will be discarded
You WILL be required to enter your name and email address (only way for us to contact the winners)
2 winners will be chosen randomly
We will contact the eventual winner starting August 29th. Should you be the winner, you MUST respond within 48 hrs of receiving our email or we will select another person
All members of your household can enter their name/comment below
CalmDo Vacuum Sealers will be shipped via Canada Post Ground, we cannot provide tracking information (unless you’re based in Canada) and cannot guarantee shipping times due to COVID
Absolutely NOTHING screams Sunday lunch/dinner in the Caribbean, than a classic Macaroni Pie. I say ‘scream’ as from island to island we argue and boast about how great our mommy, auntie, granny, daddy… pies are. Usually a recipe passed down through generations, with slight nuisances that make it uniquely ours! Here’s Chef Marc’s version on The Ultimate Macaroni Pie.. pure Caribbean comfort food!
You’ll Need…
1 lb thick pasta (Bucatini) 1 stick of butter (divided) 5-8 strips bacon (fried crispy & chopped) 2 pimento peppers (diced finely) 1/2 bird’s eye pepper (diced finely) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar (grated) 2 cups regular cheddar (grated) 1 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoon parsley (chopped finely) 2-3 cloves garlic (crushed, grated or diced finely) 1 cup diced bell (sweet) pepper salted water for cooking the pasta 2 scallions (chopped) 3 tablespoon flour 2 1/2 cups milk 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1-2 tablespoon butter to grease the baking dish
Prep the vegetables, peppers etc. Fry the bacon till crisp and chop into small pieces. Boil the pasta according to the packaged instructions (about 10-12 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Lets make the topping, then set it aside as we did with the pasta. Heat a saucepan on a medium flame and go in with 2 tablespoon of butter, then the bacon bits. After 20-30 seconds, add the bread crumbs and toast / stir well. It will go grainy. Make sure your heat is on low now (after you add the bread crumbs). Toss in the parsley, mix and move it off the heat.
For the cheese sauce (the base of the recipe). In a deep saucepan add the rest of the butter on a low heat and melt it. Add the peppers (pimento and Bird’s eye pepper) along with the garlic and stir well. Add the bell peppers and continue stirring. Allow it to go for about 3-4 minutes, then add the black pepper and salt. Toss in the flour and stir well. The flour will work to thicken the cheese sauce later on. Be sure to cook out the rawness of the flour – 3-4 minutes. Then add the milk and whisk. Remove the pan off the burner as you whisk.
To thicken the milk you may need to place back the pan onto the burner for a minute or 2. Turn off the stove and add 2/3 of the cheese.. whisk/stir to melt and get that lovely cheesy sauce. Finish the cheese sauce by adding the chopped scallions.
Now it’s time to add the cooked pasta directly to the saucepan (make sure you use a large pot or pan when making the cheese sauce) and fold the macaroni and cheese together. Remember to grate in the nutmeg into the mix.
Grease the baking dish (13 x 9) with the butter, then pour in the cheesy macaroni. (use a smaller baking dish if you want a THICK pie).
Take 1/2 of the reserved (1/3) cheese and evenly spread it over the macaroni, followed by 1/2 of the breadcrumbs, then the remaining cheese.. along with the remaining breadcrumbs (basically layers of cheese and bread crumbs).
Into a 375 F oven, middle rack (uncovered) for 40 minutes. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes (cover with foil) before cutting through.
SPECIAL thanks to Chef Marc for joining us today, but more importantly.. for sharing his take on the Ultimate Macaroni Pie. Only luv bredrin!
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.
As we announced this morning on YouTube and Instagram, this month’s giveaway is a masticating Juicer from Calmdo. You would have seen me make a revitalizing green juice in that video and in the coming weeks I’ll share some more delicious juices with incredible health benefits. But for now, the giveaway…
The Rules
Open to everyone globally
one entry per person (not household)
to enter, you MUST leave a comment below
we will stop accepting entries Midnight July 31, 2020
the winner will be chosen randomly and contacted August 1
winner will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address
failure to respond in time, means another winner will be chosen
Calmdo Juicer will be shipped via Canada Post (ground)
we cannot guarantee delivery times due to COVID
Do NOT email entries(it will be deleted)
Do NOT email or DM “did I win?” (it will be ignored)
Winner will be announced via IG and FB August 1 2020
Good Luck to everyone who participates.
FYI Masticating juicers are also known as slow juicers, gear, or auger juicers, and the produce is crushed at a slow speed. When using this juicer, the produce is crushed at around 80-100 RPM, then pushed through a sharp screen. Since the juicing process is much slower and does not introduce as much heat and oxygen as with a centrifugal juicer, it provides you with a more nutritious juice.
To own a Calmdo Masticating Juicer, check them on Amazon or Via their website. Special thanks to Calmdo for donating this wonderful giveaway.
If you’re interested in my green Juice…
1 large green apple 1 large pear 5 stalks celery 1 large cucumber small bunch of Parsley 2 cups chopped spinach thumb size piece of ginger
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.
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.
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.
