We always seemed to have had Papaya (say paw paw or paw poi in Trinidad and Tobago) trees in our yard as kids growing up on the islands, so this punch (or call it a smoothie) as well as ice cream was always in the fridge. I still recall getting in trouble with my dad for cutting the leaves (with long stems) off the tree as we would make a sort of cave-man flute or whistle with it. In the process of breaking the leaves off, my brother and I would knock the baby Papaya off the tree and the odd time we would even knock off the more mature fruits.. yea, we didn’t care as all we wanted were the stems/leaves.

You’ll Need…

4 cups coconut milk drink replacement
3 cups diced ripe papaya
2 heaping tablespoon honey
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

* You can use granulated sugar to sweeten this drink. Soy, almond or rice milk works great if you cannot get the coconut replacement. Traditionally this papaya drink is made with milk, including evaporated milk and sweetened with sweetened condensed milk. But this time we’re doing it completely dairy free. If you’re doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredient to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Papaya 101 – How to Shop For, Slice, Peel, Seed and Tell When A Papaya Is Ripe… Watch This Video [Click]!

Basically all you have to do is peel, seed and cube the ripe papaya, then add all the ingredients to your blender. Pulse, then hit the puree or high setting for a minute of so and you’re done.

If you choose to add ice to the blender or in the glass you’re serving it in, you may need to add a bit more honey to compensate for the extra liquid when the ice melts. I personally like chilling the coconut milk and the cubed papaya. This way I don’t water-down the punch or smoothie! If you have Popsicle molds or you can even use your ice trays, simply fill them with this delicious punch, freeze. Makes for a brilliant treat for kids on a hot summer’s day.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Apple Kuchela Recipe.

May 28, 2025March 30, 20155 Comments

Kuchela is one of those spicy condiments traditionally made with green mangoes and a must-have topping for ‘doubles’, saheena and pholourie (street food in Trinidad and Tobago). Being that I call Canada home and green mango is not something I can go in my back yard and pick off the trees as I did for my mom when I was a young fella on the islands, Granny Smith apples are my new choice. Though sweet, the slight tartness and sturdy texture of these green apples makes an ideal kuchela when you can’t source mangoes.

You’ll Need…

5 green apples (Granny Smith)
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
3-4 tablespoons amchar masala
3/4 cup veg oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers

Notes: You can purchase the amchar masala at most West Indian markets and there are times you can get it on Amazon.com. Grate with the skin on for additional texture, but be sure to get apples which are not covered in wax as they are sometimes.

Please remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling scotch bonnet peppers. Dice the peppers finely, including the seeds for more heat. You have the option of dicing or crushing the garlic. Then using the sort of shred side of your grater, grate the apples until the core.

You now have two option, you can squeeze off all the liquid from the grated apples, but if you want a more saucy kuchela you can remove about half the liquid. It may take a bit of work to squeeze off the liquid with your hands, or you can use a towel and wring the liquid out.

When making traditional mango kuchela, we try to get all the moisture out of the grated mango and it’s then spread onto a kitchen towel and placed in the open sun for a couple hrs to dry off. This process makes it easy to infuse the grated mango with the Kuchela flavors. In this recipe we’ll cook everything on the stove top for a few minutes to replicate that sort of infusion we need for this to be a great kuchela.

In a wide saucepan on a LOW heat, heat the vegetable oil, then go in with the diced pepper and garlic. Let that gently cook for about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to turn the fan above your stove on or at least open your kitchen windows. The cooked peppers will give off a strong (choking) scent.

Now add the amchar masala, cook for a minute, then add the grated apple and salt. Mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes and you’re done!

Traditionalists will be able to identify the natural sweetness of the apples, but I assure you that this apple kuchela is just as exciting as any I’ve had on the islands and that sweetness adds a lovely overall roundness to the kuchela as it ages for a few days. You can store these in sterilized glass containers on your kitchen counter for a couple weeks, then store in the fridge.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Pork Chow Recipe (Trinidad and Tobago Cooking).

May 27, 2025March 24, 20157 Comments

My first encounter with this wonderful spicy pork dish was a New Years Eve night (say old years night in the Caribbean) at my cousin’s home. They had recently come back from Trinidad and while there another cousin of ours made a batch of this to partner the adult beverages everyone were partaking in. In Trinidad and Tobago we have what we refer to as “cuttas”, as the Spanish have Tapas as sides for drinking. We have an assortment of spicy, fatty, fried and otherwise alcohol friendly foods which are a big part of our drinking culture. Chow is typically made from tart fruit (like green mangoes)and pickled with extra hot scotch bonnet peppers, lemon juice and herbs. But in this recipe we’ll replace the mango with marinated pork, fried until crispy and golden.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 cups veg oil
Juice 1 lemon (or lime)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (more if you want it more spicy)
1 clove garlic
2 scallions
1 tablespoon chopped Shado Beni (or cilantro)
1/2 small red onion
pinch sea salt
pinch black pepper

IMPORTANT!: If doing this dish gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients (especially the soy sauce) to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Place the clean pieces of pork (I like using pork with a bit of fat – cheap cut) in a bowl and season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, soy sauce, grated ginger and black pepper. Mix well and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least a couple hours.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then gently go in with the pieces of marinated pork. Use paper towels to blot out any extra moisture off the pieces of pork so it doesn’t splatter back at you when added to the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp (about 20-25 minutes) flipping every 4-6 minutes. I used the ends of pork ribs, which were very tender and about 1/4 of an inch thick (about 1/2 inch tick at the thickest spot).

Remove from the hot oil, place on paper towels to soak up any excess fat and allow to cool before cutting into 3/4-1 inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl.

Prep the other ingredients as the pork cools a bit (thinly slice the onion, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper \ crush the garlic). Remember to wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after handing scotch bonnet peppers.

Now it’s just a matter of assembling everything together, give it a good mix and finally go in with the lemon juice. I didn’t have any shado beni, nor cilantro.. but that would be a key ingredient to add in here as well.

You can serve this both warm and cool, but to be honest it’s MUCH better a bit warm, as the sort of pickle effect you get from the hot peppers and lemon juice just seems to scream at your taste buds. Not your typical Caribbean chow, but definitely a dish to serve when you have friends over or just need something spicy in your life. Great as a snack, makes an excellent side dish.. even better on sandwiches. Special HAIL OUT to my cousin Sophie for this wicked introduction!

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Pork Chow

Cuisine: Trinidadian

Diet:

G Gluten-Free P Pork

Instructions

Video

Place the pieces of Pork (2 pound) in a bowl and season with the Green Caribbean Seasoning (1 tablespoon), Soy Sauce (1 tablespoon), Fresh Ginger (1 teaspoon), and Ground Black Pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Mix well and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours.
Heat the Vegetable Oil (as needed) in a wide pan on a medium flame, then gently add the pieces of marinated pork. Use paper towels to blot out any extra moisture off the pieces of pork so they don’t splatter back at you when they touch the oil.
Fry until golden and crisp (about 20-25 minutes) flipping every 4-6 minutes.
Remove from the hot oil, place on paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess fat and allow to cool before cutting into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
Prep the other ingredients as the pork cools a bit. Thinly slice Red Onion (1/2), Scallion (2 stalk) and Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1) and crush the Garlic (1 clove).
Assemble everything together, add the Fresh Cilantro (1 tablespoon) and give it a good mix before drizzling in the juice of the Lemon (1).
Serve warm and enjoy. Season with Sea Salt (1 pinch) and Ground Black Pepper (1 pinch).

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Oven Roasted Chicken Drumsticks Recipe.

May 27, 2025March 18, 20154 Comments

Simple, Quick and Tasty! Three words which embodies this chicken recipe. I had a request on Twitter a while back asking for a simple but tasty way to do chicken in the oven on those weeknights when you want to eat well but not spend all night in the kitchen. Though I’ve shared several oven roasted chicken recipes in the past, I went into my personal repertoire, for one I do on the regular for my family. The flavor you get from that hint of ginger, allspice and the sweetness of the roasted peppers, will definitely have your family asking for seconds.

You’ll Need..

3 lbs chicken drumsticks (chicken wings work great as well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
8-12 grape tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 bell pepper
2 scallions
pinch allspice
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley
4 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/ teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic

TIP! Optionally you can add a bit of 5 spice powder and sesame oil for a lovely Asian twist. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, do pay attention to the ingredient list (especially the Worcestershire sauce) to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Chop the onion, bell pepper, parsley, tomato, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper. If you’re concerned about the heat of the scotch bonnet, you can leave it out or don’t include any of the seeds nor the white membrane surrounding the seeds. That’s where the raw heat will be.

Drizzle on 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in an oven proof dish, then go in with all the other ingredients (including the chicken) and toss well. Now go in with the remaining olive oil and mix well again. Place in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours. Or if you’re in a rush, you can put it immediately into a preheated 425 F oven (middle rack).

To protect your baking dish (less work to wash later) you can line it with tin foil. If you’re wondering.. I used the middle rack in the oven. Roast for about 45 mins and half way though, toss so all sides get that lovely golden finish. For more color you can turn on the ‘broil’ setting on the oven (about 550 F) the last 4-5 minus of cooking.

I used the thyme with the stems as I like getting as much flavor out of it.. if you do, remove the sprigs after roasting. If you want pan juices, you can always add about 1-2 cups of chicken stock at the start of roasting. To make this a one (pot) dish you can always add some potato wedges and carrots.. adjust the salt accordingly.

Gluten Free Grilling Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Baigan Choka (eggplant dip) Recipe In The Oven.

June 2, 2025March 12, 20154 Comments

The key to making traditional baigan (eggplant) choka (dip) is roasting the eggplant over an open flame and if you really want to excite the taste buds with even more flavor, you would place the eggplant on hot coals. On so many levels this is not always possible, especially if you live in temperate climates where having that fire in the middle of winter is not possible. Yes, you can always use the flame on your stove top, but if you’ve ever had to clean up that stove after – you’d never do it again. This baigan choka recipe is specifically for people who want the same sort of flavors, but with an easier method of achieving this. Students, you can even do this is a toaster oven.

You’ll Need…

2 med eggplant (about 2-3 lbs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon veg oil
2 cloves garlic (divided)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 small onion

* If you didn’t already know, baigan is just another name for eggplant. This dish is both vegetarian and gluten free. Be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Set your oven to the broil setting (525 F) and as it gets to temp, lets prepare the eggplant. Trim off the stem area, make some slits in the eggplant and for maximum flavor.. slice one of the cloves of garlic thinly and place them into the slits in the eggplant.

Line a sturdy baking tray with tin foil so you won’t have a mess to clean up after. Place the eggplant and WHOLE scotch bonnet pepper and drizzle with the vegetable oil on the eggplant. Using your hands rub the oil around the eggplant and place it in the oven.

After 5 minutes, remove the scotch bonnet – it should be slightly charred now. In a heavy bowl (or mortar and pestle) place the scotch bonnet (remove the stem), remaining clove of garlic and salt and pound to a smooth paste. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers. TIP – I used a slightly mature scotch bonnet so I get a tamed heat. Remember you can control the heat level by how much scotch bonnet you choose to use.

After 25-30 mins at 525 F your eggplant should be perfectly cooked. Remove from the oven and slice down the center and using a table spoon, scoop out all that goodness and place in the same bowl we have the crushed pepper / garlic / salt.

Now crush the eggplant you scooped out until it’s somewhat smooth (you can do all of this with your mortar and pestle – I used a traditional “ponga”). Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan just until you start seeing smoke. In the meantime thinly slice the onion and place it on top of the eggplant mixture (do not mix it yet). Now pour the heat oil onto the onion (this is called chunka). By doing so we do two things. We get the rawness out of the sliced onion and we also pull some flavor out of the onion. Mix well and serve.

This is a dish I love eating with hot sada roti and it’s something my mom makes daily for me when I visit home (Trinidad and Tobago), but you can use any flat bread or use as a dip for any of your favorite potato or corn chips. I hope you give it a try as it’s so simple to do in the oven and I know if you’re old school you’ll miss the smoky flavor of the fire roasted, but the high heat we roast it at in the oven will give it a unique taste.

Recipe Card

Baigan Choka (Eggplant Dip) in an orange serving bowl

Print Recipe

Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Cuisine: Trinidadian Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Quick Meals Spicy Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 35 mins

Servings: 4

Diet:

G Gluten-Free V Vegan V Vegetarian

Description

A classic Trinidadian dish, baigan choka is traditionally made by roasting eggplant over an open flame. This oven-broiled version captures the essence of the original, delivering that smoky flavor with less mess, perfect for those in cooler climates or without access to a grill.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (about 2-3 lbs)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic (divided)
1 pepper scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed)
1 small onion

Instructions

Video

Set your oven to the broil setting 525 degrees F (275 degrees C).
Prepare the Eggplant (2). Trim off the stem area, make some slits in the eggplant for maximum flavor.
Slice one of the Garlic (2 clove) thinly and place them into the slits in the eggplant.
Line a sturdy baking tray with tin foil.
Place the eggplant and Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1) and drizzle Vegetable Oil (1 teaspoon) on eggplants. Using your hands rub the oil around the eggplant and place it in the oven for 25 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the scotch bonnet – it should be slightly charred now.
In a heavy bowl (or mortar and pestle) place the scotch bonnet (stem removed), remaining clove of garlic and Salt (1/4 teaspoon) and pound to a smooth paste.
After 25-30 minutes, your eggplant should be perfectly cooked. Remove from the oven and slice down the center and using a table spoon, scoop out all that goodness and place in the same bowl as garlic-pepper mixture.
Now crush the eggplant you scooped out until it’s somewhat smooth.
Heat the Olive Oil (2 tablespoon) in a small frying pan just until it starts to smoke.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the Onion (1) and place it on top of the eggplant mixture (do not mix it yet). Now pour the heated oil onto the onion.
Mix well and serve.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

French Beans With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Pork.

May 27, 2025March 5, 20151 Comment

Between spinach and beans it would be very difficult for me to decide which I adore more. The edge would probably go to beans simply because as a young fella on the islands I would help my parents grow different varieties in our kitchen garden. I hated pulling out the weeds, but I did enjoy harvesting them.. each bean picked off the bushes were like little prizes to my collection in the basket. Mom would normally make this dish for us whenever she would make stewed pork the evening before for dinner and had leftovers. If you’d like to make this dish vegetarian, simply leave out the stewed pork and for more flavor use coconut milk instead of the water mentioned in the ingredient list.

You’ll Need…

1.5 lbs French beans (any green bean will work)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Hot pepper (I used wiri wiri)
1 cup water (or coconut milk if making this vegetarian)
left over stewed pork

* If making this dish gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients (including the stewed pork) to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Trim the beans, wash and drain. Chop the onion, mince the garlic and get ready to rock one of the tastiest french beans dish you’ve ever had. Heat the oil in a wide pan on a low heat, then add the garlic, onion, thyme and black pepper. Allow it to go for about 3 minutes, so we start with a lovely flavor base.

You will notice that I opted for a Guyanese favorite, wiri wiri peppers for this recipe but you can use any (or none) hot pepper you like. You’ll also notice that I added them whole and never cut or burst them, as we want flavor and not raw heat.

Turn up the heat and add the beans, stir well and go in with the salt and whole peppers. Lastly, add the water and bring to a boil.

When it comes to a boil turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pan and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes (this depends on how well-done you like your beans). Then add the pieces of stewed pork to the pot, mix well and turn the heat up to burn off any excess liquid which may still be in the pot. Once the liquid is gone, turn off the stove and you’re done. If adjusting the salt in this dish, do so ONLY after tasting it AFTER adding the stewed pork. Since the pork would have already been salted perfectly, you don’t want to salt before adding it to the pot.

I like my beans with a slight crunch to them, so I usually allow them to cook for about 8-10 minutes before I ad the stewed pork. Do remember to remove the peppers before serving and try your best to not break them during cooking.. well, unless you want that lovely kick from the heat. If you don’t have stewed pork, you can go in with stewed chicken or stewed beef with basically the same results as this version.

chris de la rosa

How To Make Papaya Punch [lactose friendly | dairy free] .

Apple Kuchela Recipe.

Pork Chow Recipe (Trinidad and Tobago Cooking).

Recipe Card

Pork Chow

Instructions

Oven Roasted Chicken Drumsticks Recipe.

Baigan Choka (eggplant dip) Recipe In The Oven.

Recipe Card

Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

French Beans With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Pork.

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