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Gluten Free Soups & Stews Vegetarian

Roasted Tomato And Rice Soup, Memories of Tomato Choka.

3 Comments on Roasted Tomato And Rice Soup, Memories of Tomato Choka.

About 10 years ago I had my first culinary encounter with tomato and rice soup while visiting Caron’s grandparents and though I wasn’t (so I thought..silly me) a fan of tomato soup, the plump grains of rice in it got my attention. I could not believe I was asking for seconds even though my bowl was only half the way through. I had always reflected back to that dish, but for some reason I never ventured to ask Heddi (ma-mere) for the recipe. Somehow I’m glad I didn’t as when it came time to prepare it it this past summer when we had an abundance of vine ripe tomatoes in our garden, I decided to put my own twist on this tomato and rice soup I first fell in love with a decade ago.

Tomato choka is one of my favorite ways to enjoy ripe tomatoes, so I thought I’d mimic the same technique in making this rice and tomato soup for those rich roasted and spicy flavors. Basically, here’s my take on tomato choka soup.

 

You’ll Need…

3 large tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chicken stock (or veg)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1/2 teaspoon  brown sugar
pinch ground coriander

* If you don’t have access to a grill as I did, toss the tomatoes in about 2 tablespoon of olive oil (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and roast them in your oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes or so. You will notice that I used chicken stock, but the recipe is posted in the vegetarian section. For vegetarians, please use vegetable stock and it will be a complete one-pot vegetarian meal. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the ingredient list to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

As with making traditional tomato choka I placed the ripe tomatoes on my grill, along with a whole green scotch bonnet pepper to cook. The pepper will take about 2-3 minutes (remove), but give the tomatoes about 20-30 minutes, flipping them so they char evenly. Yes, it’s normal for them to look burnt on the outside.

Remove the tomatoes off the grill and place in a bowl to cool. They will release a lot of liquid as they cool, thus the reason for having them in a bowl so you can save this lovely liquid to add to the pot later. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin and give them a rough chop.

Heat the olive oil on a med/low flame in your soup pot and gently cook the diced onion, thyme and garlic for about 4 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. By adding the tomato paste at this point the sort of frying will increase the natural sugars in the paste and give the dish a lovely sweetness.

Now turn up the heat and add all the other ingredients except the rice. Bring to a boil.

Wash the rice to remove any grit and extra starch. Do so by placing the rice in a strainer and run cool water over it while moving it around until the water runs clear. Or you can place the rice in a deep bowl, top with water, then massage the grains of rice. The water will get cloudy. Drain, repeat until the water runs clear. As the pot comes to a boil add the rice, then turn the heat down so you have an active simmer going.

Let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice grains are plump and fully cooked.

Skim off any sort of reside off the top of the pot as it cooks and discard. Remember to taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If you used a whole scotch bonnet pepper as I did, you now have 2 options. Remove it so you don’t have that ‘kick’ or burst it open to reveal that Caribbean sunshine. WARNING! It will be live!

Top with some chopped parsley and get ready to serve with a thick slice of coconut bake or bread. This is not your typical Caribbean soup which is usually thick with ground provisions and salted meats (for the most part), but I assure you that this absolutely delicious, quite filling and a great twist on traditional tomato soup and rice soup.

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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Spinach Rice Simmered In Coconut Milk And Salted Pigtail.

17 Comments on Spinach Rice Simmered In Coconut Milk And Salted Pigtail.

To avoid the “check yourself emails” let me make my Trinbagonian people happy and say “bhagi rice” instead for spinach. Now on to a recipe which I try to make on those cold winter days when I crave the bright Caribbean sun and long for the days when I can be back down in my little piece of heaven The Caribbean. This is as good as it gets when it comes to comfort food for me. Though I’d much prefer to use dasheen bush bhagi, it’s easier to grow (short summers here) and easy to access (in grocery stores) Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhagi) so that will be the ‘spinach’ I’ll be using today.

 

You’ll Need…

2 cups chopped Jamaican callaloo
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 scotch bonnet pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon celery leaves
1 tablespoon chopped shado beni (optional)
1 scallion
2 seasoning peppers (pimento peppers)
2 cups brown rice (parboiled long grain)
tablespoon olive oil (veg oil or butter)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups water (or stock)
1 lb salted pig’s tail

* No salt as pigtail should have enough salt remaining, but do taste near the end and adjust to your liking. Important: Please go through the ingredient list if making this recipe gluten free to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. 

 

Start by cutting the salted pigtail into 1 inch pieces. Use a heavy Chinese cleaver or ask your butcher to cut them for you. Rinse off, then place in a deep pot with water (cover) and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a rolling boil and let it cook for about 45- 55 minutes. The goal is to get the pieces tender and to remove most of the salt it was cured in.Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

As the oil heats in a deep saucepan (med heat),  chop the onion, celery, scallion, garlic, seasoning peppers and shado beni (chadon beni or culantro. you can substitute cilantro).

Add all the chopped ingredients to the heated oil and reduce the heat to low. Let that gently cook for about 3 minutes. It’s all about flavor! In the meantime, wash, trim and cut the Jamaican callaloo into 1/4 inch ribbons. Basically take the leaves, roll into a large cigar and cut across the length of them.

Add the pieces of pre-cooked salted pig tails and give it a good stir. Let that cook for about 3 minutes. Then start adding the chopped callaloo (chorai bhagi) and stir well.

Wash the rice to remove any grit (place in a bowl with water and massage with your hands, drain and repeat until the water runs clear or place in a strainer under running water and massages until the water runs clear) then add it to the pot. Now add all the other ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil.

You’ll notice that I placed the scotch bonnet pepper whole in the pot. This will allow me to get a lot of flavor without the raw heat. If you’re into the hot-stuff, near the end you can burst that pepper open and deal with the heat. Remember to remove it from the pot when your done and DO NOT break it when stirring the pot.When the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat so you have a gentle bubble going and cover the pot. The idea is to let this slowly cook, until all the liquid is gone and you have plump grains of rice flavored with the coconut milk, salted pigtails and herbs.

It will take between 20 and 25 minutes after putting the rice in for the dish to be fully cooked, but it depends a lot on the brand of rice you use. If you find the liquid is burning off too fast, place on a smaller burner and simmer. If after the rice is fully cooked you find that it’s a bit runny, turn up the heat to burn off and excess liquid. But do keep stirring as the high heat will cause the natural sugars in the coconut milk to burn and the rice will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Turn off the heat and keep the lid on the pot for about 5 minutes before serving.. According to my mom, this will cause the rice to ‘yield’ nicely.

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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry Vegetarian

Pak Choi With Smoked Bacon A Twist On A Caribbean Fave!

9 Comments on Pak Choi With Smoked Bacon A Twist On A Caribbean Fave!

This is a take on traditional Caribbean technique of cooking “bhagi” or greens especially in Trinidad and Tobago. You’ll notice that I also placed this within the vegetarian section of the website, so before the flood of emails… I wanted to point out that you can leave out the bacon and start with olive or coconut oil for additional flavor. So by simply leaving out the bacon you could have a delicious vegetarian dish.

Traditionally our mom would prepare this dish when she had leftover stewed pork (Stewed Pork With Pak Choi)  from the night before and it’s one of those dishes everyone of my siblings quite enjoyed with hot sada roti. Oh the joy when mom got us all to eat the same thing.

 

You’ll Need…

6 – 8  cups chopped pak choi (about 2lbs)
1/4 lb smoked bacon (I used smoked pork belly)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 scallion
4-6 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

* IMPORTANT: If you don’t eat pork or prefer to have this vegetarian, leave out the bacon and start with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. If you don’t have bird’s eye pepper, you can use scotch bonnet or habanero (very small piece). If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific dietary needs.

 

Cut the bacon into small pieces and place in a dry pan on medium heat. The idea is to cook until crispy and to render off the fat. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the fat.  Once crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Remove each leaf/stem of pak choi and wash under running water individually as you’ll find dirt between each leaf (natural as it grows), Rinse well and drain – now get ready to chop. I usually cut each leaf lengthwise first (about 1/4 inch, then make into a bundle and cut in the other direction the same thickness. Besides trimming off the very bottom of the white stems (discard), do use the rest of the pak choi (white and green).

Also chop/dice the onion, garlic, tomato and scallions (green onion) and set aside.

In the same pan you rendered the bacon (don’t wash) heat about 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat on a low flame, then add the onion, garlic and scallion pieces. Let it cook on low for about 3 minutes to basically soften up and create a flavor base.

Toss in the birds eye peppers (don’t cut open) then start adding the chopped pak choi to the pot and finish off with the salt and black pepper. It may seem like a lot at first, but it will wilt down (have your heat at med/high at this point). Give it a good mix.

The rest of this dish takes some personalization. I like my greens (still green) and not over cooked. So I let it go for about 5 minutes, then I topped it with the pieces of bacon and stirred well. The pak choi will release a bit of liquid so at this point you’ll need to raise the heat to high and burn off the excess liquid (took another 3-5 minutes).

The last 2 minutes of cooking you can toss in the tomatoes so they too are brilliant in colour, retains it’s shape and give the dish a brightness. Remember to taste for salt and if you wanted, you can certainly cook this a bit longer if you’re not like me and like a little texture to the pak choi. You’ll note that at no time did I cover the pot as it will only help to create liquid you really don’t need.

This is excellent on steamed (or boiled) rice, with roti and when all fails, I make sandwiches with this… lovely! If you break the peppers while cooking it will release the raw heat (though mild since they are bird’s eye) so if you like playing with “the Heat”.. break them open! BTW if you don’t dine with the swine, you can use some prepared saltfish (salted cod) instead of the bacon for additional flavor.

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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Oxtail Stew.

33 Comments on The Ultimate Oxtail Stew.

I became a fan of oxtails after the prices sky-rocketed.. yea my luck. Back when I first moved to Canada, the butchers would practically beg customers to take oxtails off their counter. That’s definitely not the case today. The odd time it comes on sale it’s usually around $3.50 / lb, but the quality is not the best. Loaded with fat and usually from aged animals (difficult to cook tender), you’re stuck with having to trim it all off so your finished dish is not laden with grease. So it makes more sense to just pay the typical $5+ a pound for the good stuff if you want your finished dish to really sparkle.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs oxtail
3 large potatoes
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 carrot
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 stalks celery
3 scallions
5 sprigs fresh thyme
7 allspice berries (pimento berries)
5-6 cups of water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
pinch brown sugar

Note: You can add more vegetables if you really want to stretch this dish for more people. Adjust the salt to your liking if you do add more ingredients. If doing this dish gluten free please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs (especially the soy sauce).

Wash and dry the pieces of oxtail (ask your butcher to cut them into pieces for you as the bones can be very HARD), then heat the oil in a deep pan on med/high heat and brown the pieces of oxtail. Takes about 10 minutes or so.

Remove the now browned pieces of oxtail from the pot, turn the heat down to low and add the onion, garlic and celery (diced) and allow to cook gently for 3 minutes. Then add the pimento berries and black pepper and give it a good stir, followed by the tomato paste. Allow the tomato paste to cook for a minute or so to allow the natural sugars in the tomato to caramelize a bit. The tomato paste will add a lovely acidic twist to the dish and help us develop a wonderful gravy.

Add the pieces of oxtail back to the pot and all the other ingredients except the carrots and potatoes. Turn the heat up, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let it cook with the lid on for about 2 hours.Remember to stir every 20 minutes or so and skim off any frothy residue at the top of the pot. The all spice (pimento berries) will add a lovely warm and homely feel to this stew and quite honestly a key ingredient.

You’ll notice in the picture above that I left the scotch bonnet pepper whole as I want the flavor from it but not the ray heat. At the end of cooking (try not to break it) you can fish the pepper out and discard (or give it to anyone who love HEAT).  If you find that your oxtail is not tender after the 2 hrs of braising, add a bit more water and let it cook for another 30 minutes or so. Then add the chopped carrot and potatoes (try to leave the potato in big pieces so it does not dissolve when cooked), bring to a boil (turn up the heat), then reduce to a rolling boil and cook for about 30 minutes or until the potato and carrot are tender.

Here’s where you’ll personalize the dish (remember to take out the scotch bonnet pepper) by adjusting the salt to your liking and getting the gravy to the consistency you like. When you turn off the stove you can top with some finely chopped parsley for a nice punch of color.

The first taste and you’ll know why I dubbed this the ultimate oxtail stew. With tender pieces of oxtails, in the perfect Caribbean influenced gravy and the heartiness from the carrot and potato chunks will hit the spot on those cold winter nights (in my case). An excellent recipe to replace soup-Saturday’s on the islands.. be sure to add more vegetables and I’m sure some eddoes, green bananas and yam would be an excellent addition.

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.

Gluten Free Seafood Side Dishes

A Classic Caribbean Summer Salad From My Garden.

5 Comments on A Classic Caribbean Summer Salad From My Garden.

After posting the recipe video for this on the Cooking Channel, I got an email from a viewer saying “that’s nothing but saltfish buljol”. Let’s look at this comment for a brief minute before we get to the actual recipe. NO Absolutely NOT!  Yes, there are ingredients in this recipe which may mimic our beloved saltifsh buljol, but when I think buljol I want the key ingredient or ‘star’ of the show to be salted fish. In a good saltfish buljol the salad itself is built around the salted fish, as you want that to shine through. In my recipe below you’ll notice that the salted fish is simply used for additional texture and flavor.

 

You’ll Need…

3 medium sized cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 birds eye peppers
1/4 cup sliced red onions
2 cups cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have)
1/2 cup prepared salted cod
pinch fresh ground black pepper

Remember to go through the entire list of ingredients if doing this recipe according to a gluten free diet.

To learn how to prepare salted fish (like salted cod) for use, watch this video: How To Prepare Saltfish.

This is so easy you’ll wonder why you’ve never made this before. Basically all you have to do is wash, peel and chop the vegetables. Then assemble in a bowl, top with the olive oil and lemon juice and toss. You’ll notice that I didn’t use any salt as the residual salt from teh saltfish will be enough to balance things.

Tips.

1. If you’re concerned about the raw heat of the peppers, do not use as much as I did and try not to use any seeds. This is where most of that heat resides.

2. To make this vegetarian leave out the salted fish, but remember to add some sea salt (according to your taste).

3. Can be made a couple hours in advance if you’re having guests over and need time to focus on other dishes.

Fresh ingredients from my garden… can’t tell you how much I loved this salad, especially since it was the reward for my work earlier in the spring. This salad has that true Caribbean vibe and is enough for about 6 people as a starter.

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.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Jamaican Callaloo And Swiss Chard A Wicked Vegetarian Combination.

5 Comments on Jamaican Callaloo And Swiss Chard A Wicked Vegetarian Combination.

With both Jamaican callaloo (aka amaranth, callaloo, chorai or bhagi) and Swiss chard both in abundance in my garden this summer, I thought I’d combine them both for a delicious vegetarian recipe. Here’s the thing, DON”T for one minute think this will be a bland or petty recipe since you heard me use the word vegetarian. If you’re new to Caribbean cuisine be aware that NO recipe is ever bland. We love bold flavors and our food always reflect the vibrancy of our people.

You’ll Need…

1 table spoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
6 cups Jamaican Callaloo (trimmed)
6 cups Swiss Chard (trimmed)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk

Notes: You can also use vegetable or olive oil if you don’t have coconut oil. IMPORTANT: if doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, drain and trim the Swiss chard and callaloo bush. With the Swiss chard do wash them thoroughly as the ribs of the stem can hide dirt.  With the calaloo bush, don’t use any tough stems.  Roll into bundles and cut into ribbons/shreds. Also prep the onion (sliced thin) , scotch bonnet pepper (dice), garlic (sliced thin)  and tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a deep sauce pan on medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low so we can gently cook the onion/garlic. After 3 minutes, turn the heat back up and start adding the shredded callaloo and Swiss chard to the pot. It may seem as if it won’t all fit, but it will wilt down. Then add the scotch bonnet pepper, salt and black pepper. Top it with the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Now reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

If there’s any remaining liquid in the pot at this point, remove the lid, turn up the heat and burn it off. Yea, it’s that simple a dish to put together.

After you turn the heat of, drizzle on the lime (or lemon) juice, top with the chopped tomatoes and cover the pot. Let that sit for about 3 minutes before serving. For those of you who get that sort of itch at the back of your throat when you eat “greens” the lime juice will help with that, plus it will brighten up this dish as well.

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.