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Plantain & Cheese Turnovers | Tortas de Plátano

Makes 8-10

Imagine. It’s the height of summer. You spend all day roughhousing with the ocean. When every muscle in your body is heavy, you lay down in the sand for an impromptu picnic with a package of street food – tortas. In less than a minute you make several cheesy, crispy, fried plantain tortas disappear into your happy belly.  After the last bite, you lick the salt from your fingers and drink a tall glass of water. You stretch out for a nap, still warm from the glow of a little too much sun.

Did I just find one of the secrets to a happy Honduran childhood by the seashore?

I sure hope so.

What is it about summer and fried food? While I don’t normally include loads of oil in my daily line-up, there’s nothing like a big bite of crispy fried goodness to cap off a great day in the sun.  Play around with this recipe – make it your own. Our tortas simply contain cheese, although beans are traditional as well.

Tela, Honduras by Samoano

Ingredients:

4 large, ripe plantains
1/8-1/4 cup flour, as needed
8 Tbsp butter, softened
6 oz queso quesadilla, shredded
salt
pepper

Method:

Put on your biggest smile. Now, call your dearest friend. Tell her you need her help. Tell her to wear elastic pants. Tell her she’ll need to eat several tortas. Tell her you can’t do this alone.

Once she’s agreed, you can get started.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the plantains (in their skins) and cook 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, call your friend back and tell her to bring something fruity and fun to drink. Then shred some cheese. Queso Quesadilla is soft, creamy, and melts wonderfully. If you can’t find it in your supermarket, any mild melting cheese will do.

Once they are cool enough to handle, take the plantains out of their skins. I find it helps to slit them with a small knife.

Pulse the plantains in a food processor with cubed butter, flour, salt, and pepper. Start with a 1/8 cup. Keep adding flour until a soft dough forms. It should not be sticky or greasy.

As you pulse, really strange things will happen. Hello plantain spiral. Nice to meet you. You have my attention.

Once you have a soft, workable dough, pinch off a golf-sized ball portion and flatten into a thin disc.

Add a little shredded cheese to the center…

… and fold over. Seal by pressing the seams together.

Coat in flour and shake off the excess. Keep doing this until your friend shows up. Have her pour you a glass of that fruity drink. Then, fry in batches over medium-high heat, in a large skillet coated with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt when done.

They’re particularly cute nestled in a soft blankie to keep warm while you’re cooking them all. And by blankie, I mean napkin.

Eat while laying on a hammock, laughing, and staring at the stars.

They are best when eaten right away, while still screaming hot, one after the other, just like an impatient, hungry child eats.

Wait, tell me impatient, hungry children can have white hair.

Plantain & Cheese Turnovers | Tortas de Plátano
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What is it about summer and fried food? While I don’t normally include loads of oil in my daily line-up, there’s nothing like a big bite of crispy fried goodness to cap off a great day in the sun. Play around with this recipe – make it your own. Our tortas simply contain cheese, although beans are traditional as well.
Servings
8-10 turnovers
Servings
8-10 turnovers
Plantain & Cheese Turnovers | Tortas de Plátano
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
What is it about summer and fried food? While I don’t normally include loads of oil in my daily line-up, there’s nothing like a big bite of crispy fried goodness to cap off a great day in the sun. Play around with this recipe – make it your own. Our tortas simply contain cheese, although beans are traditional as well.
Servings
8-10 turnovers
Servings
8-10 turnovers
Ingredients
  • 4 large plantains (ripe)
  • 1/8-1/4 cup all-purpose flour , as needed
  • 8 Tbsp butter , softened
  • 6 oz queso quesadilla , shredded
  • salt
  • pepper
Servings: turnovers
Units:
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the plantains (in their skins) and cook 10-12 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, shred your cheese.
  3. When they are cool enough to handle, take the plantains out of their skins. Pulse the plantains in a food processor with cube butter, flour, salt, and pepper. Start with a 1/8 cup. Keep adding flour until a soft dough forms. It should not be sticky or greasy.
  4. Once you have soft, workable dough, pinch off a gold-sized ball portion and flatten into a thin disc. Add a little cheese to the center and fold over. Seal by pressing the seams together.
  5. Coat in flour and shake off the excess. Fry in batches over medium-high heat, in a large skillet coated with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt when done.

Menu: Haiti & Honduras

Keeping cool in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Hi friends. I have something to tell you.

There were some questions yesterday about why I was combining Haiti and Honduras this week. I told you it was because I was building in sick time and vacation. That’s true.

What is also true is that my mom is coming this weekend, all the way from Boston. She’d like to help with our Hungarian menu. I’d like her to help with our Hungarian menu. It’s our heritage. Hungary runs through our veins. We’re also hungry all the time, but that’s a story for another day.

The problem?  Mom accidentally booked her flight a week too soon – thus, I had to double up Haiti and Honduras to make her dream come true. Either that or pay hundreds of dollars to rebook her flight.

She hasn’t seen Miss Ava since last August (!!), so we’re very excited for her visit.

So there you have it. The whole truth. Doesn’t that feel good?

Meanwhile, let’s dabble in our happy little menu for Haiti and Honduras. First off, just look at the sweets Haiti has to offer. These people are smart – they’ll eat coconut in any form. And Honduras? Let’s just say get out your appetite, you’re gonna need all of it.

What would you try?

Haiti

We celebrate Haiti with two popular sweets, but if you’d like to try something savory, try spaghetti with ketchup and mayo. Yes, really.

Caribbean Coconut Ice Cream [recipe]
 Made with three simple ingredients,  this no-cook creamy coconut ice cream keeps you and your kitchen cool. Top with a sprinkle of toasted, shredded coconut.

Tropical Blancmange (Coconut Fruit Jello) [recipe]
A playful mixture of coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk & tropical fruit, all set with gelatin in a wibbly-wobbly mold for your eating pleasure.

Honduras

This week we’re trying two fun recipes, but if you’d like to add a third, Caitlin, one of our readers who lived two years in Honduras, suggests coconut rice [recipe]

Plantain & Cheese Turnovers (Tortas de Platano) [recipe]
Plantains boiled, then beaten with butter and flour until a soft dough forms. Fried with cheese, these turnovers make a decadent snack.

Crunchy Jicama & Chayote Salad [recipe]
Lighten things up with this simple, refreshing slaw-like salad made with jicama, chayote, red onion, sweet oranges, and tart lime juice. An awesome side dish for any barbecue.

About the Food of Haiti & Honduras

This week we’re tackling Haiti and Honduras so as to build in a little vacation time later this summer.

Milot, Haiti taken from the path up to the Citadel

First up, Haiti.

I have a new neighbor. His name is Jonathan. Five minutes into our first conversation I learn that he has been to Haiti. A pretty great stroke of fortune, if you ask me – right up there with the lady from Belarus working at Dillards, the door-to-door salesman from Bulgaria, and Ava’s playmate who’s daddy has been to Ghana. Most excellent.

Well, the first Hatian dish Jonathan suggested was spaghetti with ketchup and mayo on top.

Suddenly, I wasn’t so excited. I begged him to dig deeper. The thing is, food in Haiti is really simple. Spaghetti with ketchup and mayo on top is about as typical as it gets. Other than that, street food includes basic, affordable dishes like beans and rice (a.k.a. peas n’ rice) [recipe] or plantains – fried, mashed, boiled. Jonathan states:

I remember the fried plantain fondly.  You would buy them from street vendors (well, you bought everything from street vendors) and even though it was mid-day in June and hotter than most people could imagine, for some reason those hot fried plantains always hit the spot.  Add in a cold Coke or Malt H and I was in heaven.

We’ve done a version of fried plantains on the blog before [recipe]. Near the shore they also sip Conch soup (something we made for the Bahamas [recipe]). Delicious.

Coconut milk goes in almost everything, from stews, to coconut ice cream [recipe], to blancmange – a wibbly-wobbly jello type dessert [recipe].

Up next, Honduras

Unfortunately for me, Jonathan had not traveled to Honduras, a mountainous country just across the way, over in Central America. Still, my research got me excited about the food. Plus, Honduras is home to many Mayan ruins in the west. Who doesn’t love a good ruin?

Homemade tortillas [recipe] daily fare, as are plantain turnovers [recipe] – literally plantains mashed with flour until an elastic dough forms and used to house cheese or beans. Once fried, the turnovers make a filling meal from simple ingredients.

The Jicama and the chayote are delicious vegetables found all over Honduras. The chayote makes its way into soups and stews, or – like jicama – is sliced raw for refreshing slaws/salads [recipe].

Touching the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Honduras also has an affinity for seafood. As with Haiti, the conch soup is popular with locals and tourists alike.

Photos: CIA World Factbook, André Perron

Monday Meal Review: Guyana

Keith snapped this photo of lightning in our back yard. My question: is it as hot as a pile of habaneros?

THE SCENE

From across the store I could see them – orange habaneros, piled high, glowing like the summer sun. They were small and tender in appearance but, I knew all too well, scary hot on the inside.  Like a crab, I sidestepped across the room, handling several cases of produce before I made my way to the peppers.

“Ouch,” I thought, thinking of the meal to come. “This is gonna hurt.”

I scooped up three small beauties, reasoning that if they can eat six in Guyana, surely I can stretch myself to try three.

By the time I got home, I’d lost my resolve. I’d try one, maybe two habaneros in the Caribbean Green Seasoning.

I cut up the celery, onions, garlic, and herbs – tossed them into the blender, and plugged the machine in.

No more avoiding it. Time for the peppers.

I split a habanero down the middle, taking care to avoid the hot juices, and threw one half in. I didn’t so much look at the second half.

So much for bravery.

I powered on the blender. It burst to life and began to churn the ingredients together. Before the blades could pull the habanero under, I flicked the switch back off and fished it out.

This time I cut it in half again, glancing out the window to see if anyone was watching.

The back yard was clear, as it should be. I returned one tiny, measly quarter of a habenero back into the blender.

After pulsing the mixture I removed the lid and gave it a deep sniff. My eyes burned. I gave it a taste. My tongue burned. Medium heat. “I’ll have to build up my tolerance.” I whispered to the cats, pouring the Green Seasoning straight over the chicken.

The next day, as the chicken sizzled on the grill, I bragged to Keith about how hot the kabobs would be. Later, at the table, we carefully bit into the chicken, water at the ready.

Silence. Chewing. More silence.

The heat was gone. It was mild. Barely. How did that happen?

My mind spun. Did the peppers just fly away? Volatile oils – is that what they mean by that?

“Didn’t you say there were peppers in here?” Mr Picky asked, grinning.

As if on cue, Ava looked up from her plate and gabbered “Spicy, spicy.” As she spoke, she nodded her head quickly, wide eyed, and reached for her water. She drank and drank.

I smiled at Keith.

At least someone thinks so, I thought, taking another bite.

THE FOOD

Caribbean Green Seasoning [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

It only takes a few minutes to throw together and keeps well in the fridge, so I can see why the Guyanese add Green Seasoning to almost everything. I loved the flavor – cool and bright thanks to the celery, but threatening to be devilishly spicy thanks to the habanero. I’d like to play around with the ingredient quantities to perfect this dish for my family.

What I liked least about this dish:

My overly cautious attitude made the Green Seasoning less spicy than even I would like. Next time I might brave a full habenero, but I don’t think I’ll ever work my way up to five, as recommended by locals. Mr Picky might, though. He’s tough like that.

Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

Fun, family friendly, easy. Being able to have curry without heating up the kitchen is a real bonus in the summer.

What I liked least about this dish:

I marinated the chicken 24 hours which was way too long – the meat became hyper tender – which Ava liked (she has two eye teeth coming in, so soft foods are a plus right now). For most, 1-8 hours is ideal.

Guyanese Chow Mein [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

Everything. Especially the glow of hearing Mr Picky say he could eat it any day, all day, even for breakfast. Specifically he liked the textures – soft noodles, crunchy green beans, and bits of meat. I have already made this dish a second time, if that’s any indication of what our family thinks.

What I liked least about this dish:

Just for fun, I’d like to try round noodles. I’d also like to play around with other veggie combinations.

Chilled Coco-Mango Soup [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

I was completely surprised by how much I liked this soup. I expected it to taste like a smoothie, but the texture was different – lightened because of the coconut water. A real favorite for me. Mr Picky said “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t much. It turned out to be really good.” As for Ava, she’s still trying to figure out if it’s a drink or a soup.

What I liked least about this dish:

Nothing. I’ll make it all summer long. Or as long as I can find good mangoes. Whichever is longer.

Ava’s Corner

Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs

Serves 4

Guyanese love a good curry. Since we’re in the middle of intense summer, I’ve adapted a traditional curry recipe for the grill. Instead of stewing the chicken with the curried Green Seasoning, I simply marinated the chicken in it and threw it on the grill. An easy way to get the heat out of the kitchen, although you’ll still feel it in your mouth. Big time.

P.S. To eat this like you’re in Guyana, serve with Chow Mein. Seriously.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 cup Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 heaping Tbsp homemade curry powder
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Ask your butcher for four chicken breasts. The friendship between a woman and her butcher is a thing of beauty. Make friends with your butcher and they’ll give you all the good cuts. I promise.

Slice the chicken into strips and place on skewers. The best way to do this is to cut the breast diagonally. If you don’t feel like messing with it, feel free to just marinate the entire chicken breast and grill whole.

Now for the fun part: mix 1 cup Caribbean Green Seasoning with a tablespoon of curry powder. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What a golden green glory.

Pile onto the chicken and toss to get evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight (if you only have an  hour, don’t let that stop you – marinate for an hour!).

Thread chicken on skewers, alternating with pineapple chunks. Tomatoes would be good too. Cook on a medium grill until done.

Serve with Chow Mein and friends who aren’t afraid to lick their fingers.

Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs
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Guyanese love a good curry. Since we’re in the middle of intense summer, I’ve adapted a traditional curry recipe for the grill. Instead of stewing the chicken with the curried Green Seasoning, I simply marinated the chicken in it and threw it on the grill. An easy way to get the heat out of the kitchen, although you’ll still feel it in your mouth. Big time. P.S. To eat this like you’re in Guyana, serve with Chow Mein.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8 minutes 1 hour
Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Guyanese love a good curry. Since we’re in the middle of intense summer, I’ve adapted a traditional curry recipe for the grill. Instead of stewing the chicken with the curried Green Seasoning, I simply marinated the chicken in it and threw it on the grill. An easy way to get the heat out of the kitchen, although you’ll still feel it in your mouth. Big time. P.S. To eat this like you’re in Guyana, serve with Chow Mein.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8 minutes 1 hour
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breasts , sliced into strips
  • 1 cup Caribbean Green Seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder (heaping)
  • salt
  • pepper
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Slice the chicken into strips and place on skewers. The best way to do this is to cut the breast diagonally. If you don’t feel like messing with it, feel free to just marinate the entire chicken breast and grill whole.
  2. Now for the fun part: mix 1 cup Caribbean Green Seasoning with a tablespoon of curry powder. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Pile onto the chicken and toss to get evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight (if you only have an hour, don’t let that stop you – marinate for an hour!).
  4. Thread chicken on skewers, alternating with pineapple chunks. Tomatoes would be good too. Cook on a medium grill until done.

Caribbean Green Seasoning

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ouch and yum. This seasoning blend should feel like molten lava as it slides down your throat; Guyanese use up to six habaneros in a recipe like this one. However, if you don’t have Caribbean friends coming over for dinner – or the time to replace your throat – feel free to make a mild version. For example, mine (certainly laughable to Caribbeans), uses only a 1/4 of a habanero.

In my defense I have a two year-old. Call me crazy, but I don’t have the heart to feed her a paste made with six scorching habaneros, even if she does like a little spice from time to time. Plus, I’m pretty wimpy, myself.

So whether you like it hot, or not, just be sure to whip up a batch – you can use it on almost anything, from curries, to stews to grill marinades. Totally flexible and totally tasty – this is the Caribbean’s take on the French mirepoix or the Dominican sazon (a.k.a. sofrito). Makes a really nice base for Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs.

Inspired by Cynthia Nelson’s article all about Green Seasoning.

Ingredients

4 celery stalks
3 green onions
1 small onion
5 sprigs thyme, destemmed (about 1 heaping, loose tablespoon)
1/4 all the way up to 6 scotch bonnet peppers
5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup water (more if needed)
additional herbs, according to preference (optional)

Method:

Raid the produce department. Buy it all up. See those onions? Those are from the farmer’s market. They are so fresh they haven’t had time to form a skin yet. Amazing. Also, as I learned, when they are that fresh they don’t make your eyes water. Now that’s something to smile about.

Chop up one white onion, a few green onions, and a stalk of celery. Make the pieces small enough so that your blender (or food processor) can handle them.  Remove the woody stems from the thyme.

Toss everything in the blender with a bit of water. Don’t forget the habaneros – toss in as many as you can handle. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

Pulse in the blender with as much water as you need to get it chopped up. I made mine smooth, but a bit chunky would be great too.

Use as a base for curry or stews or kabobs. Keep extra Green Seasoning in the refrigerator for about a week.

Caribbean Green Seasoning
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This is the Caribbean's take on the French mirepoix or the Dominican sazon (a.k.a. sofrito). Makes a really nice base for Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs.
Caribbean Green Seasoning
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This is the Caribbean's take on the French mirepoix or the Dominican sazon (a.k.a. sofrito). Makes a really nice base for Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs.
Ingredients
  • 4 stalks celery , chopped
  • 3 green onions , chopped
  • 1 small onions , chopped
  • 5 sprigs thyme , destemmed
  • 1/4-6 scotch bonnet peppers , or habanero peppers
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup water , more if needed
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Toss everything in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
Recipe Notes

Pulse in the blender with as much water as you need to get it chopped up. I made mine smooth, but a bit chunky would be great too.

Chilled Coco-Mango Soup


Serves 4

Hello summer, nice to see you again. This year let’s stay cool, no overheating, no frustration, no sweaty t-shirts. I have to admit I don’t think you’re playing fair – soaring above 100F in June, but I’ll take drastic measures to keep the peace, if need be. I can curl up in an ice bath. Thankfully, however, there’s something better and tastier: cold soup. Inspired by the Guyanese in South America and their love of Caribbean flavors, today’s special is mango and coconut-tastic.

I’m ready to do laps in this chill goodness.

The flavor is light – thanks to the coconut water – silky, even. This is high class – good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Eat it by itself or eat it as a starter or eat it as dessert. Just eat it.

Ingredients:

4 medium ripe mangoes (about 3.5 cups chopped)
1 1/3 cup coconut water (1 can)
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp rum (white or dark)
honey, if necessary ( I didn’t use any)

For garnish:

coconut milk (to drip-drop on top)
coconut chips (or shredded coconut)

Method:

This recipe is a good excuse to wear a flouncy skirt, if you’re into such things. Put on a little makeup, even. This soup is special.

First step: scoop out the golden flesh of four sweet, ripe mangoes. Sing a little song.  Perhaps a mango song.

You’ll want about 3.5 cups of mango. Throw it in your blender. Shake your hips.

Add a cup of yogurt. Whole milk is best for that creamy, luscious texture.

Next add the liquid. Coconut water (a.k.a. coconut juice), a can of coconut milk, and regular cow’s milk. Again, whole milk makes it taste like “good.”

This next step is for those who are child-free or have grown-up children: add a splash of rum. You’re not trying to make it boozy, but just enough to give it a little Caribbean-style fact lift.

Give all this goodness a buzz-whir in the blender. Once everything is smooth as a moonlit kiss, give it a chill-out in the fridge for an hour or two. This not only makes the mixture nice and cold, it also allows air bubbles to rise up and pop, making the soup even smoother.

To serve, pour into chilled serving bowls. Top with drip-drops of coconut milk (just dip your spoon into liquid and then let it drop on top of the soup. It will float. Then sprinkle with coconut chips (I found these at Whole Foods) or shredded coconut, as desired.

Serve to artistic friends, with a cool fan on a hot day. Don’t forget that ruffled skirt.

It really makes all the difference.

Chilled Coco-Mango Soup
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Hello summer, nice to see you again. This year let’s stay cool, no overheating, no frustration, no sweaty t-shirts. I have to admit I don’t think you’re playing fair – soaring above 100F in June, but I’ll take drastic measures to keep the peace, if need be. I can curl up in an ice bath. Thankfully, however, there’s something better and tastier: cold soup. Inspired by the Guyanese in South America and their love of Caribbean flavors, today’s special is mango and coconut-tastic.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Chilled Coco-Mango Soup
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Hello summer, nice to see you again. This year let’s stay cool, no overheating, no frustration, no sweaty t-shirts. I have to admit I don’t think you’re playing fair – soaring above 100F in June, but I’ll take drastic measures to keep the peace, if need be. I can curl up in an ice bath. Thankfully, however, there’s something better and tastier: cold soup. Inspired by the Guyanese in South America and their love of Caribbean flavors, today’s special is mango and coconut-tastic.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
  • 4 medium mangoes (ripe, about 3.5 cups chopped)
  • 1 1/3 cup coconut water (1 can)
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup milk 1
  • Tbsp rum (white or dark)
  • honey , if desired
For garnish
  • coconut milk (to drip on top)
  • coconut chips (or shredded coconut)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Scoop out the golden flesh of four sweet, ripe mangoes. Throw in the blender.
  2. Add a cup of yogurt. Whole milk is best.
  3. Next add the liquid. Coconut water, a can of coconut milk, and regular cow's milk.
  4. Add a splash of rum.
  5. Blend together. nice everything is smooth, chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
  6. To serve, pour into chilled serving bowls. Top with drops of coconut milk, then sprinkle with coconut chips.

Guyana for the win (w/ poll)

For a long time now I’ve wanted live with goats. But it doesn’t end there. I want to eat thick, hearty cheese sandwiches made with rustic, country bread. I want to eat them every day. All day. While smelling wildflowers and wearing a frock. It all started when I read Heidi, the story of a little girl who does, well, almost exactly that.

Enter Guyana. They do it. They eat cheddar-cheesy bread sandwiches for snacks. For dinner. Whenever, really.

Winning.

Just imagine this after school snack:

… visions of a warm, hearty Tennis Roll, sliced in half and protecting thick slices of cheddar cheese … To wash it down, an ice-cold glass of cream soda made creamy with carnation milk. Ooo la la! Childhood memories of this after school snack thrilled me.

Cynthia Nelson, Starbroek News.

I’m thinking I can somehow combine my Heidi daydream with these tennis rolls for an outrageously awesome fantasy.

And in this daydream my frock will never get too small because I ate too much cheese and bread.

So what exactly is a Tennis Roll?

About the size of a tennis ball, but much tastier, tennis rolls are a go-to treat in Guyana. The tender crumb is sweetened with sugar, vanilla extract and the floral aroma of orange or lemon zest.  Possibly the most interesting part about the tennis roll is that, despite its sweet tendencies, it is often nibbled with a thick slice of cheese.

Photo

Guyanese Chow Mein

Serves 4

Hello. I realize it’s summer, but let’s shut our eyes for a moment and daydream about winter. In Guyana. Are you ready for Christmas? Shall we deck the halls? (do people really do that?). Ready or not, today’s recipe is going to take you to December 25th, Guyanese-style. Read this:

The kids got their little presents, got their pictures taken on my lap, and everyone ate fried rice, chow mein, and chicken curry. You know, traditional Christmas food.

From Mark Hejinian’s travel blog Guyanese Mark

My first reaction? I want to spend Christmas in Guyana. Immediately. It doesn’t help that it’s a zillion degrees here, but a nice cool winter day would be welcome right about now. And that menu? Yes, yes, yes.

So let’s dig into what this dish is all about.

While Chow Mein might sound like a stretch for the South American dinner table, Guyanese love this dish with a passion. It’s not a straight up copycat operation, however – they add plenty of unique touches, to make Chow Mein their own. For example, although they prepare it with soy sauce, they call the soy sauce “Chinese Cassareep” – a nod to the locally prepared cassava based juice that they douse on almost everything.  Also, they slather it with a scorching hot sauce made from habeneros. One popular brand is called Matouks.

When it comes it ingredients, they often add green beans (or long beans), peas and other simple vegetables. Bok Choi is a big hit as well.  The noodles can be round or flat, although round is more common (except in homes where the wrong package of noodles is purchased. Yes, I did that).  In all seriousness, as long as you make this dish with egg noodles, you are good to go. Just be sure to top with some firey hot sauce. Caribbean-style.

Optional? Serve it with Curried Chicken Kabobs [recipe].

Ingredients:

For the quick marinade:

1 tsp chinese 5 spice
1 Tbsp soy sauce

For the stir-fry:

3/4 lb pork, cut into small pieces
8-10 oz egg noodles (or angel hair pasta)
5 baby bok choy, sliced thinly
1 heaping cup cleaned and cut green beans or long beans
1 small onion, sliced thinly
soy sauce, as needed

Garnish:
3 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 eggs, beaten, cooked, and cut into strips

Method:

First, cook the noodles according to package instructions. These took 3 minutes. Done! Easy! Yay! Too bad they weren’t round.

Next, add soy sauce and Chinese Five Spice to pork. Set aside, in refrigerator, until needed.

Next, sit in wonder and awe at how beautiful bok choy is, especially when it was picked that day and purchased at the farmer’s market. Eating fresh veggies is like winning a prize.

Once you’re sufficiently happy, slice all veggies up – from onions, to green beans, to bok choy. Even cut up the garlic. This is important, because once you start cooking you’re going to be moving at the speed of light.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet up over high heat. Make sure it’s screaming hot. Add meat and stir constantly. It’ll get nice and brown.

Next, toss on the garlic and then the onions, cooking each for about 30 secondst. The name of the game is to keep stirring.

Toss on the green beans (also from the farmer’s market, huzzah!) and bok choy. If you want your green beans soft, add them first and then add the bok choi. I like a little crunch for contrast.

Keep cooking to desired doneness. When everything’s looking “about right” season to taste with soy sauce and pepper.

Toss the noodles on top and give everything a good mix. If it seems a bit dry, loosen it up with a sprinkle of water (or even better, cooking water from the noodles). Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, beat two eggs and cook in a large pan with some oil, making a very thin omelet, almost like a crepe. Roll into a tube and cut into strips.

Plate up the Chow Mein noodly goodness with a sprinkle of the omelet and green onions. This is happiness on a plate, Guyanese Style.

For Supreme Happiness on a plate? Add Curried Chicken Kabobs [recipe].

Serve to really hungry friends, or to your doting husband who requests it for breakfast the next day.

No matter that Chow Mein is not technically breakfast food.  I get it. I like leftovers, too. Especially cold Christmas noodles in the summer.

Enjoy!

Guyanese Chow Mein
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While Chow Mein might sound like a stretch for the South American dinner table, Guyanese love this dish with a passion. It’s not a straight up copycat operation, however – they add plenty of unique touches, to make Chow Mein their own. For example, although they prepare it with soy sauce, they call the soy sauce “Chinese Cassareep” – a nod to the locally prepared cassava based juice that they douse on almost everything. Also, they slather it with a scorching hot sauce made from habeneros. One popular brand is called Matouks. When it comes it ingredients, they often add green beans (or long beans), peas and other simple vegetables. Bok Choi is a big hit as well. The noodles can be round or flat, although round is more common (except in homes where the wrong package of noodles is purchased. Yes, I did that). In all seriousness, as long as you make this dish with egg noodles, you are good to go. Just be sure to top with some firey hot sauce. Caribbean-style. Optional? Serve it with Curried Chicken Kabobs [recipe].
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Guyanese Chow Mein
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
While Chow Mein might sound like a stretch for the South American dinner table, Guyanese love this dish with a passion. It’s not a straight up copycat operation, however – they add plenty of unique touches, to make Chow Mein their own. For example, although they prepare it with soy sauce, they call the soy sauce “Chinese Cassareep” – a nod to the locally prepared cassava based juice that they douse on almost everything. Also, they slather it with a scorching hot sauce made from habeneros. One popular brand is called Matouks. When it comes it ingredients, they often add green beans (or long beans), peas and other simple vegetables. Bok Choi is a big hit as well. The noodles can be round or flat, although round is more common (except in homes where the wrong package of noodles is purchased. Yes, I did that). In all seriousness, as long as you make this dish with egg noodles, you are good to go. Just be sure to top with some firey hot sauce. Caribbean-style. Optional? Serve it with Curried Chicken Kabobs [recipe].
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
For the quick marinade:
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
For the stir-fry
  • 3/4 lb pork , cut into small pieces
  • 8-10 oz egg noodles (or angel hair pasta)
  • 5 oz baby bok choy , sliced thinly
  • 1 small onions , sliced thinly
  • soy sauce , as needed
  • 1 cup long beans (sliced) - OR -
  • 1 cup green beans (sliced)
Garnish:
  • 3 green onions , cut into 1" pieces
  • 2 eggs , beaten, cooked, and cut into strips
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. First, cook the noodles according to package instructions.
  2. Next, add soy sauce and Chinese Five Spice to pork. Set aside, in refrigerator, until needed.
  3. Prep all ingredients.
  4. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet up over high heat. Make sure it’s screaming hot. Add meat and stir constantly. It’ll get nice and brown.
  5. Next, toss on the garlic and then the onions, cooking each for about 30 secondst. The name of the game is to keep stirring.
  6. Toss on the green beans and bok choy. If you want your green beans soft, add them first and then add the bok choi. I like a little crunch for contrast.
  7. Keep cooking to desired doneness. When everything’s looking “about right” season to taste with soy sauce and pepper.
  8. Toss the noodles on top and give everything a good mix. If it seems a bit dry, loosen it up with a sprinkle of water (or even better, cooking water from the noodles). Remove from heat and set aside.
  9. Next, beat two eggs and cook in a large pan with some oil, making a very thin omelet, almost like a crepe. Roll into a tube and cut into strips.
  10. Plate up the Chow Mein noodly goodness with a sprinkle of the omelet and green onions. This is happiness on a plate, Guyanese Style.

Menu: Guyana

I like to live in the moment. Fly free. Laugh. Dance. Cry. Do you ever find yourself doing something fun, like chatting with a friend, instead of the work you’re supposed to be doing? I do. I love it. I look forward to it. And why not? I get to have fun and then proceed to do my work twice as fast. When I’m talking to my friend, I don’t worry about the work. It’ll be there. It’s time will come. No, I’d rather live in the moment. It’s sweet bliss. As long as I meet my deadlines, no harm done.

Just tonight I was chatting with a friend for hours, instead of doing my work. It was worth it. I got and gave countless life lessons. I laughed. I cried. Now, I’m home, eyes burning and overheated, wearing the humidity like a blanket. I’m hungry. I need to cool off. No problem. Well, actually, there’s one problem: I don’t want to cook in an already hot house. Luckily our Guyanese menu is a mostly heat-free menu. The Chilled Coco-Mango Soup will make the perfect midnight snack – sweet, creamy, and cold. Tomorrow I’ll tackle the rest. For now, let’s vow to chill out, relax, live in the moment, and eat something good. Life is too short not to enjoy ourselves.

What sounds good to you?

Caribbean Green Seasoning [Recipe]
 Want an instant passport to Guyana? Whip up this blend of habeneros, celery, thyme, onions, and garlic. You can use it as a marinade, a seasoning for stew, or hair dye. Not really on the last one. Sensitive folks, like myself, can simply use less habeneros.

Guyana’s Hot Curried Caribbean Chicken Kabobs [Recipe]
Strips of chicken marinated in Green Seasoning and curry powder. Instant Indian flavor on the outdoor grill. Perfect.

Guyanese Chow Mein [Recipe]
The Chinese staple, Chow Mein shows up in Guyana, halfway around the world. They top theirs off with Caribbean hot sauce. Yikes!

Chilled Coco-Mango soup [Recipe]
Need to cool off? This soup is just the ticket – light and healthy, made with coconut water, yogurt and more.

PS. The above photo has nothing to do with anything. Except maybe an example of living in the moment, full of joy. Children do it best.

About the food of Guyana

Port Kaituma, the gateway to gold mining in the remote jungles of Guyana

Welcome to Guyana – where you can eat a plate of curry [Recipe] with a side of chow mein [Recipe]. What a combination. What a melting pot. What time do we eat? Oh, and did I mention Guyana is in South America? Yep. This rugged country plates up food from halfway across the world thanks to the influence of British colonizers.

Take a stroll down her sandy shores – deep tan like crushed graham crackers – or climb the plateaus in the west; either way you’ll quickly learn why Guyana is called the land of many waters. Rivers swim across the countryside, producing spectacular waterfalls which thread through jungle, and mountain, and cloud.

Boats on Berbice River | Orinduik Falls

The Guyanese eat a lot more like the peoples of the Caribbean than South Americans. Case in point: their love of curry. They even season their food with the same Green Seasoning that heats up the food across the islands (a firey hot blend of habeneros, celery, garlic, onion, thyme, and more) [Recipe]. Tourists everywhere cry when they taste this stuff. In a good way.

Georgetown, Guyana | The flag of Guyana flies high at Caribbean festival

If you take a peek in Starbroek market in the captial, you’ll find over 1000 stalls with vendors displaying mouth-watering produce. For starters, Guyanese eat yucca like crazy (a.k.a. cassava). Later today I’ll be sharing a video I found all about this on twitter. Stay tuned! They even make a dark liquid out of the juices called casareep, used to season many dishes and stews, such as pepperpot. They also adore mangoes, pineapples, bananas, and other tropical fruit. Many will mash them up into smoothies or even chilled soups [Recipe]. Tasty.

Mountains near Lethem, Guyana

Photos: Madmack66, Merlinthewizard, Loozrboy, Jodybwiki, CIA World Factbook.

Monday Meal Review: Guinea and Guinea-Bissau

THE SCENE:

I cut into the yucca root, first trimming the ends, then cracking it down the middle. Instead of revealing creamy white flesh, the yucca was speckled and streaked with brown. Rotten.  I grabbed the peeler and stripped off the thick skin, exposing even more bruised flesh.

Why I peeled that rotten yucca, I cannot tell you, but when I was done, I dutifully cut it into thick sticks and placed them in a pretty pile. I then pushed the pile straight into the trash.

Darn yucca. Mocking me again.

I looked over at the second and final yucca root, eying the waxy brown skin. It looked exactly the same as the first – no outer signs of distress.  No signs of rot.

I took a deep breath and cut one end open, swearing I would never ever make another yucca dish if this one wasn’t any good. At the very least I wouldn’t make another yucca dish that day – I had no way to get to the supermarket.

As I cracked the knife away from the yucca I glanced under the cut – pure, snow white, creamy yucca. I cut the other end. Just as good. I sliced it down the middle. Perfection. Not ready to do a happy dance just yet, I boiled the yucca, waiting for it to fall apart. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing bad happened. It did beautifully. A few slices were a bit big, but I just trimmed them.

After the last of the steam billowed out of the hot yucca they were good and dry. I heated the oil until it shimmered and slid a few yucca in, watching them sizzle.

I waited. And waited. They didn’t turn color. They stayed pale.

I knew it, I murmured. ready to throw the entire batch in the trash.

Just then an inkling of golden color emerged, like first beam of light at sunrise. Gorgeous.

When the last one turned golden, I fished them out, drained them, salted them and stared. I could barely bring myself to eat one.

So far so good.

I took a bite and thought with surprise, this is not yucca. Not yucca at all.

THE FOOD

Papaya and orange rind chutney [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

The sweet, slightly bitter flavor is totally addictive. I spooned heaps of this onto my toast with zero regret. Even Mr Picky liked it, although Miss Ava turned her nose up after one taste.

What I liked least about this dish:

I wish the chutney would have set up more like a jam (that was my original intent). The natural pectin in the orange rind set it up a little, but I think much more would be needed to give it the texture I desired. Still, as a chutney it was perfectly delicious.

Yucca Chips [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

Set off the fireworks. I made something tasty with yucca. Finally.

I’m not sure if you were aware, but yucca can be pronounced one of two ways, depending on where you are from. Yuck-a or You-ka. For those of you who know my struggles with this troublesome tuber, you’ll understand when I say I pronounced in yuck-a. Well, today is the day I can call it you-ka. This is a mighty fine treat.

What I liked least about this dish:

Just make sure the yucca isn’t rotten. Check for soft spots and even strange, molding spots. They are usually fresher at Latino markets because the turnover is high. Also, be sure that the yucca is totally dry when you go to fry it, or you’ll be at risk of some nasty oil spatters.

Jollof (West African Rice with Veggies) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

I love the combination of rice and cabbage, with the slight hint of spicy cayenne and earthy cinnamon. This was also the first time Ava’s gobbled up peas since last year. Another excuse for fireworks!

What I liked least about this dish:

Mr Picky lived up to his name, whispering (so Ava couldn’t hear) that it tasted funny. He is still not used to savory foods with cinnamon – something so common in other parts of the world.

Portuguese Cinnamon Cookie (Raivas) [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish:

It was fun making the squiggly shapes and the dough was easy to work with. Great to dip into tea and coffee.

What I liked least about this dish:

A little plain to be called a cookie for Mr Picky, but he ate it up when I called it cinnamon bread. Go figure.

Ava’s Corner

How do I get Miss Ava (almost 2 years old now) to try food from around the world? ♥ I ask. I beg. I use silly voices. I cheer & clap when she eats. I act the fool. More importantly: She helps me in the kitchen and garden. Being a part of the process makes her curious and receptive. And, then, sometimes – when none of that works – just trying again later is the best solution.