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Bajan Peas n’ Rice

Serves 4 Peas n’ Rice really is “beans” and rice. This savory side will go with almost anything – chicken, pork, fish, vegetables – especially grilled or roasted. In Barbados Peas n’ Rice is often served with fried fish. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, minced 1 habanero pepper, minced (optional) 3 cups water + extra as needed 1/2 cup dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups rice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp fresh parsley Method: 1. In a large pot, add oil and fry onion, Anaheim pepper, and habanero pepper (if using) until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the black eyed peas, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. 2. Add 3 cups of water, and simmer covered until the peas are almost done (just slightly hard still). This might take 45 minutes or so. Just taste a bean every once in a while. 3. Add salt, pepper, and rice. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 3o minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. …

Spiked Coconut Water

Makes 1 drink Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than stout, so I went for the Parrot’s Bay. Go with your instincts when making yours. Ingredients: 1 shot chilled coconut rum or plain, Caribbean rum 2 shots chilled coconut water (available at whole foods) 1/2 a lime, juiced crushed ice lime wedge for garnish Method: 1. Pour all ingredients in a short glass. Add crushed ice to the top. 2. Garnish with lime wedge. Stir and sip! We made two… 🙂 Spiked Coconut Water Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Although I came up with this name, the drink idea came to me from Jimmy Buffett. He recommends this refreshing blend for the slightly tropical, headache free, sipping pleasure it provides. He probably doesn’t use coconut rum, but I like my drinks sweeter than …

Bajan Pound Cake with Cherries | Christmas Puddin’

Makes about one 10″ bundt cake or several smaller cakes Enjoy this lovely pound cake cold with hot tea or a tall glass of milk. We loved the addition of maraschino cherries and wished we would have added more (we only added about 20 chopped cherries). A yummy cake – my husband has already requested it for his birthday! Ingredients: 3 cups flour 2 Tbsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 sticks (2 cups) butter (room temperature) 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 Tbsp vanilla extract pinch of salt chopped maraschino cherries to taste (optional) NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of batter, so you may want to divide it into more than one pan, even if you use the 10″ bundt. You’ll see in our pics it threatened to overflow… but luckily didn’t. If you decide to live on the edge, like us, just put a cookie sheet under the cake to save you the trouble of a messy clean up. Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder together. Set …

Vermicelli in Sweet Custard | Shemai Custard

Serves 8-10 This sweet custard reminds me of rice pudding. The man who taught me all about how to make this dish told me that the mixture should neither pour off the spoon, nor stick too much to the spoon. I love directions like that – they make sense! Anyway, if you want to increase this recipe, or decrease it, use this guideline: for every cup of vermicelli, you need 4 cups milk. Ingredients: 3 oz roasted vermicelli – about 2 cups (about 1/2 the package pictured) 8 cups milk pinch of salt 4 cardamom pods, cracked 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup himalayan raisins (or golden raisins) 1/8 cup thinly slivered almonds Method: NOTE: Roasted vermicelli is made of wheat flour. I found it at our local Indian market (Laxmi Spices of India 5555 East 41st St, Tulsa). 1. Cut vermicelli into 1 inch pieces with scissors, taking care to not fling pieces all over the kitchen. Just go slow and you should be fine. 2. Add vermicelli to a large pot with milk, salt, …

Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji

Serves 4 The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this dish unique. Panch phoron is not blended into a powder. Instead the seeds are added whole, creating a subtle crunch. Very tasty variation on spinach. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 3 green chili peppers 1 small onion sliced thinly 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp panch phoron 1 lb chopped, frozen spinach 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Method: 1. Heat the oil in a skill over medium-high. Add chili and toast for 2 minutes. 2. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and panch phoron. Spices will start to pop and crackle when ready. 3. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld. Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji) Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this …

Potato Curry | Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum

Serves 4 The curry sauce is fire-hot (I was sweating while eating), however the potatoes do not absorb the heat so you can easily control how much chili you get in a bite. To make this dish more mild, adjust the amount of chili powder (or remove this spice completely). NOTE: This recipe makes a LOT of curry sauce, so you could freeze half of it and save for another dish if you wanted to – unless you think you’ll sop it all up. Ingredients: 20 baby red potatoes For the curry: 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp cumin powder 1/8 tsp ground clove 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp red chili powder (Lanka guro) (this is VERY hot, adjust according to your tolerance) 1/2 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp salt Aromatics: 2 Tbsp mustard oil 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick 4 cardamom pods 2 cups water Method: 1. Boil potatoes in salted water until almost cooked. Drain. …

Rose Water Rice Pilaf | Mulhammar

Serves 4 Mulhammar is a slightly sweet rice pilaf is wonderful with spicy food. You’ll love the taunting aroma of rosewater, saffron, and cardamom. Everything is very subtle and mild. Ingredients: 1/2 tsp saffron threads 3 cardamom pods, cracked 2 Tbsp rosewater 6 cups water 1 Tbsp salt 2 cups basmati rice 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup ghee or melted butter Method: 1. Combine saffron, cardamom and rosewater in a small bowl. I then used a spoon to mash the saffron mixture into the sugar. 2. In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse rice under cool water until water runs clear. 3. Add rice to boiling water and cook 8 minutes uncovered. Stir every few minutes. Drain. 4. Put rice back in pot and add saffron mixture over the top along with the melted ghee or butter. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a few holes in rice. Cover with lid and let steam over very low heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot. …

Apricot Fruit Leather | Quamar-el-Deen

Makes about 8 strips Feel free to play around with this recipe to make flavors and combinations that you like. Be sure to check out the tips in Technique Thursday. Time may vary on when this is done, depending on your oven. Please check multiple times so as not to overcook this! Ingredients: 12 ounces dried apricots, quartered 1 cup water 2 Tbsp honey 4 cardamom pods Method: 1. In a small pot, simmer dried apricots with water, honey, and cardamom pods. Simmer about 20 minutes. 2. Carefully remove cardamom pods. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture. The mixture should be a bit thicker than applesauce. 3. Line a baking sheet with silpat (or microwave safe saran wrap). Pour apricot mixture over silpat about 3/8″ thick. Spread evenly. 4. Place baking sheet in a warm oven for 6-8 hours, or until apricot leather is just tacky to the touch. Store, covered in a cool, dry place, refrigerate or freeze. Apricot Fruit Leather | Quamar-el-Deen Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe …

Roasted Eggplant Dip | Uukkous Al-Badinjan

Serves 4 Make this dish a day ahead to allow time for the flavors to mingle. Uukkous Al-Badinjan blows baba ganoush out of the water! Ingredients: 3 eggplants 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp cayenne 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced 1/2 – 1 tsp salt Method: 1. Using a fork, poke eggplants all over. Roast eggplants at 350F for about 1 hour or until soft. NOTE: Today it’s pretty hot in Oklahoma, so I decided to keep the house cool and grill the eggplants. Grill at 350F for about an hour or until soft. 2. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle the eggplants. With a knife, split eggplants open and scoop out all the flesh into a food processor or blender. Or if you’re like me, into a bowl and use your immersion blender. 3. Add remaining ingredients and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Chill and serve with flatbread or as an accompaniment to main meal. …

Macaroni Pie | Island Macaroni & Cheese

Serves 8-10 This grown-up Mac & Cheese gets its kick from cayenne pepper. Substitute paprika for the cayenne if you prefer non-spicy food. Ingredients: 1 lb elbow macaroni 2 eggs 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup green pepper, minced 1 – 1 1/2 tsp cayenne (mild-hot) 1 lb grated cheddar cheese 1 12 oz can evaporated milk 1/2 tsp salt Method: 1 Boil elbow macaroni for about 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and return to pot. 2. Stir in cheddar, pepper, and onion. 3. In a small bowl or measuring cup stir together eggs, cayenne, evaporated milk, and salt. Pour over macaroni and stir to combine. 4. Pour into a greased lasagna pan, spreading evenly with spatula. Dot with butter. NOTE: At this point I refrigerated the macaroni until shortly before I needed it. 5. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes and slice into squares. Serve hot. Macaroni Pie | Island Macaroni & Cheese Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe …

Coconut Bimini Bread

Coconut Bimini Bread, fresh from the oven Makes 2 small loaves or 1 large “Pullman” style loaf Coconut Bimini Bread is easy with the help of a bread machine or standing mixer fitted with dough blade. Sweet and doughy, try serving leftover slices in French Toast or Bread Pudding! Ingredients: 2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast 4 1/2 cups unbleached flour (plus extra , if the dough comes out too wet) 1 tsp salt 1/4 c nonfat dry milk powder 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup coconut milk (if you warm this slightly it will help the dough rise quicker) 3 Tbsp honey 3 Tbsp butter, softened 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs Method: 1. In the mixing bowl of bread machine add all ingredients in order given. Set on dough cycle (just mixing and rising). The dough cycle usually lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a large bowl and knead together until a smooth dough forms. Add extra flour if necessary. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about …

Bahama Mama

Makes just over a gallon Cooking a meal for every country in the world makes this mama thirsty! The Bahamas have the perfect solution – a traditional, tropical Bahama Mama. Serve Bahama Mamas chilled, under the hot summer sun. Play around and adjust this recipe to your preferences. NOTE: Some prefer to add unflavored rum for all or part of the rum flavor. You decide for you, below is what I like 🙂 Ingredients: 1 quart chilled orange juice 1 quart chilled pineapple juice 1/4 cup grenadine 2 cups chilled coconut rum, or to taste Method: 1. In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients. Stir well. Return to refrigerator until needed. 2. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish with orange slices if desired (I completely forgot to do this, but I know you’ll forgive me as soon as you taste this drink 🙂 ) Bahama Mama Votes: 3 Rating: 4.33 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe “Cooking a meal for every country in the world makes this mama thirsty! The Bahamas have the perfect solution – …