Sweet and Sour Shrimp

 Seafood, yet again!

I made this sweet and sour shrimp for dinner last week. Very quick and easy and healthy...the theme for most of my dishes. Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:
1lb De-veined Cooked Lg. Shrimp (Thawed or fresh)
3 Tbsp Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup Pineapple Cubes
I Small Head Broccoli
1lb bag of Frozen Vegetables
Dried Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp Salt

1Tbsp of Hoisin Sauce (optional)

Method:
Thaw frozen vegetables and add to pan on medium heat. Simmer until heated, and then add the shrimp, pineapple cubes, and fresh broccoli and cook for approximately 5 minutes. We are almost done :)...Add the sweet and sour sauce, and salt and pepper, and stir. Leave the pan covered for 2-3 minutes and then, dinner is ready, enjoy!

Varieties: You may add some al dente pasta to the shrimp and vegetables for a complete meal in a pan.
 I had this fiesta with some vegetable brown rice. (See the salmon and kale recipe)

Jamaican Seasoned Rice with Salmon, Kale and more Veggies

Salmon fell apart as I was plating.

I love seafood!
For starters, here is a salmon dish with lots of veggies, and some Jamaican Style seasoned brown rice. This is a quick recipe, 40 minutes top, including prep time.

Ingredients:
1lb of fresh Salmon
1lb Brown Rice
1/2lb Baby Carrots
1/2 Bunch of Kale
1 Head of Broccoli
1 Packet of Jamaican Maggi All Purpose Seasoning
Lemon juice
Garlic Salt
Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Butter
Pepper

Method:
Preheat over to 400 F. Wash rice then add 2 cups of water (water should be approximately 1 inch above the rice). Season with all purpose seasoning mix. Cook on medium for 20 minutes and then lower heat an cook for 5-10. I like my rice al dente so an additional 5 minutes would work for me, if you like it soft, go for the 10 extra minutes.

Salmon:
Rinse salmon with lime or lemon juice, and pat dry. Lightly season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with Olive Oil, bake for 15 minutes or until flaky in preheated oven.

Broccoli and Carrot:
Cut broccoli into small pieces and add to pan along with carrots. Add butter, 2 tbsp of water and a dash of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Kale:
Rough chop kale into small pieces and add to pan, along with lemon juice, garlic salt, pepper and Olive Oil. Steam for 6-8 minutes on low -medium heat.

Clearly you need at least 3 burners and an oven for this meal. I use a toaster oven whenever I have a small dish to bake, so the salmon can relax on the top shelf while I prepare the other items. If you follow this order, you'll have dinner ready in no time.
I have also made the rice with some frozen veggie mix, I will add that picture another time. But you simply add the corn, green beans and peas mix, and a spoon of soy sauce about 10 minutes before you turn off the stove, stir well and let simmer.

Another meal I love so much. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

Good 'Ole Jamaican Curry Chicken

This is a crowd-pleaser! The biggest secret to cooking your curry thoroughly and still have some tender bites of chicken......dark meat, legs and thighs can withstand longer cooking times without getting tough, and they have the most flavor.

Ingredients:
2lbs of Chicken Thighs (boneless if you prefer to eat without worries of biting into bones)
2 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes (the waxy types will stay firm longer in the stew)
12 Baby Carrots
Fresh thyme
1 Onion
1 Green Bell Peppers
2 Tablespoons of Jamaican Curry Powder
Jamaican Chicken Seasoning (Goya chicken bouillon works as well) 
1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil
Salt

Scotch bonnet pepper (optional)

Method:

Chop chicken thighs into small pieces and season with salt, 1/2 of the green pepper, 1/2 of the onion, 1/2 of the fresh thyme, chicken bouillon and rub well. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Add curry powder, using a large spoon to mix well. Pour oil in a frying pan and heat for 5 minutes, and then add the seasoned chicken. Cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes and turn and then cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Dice potatoes and carrots and add to the chicken with a cup of water. Simmer for 15 minutes and then add the remaining bell pepper, onion and thyme. This is where the optional scotch bonnet pepper comes in, add if you can manage the heat. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes, and there you go, a home-cooked -pleaser awaits! Oh Yeah, You're Welcome, No Biggie.

BTW, this is served with plain brown or white rice.

Apple and Onion Jerk Pork Chops

This was a fun dish to prepare! I love that I can transfer and marry my Jamaican flavors with so many recipes. The heat was nicely balanced with the sweet tart taste of a fresh apple slices. Here is the recipe:

Pork
2-3lbs of Pork Chops
Dry Jerk Seasoning Rub
1 onion
1 Apple (Granny Smith is best, but I used a McIntosh in this dish and it worked just fine)
Dried Parsley

Sides
1Medium Butternut Squash (This is one of my faves, you will see it a lot on here)
1/2 lb Green Beans
Butter
Garlic Salt
Salt
Olive Oil

Method:
Add a tablespoon of vinegar to water, and rinse pork, then pat dry. Add jerk rub and let marinate for at least an hour, or overnight. Preheat oven to 400 F. Transfer pork chops to cookie sheet after spraying with vegetable cooking spray. Place in oven once heated. Cook for 25-30 minutes

Peel and chop butternut squash into cubes. Arrange on another cookie tray and sprinkle with Olive Oil and Parsley and salt. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Remove the ends of the green beans, wash and place in a small pot. Add garlic salt and butter and simmer for 6 minutes.

The first picture has the dishes straight from the oven, and the second one is my suggested serving. Share this with your friends and family members.

Yummy Peppermint Marshmallows

I made this tasty treat last Christmas! So quick and easy and with the homemade touch, you know that the ingredients are real, and preservative free. Check out the recipe. (I found this on YouTube):

Ingredients:

2 cups Granulated Sugar
2/3 Corn Syrup
3 unflavored gelatin packets
Peppermint flavor
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Salt
1/2 cup water
Red food coloring

Method:

Add gelatin to water and let sit. In a pan, add water, corn syrup, and sugar and stir until it reaches a rolling boil (about 165 degrees F). Transfer boiled ingredients to the gelatin mixture, add salt and whip for 10-14 minutes or until it reaches stiff peaks. Add flavors while you mix. Pour mixture into a greased paper lined pan and swirl in red food coloring.Let sit for 6 hours or overnight, and dust with powdered sugar as you slice.

Other varieties could include, a dusting of shredded coconut, or dip in chocolate magic shell flavors, enjoy!