Oh yes....Finger-licking Smoky Beef Stew

This is the perfect stew for all seasons. I made it over the summer, and it was fantastic. Our stews in Jamaica are made with bone-in beef cuts for extra flavor, and super tenderness. But since I couldn't find quality cuts of bone in beef, I used a pieces that were not too lean. Look for the ones that have stripes of fat throughout them. :)

Ingredients

2 lbs of Beef for stewing (not the lean pieces)

4 Celery Stalks

3 Large Carrots

2 Large Potato - diced

1 Tbsp Thyme, rosemary, oregano (herbs)

1 Onion- Onion

1 Tbsp Garlic- chopped 

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Vegetable Oil- enough to coat the pan

4 Beef Bouillon or two cans of Beef Broth

2 tsp Garlic Salt

2 tsp Pepper

Liquid Smoke- use the required amount noted on bottle for quantity of meat

Method

Season meat with liquid smoke, garlic salt and pepper and then brown each side in vegetable oil and set aside. Add onion and stir until translucent. Add 2 carrots  and 2 celery stalks and garlic and let cook for about 10 minutes. Add meat, herbs, and cans of beef broth and a cup of water, stir and cover. Cook for an hour and then add remaining ingredients and cook for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender.  Add more water and a bouillon or more broth if you need more sauce than what's in the pot at this point. Mix cornstarch with cold water and pour into the sauce once meat is cooked. This will thicken the sauce and hold all the flavors in and very importantly, add a glossy tasty goodness that makes your dish super appealing. I always eye ball my salt and pepper amount so feel free to add more at the end if your taste buds demand more. 

Happy eating!

BNW~

The Best Jamaican Indian Chicken Curry

Story time: We cook a lot of curries in Jamaica. Shrimp, crab, goat, fish, chicken, you name it, we've probably curried it. Our techniques and ingredients are different from the Indian and Thai curry, but today, I decided to add some Indian spices to my Jamaican dish. This is the best curry I have ever made. Seriously. So good. This dish got me extra kisses, and an A+ grade for presentation and taste. Give it a try and rack up some brownie points.

Ingredients

2lbs of Chicken Legs and Thighs

2 Tbsp of your favorite Curry (I used the Jamaican Grace brand)

1 Tbsp of Cumin 

1 Tsp of Cumin

1 Tsp of Whole Cumin

1 Tbsp of Fresh Ginger Root

2 Tsp of Thyme 

6 Stalks of Scallion

1 Bell Pepper

1 Lg Onion

1 Jalepeno- remove seeds

Cilantro - 4 stalks, and 1 for garnish

1 Pkt Powdered Chicken Bouillion 

2 Tbsp of Garlic Salt

2 Potatoes - diced

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Method

Remove skin from meat and season with garlic salt, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bell pepper, 3 stalks of scallion, 1 tsp of thyme, chicken bouillon and let marinate overnight. Remove from fridge an hour before you're ready to start cooking. Add curry, 1 Tbsp cumin powder and seeds, Jalepeno, ginger and 2 stalks of cilantro and stir to evenly distribute these new flavors. After an hour, heat coconut oil and pour in meat with seasonings and cover. I always do this to allow the seasonings to sweat and just get happy with each other. Turn the meat after 5 minutes and slightly brown the other side, then add enough water to cover. Allow to cook for 15 minutes and then turn each piece and cook for another 15 minutes. Add potatoes, remaining pepper, scallion, onions, and thyme, cumin and cilantro and let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Potatoes will dissolve and start to thicken the sauce and the new layer of flavors please your taste buds before you even get to the meat. 

I served this with coconut rice. I replaced 1 cup of water with a rich 100% coconut milk, not the half milk half water one. I used Texmati rice but any fragrant rice will work. 

Scoop two cups of rice onto the center of a plate and top with this delicious chicken. Garnish with fresh cilantro and pucker up!

Happy eating!

BNW~

Juicy Pork Chops with Acorn Squash Mash and Fiddleheads

Ok, I love pork, so let's get that out of the way....AGAIN. This is a simple pork recipe to try out and make your own. Also, I tried some Fiddleheads for the first time and wanted to share it with you in case you came across them on any of your shopping trips. They are from the family of ferns, and if not prepared properly, may cause illness. This reminds me of Ackee in Jamaica, it's our national dish and causes similar illness if not done right, so pay attention to everything noted below. And, the Acorn Squash Mash is pretty fantastic, too.

  

Ingredients

1lb of Fiddleheads

1 Acorn Squash (peeled and diced )

4 pieces of Pork Chops

Your favorite white meat sauce 

Assorted Bell Peppers (optional)

2 Tsp Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

3 Tbsp of Butter

1Tbsp of Brown Sugar

Salt

Garlic salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder

Blueberry Juice Infused Craisins

Method

Pork

Season pork in advance with garlic salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder and let marinate for at least an hour. Overnight is better so if you have your week planned out and know that Thursday is pork chops day, season them before bed on Wednesday. 

Brown pork chops and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. In the last 20 minutes, the fun begins. Baste with your favorite sauce, cook for 10 minutes and then flip the meat and cook for another 10 minutes . I used a sweet and sour sauce with a honey teriyaki glaze. You can use a sauce that you love and is just hanging out in the kitchen.

Acorn squash

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make. I hosted dinner recently for a mix of vegetarians and carnivores, and this was the favorite of the night. :)

Peel, dice and boil acorn squash in salted water until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes on medium heat. Remove from water and mash with 2Tbsp of butter, brown sugar, and then stir in the craisins. Add salt if needed.

Fiddleheads

You have to spend some time to wash these ferns properly. Rinse in cold water and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Wipe along the inside to ensure that you remove any debris. Add cleaned Fiddleheads to salted water and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from water and shock immediately with cold water to preserve its bright color. In a saucepan, add enough olive oil to coat the entire pan. Once heated, add remaining butter, Fiddleheads, garlic salt and minced garlic. Sautée for a few minutes on both sides and remove from heat. So freaking good!!!!!!!!

There was nothing special about the peppers, I like fun and colorful dishes so I diced some up and sautéed with them olive oil and some salt. 

Ok, so now your dish is ready for plating. Make it fancy if you're having guests over or just dig in!!!! Enjoy your country of VT meets everyday cooking dish. 

BNW~

Jamaican Red Beans and Cow Tripe Soup

Best Soup Ever! I made this soup a couple of weeks ago and posted a picture of it on Facebook shortly after. My friends were sending me private messages and talking about it like no other soups that I've ever shared with them. It is different, I know, but super delicious and worth a try. Beef Tripe is the stomach lining of the cow, a delicacy in several countries and a popular soup that is sold along the roadside in Jamaica.

Ingredients

1 1/2lb Tripe

1lb of Beef Soup Bone

Pork Hocks- Remove meat and skin and cut into small bite size pieces

1 Can of Coconut Milk

2 Cans of Red Kidney Beans

2 Carrots

1lb Dasheen ( See picture in Jamaican breakfast recipe)

1 Cup Flour for Dumplings

Corn on the Cob 

4 Scallion Stalks

Thyme

6 Pegs of Garlic

1 Scotch Bonnet or Habenero Pepper

Salt

10 Jamaican Allspice Berries

2 Packs of Grace Cock Soup

Method 

Boil allspice, soup bones, tripe, meat from the pork hocks, garlic, carrots and one can of the kidney beans in a deep pot for an hour. In the meantime, knead flour with water and salt to make small dumplings. Add more water to fill the pot to 3/4 way and bring to boil. Now pinch and roll the dough to make long dumplings and add to the pot. Peel and dice dasheen, cut corn into 3 pieces and transfer to the pot along with coconut milk and the remaining can of beans and cook for 30 minutes. Season the soup with pepper, scallion, thyme, the packets of cock soup base and cook for 15-20 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed, the cock soup is pretty salty so wait until it's mixed in before you add anymore. I hope you'll enjoy this beautiful combination of unique ingredients, share it with your neighbor :).

BNW~

Jamaican Breakfast-Brown Stewed Chicken

I had dinner with some friends last month and we started to chat about food. They asked what was my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner foods. Without hesitation, I told them dasheen, boiled green bananas, dumplings and brown stewed chicken for breakfast. I cooked it the next day, so here is the recipe for you to try. Jess and Violeta, this one is also for you ladies.

Ingredients

1lb Chicken Thighs, chopped

1/2 Green Bell Pepper

1/2 Onions

2 Carrots(chopped)

1 Large Potato (diced)

1 Cap Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic

1 Packet of Chicken Bouillon

1 Tsp Onion Salt

1Tbsp Browning Sauce

1Tbsp Brown Sugar

Olive Oil

4 Stalks Scallion 

Thyme

Flour

Green Cooking Bananas

Dasheen

Salt

Method

Season meat with chicken bouillon, onion salt, pepper,onion, garlic garlic, scallion and thyme and let marinate for at least an hour. Add browning sauce (picture below) and stir to distribute evenly over the meat. Transfer seasoned meat to heated olive oil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add carrots, potato, 1 cup of water and sugar and let cook for 25-30 minutes on medium heat. Stir half way to ensure that the meat cooks evenly. 

In a separate pan, bring salted water to boil. Peel dasheen (picture below), banana and make a dough with flour, salt and water and boil all 3 three for 20 minutes. 

Cabbage, Turkey and Gnocchi Soup

Talk about delicious, filling and easy? We make a cabbage dish in Jamaica at least once a week. If not steamed for a weekend breakfast, it can be found mid week next to corned beef and rice, or freshly shredded on Sundays for a colorful coleslaw.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Cabbage

1Lb Ground Turkey 

1/2Lb Frozen or Fresh Gnocchi 

1 Can of any White Beans

1 Medium Onion (chopped)

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

2 Cans of Chicken Stock

1 1/2 Quarts Water

1 Envelop of Powdered Chicken Bouillion 

1 Cap of Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Crushed Red Pepper

Method:

Heat oil in a large deep pan. Sautée onion and garlic and add ground turkey. Season meat with TS Seasoned Salt and cook until meat starts to get brown. Add water, stock, chicken bouillon packet, and beans. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add gnocchi and cabbage, and stir. Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Cook for another 12-15 minutes or until the gnocchi rise to the top. Serve up this delicious goodness with your favorite cheese sprinkled on top. I used Swiss and Parmesan cheese and garnished with flat leave parsley!

Variations

 Use ground pork or chicken instead of turkey if you are not a fan of turkey.  Also, if you do not have Tastefully Simple Seasonings, you can use a packet of chicken noodle soup to add salt and flavor. You can buy TS products here if you'd like to try some unbelievably tasty products: www.shopgourmetmeals.com

BNW~

Loaded Barley Pilaf

Want a quick and easy to prepare alternative to rice or pasta? Look no further.... Give this barley dish a try!

 Ingredients

1 Cup Barley

3 Cups of Chicken Stock or water with powdered boullion 

2 Stalks of Celery

1/2 Cup Frozen Mixed Veggies

Frozen Chopped Onion (Use according to your preference, I used about 1/4 cup)

1 Tbsp of Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp of Butter

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

 Fresh Parsley

Method:

Cook barley in heated chicken stock until tender, about 30-35 minutes. I don't like it soggy so I cook it with hopes of getting a nice little bite in the end. While barley is being cooked, melt butter in the olive oil in deep pan. Add onion and sweat until it is translucent. Add celery, garlic and mixed veggies and cook for about 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked barley to the vegetables season to taste and simmer for another 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley and enjoy. 

This is so good. I tend to love food with varying textures and this dish certainly did it for me. It goes really well with beef or chicken stew. Enjoy :)

BNW~