Deboned Salted Mackerel with Peppers and Onion

This is a classic Jamaican dish. Whether be it breakfast pr dinner, this one is sure to pop up on the dinner table in Jamaica at least once a week. I was always a fan of "Salt Mackerel." My favorite accompaniment was breadfruit or boiled green bananas. The Sunday morning tradition was to go to the neighbor's for my bowl of roasted breadfruit and some red herring or salt mackerel.  Man, those were the good ole days. Angela, I will never forget the many times you fed me on the weekends. Onto the recipe :)

Ingredients

1 lb Salted Mackerel  (Can be found at Asian Markets)

1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper (Chopped)

1 Large Tomato (Chopped into big chunks)

1 Onion (Chopped)

3 Sprigs of Thyme

2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

 

Method

Add water to a medium sized pot and bring to boil. Cut fish in two pieces and add to boiling water. Ensure that there is enough water to cover the fish completely. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from pot and allow to cool. You can add a cup or two of cold water to help speed up the cooling process and to also remove excess salt. The boiling process usually removes the majority of the salt so do not leave the cooked fish in the cold water for too long.

When cooled, carefully pull pieces of the fish apart and remove all of the bones. Repeat until you get through all of it. The center bone is easy but you have to get into the sides for the tiny little bones.Once you have all of the fish deboned, give it a taste to see if it is still too salty. If it is, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a saucepan. When hot, add the peppers, onion and thyme and sautee until onion becomes translucent. Add fish pieces, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper and tomato chunks, cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir and taste and if needed, add more seasoning.

 

Since I didn't have breadfruit handy, I served this with boiled purple potatoes, Coco Malanga (similar to dasheen) and some Jamaican Sweet Potatoes. Very easy to make. All pure ingredients added and there you go, another dinner on the table in no time.

Fingerling Potatoes, Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin and Beans and Peas

I am obsessed with Pork Tenderloin

I have been cooking pork tenderloin as least twice a month since of late. I did some herb crusted, peppercorn, mildly seasoned with a strong sauce, and today, ladies and gents, I present to you, a Teriyaki flavored plate of happiness. This is one of the easiest meats to cook. You are guaranteed a delicious tender bite in every forkful by following some simple instructions. Here's to a delicious, colorful and healthy serving of love on your plate ....

 

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin

Salt and Pepper

1 Tsp Garlic Salt

Teriyaki Sauce (I use an Asian Brand, can't write out the characters on here, but it's the best, per my Chinese BFF)

7 Fingerling Potatoes

1/2  Tsp Dried Rosemary

1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme

Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas

1/2 Cup Frozen Lima Beans

1/2 Red Onion- sliced

1 Slice of Apple wood Smoked Bacon- cook but not crispy

Sauce

1/4 Peach thinly sliced

1/4 Pear thinly sliced

1/4 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Water

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

2 Tsp of Cornstarch

Scallion for garnish

 

Method

Remove pork from package and trim excess fat and skin from the meat. Rub with olive oil, garlic salt, pepper and Teriyaki sauce and let marinate for an hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Lay the tenderloin on a greased aluminium lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. I always like to test the temperature at 25 minutes in to see if I need to take it out a couple minutes sooner. The meat should get to 160 degrees. While the meat is cooking, season fingerling potatoes with salt, pepper,olive oil, thyme and rosemary and roast for 20-25 minutes.

Heat a medium pan and drizzle with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add butter, frozen peas, lima beans, onions and bacon and season to taste. I didn't add any salt as the bacon and the butter were enough to give taste to these veggies.

In another sauce pan, add 1/4 cup of water, peach, pear, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and sugar and let allow to cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat.

Remove meat from oven and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Slice on an angle and keep the pieces together in the same order. Carefully remove slices and spread on a plate, top with sauce. Serve with veggies and fingerling potatoes. Garnish with scallions and there you go, happy eating!

 

 

BNW~

DaVaughn's Cola Beef Short Ribs with Snow Peas and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

After the 3rd glaze

This is one of the recipes that I will continue to use over the next UMTEEN years. I mean, you guys know how much I love meat, right? So just imagine, fall off the bone tender and flavorful meat that boasts a mouthwatering succulent look for the presentation. I am all over this one.

Back story:

DaVaughn made these ribs for me after a fun trip to the farm to pick some blueberries and cherries in the summer of 2013. We decided to do a Potluck to extend our time together on that fine Sunday evening. The two guests brought sides and desserts and the host (DaVaughn) took care of beverage and entree. I brought some roasted brussel sprouts with onion and bacon and Mike, the other guest brought a nicely seasoned cheesy rice and a corn and cream dessert. All delicious but the star of the evening was the meat, so let's get back on track.

I started with just one piece, in fact, we all started with just one piece of this deliciousness and then it was like a race to finish it off. One bite into the meat and were rejoiced, the symphony started and shouted YES, YEs, Yes, yes, DaVaughn,  "what the February" just happened? How did you make these? Recipe please? Hold on, let me grab another piece while you talk. I might be exaggerating here, but the ribs are so freaking good. And, better than any ribs that I'd ever made. Needless to say, I made my version the weekend after, and have been treating my special guests to these ribs if I feel they deserve it :). No hate mails if I haven't yet cook these for you please. Here's my version of DaVaughn's recipe- crock-pot style.

Ingredients

2 lbs of Beef Short Ribs

1 Can of beef Stock

1 Can of Beef Consomme

1 Can Pepsi or Coke

Trio of Herb - (Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary)

1 Small Onion

2 Stalks of Celery

1 Jalapeno

1 Parsnip

1 Carrot

Salt and Pepper

Snow Peas

Sweet Potatoes

Butter

 

All in, time for fun

Method

Chop all of the veggies and add to crock-pot along with the herbs, stock, consomme and half of the soda. Turn crock-pot  to high, cover and allow the veggies to warm up. While the veggies heat up, remove excess fat from the ribs and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes on one side and flip and broil for another 5 minutes on the other side. Add to the crock-pot, turn the temperature to low and allow to cook for 9-10 hours. You want to ensure that the meat touches the bottom so make way and get them to cook in the liquid. I started this right before work and I got home in time to do the finishing touches 9 1/2 hours later.

What DaVaugh does to make that glistening glaze. Remove ribs and set aside on an oven tray. Bring the liquid to a deep pot and cook for 5 minutes, stir and season as needed. Strain into a saucepan and add the remaining soda. Allow to simmer until it starts to get syrupy. Remove from heat at this time and brush the ribs liberally. Bake for 5 minutes. Repeat the glaze and baking process 1 more time and then add glaze a third time and broil for 2 minutes to lock in the sauce and add more color. Remove from oven and let cool. Drizzle with remaining sauce and serve with Snow Peas (I used the same recipe to cook this Sugar Snap Peas so you can just substitute the vegetables) and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Roast potatoes until tender. Cut open and scoop out the flesh, add salt and butter and mash with a fork. Dinner is ready my dear, thanks to me and D.

 

Super Tender and Yummy Beef Short Ribs Dinner

 

BNW~ and DVB~

 

Spicy Thai Chicken with White Rice

This was an interesting blend of spices and flavors for me. So bold yet delicate.

 Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts (Sliced) and seasoned with

• Garlic Salt
• White Pepper
• All Purpose Seasoning

1 Packet of Coconut Powder or 1 Can of Coconut milk

1 Tbsp of Powdered Ginger

3 Stalks of Scallion (Chopped)

1 Medium Onion (Sliced)

2 Cloves of Garlic (Mashed)

Chopped Peanuts and Cashews for Garnish

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tsp of Crushed Red Pepper

Salt to taste

 

Method

Heat oil and sautee chicken for 5-7 minutes, just until the juices run clear. Remove from pan and add the onion, garlic, 2 stalks of the chopped scallion and allow to cook until the onion becomes translucent. Dissolve coconut powder in a cup of warm water and add to pan, or empty a can of coconut milk in the pan along with maple syrup and ginger. Stir and return chicken to the pan and let simmer for 2 minutes to soak up the flavor. Add the crushed pepper and salt and serve over rice. Top with remaining chopped scallion and nuts.

Deliciousness awaits!

BNW~

BNW~

Roasted Golden Beets

Beets and I always had a love hate relationship, more of the hate from me, though. As a child, I never really gave beets the time of day. It tastes like dirt, I used to tell my mom. Thankfully those days are gone, and I'm now a huge fan. Red, golden or sugar, give it to me. Here's a quick recipe for roasting golden beets.

 

 

Ingredients

2 Golden Beets

Salt and pepper

Vegetable Oil- enough to cover the beets completely

1 Tbsp of Butter (melted)

Parsley for garnish

 

Method

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the top and bottom from the beets and season them with salt and pepper and oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the center rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. Scrape off the skin and slice or dice the beets, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Dive in :)

 

BNW~

Trio of Herb Lamb Shoulders with Mashed Cauliflower and Golden Beets

I know that Lamb is the kind of meat that you either like or hate, you can cook it well, or you just can't be bothered. So here's a recipe that may turn you into a lamb cooking queen or king. I incorporated a Jamaican cooking technique to get this meat tender, easy to cook and pretty tasty in a short amount of time. It takes less than an hour to cook but the same amount of time is needed for it to marinate, so plan accordingly. Let's go!

 

Ingredients:

2 Lamb Shoulders

1/4 of a Large Onion (chopped)

1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon of Oregano

1 1/2 Teaspoons Rosemary

Two Sprigs of Thyme

Dash of Soy Sauce

Salt and Pepper (1/4 tsp each or to taste)

1/2 Cup of Baby Bella Mushroom (chopped)

3/4 Cup of Warm Water

1 Tablespoon of Oil

Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

 

Method:

Season lamb with all of the ingredients except mushroom, oil and water. Let marinate for at least an hour. When ready to cook, heat oil in a heavy medium pan, scrape seasonings from the lamb and brown on each side. Add seasonings back to the meat once browned, and add water and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the neat once and then add the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes. Meat should be just well done at this point, so if you need it medium, only cook it for 5 minutes after you've added the mushrooms. Rare, hmmm, I don't know, maybe only cook it for 30 minutes total? give it a shot and let me know.

You can find the recipe for the golden beets here.

For the cauliflower, I boiled them for 20 minutes. Added them to the blender, with milk, butter, a couple dashes of grated parmesan and salt. Blend until smooth and there you go!

Enjoy!

BNW~

Cous Cous Curry with Sugar Snap Peas and Chicken

Dinner is ready! Make this for your family and earn some brownie points guaranteed. It's one of my favorite dinners to cook. I mean, it has curry, so what's not to love? Try and tell me what you think.

 

Cous Cous-Ingredients:

1 Cup of Cous Cous

1 Tbsp of Curry Powder

1 Tsp of Cumin Powder

1 Packet of Chicken Bouillon - I use the Goya Brand

2 Cups of Water

1/4 Cup of Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 chopped Walnuts

Handful of Raisins

 

Method:

Heat olive oil and saute onion and bell pepper with curry and cumin powder. After 5 minutes, add the bouillon and water, allow to boil and then add cous cous and remove from heat. Cover the pan, walk away, do something for about 5 minutes and then back to the stove for the finishing touches. Add the raisins and walnuts, fluff with fork and leave uncovered until you are ready to serve. Best served warm or closer to room temperature. Here is the recipe for The Sugar Snap Peas  and I seasoned a chicken breast cajun style and baked it for 25 minutes. I made a glaze to top it off (you can use your favorite) and viola..

Here's my table setting that night :)