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.

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~

 

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~

Eggplant Parm Cookies- Quick, Delicious and Easy

 If you are not a fan of eggplant for whatever reason, you NEED to give this recipe a shot. It's quick, easy, delicious and quite affordable. This recipe was shared with my and I added stuff to make it my own. I must thank Alexis over there in NH for opening a whole new world of deliciousness in front of me. Here goes:  

Ingredients

1 Eggplant

1 Cup of Pasta Sauce

1 Cup of Shredded Cheese

2 Tablespoon of Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Cup or Seasoned Bread Crumb (I prefer Panko)

2 Large Eggs- Beaten

Dried Parsley  

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash eggplant and slice (thinly) cross ways to get round pieces. Dip each slice in the egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb and arrange on a foil lined cookie sheet. Once all the slices have been covered with egg and breadcrumb bake for 15 minutes in preheated over. Remove from oven and cover each slice with 1-2 spoons of pasta sauce, then sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Return to oven and cook for another 7-10 minutes, just as the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve to some well deserving tummies.

  BNW~

Pork and Pineapple Stir Fry

After my late night outings on the weekends, I usually stop for $1.25 tacos on my way home. It's quite a popular spot for the drunks in town, similar to a diner at 2 in the morning. The difference is that this restaurant serves all Mexican cuisine and attracts majority latinos, but there is something there for everyone, even if it's just rice and a beverage. There is something about those tacos that keeps me going back for more in the wee hours of the cold and somewhat windy Denver nights. I love it so much, so that I decided to make a stir fry using my late night snack as the inspiration. They use diced pork nicely seasoned and grilled on the outdoor hot surface with pineapple and onion. Here is my take on the $1.25 taco filling.

Ingredients

1.5lbs Diced Pork (moist and tender)

3 Strips of Bacon (fried and cut into bite sized pieces)

3 Slices of Pineapples

1/2 Bell Pepper

Two Slices of Onion

Two Cloves of Garlic

All Purpose Seasoning

Oregano

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Method

Season pork with salt and pepper, oregano,  and all purpose seasoning and let marinate while you chop the vegetables, pineapple pieces and fry the bacon strips. Heat pan and add vegetable oil. Sautee pepper, onion, garlic stirring occasionally until they start to soften. I like to do this as it will add flavor to the oil prior to cooking the meat. Add the meat and let cook for 6 minutes turning twice. Add pineapple chunks, bacon pieces and water, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir, taste, add more salt and pepper if needed and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow the stand for a few minutes before you serve.

I served this deliciousness with country wild rice blend. Super tasty combination.

Notes

This is not a spicy dish, but if you want some heat, simply add some habanero or jalapeno with the bell pepper. Also, you can serve this in corn taco shells like they do at the Mexican restaurant where I got the inspiration for this dish. It was perfect with the rice, so the choice is yours. Enjoy whichever you choose~

BNW

Ground Chicken and Kale Soup

Deliciousness

I bought some ground chicken over the weekend..... simply because it was on sale. I love to win whenever I go to the grocery store, and this is my way of #winning where savings and freshness are concerned. But, two days had passed and I still couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this chicken, so I ignored it for another day, which is exactly what you would have done, right? Anyways, I came home from work one evening and went to the kitchen and started to think about dinner. I opened the fridge and there it was, a pound of ground chicken staring at me, so did what a responsible foodie would do....

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Chicken

6 Kale Leaves - Remove stalks and chop leaves

3 Stalks of Celery- Chopped

1 Acorn Squash- Peel, remove seeds and dice

2 -3 Carrots- Chopped

1 Small Onion-Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic- Minced

3 Packs of Powdered Chicken Bouillon 

1 Can of Corn

Salt and Pepper

4 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil 

Water

Method

Season chicken with salt and pepper and then sautee in 2 tablespoon of heated oil. Stir after 5 minutes to get the other sides to cook. Once cooked (about 10 minutes total), remove from heat and set aside. In a deep pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and sautee celery, carrots and onion until onion becomes translucent. Add 4 cups of water, acorn squash and 2 packets of bouillon and cook for 15 minutes. Add corn, chicken and kale and more water if needed. Taste and then add 1/2  or the whole packet of the remaining bouillon. I used 1/2 packet first and then a little more and it was perfect.  So after you season to get to your desired taste, cook for another 15 minutes and serve hot with croissants and your favorite salad.

Notes

You can make it spicy by adding a whole jalapeno or some crushed red peppers. You can also use chicken stock instead of the bouillon to get a rich chicken flavor for your soup. Enjoy~

BNW

Baked Whole Orange Chicken

I cannot remember the last time I cooked a whole chicken..you? Anyways, I was walking through the whole food store and saw heavy traffic in the meat area so I joined the crowd. Pork tenderloin, whole chicken, and boneless skinless chicken thighs were all on sale. Hmmmm, I kinda sorta bought all three, it's 50% sale, I cannot afford to pass on these great deals. Here is my little fresh chicken :)

I looked around my kitchen, I had lemon, lime, orange, mango, pears and a couple heavily spotted bananas. I have a thing with bananas, the spottier they are, the harder it is for me to eat them. I am trying to say it in a nice way, but I think they are next to gross. I am getting off topic, so back to the chicken. I decided to use orange and lemon from the fruit bowl. My seasonings rack is overload so I knew I could pull something together to give some bold flavor. These were my ingredients and semi seasoned chicken.

And before I popped it in the oven..... I didn't have an cooking string but found a lovely tutorial on how to truss without a string on YouTube [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S14l9dx3hkw]

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

1 Lg Onion

1 Stalk of Celery

1 Orange

1/2 Cup of Orange Juice (if you do not want a crispy skin)

1 Tbsp of Black Pepper

1 Tbsp of Lemon Pepper

1 Tbsp of Rosemary

2 Tbsp of Butter

1 Whole Head of Garlic

A Handful of Cilantro

A Lot of Salt

Method

Remove offal and any giblets from inside the chicken. Season the inside with salt and pepper and add rosemary, thyme,cilantro, garlic, 1/2 onion, 1/2 orange sliced, and 1/2 celery. Truss chicken to keep all of this goodness inside. Season the outside with lemon pepper, salt and black pepper. You have to use a lot of salt so liberally coat every single part of the chicken with salt. Sprinkle the remaining herb,seasonings and orange slices on the bottom of the pan, and pour on 1/4 cup of orange juice. Place the beautifully seasoned chicken on top and bake for an hour and 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining orange juice with butter just until it starts to thicken. Baste chicken with the orange butter, 30 minutes before you remove it from the oven and again at the 15 minutes to go mark. Be sure to test the temperature before you declare your chicken COOKED, it should read 170 at the breast area and 180 for the darker pieces of meat. Let stand for 15 mins and then dig in. So delicious. You can add your twist to this dish as I did. I added a bold font to the things that I learned.

Look what happened!

I needed more orange juice in the pan

I dressed it up for dinner...

Beautiful chicken

Enjoy

BNW~