Quickie Post - Three more countries this week: Martinique, Cuba, Trinidad/Tobago

My head is spinning in a million directions tonight.   We just made travel plans due to a death in the family and there is so much to do before we leave.   So...  We'll just jump right into the recipes for this past week.   They were all delicious!

Martinique Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients

For the spice mix

• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ½-1 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeds removed  (I used Habanero)
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

For the coconut chicken curry

• 12 chicken pieces (a mixture of thighs and drumsticks)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 5cm/2in cubes
• 2 aubergines, cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
• 2-3 large waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm/1½in pieces
• 1 x 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk
• 300ml/½ pint chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, core removed, chopped into 5cm/2in pieces
• 1 large ripe papaya, peeled, seeds removed, sliced
• ½ lime, juice only
• 1½ tbsp rum (optional)

Preparation method

1. For the spice mix, grind the spice mix ingredients to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
2. For the coconut chicken curry, season the chicken pieces, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or deep-sided casserole over a medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside (keep warm).
4. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same pan, then add the onions, butternut squash, aubergines and potatoes, in batches if necessary, and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly, or until just softened and pale golden-brown.
5. Add the spice mix to the pan and stir well to coat the vegetables. Continue to cook the mixture for 3-4 minutes, stirring well, or until the spices are fragrant.
6. Return the browned chicken pieces to the pan and add the coconut milk, chicken stock, tamarind paste and bay leaves. Stir well and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Add the mango, papaya, lime juice and rum (if using), stir the mixture well, then cover and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the fruit has warmed through.

I recommend cutting this recipe in half, unless you want tons of leftovers or have an army to feed!  I cut it in half and  it was still plenty for the four of us plus lots of leftovers.  In fact,  I didn't have a large enough pot to make the full recipe.   On a side note,   I really enjoy these one pot dishes and they seem to be popular in the Caribbean.

So what in the world is this?   Looks like a chewy brownie bit....

No, its tamarind paste!  I bought a tamarind paste bar at the local Asian Market.  It still has the husks in it and they are not pleasant to eat.  Try to find a tamarind paste without husks!   I have to soak my paste in water and remove the bits (pain in the ass!)   You can substitute vinegar or lime juice for tamarind, as well.

Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes)

1 lb country style pork ribs (boneless)1 lb flank steak2 Tbsp Cumin1 large onion, sliced4 cloves garlic2 stalks celery, chopped2 jalapeno peppers or similar1 red bell pepper, chopped1 can black beans, undrained1 tsp.  salt1/2 tsp. black pepper6 Tbsp.  red wine vinegar1/2 bunch cilantro,  chopped finely

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.   You can also do this on the stove at a low heat for 3-4 hours.   Cook until the meat shreds easily.    Garnish with cilantro.

This was my absolute favorite dish.    Very easy to prepare and really delicious for those meat lovers.  Not sure why they call it "Old Clothes",  maybe because it boils on the stove all day?

Tobago Fried Fish

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup minced green onion
2 TBSP. fresh parsely, finely chopped
2 TSP. fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 TSP. celery leaves, minced
1 TSP. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 lbs of white fish (I used Cod)
Peanut Oil or other vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients, except the fish and oil, to make a batter.   Add the fish and let sit for 30 minutes in the batter.    I recommend cutting your fish into "stick" type pieces as they are easier to fry.  Heat your oil to about 350 degrees or when a piece of test batter bubbles and floats.   Fry until golden brown.   Serve with tarter sauce.


This batter makes a delicious fried fish.   Living in Colorado,  fresh fish is rather scarce.   I know its healthy but we just don't cook it enough.   This was a simple, great tasting way to make fish.   The batter was light and crisp, not heavy or greasy.   I prefer to use peanut oil for frying,  I have a large gallon jug that I keep in the refrigerator (to preserve its freshness).  After using the oil,  I strain out all the impurities and pour it back in the bottle.   Oil can be reused many times as long as you keep it fresh and keep the little bits of food out.

You can use pretty much any oil for deep frying,  just watch your oil's smoke point.  Olive Oil has a lower smoke point - around 375 so watch your temperature.   If you oil smokes or burns - it is toxic to eat - throw it away!    Most home cooks will deep fry fish at 360 degrees

Whirlwind - Three recipes - Three Countries in Two Days...Antigua Pepperpot, Barbados Pumpkin Flapjacks and Jamaican Meat Patties

Better pour myself another beer, this is going to be a long post.   I got a bit overzealous this week and tackled 3 more international recipes,  two from the Caribbean countries of Antigua & Barbados  and then I veered off course to make  Jamaican Meat Patties.    Sometimes you just have to go with what you feel like eatin',  right?

First, let's talk about the National Dish of Antigua,  Pepperpot.    I've never heard of this dish before, but it has claim to fame and dates back to colonial times when George Washington instructed his cook to make this for his troops.

"During the long winter at Valley Forge, George Washington instructed his cook to make this soup to nourish and warm his starving, freezing troops. Though this West Indian dish may seem out of place in colonial American life, it was in fact quite common in and around Philadelphia, the last stop for ships traveling the Southern Trade Route. English ships returning from the islands transported slaves and exotic foodstuffs, so West Indian cookery found its way into the very fabric of Philadelphia life. It is assumed that Washington was familiar with pepperpot soup long before he camped at Valley Forge."

The recipe for Pepperpot that I used called for exotic ingredients such as West Indies Pumpkin, Pig's Snout, Calaloo, and Cho Cho.     This made for an exciting ingredient round up challenge.  

Perplexed at where to begin, I asked my husband, Marc, if he'd heard of these ingredients or where I could find them (he's the cook around here).   He snickered and said he'd ask his Mexican workers if they knew where his wife could find some "Cho Cho".

I thought nothing of this comment,  other than a sincere "Wow, thanks for the help!"  That was until I visited three different grocery stores and discovered that "Cho Cho" looked remarkably similar to Chayote Squash.    In fact,  after a bit of research on my phone,  I discovered that they are, in fact,  one in the same.    The Jamaicans, among others, have affectionately termed this squash "Cho Cho"  as it resembles lady parts.   I'll let you be the judge.

Innocently enought,  after realizing that "Cho Cho" referred to lady parts,  I remembered that Marc was going to ask his Mexican workers about it.   So I frantically text'd him:  "Don't ask any of your Mexican buddies where I can find Cho cho.  I just got some and discovered that it means vagina in Spanish."

He texts back "Yeah,  I know.  I kept telling you that I knew what Chocha meant."  

Great!   Haha - jokes on me.

Anyhow,  I gathered the ingredients the best I could.   I did end up substituting bacon for the pig's snout.    I read that pig's snout has to be special ordered and you have to commit to buying 10 lbs or more.  Yikes,  I'll gladly use the substitute, although I'm now intrigued by pig's snout - especially if it tastes like bacon!

Here's the official recipe:  

Antigua's National Dish:   Pepperpot

• 6 calaloo leaves, shredded
• 500g spinach, chopped
• 1 large aubergine, chunked  (Eggplant)
• 500g okras, chopped
• 500g West Indian pumpkin, peeled and chunked
• 3 cho cho, chopped  (Chayote Squash)
• 500g green papaya, peeled and chunked 
• 1 pint of frozen peas
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 whole scotch bonnet 
• 500g salt beef, chopped  ( or salt cure your own beef - generously salt and leave in frig for a couple days)
• 500g pigs snouts (fresh or salted), chopped  (or bacon)
• 1 cup beef stock or 1 stock cube
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• a bunch of chives  (or green onions)
• a couple of sprigs of thyme
• 3 tbsp ketchup

Simmer the salt meats in water for about 10 minutes to take away some of the excess salt. Remove and drain. Fry in oil for 10 minutes, add the onions and fresh snouts (if you're using them) and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the veg except for the peas and stir. Pour in just enough water to cover it all along with the stock and whole scotch bonnet, simmer until the veg is tender. When the meat and veg are cooked through mash the thyme, chives and garlic together in a mortar and add to the pot with the peas and ketchup. Simmer on a low flame until the stew thickens, about 15 minutes or so.

This was quite a delicious stew.  The recipe is vague on the cooking times, and I way overcooked mine.   You should simmer the vegetables for about 1 hour.   I left my Pepperpot on the stove for a few hours and it turned into mush, although it was still delicious mush.

It was a unanimous winner at our house - kids, husband, and I all loved it.  Delicious!

There were two other recipes that I made  -  Pumpkin Flapjacks from Barbados and Jamaican Meat Patties.   Both were delicious and a bit time consuming,  recipes below:

Jamaican Meat Patties

2 tb Olive oil 1 Onion, finely chopped 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 lb Ground beef, lean 1 tb Curry powder 1 ts salt 1/2 ts freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c Bread crumbs, dry 1/2 c Chicken stock or water 2 Green onions, finely chopped METHOD / DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring till onion wilts. Add ground meat. Cook, stirring until meat is browned and combined with onions. Sprinkle with curry, salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs and stock or water. Cook, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Mixture should be thick but not dry. Stir in green onions.

Recipe

Pastry

Country: Jamaica

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c Flour, all purpose
• 1/2 ts Tumeric
• 1/4 ts salt
• 2/3 c Shortening or Butter, cold & diced
• 1/4 c -ice water or more if necessary
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Make pastry by combining flour with tumeric and salt. Cut in butter or shortening until in tiny bites. Add water; gather into a ball. Roll out to about 1/4 thickness and cut into 4 circles. Gather remaining dough together and lightly cut out again. Place about 1 Tbsp filling on each circle. Brush edges with lightly beaten egg, fold over and seal. Preheat oven to 400F. Place patties on cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. Brush lightly with remaining lightly beaten egg. Bake 25 to 30 till browned.

Pumpkin Flapjacks -  Barbados

• 2 cups all-purpose flour $
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk $
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 large eggs separated $
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, melted $
• Preparation
• 1. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, beat milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, and butter to blend. Stir into flour mixture until evenly moistened
• 2. In another bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter just until incorporated.
• 3. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350º); when hot, coat lightly with oil and wipe dry with a paper towel. Pour batter in 1/2-cup portions onto griddle, spreading slightly with the back of a spoon, and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 3 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Adjust heat as needed to maintain an even temperature.

My son, Zach (finger in the picture),  loved helping make these -  or I should say, loved helping himself to the batter!    These flapjacks weren't as fluffy as I would have hoped,  but the pumpkin helped cut some of the typical sweetness of regular white flour pancakes.

St. Martin / Sint. Maarten Recipes: Callaloo Soup and Crab Backs

Tonight we set sail for the small Caribbean island consisting of two countries with the same name...St. Martin and Sint. Maarten.   Confusing right?   I actually never realized that all those small islands in the Caribbean Sea were their own countries.   And even though they are nearest in proximity to South America,  they are actually part of the European Union.    We're learning so much already and we haven't even gotten to the food!

According to my best 6 year old recollection, the island of St. Martin was the first foreign country that I ever set foot on.   I boarded a huge cruise ship in Puerto Rico with my family and the next morning we arrived at St. Martin.  

My only knowledge of cruising at this time was what I saw on the episodes of The Love Boat...let me tell you, this was no "Love Boat".   There was no Isaac serving umbrella drinks poolside.   In fact,  my sister and I were the only passengers that dared enter the swimming pool "pits."    To enter the pool you had to climb down into a literal pit.   The pools were about 12 feet deep and filled with about 6 feet of strong ocean saltwater.   It was similar to swimming in a crater.   Good thing we were strong young swimmers as it was impossible for anyone to see us down there.  


Back to the food,  tonight I decided to tackle two recipes: a Callaloo Soup, the national dish of French Sint. Maarten and Crab Backs, from the Dutch St. Martin side.

Callaloo Soup (not to be confused with my kids' TV friend Calliou) is a dish of Caribbean Greens.    Callaloo is a native term for amaranth.  Many countries in the south make a similar dish using whatever greens are available.   I used Beet Greens, Spinach, and Swiss Chard for my recipe.   

Callaloo Soup

2 pounds fresh kale ( or other greens,  I used Beet Greens and Swiss Chard)
1/2 pound callaloo, or fresh spinach
12 okra pods
1/4 pound salt pork, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound fresh lean pork, cubed
1 onions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 hot pepper, seeds removed, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock

To Make:

Pull all stems from greens.  Discard stems and roughly chop the leaves. Wash leaves thoroughly. Place salt pork in a large, heavy soup kettle and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, rendering fat. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat.

Add pork cubes and onions to pan. Sauté over medium heat until cubes are brown and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add greens, okra, black pepper and hot pepper. Add thyme and stock. Cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours. 

This makes an enormous pot of greens!  It was super simple to throw together, all you need is time to let it simmer on the stove.   Perfect for a Sunday supper.

For our main dish,  I prepared "Crab Backs".   Although the name sounds rather daunting, this was an amazingly quick and simple dish.  

The recipe, listed below, calls for 12 live Blue Crabs.   I was nervous that Blue Crab would be impossible to find in our land locked state of Colorado.  Marc even suggested that I'd have to buy it online.   Wanting to make this dish tonight,   I approached the seafood counter at our local Safeway grocery and inquired about the availability of this elusive, exotic sounding "Blue Crab".   I thought for sure I would be sent away empty handed or even worse, sent over to the local Whole Foods store to blow my entire week's food allowance on a few measly crabs.   

But alas... I got my idiot card handed to me.   The seafood clerk smiled and led me to over to the self-serve seafood section.   There she pointed at numerous varieties and brands of pre-packaged Blue Crab staring me in the face.  Duh!

Crab Backs

12 live blue crabs ( I used 1 lb. lump Blue Crab claw meat.)

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 Tbsp.  green onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup prepared bread crumbs

(Skip this part if using lump crab meat.) Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add crabs. Boil 15 minutes, until the shells turn bright red. Drain and cool. Break open the claws and pick out the meat. Discard pieces of shell. Carefully open the crab backs, removing and reserving any meat and fat, but discarding gill and white intestine. Scrub empty shells thoroughly.

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato and green onions. Cook until softened and remove from heat. Stir in flaked crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Refill crab backs with the crab mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place stuffed crabs on a baking sheet and brown under broiler. Serve hot.

Since I didn't have access to the live crabs,  I also didn't have the crab shells for presentation.    Instead I just used a frying pan.   This made for a very easy dish and easy one pan clean up.    Please, if you attempt this dish at home,  make sure you use a broiler safe dish.    I've actually experienced a glass dish exploding in the oven as it wasn't broiler safe.   No fun.   Also,   remember to use a hot pad or towel when retrieving your pan from the broiler. 

(Also no fun- ouch!)

Now for the critics....

I was a bit nervous that my kids would not like either of these dishes.    The Callaloo Soup was definitely lacking in toddler plate appeal aesthetics.    But, to my surprise,   I got two completely different reactions.   

Lauren,  my youngest (just turned 2 yesterday), squealed with delight as she slurped up her bowl of Callaloo soup, even interjecting a few "yum's" along the way.   However she took one bite of the crab and daintily spit it out into her hand.

On the other hand,  Zach, my 3 year old, gobbled up all the crab dish. Even adding,  "This is tasty fish, Mom!"   But he didn't even touch the soup,  a bit odd,  as he normally loves slurping soups of all kind.

My husband Marc said he enjoyed both dishes and cleaned his plate.    He's the true critic as he is an amazing home chef.   Obviously he is easy to please as well.

Me?  Well, I found both recipes to be lacking a bit in the flavor department. I like spice and these flavors were a bit flat.   

The crab dish was easy to prepare and tasty,  but could have also used a bit of spice or heat.    

And the Callaloo Soup had an nice earthy  aroma  but again left me wanting more flavor dimension.   Perhaps this could have used a bit of salt on the pork and a few cloves of garlic or bay leaves.

A New Quest - Eating around the World

I'mtaking my family on a new journey,  one that will transport us to a new country every couple days. Sounds impossible,  or perhaps the word I'm looking for is INSANE,  especially considering  we have 2 outgoing, spunky toddlers.

Rest assured,  I'm only a teensy bit insane.   Instead, this would be a culinary journey.   A journey into the most fascinating part of travel - FOOD!   Here's my challenge:   Cook an authentic, from scratch recipe from every country on Earth within the next year and blog about it.

Why? What?  Well...Marc actually put the idea in my head.    He's currently reading a book about making your life more meaningful through life "quests".    He offered up this culinary quest as an example from the book and well... now I can't stop thinking about how interesting and fun this could be.     Of course, I'm always up for a new challenge.   Furthermore, as a work from home mom,  I crave the potential intellectual stimulation this quest could provide.

So,  I'm now putting the challenge out there as a written commitment.    Take Note!  Starting this Sunday, October 5th, I vow to cook my way through all 196 countries.   I vow to make one original, from scratch recipe from each country on this great planet of ours within the next 365 days.  When given the opportunity,  I will attempt to stick true to our low-carb lifestyle of eating.    However,  I'm sure that there will be a tasty dessert treat here and there that I must sacrifice to the benefit of the research - Oh, twist my arm!

Now, how to pick the countries?    I came up with an idea to start with countries I have visited in chronological order.   My first international trip , to the best of my recollection, was a Caribbean Cruise when I was about 6 years old.    So,   for the next week I am going to tackle the following countries:

St. Martin/ St. Maarten ( wow, one island two different countries, never knew that!)
Antigua
Martinque

So,  stay tuned in.   "Aruba, Jamaica...oooo,.. I wanna take ya,  Bermuda, Bahama...come on pretty mama"