Sapodilla Brown

We Have Moved!

2014-05-04T18:08:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

The blog has changed homes. We are now on Wordpress.If the page does not redirect in six seconds, you can find us at http://sapodillabrown.com/or by clicking the link.

Thanks!

Slow Cooker Four Bean Chili

2014-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Old man winter just won’t let up. The snowy weather continues over here on the east coast. It’s quite sad when you find yourself declaring it to be a beautiful day when the sun is shining brightly and the temperature gauge reads 27 degrees Fahrenheit. We have had consistently below freezing temperatures for several weeks.

So what does one do during these frigid times? Ok, so I know there will be an influx of new born babies in the fall but for the rest of us (hehehehe), we make chili!

You will need a slow cooker for this recipe!

Ingredients

1 14 oz can of butter beans, rinsed and drained

1 14 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14 oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup of frozen pigeon peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 Tbs tomato paste

1 small onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

2 Tbs green seasoning

½ tsp salt (can use more or less depending on taste)

1 bouillon cube

1 Tbs oil

1 ½ cups of chicken/vegetable stock

1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional)

2 cups fresh baby kale or spinach (optional)

All the ingredients

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet and add onions, sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until onions are translucent.

Place all the ingredients except the kale/spinach in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours.

After the time has elapsed, the chili is ready to be served. Serve hot and feel free to use regular chili toppings such as cheddar and cream cheese. I opted for a delightful handful of baby kale. Enjoy and stay warm.

With Baby Kale

With Cheese

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Boil and Fry Plantain and Salt Fish (Salted Cod)

2014-01-11T19:08:00.001-08:00

This poor post has been in draft for a quite a while now. I am finally getting back into blogging after a long hiatus. I took some time off to experience all the wonderful things the summer and fall had to offer including a visit from my mother. I have mentioned in previous posts that the kitchen is usually my Dad’s domain. After a week of being with me and dining on quinoa, vegetable wraps and green smoothies, my Mother declared that she needed “real food” so I stood back and let her take control of the kitchen. It was so wonderful to come home from work to a freshly made meal almost every day. I ate to my heart’s content. I was in food heaven, my waistline on the other hand…

One of the things my Mother enjoyed cooking was ground provision especially those that are not available in Botswana. We always had a supply of cassava, yellow and green plantain, edo, sweet potato etc. The ground provision was usually boiled or baked and served as the starch for most meals. On this one particular day, she took it up a notch and prepared a boil and fry. This is when you first boil the provision then fry them with onions, garlic and seasoning. To make it a complete meal, she added salt fish. The recipe is below:

Ingredients

2 ripe plantains

12 oz salted cod

1 large tomato

3 cloves garlic

2 chives or spring onions (she used chives because I had them growing in my little herb garden)

½ large onion chopped

1 thyme leaf

½ green pepper chopped

2 T olive oil for frying

Black pepper to taste

Directions

To desalt the cod fish, place in a bowl and pour hot water over the fish and let soak overnight.

The next morning pour out water and rinse. Tear off a piece of the fish and taste it for desired saltiness. If it is still very salty boil for about 10 minutes to remove excess salt. I usually do not have to take this step after soaking overnight. Drain off the water and use your fingers to shred the fish into small pieces.

Wash plantains, cut off the ends and cut in half. Boil for about 15 minutes, drain off water and set aside.

Chop onions, garlic, scallions, tomato, green pepper, thyme and hot pepper

Heat oil in a skillet, add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes

Add tomatoes, thyme and black pepper, sauté for 5 minutes

Add green peppers

Add fish and sauté for another 5 minutes

While fish is cooking, remove plantain from skin and cut in half lengthwise

Add plantains to pan and gently combine all the ingredients so that the plantain is coated with the fish, onions, tomatoes etc.

Let cook for another 5 minutes, remove from heat, sprinkle with chives and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Seswaa - a Traditional Meat Dish from Botswana

2014-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

We are have extremely cold weather here on the East Coast. Temperatures have dipped into the negatives. It’s freezing!

This got me a little nostalgic about Botswana and the current hot temperatures throughout the land. It’s the rainy season which means that while there will be some rain here and there, there will also be some extremely warm days with temperatures soaring into the 90’s.

With Botswana on my mind, I decided to warm things up by preparing Seswaa – a simple but delicious traditional dish from Botswana made with meat (usually beef or goat), salt and water. The meat is boiled along with the salt and water until soft. It is then pounded with a pestle until it falls apart similar to shredded barbecue pork or beef. It is served with what is known as paleche/pap/mealie meal which is similar to polenta.

Seswaa is traditionally prepared for large gatherings and cooked outdoors, on a wood fire and in a three legged cast iron pot. The scene would be something like this:

Source: http://sunshineandshadow-cj.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Back to reality where I do not own a three legged pot nor do I have the space, and or ability to light an outdoor wood fire in these frigid temperatures. Without all the proper tools, I endeavored to make seswaa using my trusty slow cooker and a few additional ingredients that I had on hand.

Ingredients

1½ - 2 lbs beef (I used London broil)

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

2-3 sprigs fine leaf thyme

¼ tsp ground hot pepper

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup beef stock/2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 cup water

Directions

Season beef with salt pepper and pepper

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and brown beef on both sides

Transfer beef to slow cooker

Add thyme, Worcestershire sauce and stock to slow cooker

Turn on high and allow to cook for approximately 5 hours

Check meat for tenderness after 4 hours. If soft and falls apart easily then it is ready. If not allow some additional cooking time until desired tenderness is reached

Once meat is cooked, remove from slow cooker and use two forks to shred the meat

Note: There should be some broth left in the slow cooker which you can use to make a gravy if desired. Simply add 3 tbsp of the broth to a cup, add 1 tbsp of flour, mix until a smooth paste is formed and add the past to the broth in slow cooker. Allow broth to thicken in slow cooker (about 15 minutes).

Serve seswaa with paleche, mashed potatoes or my new found favorite, rice flour which is a great substitute for pounded yam.

Variation: My mum likes to buy seswaa and heat it up by sauteing aromatics (onions, garlic, peppers) and adding the seswaa to the mix to heat through. One of the best things about doing it this way is the resulting crispy pieces of beef that you end up with from frying.

Thanks for stopping by! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

The Giveaway is officially closed and the Winner is…

2013-04-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Geeta – please send me an e-mail at sapodillabrown12@gmail.com with your mailing information so I can send you the prize!

A big thanks to all who entered and welcome to the new followers. If you have any recipe request or pictures of dishes that you have prepared feel free to share them on the Facebook page. Thanks again to all of you xoxo!

Check out Geeta’s response and great tip below:

“…Those items are gorgeous. I loved your sorrel drink. I tried it last week and my kids loved it too. I do hope you get to taste a perfectly ripened sapodilla. It is one of my favorite fruits. You can also find them in the local West Indian stores in Queens. I recommend Liberty Avenue, and the best way to ripen one if it is not sufficiently ripe is to put it in a bag of rice and let it sit for a day. My grandmother, another sapodillaphile taught me that trick. I love your blog. Keep bringing the recipes.”

Sorrel Drink and my first Giveaway!!!

2013-04-08T10:59:00.001-07:00

I heard birds chirping the other day and got excited, I got even more excited when I say the cherry blossoms in my neighborhood begin to blossom and was over the moon when I heard the weather forecaster say that we won’t be hearing the words wind chill until the fall! Spring is finally in the air and what better way to kick it off with a cool drink and my very first giveaway.

Sorrel drink is made from the sepals of a certain variety of the hibiscus flower. In the West Indies it is primarily served around Christmas time and on special occasions. It is so easy to make however, that you can serve it throughout the year. Sorrel can be found in most African and West Indian stores.

Ingredients

1 cup dry sorrel flower

5 cups of water

12 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tsp grated ginger (optional)

Sugar to taste (About ½ cup)

Directions

Place all the ingredients except the sugar in a pot.

Boil for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool (can also leave it over night).

Strain the liquid into a jar.

Add sugar, stir until dissolved.

Chill and serve with “loud” ice!

AND now for the giveaway!

I travelled to Botswana at the end of last year and brought back some kitchen goodies that I want to share. I am giving away a pot holder with elephant prints and a set of wooden giraffe serving spoons.

How to enter:

Like Sapodilla Brown Facebook page (Already a fan? Mention this in a separate comment)

Follow Sapodilla Brown on Twitter (Already following? Mention this in a separate comment)

Additional ways to win:

Oxtail and Beans Stew

2013-03-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at home relaxing with the family. For the first time in a couple of years, I did not think about work. I usually check in while on vacation but thanks to limited internet service, I did not turn my work laptop on at all. It was truly a wonderful and relaxing vacation for me.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen shadowing my parents and of course eating which resulted in me gaining a few extra pounds. There is nothing like being home and enjoying your parents cooking so I did not let the extra pounds stop me. I am struggling to work them off now :).

My parent’s home is known for good food. My brothers, their families, my brother’s friends and my parent’s friends are all known to stop by at random times during the day for some grub and almost always find something to eat. Feeling hungry? Stop by T67, and you will be fed.

One of my Dad’s signature dishes is oxtail and beans stew. The oxtail is soft and succulent and the meat falls off the bones which you can also chew if that is your thing. Oxtail stew is almost always on the menu of most West Indian restaurants. Some make it with butter beans while others add a little browning or burnt brown sugar to give it a darker look and sweeter flavor. Either way, it is a great dish and I encourage you to try it.

Ingredients

2 lbs oxtail

2 cups dry sugar beans

2 large potatoes, peeled

3 carrots cut into large chunks

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 stock cubes

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice

1 hot pepper

Oil for frying (about 3 tbsp)

Water

Seasoning Flour

1 cup flour

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp salt

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp black pepper

Utensils

Pressure cooker

Directions

Soak the beans in water at room temperature overnight or for about 1 hour in hot water

Clean oxtails

Combine all ingredients for seasoned flower.

Cover bottom of pressure cooker with enough oil for frying and heat.

Coat each piece of oxtail with seasoned flower and brown on all sides. Depending on the size of your pressure cooker and the oxtail, you may have to do a few at a time so as not to crowd the pan.

Once the oxtail has browned, add onions and garlic, stir and let cook for 2 minutes.

Drain beans and add to pressure cooker and stir.

Add enough water to cover all the ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Add cubes, ketchup, lemon juice/vinegar, hot pepper.

Bring to a boil, add whole potatoes, and carrots.

Reduce heat, cover and pressurize for 30 minutes.

Remove pressure cooker from heat and wait until pressure has been reduced prior to opening.

The potatoes should have remained whole, you can cut them into desired size prior to serving.

Serve hot with rice or ground provision.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Italian Wedding Caribbean Lentil Soup

2013-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

What a delicious mouthful!

It’s frigid outside! The temperatures are in the single digits. It has been a heavy coat, gloves, scarves, hat and long john (yeah I know) kinda week. It is cold in the Northeast. On cold wintery nights, nothing warms me up more than a nice hearty bowl of soup. Caribbean soups are usually thick with dumplings, plantains, and ground provisions such as cassava and yams. As far as proteins go, the options are endless and could include salt beef, pigtail, cow heel, turkey etc. Whatever you have on hand works. You can also keep it vegetarian and exclude the meat all together.

So you are probably wondering where does the Italian Wedding comes in. Well, I am a fan of Italian wedding soup with the little meatballs and kale/escarole and had the bright idea to combine some of the ingredients with some of the ingredients I normally use for my lentil soup. The main ingredients in this soup are meatballs, lentils and kale.

Ingredients

1 lb dry lentils

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup baby carrots

3 cups fresh kale, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 tbsp green seasoning

1 bay leaf

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 scotch bonnet pepper

6 – 8 cups water

Meatballs

½ lb lean ground beef

½ lb Italian sausage with casings removed (I used the hot kind)

¼ cup breadcrumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)

1 tsp fresh parsley/ ½ tsp dried

1 egg

¼ cup onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp season salt

½ tsp black pepper

Oil for frying

Directions

Meatballs

Combine all the ingredients and form into little meatballs about an inch wide.

Add oil to a large pot to cover the bottom of the pot about 3 tablespoons and heat.

Fry the meatballs in batches so as not to crowd the pan, about 2 minutes on each side.

Remove from pot and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Don’t worry if the meatballs are not cooked all the way through as they will continue to cook in the soup.

Continue process with remaining meatballs and set aside.

Soup

Remove excess oil from the pot used to fry the meatballs, leaving about 2 tbls of oil.

Fry onions until translucent, add garlic and fry for another minute.

Add ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, green seasoning, bay leaf and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes.

Add lentils and stir to combine with other ingredients.

Add kale, cover for 2 minutes to allow kale to wilt.

Stir, add 6 cups of water cover and bring to a boil and lower heat and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.

When lentils are soft, add carrots, celery and meatballs. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Note: If you want to skip making the meatballs, substitute them with a pound of Italian sausage cut into 2 inch pieces.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Pie

2013-01-13T04:18:00.002-08:00

Mac and cheese or macaroni pie as it is known in the Caribbean is a regular feature on most Sunday lunch/dinner tables in the region. It was not a regular for me growing up and still isn’t today. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good serving of macaroni pie but it is jam packed with calories and not everyone makes it well. When I do indulge in macaroni pie it is from someone that I know makes it well or I sample it first to see if it meets my standards (ooohh I hope I am not offending anyone).

There are many variations of making this dish. My mother’s pie always included onions, and she is known for adding some type of cured meat such as bacon and tomatoes. I keep mine simple and load it up with lots of cheese. I have been experimenting with different types of cheeses and really enjoy the combination of cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack cheeses. Here goes:

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons flour

2 cup whole milk

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, grated

¾ cup cheddar cut into small cubes

2 teaspoons mustard

Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook macaroni per instructions on box. Set aside.

In a separate pot, melt butter

Add flour to the melted butter and stir continuously

Add milk and mustard and stir until the butter and flour mixture has dissolved

Add salt and pepper to taste

Reduce the heat and continue to stir until the sauce thickens

Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and add 3 cups of cheese and stir until the cheese melts

Add drained macaroni to sauce mixture and mix

Transfer the mixture to an oven safe dish or individual dishes. Take the cubed cheddar pieces and insert them throughout into the macaroni and cheese mixture.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Fried Shark

2012-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon liming at my uncle Herbie’s today and he was preparing some shark for frying so of course I had to whip out my phone to take notes and pictures for you all. This is a really simple recipe, not much involved except soaking, seasoning, frying and enjoying the fish.

Unfortunately, there were no bakes handy otherwise I would have made bake and shark. From what I am told, bake and shark is a very popular street food in Trinidad and Tobago. In fact it is so popular that it was featured on Andrew Zimmern’s Travel Channel TV show, Bizarre Foods. Check out the YouTube video.

Now there is nothing bizarre about bake and shark, it is shark fillet, sandwiched between a bake and dressed up with condiments such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, tamarind sauce and of course hot pepper sauce.

Sounds delicious to me and a definite must try when I finally make a trip to Trinidad and Tobago or a Trini joint in NYC that is serving some up.

Today, I settled for knocking the shark back with a hint of lemon juice and hot pepper sauce as we sat around the kitchen table gaffing (translation: I had the shark with a hint of lemon juice and hot pepper sauce as we sat around the kitchen table talking).

Ingredients

1 ½ lb thinly sliced shark filets

1 Tbs green seasoning

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 ½ lemon

Oil for frying

Directions

Soak the shark slices in the juice of 2 lemons for about 30 minutes. This removes the ammonia taste from the shark

Rinse with cool water and pat dry

Season green seasoning, salt and pepper (feel free to add more salt and pepper than the recommendation above). Let marinade for another 30 minutes

Heat oil in electric deep fryer/frying pan

Lightly dust all the sides of the fish with flower and place in hot oil a few pieces at the time. Fry until golden brown ~ about 3 minutes on each side if using a frying pan and 6 minutes in the fryer or until fish floats to the top

Remove from fryer and place on plate lined with paper towels

Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over shark and serve with some hot pepper sauce!

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown!

Curry Craze Part Duex – Channa and Aloo (Potato) Curry

2012-11-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

Yes I know, I am still making curry dishes but that’s just because they are so delicious. Here is a simple vegetarian dish made with channa (aka chick peas or garbonzo beans), potatoes and peas. This recipe was inspired by a good friend of mine Smriti, who hails from Nepal. She served it as a pre-dinner snack with pita bread. It reminded me of the fry channa we make in Guyana

with a few added ingredients.

Ingredients

1 can channa/garbonzo beans

2 large potatoes, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

½ medium onion, chopped

½ cup frozen peas

½ tsp grated fresh ginger

2½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp salt

Hot pepper or chilli powder to taste (I use about ¼ teaspoon when I don’t have fresh pepper on hand)

1 tbls oil

1 cup vegetable stock or water

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot on medium

Add onions and sauté until translucent

Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes

Add ginger sauté for 1 minute

Add curry powder, chilli powder and salt, stir and sauté for 2 more minutes

Add tomatoes and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until wilted

Add potatoes and coat with tomato and curry mixture

Add channa and stir

Add water or stock, lower heat, cover and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. If needed, add a little extra water as necessary.

Add peas about 5 minutes before you turn the stove off and allow to heat through.

Serve with rice, roti, pita or any flat bread of your choice.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Curry Craze

2012-11-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

For some reason, I have been craving curry lately. My craving has not been for curried meat like curried chicken or goat but curried vegetables. You can curry almost anything and the beauty of curry is that everyone has their own way of cooking it and it all tastes good. My mother likes to “burn” or fry her curry before adding the main ingredient, my Aunt Jean likes to use it as a marinade, while my uncle Herbie likes to add the curry powder after the main ingredient. To take it a step further, you can always add a little coconut milk or do like my Aunt Ruth does and throw in some lemons.

I really wanted curried pumpkin but alas, my local farmers market was all out. That is what I get for shopping for pumpkin a week before Halloween (yes this post is late lol)! Instead of getting butternut squash like I always do when pumpkin is not available, I went for a leafy green vegetable instead.

I am a huge fan of leafy greens, growing up they were a part of most meals. I especially enjoy greens that have a bitter or peppery taste. Enter mustard greens! Now I must admit that I rarely curry my greens but since mustard greens have a slight peppery taste I thought why not give it a shot!

Ingredients

1 bunch mustard greens, washed and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

½ medium onion, chopped

½ tsp grated fresh ginger

2½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp chilli powder

½ cup coconut milk

1 cup water

1 tbls oil

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot, lower heat to medium

Add onions and sauté until translucent

Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes

Add ginger sauté for 1 minute

Add curry powder, chilli powder and salt, stir and sauté for 2 more minutes

Add tomatoes and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until wilted

Add the greens and stir to mix all the ingredients

When leaves wilt, add coconut milk and water

Allow to cook for 30 – 45 minutes until greens have softened and most of the liquid is gone

Note: It is not necessary to cook the greens until they are soft. If you prefer your greens with more texture, add less water and cook for a shorter period of time. Also, feel free to substitute the mustard greens with spinach, kale or swiss chard. Just use less or no water depending on how long the vegetable needs to cook.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Guyanese Beef Patties

2012-10-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

I finally had a weekend with nothing planned so I hopped into my car and drove to Brooklyn to spend some time with my Aunt Jean. Aunt Jean is my Dad’s oldest sister and her 70^th birthday bash was the inspiration behind this blog. She is hip and fabulous and always a joy to be around!

I love visiting her because I get to relax and enjoy her tasty Guyanese dishes. There was no relaxing for me this time around. Shortly after I arrived we got busy making Guyanese patties accompanied by some soca music playing from a random music station that can only be picked up in Brooklyn.

She was amused at my attempts to get the recipe down because I had to make sure we measured EVERYTHING! She mentioned to me several times how my grandmother never measured and knew exactly how much of each ingredient to add. Needless to say, I managed to get everything down and have the recipe for you below.

Guyanese patties are usually served as an appetizer or snack at almost every family gathering or large event. They are usually round in shape but you can also make them in the shape of Jamaican beef patties which have a half moon shape. They are traditionally filled with ground beef but feel free to use whatever ground meat you fancy. You can also make a vegetarian filling or add peas, mixed vegetables or potatoes to the meat filling.

For baking the patties, Aunt Jean uses what she calls a patty pan which is very similar to a shallow muffin pan. If you don’t have one on hand, no worries, a regular muffin pan will suffice and so will a cookie sheet.

Ingredients

Pastry

4 cups all-purpose flower

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup shortening

½ tsp salt (optional)

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup iced water (may not use all)

Filling

1 ½ lbs ground beef (the leaner the better)

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp season salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp ketchup

½ tsp thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Egg wash

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

Directions

Pastry

Mix together 4 cups of flour, baking powder and salt

Add the fat and use your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Lift the flour while rubbing the fat in to add air to it.

Add the iced water a little at a time until the dough just comes together

Cover dough with saran wrap and refrigerate. If planning on using dough right away, cover with a clean dish cloth and put a few ice cubes on top of the cloth.

Filling

Heat a skillet

Add ground beef and cook until brown – about 10 minutes (the leaner the beef, the less fat it has. If you find that the beef has a lot of fat, remove some of the fat from the pan. Leave a little fat in the pan so that the beef can continue to cook in its own juices)

After removing most of the fat, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes

Add remaining ingredients and let cook for another 5 minutes

Add salt and pepper to taste

If necessary, add 1 – 2 tbls of water as you don’t want the mixture to be too dry. At the same time it should not be too moist because any liquid will seep through the pastry dough

Once cooked, turn off heat and allow to cool

Putting it all together

Preheat oven to 350F

Divide dough into 3 pieces

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/8 of an inch thick

Using the top of a glass, cut circles into the rolled out dough (they should be 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter)

As you are working with the dough, cover the cut circles with a clean lightly moistened dish cloth to prevent the dough from drying out. Keep the dough that you are not working with covered with the dish cloth with ice on it. Make sure the dough does not get wet

You should end up with 48 circles which will yield 24 patties (one for the top and one for the bottom)

Line the patty/muffin pans with the circles

Fill with 1 tbls of filling

Cover with top layer

Use a fork to press the edges together and seal. Make two pricks in the center of the patties with the fork

Beat together eggs, and brush each of the patties with the egg wash

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown and ENJOY!

Pastry tips:

Handle pastry dough as little and lightly as possible

Dough should be pliable but not sticky

Use very little flour while rolling

Use ice water

Patties baked in a patty pan (shallow muffin pan)

Patties baked in a regular patty pan

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Quinoa Salad

2012-09-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to Quinoa and have been experimenting with it over the last few months. Quinoa is really a seed but because it is used in the same way we use grains, it is known as a grain. I love its versatility. It is a great substitute for rice, great in salads and even works as part of a healthy breakfast by preparing it in the same way you would prepare oatmeal. To learn more about quinoa and how to store and prepare it, click here.

My latest quinoa experiment was with salads. I made a salad the other day that I just have to share with you. My inspiration for this salad came from the cafeteria at work. Yes, it is that good, 90% of the time! We have several different stations, a grill station, panini station, made to order sandwiches, soup and salad stations, sauté station etc. I think there are about 10.

Actually, the sauté station once served what they called “Guyanese Cook Up Rice.” I cracked up when I saw the dish because it was nowhere near the real deal. It was essentially fried rice with your choice of protein and vegetables. But I digress. Back to the inspiration for the salad, the cafeteria salad bar has an orzo salad that I absolutely love. It is very simple with olives, feta and a buttery balsamic dressing.

Instead of orzo, I decide to use the quinoa grain, tossed in cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, celery, shredded carrots, dried cranberry, cilantro, slivered almonds, a homemade balsamic vinaigrette and BOOM! I had a delicious salad.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup celery, finely chopped

¾ cup feta cheese crumbles

¼ cup olives, roughly chopped

2 Tbls chopped cilantro

½ cup dried cranberries or raisins

½ cup slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds or roasted pine nuts

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbls balsamic vinegar

1 tsp mustard

½ Tbls minced garlic

Directions

Cook quinoa according to instructions on package (I highly recommend soaking it for at least 15 minutes to remove the bitter coating known as saponin. I learned the hard way and did not enjoy my first attempt at making quinoa).

Allow quinoa to cool.

Add quinoa, tomatoes, carrots, celery, feta, olives, cilantro, and dried cranberries or raisins to a large bowl.

Whisk together all the ingredients for dressing, add to other ingredients and gently toss to combine the ingredients. Garnish with the nuts of your choice and you are ready to serve.

This salad can also be served chilled. I prefer mine at room temperature.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Baigan Choka (Roasted Eggplant)

2012-09-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

There are many things that I did not enjoy eating as a child. Eggplant was one of them. I don’t know if it was the slightly bitter taste or the texture of the vegetable, I just was not a fan.

As I grew older, I opened up to eggplant a little bit but it was always masked by something else like cheese, tomato sauce or breaded and fried. Everything tastes good fried. This all changed when I sampled baigan choka for the first time. It was eggplant with a few other ingredients and it was delicious!

Baigan choka is traditionally served with roti. However, it is so versatile that I have used it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps and served it as a vegetable dip.

Ciabatta role, baigan choka, mixed greens, feta cheese
and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette...YUM!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (baigan)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into quarters

1 large tomato

½ onion thinly sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Minced fresh hot pepper (optional) - I used ¼ of scotch bonnet pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 450F

Take a knife and make deeps incisions all over the eggplant

Insert the pieces of garlic all the way into the incisions

Roast eggplant in the oven until cooked (approx. 40 min). Turn occasionally.

Roast the tomato whole for approx. 20 min

Once eggplant is cooked, remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes

Slice eggplant in half, lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the insides and place in a bowl

Use a fork to mash the eggplant OR, if you would like a smoother consistency, place in a food processor and pulse it a couple of times.

Repeat the step above with the roasted tomato

Place mashed eggplant and tomato into a bowl and add finely chopped pepper

Heat oil in pan and sauté onion slices for 30 seconds

Pour onions and oil over eggplants and tomatoes, combine all ingredients and you are ready to serve!

Note: For a smoky flavor, roast the whole eggplant on the open flame of a gas burner or cook it on the grill. Once cooked, remove and discard the charred skin.

Thanks for stopping by :)! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Bora Bora

2012-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

I wish this post was about a fabulous vacation to Bora Bora :)! Not so much, it is more about a fabulous vegetable that shares the name.

I remember visiting Guyana as a child and my mother being really excited about eating some bora. It had been a while since we had been back and she was looking forward to enjoying foods that she had not eaten in a while. As a child I really did not care too much for it probably because it was a vegetable and one that I was not familiar with since I lived in Botswana. As I grew older, my palate evolved and I began to appreciate and enjoy foods that I was not familiar with.

Bora, as it is called in Guyana is known by several other names including bodi, Chinese long bean and yard long bean. It is found in most Asian grocery stores and looks just like its name, a long bean. It is sold in bunches ranging from 1 – 1 ½ lbs.

It is quite versatile and can be eaten raw, stir fried with shrimp, chicken or pork, steamed and stewed. You can vary the cooking time based on whether you like your vegetables with a little crunch to it or soft.

I was still on my vegetarian kick when I prepared this dish so I left the meat out and opted for stewed bora. It is great served with rice, couscous or quinoa.

Ingredients

1 ½ lb bora, washed and cut into 3” pieces

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 bouillon cube

½ cup water/stock or coconut milk

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 T canola or olive oil

Directions

Heat oil in pan

Add chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes

Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes

Add tomatoes, cube, salt and pepper and stir, allow to cook for 5 minutes

Add bora and stir

Add water/stock or coconut milk and stir

Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2012-08-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

I had one of those rare moments last Sunday when I wanted nothing to do with meat. No beef, no chicken, no pork, none of it! This probably occurred because on Saturday I had gorged myself with jerk beef ribs, jerk chicken and jerk pork at a jerk festival that was hosted by a local Jamaican restaurant in my town. Yes, I had OD’d on meat and my body wanted nothing to do with it for a few days.

As I pondered what vegetable meal to prepare, I recalled my mother telling me that amongst other things, brussel sprouts are high in fiber and thus good for digestion and lowering cholesterol.

Brussel sprouts have a bad rep, a lot of people don’t like them. I, on the other hand am a fan. I love them steamed and tossed in butter, with the leaves separated and stir fried and oven roasted. Today’s recipe is for roasted brussel sprouts.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh brussel sprouts
3 T olive oil
1 T green seasoning
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Crushed sea salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F
Wash sprouts and remove any leaves that appear yellow or bruised and cut the sprouts in half
Place sprouts in baking dish
Add olive oil, green seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and toss
Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally
Remove from oven and serve as a side to any meal

Note: If you don’t have green seasoning a good substitute is a few shakes of dried oregano, parsley and thyme.

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Green Seasoning

2012-08-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

“What’s that green stuff?”

I remember sitting at my uncle Herbie’s kitchen table as a teenager watching him prepare some food. I don’t recall what he was making but I remember him opening a jar with some “green stuff” in it and adding it to the food. Being curious, I asked, “What’s that green stuff?” Uncle Herbie looked at me perplexed and exclaimed, “Seasoning!”

Green seasoning is used throughout the West Indies to flavor fish, poultry, meat, stews, soups etc. It consists of a variety of fresh herbs that have been combined in a blender or food processor along with hot pepper, onions, garlic and some salt. Herbs can include thyme, cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary, scallions, celery, chives, sage etc. In Trinidad, green seasoning is never without chadon beni or culantro, not to be confused with cilantro.

Yes, green seasoning! I was not familiar with it at the time because my parents never made it. They simple prepared their fresh herbs for cooking on a daily basis. More like I prepared the fresh herbs for them on a daily basis! I remember having to peel countless cloves of garlic, and chop onions and fresh herbs after school. My father would leave out the ingredients for the evening meal and I knew I had to get busy getting them prepared before he got home from work. It is a matter of preference but I will say that making green seasoning saves you some time in the kitchen and is a great way to preserve your herbs.

The other beauty of making your own green seasoning is that there really is no exact recipe to follow. You simply blend your favorite herbs with the hot pepper, onions, garlic and salt and you are good to go!

Here is how I make my green seasoning:

Ingredients

2 scotch bonnet peppers

2 cups fresh cilantro

2 cups fresh scallion

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup fresh thyme

1 cup fresh celery

1 onion peeled and quartered

1 head of garlic peeled

1T salt

Equipment

Food processor or blender

Directions

Wash herbs and dry with a paper towel

Roughly chop herbs

Add the various ingredients to food processor and process. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in several small batches.

Note: Some people add a little water, vinegar or oil to the herbs while processing in order to provide some moisture. I tend to not dry my herbs completely so I skip this step.

Green seasoning should be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight glass jar.

Baked Bakes

2012-07-21T08:29:00.003-07:00

I love bread! It’s something that I can’t get enough of. Fried bread, flat bread baked bread, sweet bread, you name it! I have actually tried giving up bread for lent but to no avail. So what does a bread lover do when she runs out of bread and does not feel like going to the store? She bakes! DISCLAIMER: This is not the famous Guyanese plait bread recipe! I have not attempted that yet. I simply took the recipe for fried bakes, modified it a bit by adding some whole wheat flour, excluded the egg and placed the bakes in the oven.

Doing this reminded me of a bread we used to eat in Botswana called diphaphatha (flat cakes). The ingredients are very similar to those used to make bakes; flour, sugar, salt and yeast AND you can either fry the dough to make fat cakes aka magwinya (Botswana) aka vetkoeks (South Africa) or you bake them to make diphaphatha. I love realizing the similarities in the foods and methods of cooking.

Ingredients

(Makes about 10 - 12 bakes)

1½ cups flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 Tbs margarine/butter

1 Tbs butter

1 heaped Tbs sugar

Water to mix (about 3/4 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl

Cut butter/margarine into small chunks and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs

Add water to make a soft dough. Knead lightly for about 2 – 3 minutes

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Turning the dough once so that the top is lightly greased. Cover dough and set aside for about 30 minutes.

On floured surface roll out dough with rolling pin to about ½ an inch thick

Flour the top of a large drinking glass and use glass to cut circles in the dough (if you would like larger bakes, use rolling pin to roll out the portions a bit more- don’t make too thin)

Place bakes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

Place bakes in oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes

Remove bakes from oven and spread a little butter on each

I love these fresh out of the oven with just butter but you can use them anyway you like.

Thanks for stopping by! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Not Your Average Potato Salad

2012-07-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

It’s summertime, the heat is on, the grills are fired up and the salads are chilling in the refrigerator! Yes, I love me some summertime salads.

I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge that I needed to do something with. I googled cauliflower and came across a recipe for cauliflower salad from AllRecipes.com. This recipe is essentially potato salad without the potatoes. I was a little skeptical at first but I decided to give it a try with a few modifications.

It is a great alternative to potato salad. Go ahead and give it a try. It will definitely be a hit around your summer barbecue table!

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

2 hard boiled eggs

¾ cup frozen green peas, thawed

¼ cup dill relish

3 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

¼ cup craisins (optional)
A dash of paprika

Directions

Place cauliflower in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. Drain well and cool slightly.

In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower, eggs, peas, dill pickles, and bacon to the dressing and stir until well coated.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. The longer the salad chills, the better the flavor.

Healthier Variations

Substitute the mayo with sour cream or a combination of 1/3 cup mayo and 2/3 cups sour cream

Skip the eggs

Skip the bacon

Thanks for stopping by :)! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

SWANK

2012-06-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

What a hot week in NJ! We were well into the upper 90’s and with the humidity it felt like 105. Nothing like the heat of Botswana which can get just as hot but is more tolerable because it’s a dry heat. My Dad’s favorite way to cool down was to drink a nice tall glass of SWANK! Swank is the Guyanese version of lemonade. The main difference being that swank is made with limes instead of lemons.

My Dad taught me how to make this at an early age and once I got the hang of it, it became my duty to make sure he had a glass of this delicious ice cold beverage when he got home after work. I would get creative with it and sometimes add freshly squeezed orange juice, mint or use lemons if limes were not available.

Not only is this a light and refreshing drink, it’s nutritious too! Limes are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids. Benefits include weight loss, digestion and skin care to name a few. So, be nutritious while you cool down this summer with a nice cold glass of Swank!

Ingredients

7 cups water

· Juice of 8 - 10 limes (about 1 cup)

· 1/3 – 1/2 cup brown sugar (adjust to your taste)

· Almond essence (you can use any type of essence – I like almond)

· 2 – 3 drops Angostura bitters (optional)

Directions

Juice the limes and add the juice to a pitcher

Heat one cup of water

Place brown sugar in a separate, add hot water to it and stir until dissolved

Poor sugar water mixture into pitcher

Add remaining 6 glasses of water and stir

Add a few drops of essence and stir

Place in the pitcher in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours until chilled. If you need to serve immediately just add "loud ice" or plenty ice and you are good to go! This is definitely a drink that is best served chilled.

Add a few drops of the bitters to each glass when ready to serve

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Bakes Round 2

2012-06-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

I was in Toronto at the end of May visiting my wonderful sister and lovely nieces :). Upon arrival I was greeted by this:

Yum! I was thrilled, I love bakes stuffed with saltfish. I must have devoured three in one sitting. I have never attempted to make these let alone regular bakes. Luckily for me my sister was making another batch for a friend so of course I took the opportunity to observe and ask questions.

Fast forward to three weeks later when I finally attempted to make this all-time Guyanese breakfast favorite. I was adventurous. Instead of making regular bakes first to make sure I had the recipe and technique down my first attempt was to make the bakes stuffed with saltfish just like my big sis. It was an epic FAIL! The bakes sank to the bottom of the pan and stayed there. SMH, I forgot one very important ingredient, baking powder!

Not being one to give up so easily, I tried the recipe again. This time I was sure to use baking powder and just make plain bakes. I am pleased to say that round two was a success. They came out light and fluffy

Ingredients

(Makes about 10 - 12)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 Tbs margarine/butter

1 heaped Tbs sugar

1 egg

Water (about 3/4 cup)

Oil for deep frying

Directions

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl

Cut butter/margarine into small chunks and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs

Add egg and mix

Add water to make a soft dough. Knead lightly for about 2 – 3 minutes

Cover dough and set aside for about 30 minutes

On floured surface roll out dough with rolling pin to about ½ an inch thick

Flour the top of a large drinking glass and use glass to cut circles in the dough (if you would like larger bakes, use rolling pin to roll out the portions a bit more- don’t make too thin)

Heat oil

Once oil is hot fry bakes until golden brown (about 2 ½ minutes on each side). The dough initially sinks then rises to the top. Use a large spoon and scoop hot oil over the top of the bakes as they fry

Remove bakes and drain on paper towels

Best served hot with sautéed salt fish or sautéed smoked herring

Thanks for stopping by J! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Spinach and Rice

2012-05-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am Guyanese so you know I love my rice and gravy. A few years ago my mother spotted a Guyanese family that had just moved to Botswana in hotel. She knew immediately that they were Guyanese simply by the rice on the young man’s plate and the manner in which he was adding gravy to it.

The great thing about rice is that you can enjoy it plain or jazz it up in so many ways. My inspiration today is spinach. My Aunt Jean makes spinach rice all the time. I asked her where she got the recipe from and she told me that she used to make callaloo and rice back in Guyana. Callaloo is a green leafy vegetable found in Guyana and other Caribbean countries. Since it is not readily available, she uses spinach as a substitute.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh spinach washed and chopped

1 cup uncooked rice (I used jasmine rice)

¼ cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups low sodium broth

Directions

Heat oil in pot

Add onions and sauté until translucent

Add rice and stir. Allow the rice to fry for about 2 minutes

Add stock and bring to a boil

Add spinach and mix with rice to make sure that it is well distributed

Reduce heat to low and allow to steam until rice is done (about 15 – 20 minutes)

Thanks for stopping by :)! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below, connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

A Cause and Channa

2012-05-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

Confetti at the beginning of the walk/run

I got out of bed at 5:30 am this morning to head into NYC for the 5K EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. Thousands of men, women and children gathered in Times Square and made the trek to Central Park. The walk supports research, diagnostic treatment services for medically under-served women, and provides psycho-social & financial support to women facing cancer and their loved ones. It was very moving to hear the stories of survival, loss and continued faith in winning the fight against cancer. We all know someone who has been impacted in some shape or form. Let’s do what we can to give cancer a serious a$$ whipping! Don’t give up, keep fighting!

The finish line. Yay. It took me over an hour but whose counting :).

Drummers entertaining us at the finish line.

After the walk we snacked on energy bars, multigrain chips, Hawaiian sweet bread and some jamba juice. By the time I got home, I needed something to tide me over until dinner so I had some fried channa that I had made the day before. Channa is what we call chick peas or garbanzo beans. This is a Guyanese dish with Indian heritage. It rarely lasted more than 15 minutes when my mother made it. Just one of those things that we could not get enough of.

Ingredients

1 cup dried channa/garbonzo beans/chick peas

3 tablespoons oil

1 small onion finely diced

1 small hot pepper or ½ a hot pepper finely diced (I used ½ a scotch bonnet)

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 ½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon cumin

3 cloves garlic

Salt and black pepper to taste

A little water

Directions

Boil channa per instructions on package

Heat oil in skillet, add onions and sauté until translucent

Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute

Add pepper, curry powder, cumin and cilantro and stir

Add cooked channa and mix all the ingredients together

Add a little water (about 1 – 2 tablespoons) if necessary to moisten the channa

Add salt and pepper to taste

Sauté for another two minutes and you are ready to serve.

Thanks for stopping by :)! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown.

Chow Mein – A Tasty Twist

2012-04-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

There is a local grocery store in my town that has fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and an array of international goods. I was strolling through the store today trying to figure out what to make for lunch. I knew I wanted a green leafy vegetable but was not sure which one. There was fresh spinach, kale, bok chow, swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, beet leaves etc. I settled on the swiss chard which I normally sauté with onions and garlic however, as I was headed to the checkout I spotted chow mein noodles and wondered how the two would taste together. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I love the flavor of swiss chard but if you find it too strong, you can substitute it with spinach or any green leafy vegetable of your choice.

Ingredients

12 ounces Guyanese style chow mein noodles

1 bunch swiss chard leaves washed and chopped (yields about 6 cups)

1 cup mixed cherry tomatoes (red and yellow)

1 cup sliced turkey polka kielbasa

1 small medium red onion sliced

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic chopped

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook chow mein noodles per instructions on package

Place tomatoes in an oven proof dish, pierce each tomato with a fork, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and toss. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add kielbasa and saute for about 4 minutes.

Remove kielbasa from pan and add onions, sauté for about 2 minutes then add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes

Add chard to garlic and onions and toss, add soy sauce

When the chard has wilted add the tomatoes and kielbasa and allow to heat through

Turn off heat, add noodles to skillet and toss to mix with vegetables and kielbasa and you are ready to serve!

Thanks for stopping by :)! Before you’re on to the next one leave a comment below and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. One Love – SapBrown!