CKC: Week 4, Plantain Recipe Roundup

This week's challenge ingredient was plantains!

{BBC Food}

Plantains...


Plantains are a member of the banana family. They are a starchy, low in sugar variety that is cooked before serving as it is unsuitable raw. It is used in many savory dishes somewhat like a potato would be used and is very popular in Western Africa and the Caribbean countries. It is usually fried or baked. 


Plantains are a great source of fiber and vitamins C and A. They are also high in vitamin B6, magnesium and folate. One cup of plantains contains more potassium that one cup of banana slices. 20% RDA in plantains compared to 15% RDA in bananas.


Plantain Recipe Roundup

• Plantain Pancakes from Tanya at Two Texans in Dominica

• Sweet and Spicy Plantains from Kristen at Dominica or Bust

• Tostones (Fried Plantains) from Clare at C Squared

• Plantain Chips and Dip from The Vegan Stoner

• Mangu (Mashed Plantains) from Aunt Clara's Kitchen

• Onion Crusted Plantains from the Food Network

• Caramelized Plantains from What's Cookin' Chicago?

• Caribbean Curry Black Eyed Peas with Plantains from Post Punk Kitchen

• Grilled Plantains with Rum Brown Sugar Glaze from the Good Network

• Empanadas with Goat Cheese, Black Beans, and Sweet Plantains from The Alchemist Chef

• Black Bean and Plantain Burritos from Honest Cooking

• Black Bean Plantain Burritos from Lizzy Dishes Portland

• Plantain Taquitos from BrokeAss Gourmet

• Plantain-Black Bean Veggie Burgers from BrokeAss Gourmet

• Jamaican Jerk Chicken Bowls with Plantains from Budget Bytes

• Pastelon (Sweet Plantain "Lasagna") from The Noshery

• Puerto Rican Lasagna from Mango & Tomato

Plus...

Healthy Plantain Ideas from Healthy Happy Life:

Plantains for All.  I often order a side of plantains whenever I see them on a menu. It's hard to get them wrong. However, the amount of oil used for 'fried' plantains in restaurants really doesn't make me happy or healthy. 

My answer: I make them at home!  Plantains are super simple to make. 

• Simply lightly grease a pan and saute them in a bit of olive oil. Add some lime juice, agave syrup and salt for flavor accents. 
• I like them sliced in long angled strips. You can also slice them into simple coin shapes. 
• You can even mash plantains as you would a sweet potato. The more oil you use in the cooking process, the more you pack on the calories. So try to keep it light. 
• Plantains are delicious as a Mexican inspired side dish, packed into a burrito or as an ingredient option for fajita night. The natural sweetness of plantains meshes perfectly with a spicy red salsa, the heartiness of whole black beans and alongside some cool, creamy guacamole. Add plantains to your next Mexican feast!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge this week.  It's not too late to join the challenge!  This week... guava!

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge: Week 4

This week we're working with... plantains! 

This week's challenge begins Monday, November 7th and ends Sunday, November 13th. 

{Email me your post by midnight that Sunday in order for it to be included in the weekly recipe roundup.}

Tell me more about this challenge...

Get the scoop on the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge... it's not too late to start! 

CKC: Week 3, Breadfruit Recipe Roundup

This week's challenge ingredient was breadfruit.

Why eat breadfruit, you may ask?

Breadfruit is...

• low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium
• very high in Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber and Potassium. 
• very rich in healthy Omega fats, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6.
• helpful in controlling cholesterol

Breadfruit Recipe Roundup

• Roasted Garlic Breadfruit Chowder from Kristen at Dominica or Bust

• Breadfruit Pie from Yasmin at Brandi Manor {via Spouses Kitchen}

• Banana Breadfruit Oatmeal Cookies from Jane at Postcards from Everywhere

• Breadfruit in Butter Sauce from Totally Barbados

• Breadfruit Nachos from My Island Legaun Blog

• Vegan Breadfruit Pizza from Child of the Nature Isle

• Stuffed Roasted Breadfruit from Caribbean Travel + Life

• 29 Breadfruit Recipes from Hawaii's National Tropical Botanical Garden's 2011 Breadfruit Festival

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge this week.  It's not too late to join the challenge!  This week... plantains! 

Breadfruit Pie

Breadfruit Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 breadfruit
• 4-6 oz Cheese shredded
• Can or fresh tuna cooked/ 1/2 can mackerel/ or salt fish
• Goya Adobe seasoning to taste
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 a can of evaporated milk
• 1 seasoning pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped Celery
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Directions:

Cut breadfruit into 8 pieces, take out cone, and boil in a large pot until soft. Once cooked, let cool and then peel off the skin.

In a medium sauce pan add 2 tablespoon butter, onion, garlic, celery and seasoning pepper cover with water. Boil to cook.

Crush breadfruit with the rest of the butter and add to the boiled mixture. Add fish of choice, cheese (save about 1/2 a cup for the topping), and Goya Adobe seasoning. Add 1/2 can evaporated milk and mix/ mash to look like very soft mashed potatoes.

Pour mixture into a glass baking dish and top with the rest of the cheese.
Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.


Recipe by Yasmin Cole at Brandy Manor

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge: Week 3

This week we're working with... breadfruit! 

This week's challenge begins Monday, October 31st and ends Sunday, November 6th. 

{Email me your post by midnight that Sunday in order for it to be included in the weekly recipe roundup.}

Tell me more about this challenge...

Get the scoop on the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge... it's not too late to start! 

CKC: Week 2, Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

This week's challenge ingredient was local pumpkin in honor of Halloween!

Pumpkin is low in calories and high in vitamins A and C.  It healthy, tasty, and readily available here in Dominica.  It is also extremely inexpensive, so I am always excited to find some good ways to incorporate it into meals!

Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

• Pumpkin Pasta Primavera from Tanya at Two Texans in Dominica

• Easy Curried Pumpkin Risotto from Kristen at Dominica or Bust

• Pumpkin Corn Chowder from Katie at Priceless Adventure

• Pumpkin Cream Sauce from Mary at Spouses Kitchen

• Pumpkin and Rice Soup from Clare at C Squared

• Pumpkin with Honey and Butter from Tracy at Spouses Kitchen

• Mashed Pumpkin and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic from Clare at C Squared

Even a little pumpkin for the dogs....

• Pumpkin Gingersnap Dog Treats from Kristen at Dominica or Bust

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge this week.  It's not too late to join the challenge!  This week... breadfruit! 

Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Pumpkin Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
1 c chicken stock
1 tsp dried sage
Pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1/3 c evaporated milk

Saute onion, garlic, red pepper flake and pumpkin until pumpkin is soft. Stir in stock, spices and
bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavours to blend. The pumpkin will almost be melted
into the liquid at this point. You can leave it that way if you like texture. Mash or use an immersion
blender if you want it smoother. Stir in milk.

Add cooked chicken and/or shrimp if desired. Serve over your favourite pasta.

{Submitted by Mary Lawson}

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge Week 2

At our house this is how we serve pumpkin. Its not fancy, but its good!

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge: Week 2

This week we're working with... local pumpkin! 

This week's challenge begins Monday, October 24th and ends Sunday, October 30th. 

{Email me your post by midnight that Sunday in order for it to be included in the weekly recipe roundup.}

Tell me more about this challenge...

Get the scoop on the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge... it's not too late to start! 

Chilled Avocado Soup - Caribbean Kitchen Challenge

Hi everyone! I decided to get involved in this challenge last minute, I don't have a blog so here is my simple contribution...I didn't take any pictures etc., maybe next time.

Most of the ingredients in this quick and easy recipe are found on the island, here are the few substitutions I had to make:

Serrano chili- I used a jalapeno, which is not as hot as the serrano, so adjust according to your spice factor!

Lemon - for lime (haven't seen a lemon on the island)

Cilantro - scratch that unless I just don't know where to get it...

Mexican sour cream - IGA sour cream :)

Avocados - The recipe calls for four, but they are most likely referring to Hass Avocados which tend to be much smaller than our island Fuerte variety, I scaled down to 3.

Also, for those of you without blenders, I'm sure the recipe would still work if hand mixed (maybe just a bit of a chunkier soup). Enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/chilled-avocado-soup-recipe/index.html

-Naveen

Avocados done by Tracy

When we were given avocados for the first week I knew I needed to do our salad. We love the avocados here on the island and besides just eating them plain this it what we do to them. I hope you enjoy!

I didn't write portions, because it just depends how big you want your salad. I also make lots of the bean mixture so we can have burritos the next day. I forgot that sometimes I add corn to the salad as well. You can leave something off or add what you want, this is just how we like it. 

Cook the rice. Heat the tomatoes and beans (corn too if your adding it) in a large pot. I drain the beans but leave the juice from the tomatoes otherwise its a little watery.

Place tortilla in a large bowl. Sorry our bowls aren't cute, hey one isn't even a bowl!

Add chopped lettuce,

rice,

hot bean mixture,

cheese,

onions (I grilled them this time, but raw is good too).

Finish off with avocado, sour cream, ranch and hot sauce.

                           

Eat 'til its gone! Easy!

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge: Week 1

This week we're working with... avocado!

This week's challenge begins Monday, October 17th and ends Sunday, October 23rd. 

{Email me your post by midnight that Sunday in order for it to be included in the weekly recipe roundup.}

Tell me more about this challenge...

Get the scoop on the Caribbean Kitchen Challenge... it's not too late to start! 

Caribbean Kitchen Challenge

Make a dish using an island ingredient once a week for six weeks.  Either create your own recipe, tweak a recipe to make it your own, or just try a new recipe {be sure to give credit where credit is due}.  

Post the recipes on your blog.

Each week the challenge begins on Monday and ends on Sunday.  The challenge begins this Monday, October 17th.

Send an email to catherineclare {at} gmail {dot} com by the end of the challenge week with a link to the recipe post on your blog and I will round-up all the recipes submitted each week and post links to them here on Spouses Kitchen.  

***If you do not have a blog, but would like to participate, I can add you as a contributor to Spouses Kitchen, and you can post your recipes here... just send me an email and let me know.  {If you choose this route, make sure you still email me the link to your recipe post so that I'll be sure to include it in the "recipe roundup" post each week.} 

Feel free to use these buttons/images in your posts if you'd like! 

Happy cooking and blogging! 

~Clare

Summer Sandwiches!

I've been really big on cold sandwiches this semester, probably because it's already like an oven outside.

I've been making chicken salad sandwiches every few days by making sure I cook an extra chicken breast whenever I'm already cooking chicken for dinner.  Then:

-dice or shred the chicken
-dice a piece of garlic
-add some cranberries, walnuts, onions, celery, or whatever sounds good
-throw in a scoop of mayonaisse
-sprinkle some salt and pepper
-and mix it up!

Today though, I saw something incredible on The Pioneer Woman, an Avocado & Egg Salad Sandwich.

via The Pioneer Woman

Doesn't that look amazing?  And totally doable here (minus the bread)!

Eggplant Appetizer

What to do with eggplant has always been a question of mine. I used to really not like it. Mostly because I never knew what to do with it. Then I found this recipe, and seriously I can eat a whole eggplant myself!!!

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 T Olive Oil

1-2 eggplant(s)

1 egg

1 T water

1 c dry bread crumbs

1 tomato chopped

1/4-1/2 c parm or mozz. cheese

1/4 c Italian dressing

4-5 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375c, grease baking sheet with olive oil

2. Peel eggplant, then slice in 1/8- 1/4 inch thick circles

3. In a small bowl whip together egg and water

4. Place breadcrumbs in separate bowl

5. Dip each eggplant slice in egg mix, then into breadcrumbs

6. One by one, place coated slices in a single layer on baking sheet

7. Top each piece with tomato, dressing, basil, then cheese

8. Bake in oven for 15 minutes

9. Change to broil, and cook 3-5 minutes, checking they don't burn

10. ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

I love sweets, but with Dominican summer in full swing, sometimes turning on my oven to bake is just unbearable.  So, instead of baking, I make this delicious ice cream pie, adapted from a recipe I found in an old issue of Southern Living.  You must try it! 

This recipe makes one 9" pie (or one pie in whatever dish you have!).

Ingredients

• 21 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 pints chocolate ice cream,softened
• A handful of peanut butter cup candies (or any other candy bar), coarsely chopped (chocolate chips or baking morsels of some sort would be yummy, too... or even marshmallows?!?... whatever treat you can find!)
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

Preparation

• Smash oreo cookies in a bowl using a potato masher. Add melted butter, and continue stirring and smashing until combined.
• Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, and freeze 15 minutes.
• Stir together chocolate ice cream and chopped candies; spoon into pie crust. Freeze at least 6 hours. Remove from freezer, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
• Make coffee and then pour it until a small sauce pan; heat over low heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Let chocolate coffee mixture sit until room temperature. Drizzle over pie.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Pumpkin

Real Simple

I've always been a fan of the recipes in Real Simple.  They tend to have only a few ingredients, require minimal prep, and are usually ready in less than 30 minutes.  I used to make their Braised Chicken and Spring Vegetables all the time back in the states, and decided to try it tonight in my little island kitchen with a new twist: fresh pumpkin instead of the carrots and radishes.  The verdict: YUM!

 

Serves 4 | Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 small bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1⁄2 pounds) (in the frozen section at IGA)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large piece of fresh pumpkin, cubed (available in the produce section at IGA, or at the market)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (I couldn't find chives, although I've seen them before in Roseau)

 Directions

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.  (Tip: when the chicken no longer sticks to the pan, it is perfectly braised and ready to be flipped.  If you flip it too early, the skin will stick and tear.)
3. Spoon off and discard the fat. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the broth and scrape up any brown bits.
4. Stir in the pumpkin and sugar.
5. Place the chicken on top of the pumpkin and gently simmer, partly covered, until it is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the chives. 

Serve with salad and warm bread (the mini baguettes from IGA are delicious toasted with a little butter!). 

Potato/Veggie Casserole with Cumin Chicken

Ingredients & Cooking Instruction for the Casserole:

4 Potatoes

6 Carrots

1 Large Onion

1/3 Cup Cooking Oil

Lipton onion Soup Mix*

Butter or Margarine

Salt/Pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes, carrots, and onions. Put all ingredients in a casserole dish, then bake at 450 for 75 minutes (or until the potatoes and carrots are soft and onions have caramelized).  *Note: If you're able to find a packet of Lipton onion soup mix, I put the chopped potatoes into a gallon ziplock bag with one packet, a little water, and olive oil. I shook the bag up really well to make sure all the potatoes got covered and then let it sit in the fridge over night to absorb flavor. The Lipton onion soup mix is not essential to this recipe and can still be made without it.

Ingredients & Cooking Instruction for the Cumin Chicken:

4 Chicken Breasts
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cooking Oil
salt/pepper to taste

Cut chicken breast into 1-2" pieces. Mix all seasoning together in gallon zip lock bag. Add the (uncooked) chicken into the bag and shake until all chicken is covered (I let it sit in the fridge overnight also). Then cook with oil in skillet over medium heat.

Voila! A very easy, fairly inexpensive, delicious meal! There was enough casserole to last three days (family of two and a half). We ate it over steamed rice when we ran out of chicken and it was just as delicious! Enjoy.

What do you cook when you can't handle the heat?

the kitchn

It. is. HOT.  Really, really hot.  Just thinking of using my propane makes me want to crawl into an ice cold shower and then pass out under the AC for a few hours.  So, I'd love some ideas.  What's cooking in your kitchens in this crazy, summer heat?

Perfect Rice

How to make Perfect Rice, Every Time.

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup rice               

2 bouillon cubes    

2.5 cups water       

Melt the butter in a large non-stick pot or pan over medium heat.  Stir in 1 cup rice until coated by butter and saute 1-2 minutes.  Add 2 bouillon cubes and 2.5 cups water.  Put the lid on!  When you see the water boiling, turn the heat to low but do not take the lid off.  Set your timer for 15 minutes, walk away, check your email, and when the timer goes off just go turn off the burner.  Do not remove the lid or move the pan for 5 minutes.  Then, enjoy!