Crockpot Turkey Neck Soup!

Crockpot Turkey Neck Soup!

Im moving! If you have ever moved, you know the process is daunting!  The packing, moving, unpacking, buying stuff for the new place. Cooking was not the priority. Needless to say, my tummy was craving good home cooked food.

I decided to make a soup. A crockpot soup! Good meal, without having to hover over the stove and provide a great source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. 

I went to Carmeta's.  Located on Princess Alice Highway, right before the Fish Market. They are a great place for local meats, low cost and great quality.

I bought Canadian Smoked Turkey Necks. Not local per se, but at $8 for a package it was a great buy.

I picked up some pumpkin, onion and a herb bag and a pumpkin soup starter packet. Ok. Lets get started

Turkey Necks

Salt

Salt Free seasoning

Pumpkin

Carrots

Potato

Onion

Garlic

Green Onions

Marjoram

Thyme

Bay leaf

Hot Pepper

Pumpkin Soup Packet

Soak the Turkey Necks in water, vinegar, and lime for at least an hour, then rinse off. Sprinkle salt and salt free seasoning over the necks. Let it marinate covered in the fridge.

Cut up all the vegetables. Get your crockpot. Place the Turkey Necks in the bottom, cover with all the vegetables, and then top with the fresh marjoram, thyme, bay leaf and hot pepper. Cover with 3 cups of water and sprinkle the soup packet on top.  Turn on the crockpot on low. I cooked my soup for 8 hours. Till the meat fell off the bones. It was DELICIOUS!  

Of course you have the option of adding more vegetables and dumplings and not using a soup starter. I was super tired so I just used what we had in the house. 

Please try the recipe. Let me know how it comes out! 

Top image is the before, bottom image is the after... Mmmmm :)

Thai Style Fish Cakes

Anyone that knows me, know how much I love competition cooking shows. Shows like Iron Chef, Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen are some my favorites. The idea of taking items that have already been cooked and repurposing them into completely new and tasty dishes... its the ultimate in culinary creativity.

I decided to give myself a little challenge. I had some funky fish patties made from Swai (similar to catfish) that I really didnt like. Time to create something new! Because the patties are not breaded and the fish is a white fish, I decided to create a fish cake, but not in the traditional Caribbean style. Instead I used asian flavors and pan fried them without breading them. A perfect compliment to the Asian slaw that I posted last year.
On to the recipe:

I used fish 3 patties
Basil (chiffonade)
Cilantro (chiffonade)
Green Onion rough chop
White onion
Ginger (minced)
Garlic
Red chili
Fish sauce
Lime


In a food processor, chop up the garlic and onion. Break up the fish patties and add to machine. Pulse to break up but keep texture. Pour out into a bowl and add basil, cilantro, ginger, red chili, fish sauce, green onion and lime. Mix together and form small patties.
Place into a hot pan with a little oil, on low heat. Let each pattie cook about till brown on each side. That's it!

*This can be done with fish that has already been cooked as well. Just watch the amount of fish sauce. Cooked items already have salt and then the salt content in fish sauce is very high. Use sparingly.

Green Mango Salad

Mango season is upon us here in Barbados. For me that means the tree is full of mangoes that have to be picked before the birds get to them. So we have a house full of green mangoes waiting for them to ripen.
Instead of waiting, I decided to create a savory salad using my very green mangoes. The savory ingredients compliment the slightly tart with a hint of sweetness. This is a throw together salad and I really just threw in the vegetables I had available.
Feel free to experiment and add things to this salad. You really cant make a mistake. If you like Mango Chow, you will love this salad.
Here is the recipe!

Green Mango Salad

About 1cup of sliced Green Mango
(I used a mandoline to get the shredded look)
1 Tomato, deseeded and sliced
1/4 bell pepper
(Whatever color you would like)
1 small cucumber sliced thin
(I left the skin on for color. You dont have to though).
1/2 Small Red onion, sliced thin
1/2 Shredded Carrot
(There are none in the picture, but they are a lovely addition)
Cilantro (chiffonade)
Green Onion (rough chop)

Dressing:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Grapeseed Oil
Fish Sauce
Garlic
Hot pepper (to your taste level)
Agave or honey

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Combine dressing ingredients in a blender to taste. Be careful with the fish sauce. It can be VERY salty and a little goes a long way. You want the dressing to be a balance of sweet, salty, and spicy. The oil is the carrier of the flavors. Don't use too much.
Thats it. Pour over the salad ingredients mix and garnish with more cilantro and green onion. Place in the fridge to let the flavors combine. The longer it sits, the better it will taste. Take out of the fridge about 20 min before serving to allow the salad to return to room temperature.

The Coconut Baby Farmer's Market Schedule

Its the official... (insert hype music here)

Coconut Baby Farmers Market Schedule!

Tag a friend that needs some "Coconut Baby" in their lives!!!!

Bringing you Gluten-Free wonders, delicious treats, and exotic drink concoctions! The menu changes at every market. Always different, always delicious, always "Island Love on plate!"

Cilantro Hot Sauce

I have been slipping on my recipe posts and I bring you apologies in the form of this awesome homemade hot sauce with cilantro being the vehicle driving this flavor train!

MyTrinidadian people may be familair with this sauce being made with Shado Beni. Shado Beni is the close cousin to Cilantro. To me, Cilantro has a sharper flavor profile and combined with the lime and green onion in this recipe has a pickle feel.  I love the idea of creating this sauce and using it on Cou Cou, provisions, or a beautiful steamed Mahi Mahi (Dolphin)

On to the recipe!!!

Cilantro Hot Sauce

A bunch of cilantro
Lime juice
Hot pepper
Salt
Water
Green onion
Garlic

You can chop everything by hand or throw it into a blender. I like to chop in order to preserve the integrity of the ingredients. A blender is going to pulverized everything into a thin sauce.
If you chop, like I do. Just add the lime and water at the end to control the liquid content. Be sure to salt to taste.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Eggplant Fritters!

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I am a big advocate for shopping for fresh local produce at the local farmers market or in the case of out here in Barbados, the Saturday Market.
Shopping for and using seasonal fruits and vegetables is a great way to save money and eat fresh.

My shopping trip this week yielded the awesome find of eggplants at $2 per pound. Eggplants are very light so 2 pounds of eggplants gave me a big bag! You know what that means... time to experiment! Today's experiment came in the form of Eggplant Fritters.  Be forewarned, this is not a healthy recipe! There is frying and cheese involved... "Mmm, cheese". (Homer Simpson Voice)
On to the recipe.

One medium Eggplant, peeled and chopped small
Half a bell pepper (small chop)
Half an onion (small chop)
Garlic, minced
Hot Pepper, minced
Thyme
Handful Fresh Basil, chiffonade
Marjoram, Minced
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Sea Salt to taste
Garlic powder
Cumin
Two spoons of flour
One egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs

In a pan with olive oil; combine onions, garlic, bell pepper, hot pepper and eggplants. Cook till soft.
After it cools (Please be sure to wait for it to cool! Bad things happen when you add egg to hot mixtures); add thyme, basil, marjoram, cheddar cheese, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, flour and egg. Mix well

Form balls and roll in breadcrumbs, fry till crispy and cooked through.

Try it out. Let me know what you think!

Restaurant Review: Chutney's 3-4-15

Restaurant Review!

Today's review is of "Chutney's", located in Lanterns Mall on the south coast.

This restaurant specializes in East Indian delicacies. From dahl puri, samosas, curries and of course chuntneys; it is authentic East Indian fare. Not only is the food great but they have stepped into the 21st century with little pagers they give you when you order. They light up when your food is ready. No need to hang out at the counter waiting for your food.
I had a saltfish roti with a tamarind (hot) chuntey on the side.
The portions are great and the prices are very reasonable. The roti pictured was $12bds.
If you are in the area, stop by for a quick bite. You will not be disappointed.