Skill level – Beginner
Serves 4 -6
As summer winds down and we head into Trinidad & Tobago's Independence Day, I started reminiscing about some of my favorite foods from home. If you've been to or know anyone from Trinidad, you know about boiled corn or boiled corn soup. It's everywhere. From street corner sellers to your mother's kitchen.
Just like pepper sauce, everyone has their own little twist on this national staple. Mine includes mounds of fresh herbs—the more, the merrier. Prepare to wait--this recipe takes about two hours to boil. But is it ever worth the wait! The best part--it's only about 20 minutes of hands-on time. The rest is just letting the boiling bubbles work their magic.
Ingredients:
14 C water
10 garlic cloves, left whole
6 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs of cilantro
4 ears of corn, quartered. Note: It's important to look for ears of corn with as big of kernel as you can find. It holds the moisture during all that boiling
4 Tbs chicken bouillon
3 large white onions, quartered
3 sprigs parsley
3 generous wooden spoonfuls of Jaja's Pepper Sauce
2 cans of lite coconut milk, opened and set aside
1 large bunch of fresh basil
To start, add 14 C of water and 4 Tbs chicken bouillon to a large stockpot over high heat. Peel and quarter 3 large white onions and peel 10 garlic cloves. Toss all into the pool of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 30-40 minutes. Until all substance is gone from the onions and they are very soft.
Meanwhile, husk and quarter the corn, open your two cans of lite coconut milk and set your herb to the pot's side.
Once onion mixture is softened, set a bowl under your colander in the sink. Drain the stockpot catching one bowlful of the excess water.
Return the stockpot to medium-high heat. Add the bowl of bouillon water you caught under the colander to the pot and the two cans of lite coconut milk. Toss your onion and garlic back in. Lay the 4 quartered ears of corn into the liquid. Then, gently place your fresh thyme, cilantro, parsley, and basil on top of the soup-like mixture. Return to a low boil, covered for 30 minutes.
Uncover and gently mix in 3 heaping wooden spoonfuls of Jaja's Pepper Sauce. Replace cover and let gently boil for another 40 minutes. Immediately, spoon out into bowls to serve. Enjoy!
]]>Skill Level – Beginner
Serves roughly 12 - 16 slices
Let’s face it, most of us are intimidated by making bread. The very idea can mean hours of spent waiting for the dough to rise then kneading the dough and hoping for the best. I’m not particularly eager to spend time on complicated or lengthy recipes. This bread takes 15 minutes of hands-on time, 1 hour of rising, and 30 minutes of baking. It’s got a little zingy aftertaste that is perfect for sandwiches, munching, or paired with your morning eggs and bacon.
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups water, lukewarm
2 Tbs butter, room temperature (I usually substitute for plant butter. Equal amount)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar (You can substitute with 1 tsp of Stevia)
2 tsp active dry yeast (that’s one packet if you buy it that way)
3 generous wooden spoonfuls of Jaja’s Pepper Sauce
Prepare the yeast: Pour water into a small mixing bowl. Whisk the sugar in until dissolved. Top with yeast. Set aside for 10 - 15 minutes, until it starts to bubble
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk white flour, wheat flour and salt.
After yeast begins to bubble, add it to the flour mixture and combine with a spatula until all the flour is incorporated. Then, gently fold in your Jaja’s Pepper Sauce with a spatula.
Grab a tea towel and cover the bowl. Leaving in a warm place for at least 1 hour. I turn the oven to 350 degrees and leave the covered dish on top.
While you wait, thoroughly grease your Pyrex glass bowl with butter. Set some butter aside for the end.
Once the timer is complete, transfer dough from the towel-covered bowl to your Pyrex. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Once heated, bake for 15 minutes. Then, drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake your loaf for another 15 minutes. Poke the bread with a cake poker, toothpick or knife to see if it is cooked all the way through. When it comes out clean, remove from oven. Immediately spread remaining butter on top.
Let stand to cool 10 minutes. Flip the bowl upside down and slide onto a serving tray of your choice. Dig in! Your loaf will stay fresh for 5-7 days.
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Skill Level – Beginner
Serves 2 - 4 (double the recipe for more guests or family members)
As I’ve told you, I don’t really like to cook too much. This simple and quick recipe packs a visual punch with minimal effort. Few meals can be created faster than the 5-10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cook time for a family-favorite summer meal. When Mediterranean meets the Caribbean, deliciousness happens.
Ingredients
Preheat oven following instructions for Take & Bake baguette. While the oven heats up, prep the Roma tomato, scallions, and fresh parsley. Set aside. Peel garlic cloves. Slice off tips. Set aside. Melt butter. Set aside.
Place baguette on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven. Meanwhile, fire up a grill pan at medium heat. Once hot, pour sardine tin’s oil on the pan. Add in sardines. Apply heat for roughly 7 minutes, flipping sardines halfway through.Remove baguette and carve off 1 ½ inch slices. Use a pastry brush to butter each piece. Rub garlic clove on every slice. (Now you know how to make homemade garlic bread)
Playfully layer with tomato, scallion, parsley, and sardines. Gently place dollops of JaJa’s Pepper Sauce on each slice depending on how spicy you would like things. Voila!]]>
Serves 1. Multiply the amounts by the number of people you are serving
Serve as a snack with chips or crackers. Plate as an appetizer with French bread. Add as an unexpected accompaniment to a cheese plate.
Tuna is a staple in my household. When I want to share a light snack with the family or take a quick work break, I whip up this easy tuna dip. The recipe scales to serve as many as you need to feed. Simply multiple the ingredients' portions by the number of guests.
Ingredients
Open and drain the tin or packet of tuna. Toss into a small bowl. Carve a ¾ inch slice from your small red or yellow onion. Dice and sprinkle on top of the tuna. Mince clove of garlic. Use ¼ of the quantity or roughly 1/8 tsp. Scatter over tuna and onion mixture.
Measure out ¾ spoonful of included wooden spoon onto the tuna, onion, and garlic mixture. Lightly toss to mix. Serve in a small bowl with chips, crackers, French bread, or on the side of a cheese plate.
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Skill Level – beginner
Serves 1 - 2
Serve as a snack, light lunch, or appetizer
This is my ultra-speedy recipe for a light and healthy lunch or appetizer for unexpected company. The recipe only takes 90 seconds to complete and can be whipped up with staples straight from your pantry! The resulting treat is creamy, spicy, and garlic-forward. I describe the dish as spicy guacamole without the fuss!
Ingredients
Place avocado on a flat surface. Gently knife around the center, lightly grazing the core. Softly pull avocado apart. Discard the pit. Lay the two halves on your serving plate.
Lightly drizzle olive oil across full surface of the two halves. Quick lemon squeeze across the halves. Splash a rounded wooden spoonful of JaJa’s Pepper Sauce in the center of each half. Enjoy!
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Skill Level – Beginner
Serves – 2- 4 (4 1/r lb. burgers)
You can never go wrong with a burger on a gorgeous summer event or family get together. I took the American staple and added a little Trinidadian twist. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Place 1 lb. of hamburger (or turkey burger) meat into a medium bowl. Toss in grape tomatoes, garlic, scallions, and fresh parsley. Add your desired scoop(s) of JaJa’s Pepper Sauce and gently mix to combine.
Divide and shape into ¼ lb. patties. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once oil is separating on pan, turn the heat down to medium. Lay all four patties into the pan and cook to desired temperature.
Top with your favorite condiments such as sliced onion, lettuce, mustard, or ketchup.
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