Peas, Beans and Brown Rice à la Jamaica

Brown Rice = good antioxidants and helps reduce damage to cells

Peas = provides protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, support heart health, aid digestion

Beans = high-fiber

Combine for a West African spicy dish from the Caribbean nation of Jamaica.

Use dried or canned beans, cook on the stove or rice cooker (see below).

  Serves 4

 

3/4 cup (95 g) organic dried kidney beans, soak overnight or 1 1/2 cups (195 g) of canned of drained red kidney beans

1 cup (240 ml) organic coconut milk

2 chopped organic scallions

6 sprigs of thyme or 2 Tbs. (6 g) of dry thyme

2 crushed garlic coves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp (2 g) allspice

1 1/2 cups (195 g) organic brown rice, washed (P.S. Jamaicans use white rice, but brown is healthier.)

Jamaican Patois/Jamiekan lanwijj:

(English-based creole language, variation in English pronunciation and vocabulary, with piece of culture, history, and the heart of the Jamaican people)

dry beans

wan 1. Drain the  soaked beans and place them in a pot of 3 cups (360 ml) of water.

tuu 2. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer about 45-60 minutes.

chree 3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the rice

foh 4. Simmer for 10 minutes.

five or faib 5. Add the rice. Add more hot water to just cover the beans.

six 6. Cover the pot and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20-25 minutes.

sehven 7. If there are thyme stems, remove them and the bay leaf.

eight 8. Fluff the rice and serve

canned beans

wan 1. Place in a pot.

tuu 2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

chree 3. Add water to cover the rice.

foh 4. Cover the pot and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20-25 minutes.

five or faib 5.  If there are thyme stems, remove them and the bay leaf.

six 6. Fluff the rice and serve.

rice cooker

1 cups (195 g) can of drained red kidney beans with liquid

1 cup (240 ml) organic coconut milk 

2 chopped organic scallions

2 Tbs. (12 g) of dry thyme

2 crushed garlic coves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp (2 g) allspice

1 cups (130 g) organic brown rice, washed 

wan 1. Add all the ingredients in the cooker.

tuu 2. Fluff the rice  and remove the bay leaf before serving.

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Korean "Tacos" with Kimchi

Kimchi /kimchee/ is a side dish of salted and usually fermented cabbage or radish. Now the seasoning can be mild to, should I say, spicy chili, garlic, ginger, and other "ingredients". Start with a small jar of mild kimchi the first time. If you like it, then try these tacos. Oh, kimchi has a "different" smell. 

김치 타코 (Korean)

/gimchi tako/

Severs 4

8 (gluten-free) tortillas

2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil

8 organic eggs, lightly whisked

2 ripped avocados

2 Tbs. (30 ml) organic lime juice

4 Tbs. (dairy-free) yogurt

1 cup (130 g) chopped kimchi, lightly blotted dry

sliced organic scallions

일 /il/ 1. Warm the tortillas in a skillet, cover, set aside.

이 /ee/ 2. Heat the oil and scramble the eggs for about 4 minutes. Then remove from the heat.

삼 /sam/ 3. Blend the avocados, lime juice and yogurt.

사 /sa/ 4. Fill the tortillas with the scrambled eggs, topping with the kimchi and scallions. 

오 /oh/ 5. Drizzle the avocado sauce.

Here is a list of kimchi dishes: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2021/11/kimchi-dishes.html

or 

Korean Chicken: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2018/10/korean-fried-chicken.html

Korean Chicken and Bean Salad: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2014/07/korean-chicken-and-bean-salad.html

Make your own kimchi: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2011/06/kim-chee.html

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Spicy but bit of Sweet Salmon

We hope you like spicy food! Try this using jalapeños. 

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC

• 4 wild salmon fillets
• 2 Tbs. (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs. (15 ml) organic honey
• 1 organic bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 small jalapeño pepper (or more if you can take the heat), remove the seeds, and finely chopped
• olive oil
• 2 organic scallions, just the green leaves, sliced
• parsley
• serve with cooked organic brown rice or organic French fries

1. Place the salmon on a baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Whisk other vinegar and honey.

3. Drizzle half over the salmon.

4. Bake about 15 minutes, inside temperature 145ºF/74C.

5. Drizzle the rest of the vinegar/honey.

6. Sauté the peppers over medium heat, about 4 minutes.

7. Remove and add the scallion greens.

8. Plate the fillets, topped with the pepper mixture and sprinkle with parsley.

9. Serve with the rice or French fries.

There are a lot more fish recipes to try: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/fish

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Tropical Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Bite of History:

The sweet potato (also called yams in North America) is native to present-day Ecuador. It was domesticated in either Central or South America nearly 5 000 years ago! But is was grown in Polynesia from vine cuttings from sailors who went to South America and returned, spreading the seeds from Polynesia to Easter Island, Hawaii, and New Zealand. In the 11th century, sweet potatoes were being grown in Cook Island.

Patatas dulces asadas tropicales (Spanish)

Serves 4-6

Preheat the oven to 425F (22C)

2 pounds/ (910 g) organic sweet potatoes, peeled or not, cut into bite-size chunks

1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil

3 Tbs. (45 ml) organic lime juice

organic lime zest

4 organic scallions, thinly sliced (separate the green and white parts of the scallions)

dash of cayenne pepper to taste

uno 1. Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil in a bowl. Save the oil.

dos 2. Lay the chunks on a backing sheet in even layers.

tres 3. Roast without stirring until they are lightly brown, about 18-20 minutes.

cuatro 4. Add to the bowl with the oil, stir in the lime juice, zest, white scallions, and cayenne pepper.

cinco 5. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the bowl. Toss a few time while they set for 15 minutes.

seis 6. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the green scallions.

PS "Tropical?" Well the coconut oil and lime juice

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Shrimp Salad

This is a very French recipe for that special luncheon.

La Salade de Crevettes (French)

Serves 6-8

(It can be chilled up to 4 hours.)

Shrimp Sauce:

zest of 1 organic lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup (30 g) organic cornichons (small pickles), chopped

1/2 cup (65 g) (dairy-free) mayonnaise

2 Tbs. (30 g) each: minced chives, horseradish and Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. (30 ml) host sauce or more to taste

1 Tbs. (15 g) each: smoked paprika and garlic powder

kosher salt and black pepper

un 1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

deux 2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the salad:

1 organic lemon, cut in half

1/2 cup (65 g) kosher salt

1/4 cup (30 g) organic sugar

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. (680-910 g) wild jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 organic celery stalks, sliced thinly

1 bunch organic scallions, sliced thinly

black pepper

1 head organic radicchio or butter lettuce

organic: radishes, snap peas, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes

blanched organic asparagus or green beans

hardboiled organic eggs, cut in half

(gluten-free) crackers

trois 3. Fill a large pot with 10 cups (2400 ml) water.

quatre 4. Squeeze half the lemon juice into the water and add the other half of the lemon.

cinq 5. Stir in the salt and sugar.

six 6. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

sept 7. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a few cups (5 dl) of ice water.

huit 8. Stir in the shrimp and turn off the heat.

neuf 9. Leave uncovered until the shrimps are bright pink and opaque, about 3 minutes.

dix 10. Spoon our the shrimp and transfer to the ice water. Set for 10 minutes, then drain, pat dry, and roughly chop.

onze 11. Dry the bowl you used for the shrimp. Add the shrimp and celery stalks.

douze 12. Add half of the sauce toss, then season to taste with salt, black pepper, and hot sauce.

treize 13. Transfer the shrimp to a platter, chilled if desired.

Serving:

quatorze 14. Pour remaining sauce into a small bowl, spritz with lemon juice, stir and top with more minced chives.

quinze 15. Platte with the lettuce leaves with the shrimp.

seize 16. Arrange the vegetables.

dix-sept 17. Nestle in the sliced eggs.

dix-huit 18. Add handful of cracks on the platter or on the side.

dix-neuf 19. Pour the remaining sauce.

Bon Appetit

Try the many variations of salads: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/salads

 

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Teriyaki Fish

tare タレ refers to the shine given by the sugar content 

+ yaki 焼き cooking method of grilling or broiling with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar

~not gluten-free~ use tamari or hoisin sauce, or a GF teriyaki substitute

The cooking technique is used in Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian and Thai cuisines. Each cuisine uses a different type of food (some dishes made by):

Japanese: fish, squid, chicken, hamburger steak, and meatballs

Chinese: chicken

Indonesian: chicken, rice dish called nasi goreng, 

Thai: chicken, noodles, rice

North American: any dish made with teriyaki-like sauce

照り焼き魚 (Japanese)

/teri yakizakana/

Serves 4

4 6-ounce (175 g) wild fish (yellowtail snapper, marlin, tuna, salmon, or trout)

jar of teriyaki or

1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin or rice wine

1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or gluten free liquid aminos

1/4 cup (30 g) organic light brown sugar

1 Tbs. (15 ml) rice vinegar

2 organic scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced

cooked rice

Japanese

i /long e/

一 /ichi/ 1. Mix the mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce/liquid aminos in a shallow dish.

二 /ni/ 2. Marinate the fish for 5-10 minutes, turning once.

三 /san/ 3. Cook the fish:

yellowtail snapper (internal temperature 125F-145F/52C-63C): 

1. rinse, pat dry

2. dredge in (GF) flour, shake off extra flour

3. heat oil over medium-high heat

4. cook for 3 minutes, carefully turn over, cook 2-3 minutes

marlin (104F-140F/40C-60C):

1. grill over medium heat about 7-8 minutes per side

tuna (118F/48C): 

1. pan-fry or gill

2. rub oil on the tuna

3. preheat skillet or gill

4. once the skillet is very hot, cook for 1 minute on both sides

for criss-cross grill marks

1. cook 45 seconds

2. turn 45 degrees, cook 45 seconds

3. flip and cook 1 minute

salmon (135F/57C):

1. heat a skillet over medium-high until hot and shimmering

2. cook about 4 minutes

3. flip and reduce the heat to medium

4. cook 4-5 minutes

trout (125F/52C):

1. preheat the oven to 400F/200C

2. add a tsp. (5 ml) olive oil in a baking dish

3. it can be stuffed with dill, thyme, salt, and some slices of organic lemon and onions

4. bake 10 minutes

5. add water to the dish

6. bake another 10 minutes

四 /shi/ 4. Remove the fish, reduce heat and thickened the sauce.

五 /go/ 5. Add the rice wine vinegar to the sauce and stir.

六 /roku/ 6. Place the sauce over the fish, top with scallions.

七 /shichi/ 7. Serve with cooked rice.

Enjoy some other fish dishes: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/fish

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Hawaiian Tofu Bowl

 Hawaiian islands have many ethnic cuisines. We are substituting seafood "poke" with tofu. 

Kīʻaha tofu (Hawaiian)

Serves 4

1 package of organic super-firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes

1 tsp. (5 g) cornstarch

3 Tbs. (45 ml) (gluten-free) liquid aminos or soy sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1 tsp. (4 g) organic brown sugar

1 cup (130 g) organic red cabbage, shredded

1 Tbs. (15 ml) white balsamic or organic rice vinegar

1/4 cup (30 g) (dairy-free) mayonnaise

grated organic ginger

1 tsp. (5 ml) sesame oil

2 Tbs. (30 ml) peanut oil

minced organic garlic

cooked organic edamame

cooked organic rice

sliced organic scallions

optional sautéed organic:

• quartered onions
• sliced bell pepper
• sliced zucchini
• cashew nuts
• Asian vegetables
• coconut strips

ʻekahi 1. Whisk together; cornstarch, soy sauce/liquid aminos, sugar, and water.

ʻelua 2. Toss the cabbage with vinegar in another bowl.

ʻekolu 3. In a third bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, ginger, sesame oil, and 2 tsp. (10 ml) of water.

ʻehā 4. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or nonstick pan over medium heat.

ʻelima 5. Sauté the tofu until brown on both sides.

ʻeono 6. Remove the tofu and stir-fry the ginger for 1/2 minute.

ʻehiku 7. Sauté any optional items. (Add more soy sauce if needed.)

ʻewalu 8. Add the soy mixture and tofu. Stir.

ʻeiwa 9. Add rice to bowls, top with the stir-fry mixture, then edamame.

ʻumi 10.  Drizzle with the sauce and top with scallions and cabbage.

Hele mai ai! (proper)

Come eat!

Mai ai! (common)

Come food!

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Soup à la Wild Rice

I bought over three pounds (1,5 kg) of wild rice. Well, it was on sale. There is only so much you can have rice with food, but why not make soup out of it?-Mike

Wild rice is also called: manoomin, monomer, Psíŋ, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats. It is eaten mostly in North America and lesser in China. It has a chewy outer clover and tender inner grain, with a slightly plant taste.

                         

A 19th century illustration of Native Americans                     wild rice field

harvesting wild rice.

Serves 4

Cashew Mixture:

1 cup (240 ml) organic almond milk 

1/3 cup (45 g) organic cashews

1/4 cup (30 g) organic cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbs. (30 g) organic white miso paste, soy sauce or (GF) liquid aminos, tamari, fish sauce, or tahini 

2 tsp. (10 g) Dijon mustard

1. Place the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

Soup:

2 Tbs. (30 ml) olive oil

1 bunch organic scallions, chop the entire scallion

1 organic celery stalk, chopped

1 organic carrot, chopped

slice organic mushrooms

1 tsp. (5 g) Himalayan salt

minced organic garlic cloves

minced rosemary

bunch of thyme, tied together

1 1/4 cup (160 g) organic cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

black pepper

4 cups (960 ml) water

1 cup (130 g) cooked wild rice

2 Tbs. (30 ml) organic lemon juice and lemon wedges

4 cups (520 g) chopped organic kale

red pepper flakes

parsley 

2. Heat the oil over medium heat.

3. Add the scallions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and salt. Stir.

4. Cook about 10 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, spices, beans, and water. Stir.

6. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

7. Remove the thyme and stir in cashew mixture, rice, 1 Tbs. (15 ml) lemon juices and kale.

8. Simmer over low heat about 5 minutes.

9. Serve with lemon wedges, parsley, and red pepper flakes to taste. If it is too thick, add water as needed.

 

Try some of the other soup recipes:

https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/soups

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Scallions Mixed with Miso...a Japanese Appetizer

Miso 味噌 is a thick paste of fermented soybeans with salt and kōji 麹 (a fungus). 

Scallions and green onions are the same thing but not as intense "onion-y" flavor. The white parts contain the most intense flavor. They can be raw or cooked; the whole thing can be eaten. 

So, when serving a Japanese meal, start with this appetizer.

ネギ味噌添 (Japanese)

/negi misoae soe/

                           Green Onion with Miso

i /long e/

一 /ichi/ 1. Clean the scallions.

二 /ni/ 2. Cut off the roots and any brown tops, leaving the white bottom and green leaves.

三 /san/ 3. Mix in the scallions with a spoonful of miso placed in a bowl. 

Try some other Japanese appetizers:

Japanese Chicken Meatballs つくね /tsukune/: 

https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2020/04/japanese-chicken-meatballs.html

Sour & Sour Eggplant 茄子の揚げ浸し /nasu no agebitashi/:

 https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2020/03/sweet-sour-eggplant.html

Miso Tofu "Meatballs"  日本の豆腐「ミートボール」/nihon no tōfu "mītobōru"/

https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2014/05/japanese-tofu-meatballs.html

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Kimchi , Potatoes, and Eggs

The Korean, fermented cabbage (kimchi) might not be for everyone and for breakfast (!), but I like kimchi, so this hits the spot for me. I can't say the same for the rest of the family-Mike

감자와 계란이 들어간 김치 (Korean)

/gamjawa gyelan-i deul-eogan gimchi/

Serves 2

(leafovers for me)

Preheat the oven to 450F (230C)

unpeeled organic potatoes

sliced organic scallions

olive oil

organic kimchi, drained squeezed dry, and chopped

4 organic eggs

fresh parsley (or cilantro if you like it)

spices or herbs of your choice

일 /il/ 1. Spray a backing sheet with organic vegetable oil.

이 /ee/  2. Shred or grade potatoes.

삼 /sam/ 3. Cover with cold water and let sit for 5 minutes.

사 /sa/ 4. Drain, rinse, dry the potatoes, they squeeze dry. Set aside in a bowl.

오 /oh/  5. Add scallions and oil to the potatoes, toss.

육 /yook/ 6. Distribute the potatoes in even layer on the sheet. Bake 30-35 minutes.

칠 /chil/ 7. Remove, flip the hash browns, then sprinkle kimchi over the top.

팔 /pal/  8. Using the back of a spoon, create holes in the potatoes.

구 /gu/ 9. Crack 1 egg into each hole.

십 /sip/ 10. Bake until the eggs are to your desire. 

 (a) 7-8 minutes: runny yolks

 (b) 9-10 minutes: self-cooked yolks

열하나 /yeolhana/11 Remove and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and any spices/herbs you like.

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