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Yummy Jamaican Coconut Gizzarda

May 27, 2022August 13, 2023admin

Coconut Gizzarda is a vey delicious pastry. It is a mixture of grated coconut mixed with sugar and spices. You can find the pre-made grated coconut flakes in packets in the supermarket all over. Since Jamaica is known for her coconuts, most people likes to make their own grated coconut. There is a difference in texture between grated dry grated coconut and the pre-made ones. This is not a very hard desert to make and you will love the result and the flavor. Try it, you’ll love it!

Recipe

Make make 6-8 fillings

Gizzada Filling
1 large coconut grated or (14-16 ozs coconut flakes)
1 cup brown sugar (none if using sweet coconut flakes)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
2 tbsps water
1 tsp butter
Gizzada Crust
2 1/4 cups flour
4 oz butter or magarine
1/2 salt
1/4 ice water
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degree
Pastry Shell
(1) Sift flour and salt and mix in butter
(2) Pour in ice water and mix in
(3) With a pastry mixer or with a fork mix in until dough resembles course crumbs
(4) Separate into 8 pieces
(5) Wrap in wax paper or plastic and put into refrigerator for 30-40 minutes
(6) Take flour mixture out of refrigerator and roll each piece into a ball in palm of hands
(7) Use a rolling pin to roll balls flat about 4 inches in circumference and about 1/4 inch thick
(8) Pinch edges of each dough to form a ridge as in the picture above, this is to hold the coconut filling you have prepared
Pastry Filling
(9) Mix coconut, sugar (no sugar if using sweet coconut flakes), nutmeg, almond liquid and water
(10) Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes (stir periodically) until brown (not burn)
(4) Fill shell with pastry filling, bake fo about 20-30 minutes, adding cherry is optional

Jamaicans Favorite-Easter Bun

February 24, 2022August 9, 2023admin

It is not known where or who brought the spiced buns to Jamaica. I think it’s originally from the hot-cross-bun. Jamaicans are gifted in blending exotic spices together to get those rich flavor that is part of our culture. The spice bun or Easter bun is more like a fruit cake but with a different texture. In every homes traditionally, this bun is eaten on Good Friday or around the Easter Season with our favorite tin cheese. It’s very delicious and everyone has to have their bun with cheese when Easter comes around.

Jamaica Easter Bun — Easter Bun Made With Wine

Recipe For Wine or Stout

Make 1 spice bun (served with cheese when cold)

1 cups brown sugar
2 tbsps melted butter
2 tsps honey
1 cup wine or stout
3 cups flour
3 tsps baking powder
2 tsps mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg or 2 small
1 cup dried mixed chopped fruits ( raisins, cherry, citron peel)
3 tsps baking powder
1 tsp browning of molasses
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
Preparation:
(1)Preheat oven to 300-325 degree
(2)Grease a 9 -12 inch loaf tin with butter and lined with baking sheet
(3) Add sugar, butter, browning or molasses and honey in a pot with wine or stout
(4) Put on low heat until all is dissolved, remove from heat and let it cool
(5) Mixed flour, baking powder, mix spice (cinnamon, nutmeg) vanilla and fruits
(6) Pour in liquid mixture and mixed in together
(7) Mix in beaten egg and lemon or lime juice
(8) Pour into greased tin
(9) Bake for about 1 hour
Optional: You can mix 1 table spoon honey, 1 tsp butter, 1/4 cup water in a dish and base your
baked bun to make it shine like above.

Recipe With Coconut Mixture

1 cup grated coconut (sweet grated coconut can be bought in the supermarket)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp honey
1 cup wine or stout
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg or 2 small
1 cup dried mixed chopped fruits (raisins, cherry, citron peel)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp browning of molasses
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
Note: Follow all preparation as above

Jamaican Famous Christmas Black Cake

February 22, 2022August 9, 2023admin

This is the most loved pastry at Christmas time. It’s a tradition found in every Jamaican home around Christmas . It wouldn’t be Christmas if this cake along with sorrel drink is not served. This delicious cake is also decorated and served at weddings or any speciaL ocasions. Christmas cake has many names such as black cake, rum cake and Christmas pudding. This cake is rich in alcohol with a combination of dried fruits and spices. When you eat one slice, you’ll want another.

**Jamaican Famous Christmas Black Cake**

Jamaican Christmas Cake Slice — **Jamaican Famous Christmas Black Cake Slice**

Recipe

Make about 1 x 4 lbs cake in a 9 inch pan

8 ozs bread crumbs
8 ozs flour
1 lb butter
1 lb dark sugar
2 teaspoons mixed spice
10 eggs
1-2 tbs browning (depends how dark you want it to be)
2 tsps vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps almond flavoring
2 tsps lemon juice
2 tsps grated orange or grated lemon rind
4 cups mixed fruits soaked in wine ( chopped raisins, currants, prunes) citron, cherries and dates are optional
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 cup white rum or brandy
Preparation
(1) Prepare tin by lining sides and bottom with grease greased proof paper
(2) Greased with butter or shortening
(3) Heat oven at 325% F
(4) Mixed sugar and butter until the mixture is fluffy and light
(5) Mix in browning, vanilla and almond flavoring, lemon juice and orange or lemon rind
(6) Add egg one at a time and blend in well
(7) Add the 4 cups of mixed fruits and mixed in
(8) Mixed in flour, bread crumbs, baking powder and salt, pouring alternately with the brandy or rum
(9) Pour mixture in baking tin and bake for about 1 1/2-2 hrs

Please Note: Fruits should be chopped up and soaked in wine about 3 weeks or longer before baking. Because of the wine, rum or brandy, this cake can be prepared weeks before serving and can last longer if continuously based with wine and store in your refrigerator.

Yummy Spaghetti Vegetable Peanut Salad

February 18, 2022August 9, 2023admin

Jamaican Famous Christmas Black CakeThis is a quick easy meal, when you don’t want to go heavy on meat but more heavy on your vegetables. This dish is combine with peanuts, pasta and mixed vegetable dust with parmesan cheese.

Yummy Spaghetti Vegetable Peanut Salad — Spaghetti Vegetable Peanut Salad

Recipe

1 small box spaghetti

1 1/2 cups broccoli (brake apart)

1 1/2 cups cauliflower (not too big pieces)

1/2 cup peanut

romain lettuce

1 large tomatoes cut up (not sliced), set aside

1 medium cucumber sliced (set aside)

1 tsp all purpose season

1/2 tsp Jamaican jerk powder or jerk sauce (optional)

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese

1/4 cup vinegar

Preparation

(1) Boil spaghetti (don’t overcooked), pour off water

(2) Wash all vegetable and soak in vinegar water for about 5 minutes (you’ll taste a little sourish flavor on your vegetable)

(3) Pour water off vegetable and make into a salad

(4) Put back spaghetti on low heat for about 5 minutes, mix in jerk powder, all purpose season and vegetable oil

(6) Dish spaghetti unto plates, put salad to the side of spaghetti, then add peanuts, and sprinkle over with parmesan grated cheese

Optional: Add extra olive oil or vegetable oil on salad if needed on each plate.

Black Soybean Pasta Vegetable Salad

February 18, 2022August 9, 2023admin

This a very nutritious salad that made with Organic Black Soybean Spaghetti Pasta, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, sweet pepper, and peanuts.

black-soybean-pasta-vegetable-salad — **Black Soybean Pasta Vegetable Salad**

Recipe

1/2 box organic black soybean spaghetti

1 cup broccoli (brake apart)

1 cup cauliflower (not too big pieces)

1/2 peanuts

2 medium sweet pepper sliced (different colors) cut in pieces

1 large union sliced sliced

3 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 tsp all purpose season

1/2 tsp Jamaican jerk powder or jerk sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese

Preparation

(1) Boil organic soybean spaghetti for 8 minutes (don’t overcooked), keep warm.

(2) In a pot heat oil to medium, add sweet pepper, onion slices, chopped garlic, all purpose season, jerk powder or sauce, black pepper, cauliflower and broccoli

(3) Steam all ingredients for about 6 minutes (don’t over cooked)

(4) Turn off stove and combine spaghetti with steamed ingredients

(5) Tossed until all is mixed in

(6) Dish spaghetti unto plates, add peanuts, and cover over with parmesan grated cheese

Optional: Add an extra table spoon of olive or your favorite dressing if needed on each plate

Note: You can also add corn, mushroom or any other vegetable that you like to the ingredients that is steamed.

Fried Half Ripe Plantain With Seasoned Mushroom

February 18, 2022August 9, 2023admin

This is a Vegan Dish made up with fried crushed half ripe plantains and seasoned mushroom. I am not a everyday vegan person but at times I like to skip meat and fish and just use vegetables or beans as a replacement. This is a simple dish to make and very low cost. You can also use green plantain for this dish also.

Green Fried Plantains With Seasoned Mushroom — **Fried Half Ripe Plantains With Seasoned Mushroom**

Recipe

Mushroom Ingredients

3 cups chopped mushrooms

2 medium sweet pepper sliced (different colors)

1 large union sliced

2 medium tomatoes chopped or (1 large)

6 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 tsp all purpose season

1/2 tsp Jamaican jerk powder or jerk sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

Fried Plantain Ingredients

1 green plantain or half ripe plantain (half ripe plantain is when the green plantain is just turning yellow)

1/4 oil for frying

Preparation

Mushroom

(1) Properly washed mushroom and boil water for 8 minutes

(2)When mushroom is cooked, drain water off and set aside

(3) Hot oil in pot and add onion, tomato, garlic, all purpose season and black pepper, Jamaican jerk powder or sauce, sautéed for 3 minutes

(4) Pour in mushroom in pot with ingredients and mixed together, cooking for another 5 minutes (do not overcook seasoning)

Plantain

(5) Hot oil in pot on medium heat

(6) Cut plantain in 2 haves and then each half cut into two length wise

(7) Gently put the 4 pieces of plain in pot and let in fry on both sides.

(8) Take each piece of plantain out of oil and crush with paper towel and put back in oil to continue frying until it’s crispy and cooked

(9) When cooked take out of oil and drain on napkin, must be serves hot

Now you can serve yourself a filling dish of plantain and mushroom with a cup of coffee

Crunchy Steam Cabbage With Salted Fish

February 1, 2022August 9, 2023admin

Jamaicans like to eat steam cabbage and salt fish with other food kinds such as bread, fried dumplings, cooked green banana, yams, potatoes and dumplings for breakfast or lunch in many Jamaican homes. You don’t have to limit this dish to only salted fish, you can use corn beef also. You can even use stem cabbage without the added stuff as a side dish or as a vegan dish.

Crunchy Steam Cabbage With Salt Fish (Cod Fish)

Steam Cabbage With With Salt Fish-Boiled Banana-Yam-Cornmeal Dumpling

Step 3 ( Cut up tomato, onion & sweet pepper)

Step 4 (Mix all ingredient with prepared salted fish, set aside)

Step 7 ( Combine everything together in a pot with the oil and steam stirring periodically, cook for 10 minutes)

Recipe:

1/2 lb dried salted fish (cod fish)

1 medium size cabbage cut in four (cut up cabbage as in the picture above)

1 medium size tomato (take seeds out) then chopped

1 medium size onion chopped

2 mini bell pepper (take seeds out) then chopped

1//2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic chopped

1/2 teaspoon jerk season powder (skip if you have none)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil (no olive oil, use what you have)

Preparation:

Prepare your dried salted fish (cod fish) by washing off some of the salt with cold water then put it in a pot with boiling water to get some more of the salt out. Let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain of water and put it in some more cold water for about 20 minutes, take out all the bone and clean up like step 1 above. You may be using boneless salted fish (cod fish). I used the one with the bone. From here use all the steps above.

Turn this into a Vegan dish by not using the salted fish (cod fish)

More Vegan Dishes

Delicious Mushrooms And Beans Dish

February 1, 2022August 9, 2023admin

This is a vegan dish that is made up with mushrooms, mixed with beans and served with rice and peas with vegetables. This is another of my dishes that I like when I want to stay away from meat or fish.

Mushroom-Rice & Pigeon Peas — **Seasoned Mushrooms And Beans Vegan Dinner**

Recipe

Serve 6- 8 Depends

1 cup dried kidney beans

3 cups chopped mushrooms

2 medium sweet pepper sliced (different colors)

1 large union sliced

2 medium tomatoes chopped or (1 large)

6 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 tsp all purpose season

1/2 tsp jerk powder or jerk sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

Preparation

(1)Wash and soak kidney beans for about 1 hr.

(2) Cook kidney beans until soft but solid (not mushy)

(3) When beans are cooked season with jerk powder or jerk sauce and set aside

(4) Properly washed mushroom and boil water for 8 minutes

(5) When mushroom is cooked, drain water off and set aside

(6) Hot oil in pot and add onion, tomatoes, garlic, all purpose season and black pepper ( sautéed for 3 minutes)

(7) Pour in mushroom and beans in pot with seasoning and mixed together, let it simmer for another 8 more minutes (do not overcook seasoning)

Your Dish is ready!

Crunchy Vegan Steam Cabbage

January 20, 2022August 9, 2023admin

I know a lot of people like to go Vegan and this is one of the side dishes that can be made without any form of meat. Cabbage should not be cook for more than 8-10 minutes and should be crunchy when eating to keep the nutrients in. Cabbage has a lot of fibre in it, so if you are on a fibre rich diet, this is one dish you can add to your meal.

Vegan Steam Cabbage And Green Fried Plantains — **Green Fried Plantains With Steam Cabbage**

Chopped Onion, Tomato and Sweet Pepper — Chop Onion, Tomatoes, Garlic

Recipe:

Cabbage

1 medium size cabbage cut in four (cut up cabbage as in the picture above)

1 medium size tomato (take seeds out) then chopped

1 medium size onion chopped

2 mini bell peppers (take seeds out) then chopped

1//2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon jerk season powder (skip if you have none)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil (no olive oil, use what cooking oil you have)

Green Plantain or Plantains

1 or more green or half ripe plantains (1 plantain in four pieces)

Oil for frying (plantain or plantains should have enough oil to fry crispy on both sides)

Preparation:

Steam Cabbage

(1) Wash and cut up cabbage

(2) In a container pour in your cabbage, and all additional seasoning

(3) Mixed in all seasoning, pour in a pot and put on the stove

(4) Add oil and mixed in, stirring occasionally

(5) Cover pot and let cabbage simmers for a bout 8-10 minutes (don’t overcook cabbage, it should be a little crunchy)

Plantain

(6) Hot oil in pot on medium heat

(7) Peel and cut plantain in 2 haves and then each half cut into two length wise

(8) Gently put the 4 pieces of plain in pot and let in fry on both sides.

(9) Take each piece of plantain out of oil and crush with paper towel and put back in oil to continue frying until it’s crispy and cooked

(10) When cooked, take out of oil and drain on napkin, must be serves hot

Yummy No-Meat Vegetables Bean Soup

January 17, 2022November 2, 2023admin

This soup has no meat so I substituted with bean for protein. Soup is basically all vegetable except the dumplings (pillars) that is added. The soup can also be made without dumplings, if you are going more vegan. I use this soup without the dumplings when I am on a fast.