Prawns and Fish Tea

I was walking in Manhattan on my way to my doctor's appointment and got mesmerized by these lovely prawns in the fish market window, needless to say I went home with a decent pound and had the perfect recipe for that wintry day. In Jamaica we have an awesome fish soup known as "Fish Tea"well i decided to Susie-it-up with just a few other ingredients but chose to make the prawns the star.

Susie's Signature Prawns and Fish Tea

Side Kicks

The perfect side dish should always compliment the main dish just adding the right amount of "wowness" at  the end of each bite. I love taking a simple traditional side and making it have a whole new effect, sometimes by adding a particular herb thats in the main dish can create this awesome flow on your plate. These are some of my favorite sides.....

Thyme Roasted Potato Wedges

I love meat and potatoes, I love roasting them off with a bit of Thyme and some of my All-Purpose Seasoning 

Sautéed Corn and Mushrooms

By adding herbs like Cilantro and thyme and Scallion instead of just salt and pepper will make this dish pop all kinds of  flavor and lots of Island appeal.

Creamed Spinach and Kale

I added a little corn and some raisins for a touch of sweetness

Sautee some chopped onions and diced garlic in a little coconut oil, add the veggies until kale and spinach have wilted then add your cream, serve and enjoy.

 

Fried Sweet Plantain

Fried Plantains are always a favorite in the Jamaican meal whether for at breakfast with some Ackee and Salt Fish or at lunch with some fried chicken and even at dinner with a nice, juicy T-Bone Steak. When having plantains with fried chicken or fried fish, I would usually fry the plantains in the same pan giving it even more flavor.

Curried Cauliflower with Cashews and Raisins

Oven Herb Roasted Beets

Roasting the Beets with chopped Parsley and of course some fresh Thyme and a dusting of my go to seasoning gives this sweet, earthy veggie such an aromatic entrance to the dinner table. I roast them off in a foil purse to keep all the juices alive.

Fried Casava (Yuca)

Fried Casava

Casava aka Yuca is one of the most versatile root veggies, it can be roasted, boiled, grated and compressed as Bammy, steamed, fried, baked, pureed, and it also makes a lovely mash. The skin is a bit hard and waxy, not like  a regular yam so handling it with a knife requires much caution.

Today i'm frying the Casava and dusting it with some garlic salt and Thyme, super yummy......

1 medium Casava, peeled and cut into finger length pieces

3 Garlic Cloves, lightly crushed

Garlic Salt for dusting

2 Thyme sprigs

Oil for frying

Place a heavy pan on medium high heat, add oil and crushed garlic cloves. Add Casava to hot oil and fry until golden on all sides.

Remove from heat and place in a bowl, immediately add the garlic salt and thyme and toss to get all the Casava seasoned. 

Fried Casava can be had as is or with a dip or as a lovely side dish. Enjoy.....

Homemade Orange Extract

Orange Extract 

Making your own flavorings is so easy, whether it's making an extract or simple syrup. I've always wanted a pantry filled with homemade goodies, it's a great money saver and it makes your kitchen look like a gourmet wonderland.

Making extracts involves some kind of alcohol usually Vodka, Brandy or Rum, which gives a much longer shelf life. For my Orange Extract I'm using Vodka.

Zest of 2 large oranges (a simple grater works as a great zester)

3/4 cup vodka

1/4 cup water

1 tightly covered bottle or jar

Zest the oranges and add to clean bottle, then add the vodka and water. Cover and fasten bottle and give it a good shake and let sit for at least one week before opening. 

Tangelo Pastry Cream

Tangelo Pastry Cream

The Tangelo gives the cream such a unique citrus flavor. I chose to use Vanilla Extract instead of a Vanilla Bean with this one so the tangelo would be the star.

4 cups whole milk

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

3 oz corn starch

2 oz Vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg + a few pieces Nutmeg Maise

1/2 tsp salt

Zest of one Tangelo Orange 

This photo shows the Nutmeg Maise that I'm simply inlove with, it has such a subtle flavor , in fact,  I prefer using the Cinnamon Leaf and/or Stick and freshley Ground Nutmeg and the Maise, they fall in the same category as say the Vanilla Bean when it comes to great flavor.

Pour Milk in a Large sauce pan, add all the flavorings along with the salt and orange zest. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and set aside, giving all the flavors to come together. Return to a medium heat just before adding the egg egg mixture. You can now remove the cinnamon stick and the Nutmeg Maise.

use a spatula to remove any skimming on the surface of the heated milk mixture

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.

Add a small amount of the milk mixture to the eggs, whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. Add tempered eggs to the milk on the stove, keep whisking as the mixture will get very thick and can stick to the bottom of the pot if it is not being whisked.
continue whisking until the mixture has started a thick, slow bubble. Add another minute of whisking before removing from the heat.



Pour hot mixture into a large bowl and cover the surface of the mixture with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until cooled.

When ready for use, mix with an electric mixer until the creamy texture returns with no lumps.

Another Noreaster

 Mother Nature can be so brutal and simply beautiful all at the same time.

My All-Purpose Seasoning

My All-Purpose Seasoning

This is my go to "All-star" and I'm not afraid to say that I use this in all my marinades and for seasoning my meats and veggies. Salt and Black Pepper just doesn't do it for me, so I'm sharing....just a "likkle".

It's basically Garlic Salt (Lawry's), ABSOLUTELY NO substitutes

a little Ground Black Pepper, and some freshly Ground Pimento (Jamaican Allspice). 

So there you have it.......cook with confidence!