Grenada

 Welcome to Grenada!  A neighbor to our last country, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada is another country in the Caribbean.  It is known as the "Island of Spice", and exports many spices.  It is the second largest producer of Nutmeg (second to Indonesia!).  Grenada is also home to the first underwater sculpture museum - interesting!  According to Google, Grenada has a population of 117,000 people and the capital is St. George.  Their national dish is...

Oil Down!

Sounds appetizing, right?  I have to admit, I wasn't too excited to try this meal.  I found a couple other dishes to make too: Nutmeg Chicken and Nutmeg Ice Cream!  Since I had leftover breadfruit from St. Vincent and Grenadines, and Oil Down has breadfruit, I figured why not.  We did this country over two days, and I'm glad we did!  The ice cream took a little bit of planning ahead, but the chicken and Oil Down were quick, easy meals.  Here's what I did:

OIL DOWN

1 breadfruit

1 whole hot green pepper (I used Ancho)

1 tsp thyme

1/2 oz saffron

2 tbsp curry powder

12 oz salted meat (I used spam)

6 C coconut milk

4 C spinach

Salt, to taste

1. 1. Cut the breadfruit into slices about 1 1/2 inches thick
2. 2. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and place them in the bottom of a large pot
3. 3. Arrange the breadfruit over the meat
4. 4. Add the seasonings and coconut milk
5. 5. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil
6. 6. Add spinach to the pot.
7. 7. Cook until the breadfruit is tender and the liquid has mostly absorbed (about 30 minutes)
8. 8. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Oil Down)

NUTMEG CHICKEN

Nutmeg syrup

1/3 C sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 C gluten free soy sauce

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 C water

1/2 tbsp tapioca starch

Chicken

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 lb chicken thighs

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1. 1. Place the chicken in a medium sized bowl and season with the poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and back pepper, and set aside
2. 2. Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and chili flakes in a saucepan
3. 3. Mix the gluten free soy sauce, maple syrup, water and tapioca starch together then pour it into the saucepan
4. 4. Bring the saucepan to a boil, and reduce to a simmer while stirring for 5 minutes; then set aside
5. 5. Meanwhile heat the oil on medium heat
6. 6. Proceed to sauté the garlic and onion until soft and translucent
7. 7. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan and proceed to cook the chicken until just white (it won't be cooked all the way.  Also, make sure there is no water or liquid in the pan before the next step)
8. 8. Pour the nutmeg syrup all over the chicken and bring to a rolling boil
9. 9. Reduce the flame to medium-low, cover the pan with lid and occasionally baste the chicken throughout the 20-25 minute cooking time
10. 10. If you are left with excess liquid and want the syrup to adhere to the chicken increase heat to high and allow the liquid to evaporate and stick to the chicken (be careful not to burn the chicken)
11. 11. Enjoy with rice!

(Source: Nutmeg Chicken)

NUTMEG ICE CREAM

1 1/2 C milk

1 1/2 C heavy cream

3 eggs

3/4 C sugar

1 tbsp fresh nutmeg; grated (about 1 whole nutmeg)

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1. 1. In a saucepan bring the milk and the cream to almost boiling - do not let it boil - then turn off the heat
2. 2. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla
3. 3. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk that mixture into the remaining milk mixture
4. 4. Cook the custard over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it registers 175 F on a candy thermometer
5. 5. Transfer the custard to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir it until it is cold
6. 6. Freeze the custard in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions
7. 7. Enjoy

(Source: Nutmeg Ice Cream)

The verdict?  So many thoughts on this one.  Let's start with Oil Down.  I didn't think this meal was anything special at first.  It was OK to eat, but nothing to write home about.  But then we hit the sauce.  The sauce was GOOD.  It was delicious on the breadfruit.  We didn't taste the spam in the dish at all.  If I were to make it again, I would cut the breadfruit into smaller, bite-sized pieces, and make more sauce (double the recipe, except for the breadfruit, spinach, and salt meat).  The more we ate the dish, the better we liked it.  The nutmeg chicken was delicious.  I didn't know what to expect with it, but it was so good.  It was a warming meal - like something you would eat in the fall or winter.  When I make it again, I won't put as much sugar in - I would probably only do half the sugar it calls for.  I would also chunk the meat instead of leaving it whole.  The ice cream was interesting.  It really reminded me of the Christmas cookies that my sister makes each Christmas - it was good!  Rich, but good.  

 

ME

Taste of Oil Down (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Oil Down (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

ME

Taste of Nutmeg Chicken (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Nutmeg Chicken (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

ME

Taste of Nutmeg Ice Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Nutmeg Ice Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

Hope you enjoyed Grenada!  Join us next time in a mystery country!

St. Vincent & Grenadines

 Welcome to St. Vincent & Grenadines!  It's summer, well, almost, so a Caribbean country sounded great.  That and I FINALLY found breadfruit!  This country is apparently where the "rich and famous" play, including the British royals.  There is a volcano there, La Soufriere, which was dormant for over 40 years, and just erupted in 2021.  "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed here as well.  And the pictures are beautiful!  According to Google, the population of St. Vincent & Grenadines is 100,500 people and the capital is Kingstown.  Their national dish is...

Roasted Breadfruit and Fried Jackfish

Like I said earlier, finding breadfruit was HARD.  I've been looking for months (literally) and finally found some frozen at an Asian food store.  I bought a lot of it (there are several more countries coming up that include breadfruit) and prayed we liked it.  Breadfruit is supposed to taste like bread when you roast it or bake it - we were looking forward to seeing (or smelling) if that was true.  It also has a low glycemic index, and is high in fiber - who knew!  I didn't even try to find jackfish - it's a fish native to the area.  A firm cod was the suggested substitution.  So, I found the recipe and went to work!  Here's what I did.

ROASTED BREADFRUIT AND FRIED JACKFISH

1 breadfruit (or slices of breadfruit, like I had)

For the fish:

1 good-sized jackfish, filleted (or two cod filets)

Juice of 1 lemon

Enough flour to coat the fish fillets

A good pinch each of garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper

Coconut oil for frying

For the sauce:

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp thyme

1 medium ripe tomato, sliced

12g butter

1 tsp tomato puree

1 cup water

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. 1.  Wrap the breadfruit in foil and roast at 420 degrees F for one hour, or until soft. 
2. 2. After the breadfruit has been in the oven for about an hour, start preparing the fish by pouring the lemon juice over the fillets and leaving it to marinate for 15 minutes.
3. 3. While the fish is marinating, make the sauce.
4. 4.  Fry the onion, garlic, thyme and tomato in 1 tbsp coconut oil, until softened. 
5. 5.  Add the butter and stir until melted. 
6. 6.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer until thickened.
7. 7.  Once the fish is marinated, mix all the seasonings into the flour, and rinse and pat dry the fish.
8. 8.  Coat the fish on both sides with the flour mixture, removing any excess.
9. 9. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking.
10. 10. Fry the fish for approximately 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
11. 11. In a skillet, melt 3 tbsp of coconut oil.
12. 12. Remove the breadfruit from the oven, and transfer to the skillet of coconut oil, and fry both sides until slightly crispy.
13. 13. Salt the breadfruit, and serve together with the fish, with the sauce poured over both.
14. 14. Enjoy!

(Source: Roasted Breadfruit and Fried Jackfish)

The verdict?  IT SMELLED LIKE BREAD!  And the smell started early on.  The breadfruit was very much like an unsweet plantain or a really done potato.  The first couple bites were ok, but as we continued to eat it, the better and better it got.  Salt helped a lot, and it was really tasty with the sauce.  The fish wasn't anything special.  I didn't think that the breading added much, but Handsome Husband said he liked it with the breading.  To each their own, I guess.  I do wonder if jackfish has its own unique taste - may have to go to St. Vincent & Grenadines to find out!

ME

Taste of Roasted Breadfruit and Fried Jackfish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Roasted Breadfruit and Fried Jackfish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

Hope you join us next time next door in Grenada!

Jamacia

 Welcome to Jamaica!  I'm torn on this country: it is one I think would be beautiful to see, but with all the tourism and heat and humidity, I'm not sure I actually want to go.  I hear there are a ton of mosquitos too, which I do not love (but they love me!).  Handsome Husband went down on a mission trip years ago, and said that just digging a 8-foot hole in the ground was exhausting due to the heat and humidity.  Maybe someday we'll go...According to Google, the population of Jamaica is 2.8 million people and the capital is Kingston.  Their national dish is...

 

Saltfish and Ackee!

I had no idea what ackee was.  It's a fruit with a seed, similar to the lychee.  Apparently, ackee was banned in the US until 2000 because it contains a toxin that can make you sick (or kill you, if you eat enough of it).  Luckily, Amazon came through for me again, and I was able to get a can of it for this meal.  When it came out of the jar, it was not what I expected!  It was almost like a mush with a few chunks in it.  When I tasted it, it really didn't taste like anything.  I figured this was going to be an interesting meal!  Along with the saltfish and ackee with fried dumplings, we made Jamaican Callalloo (a spinach dish) and Bulla cakes (almost like a molasses bread).  Apparently Bulla cakes are a common snack, and eaten with avocado and/or cheese.  Here's what we did:

SALTFISH AND ACKEE

Saltfish and Ackee

1 lb. saltfish
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 habanero pepper, chopped

1 tsp black pepper
6 sprigs thyme
3 green onions, chopped
4 tsp avocado oil
1 12 oz. can of ackee, drained (mine did not drain - it was mush, which worked well)

Fried Dumpling
2 cups gluten free flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp.sugar
Pinch salt
1 tbsp butter
3/4 cup water

Oil, for frying

1. Rinse the saltfish in cold water.  
2. Soak the saltfish overnight in a bowl of water.
3. Drain the water from the fish and flake with a fork.  
4. Heat oil in pan, then add onions and peppers (bell and habanero). 
5. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes on a medium heat, until the onions are soft.  
6. Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break down. 
7. Add flaked saltfish and cook for an additional 10 mins.  
8. Add  ackee and stir, breaking into smaller pieces. 
9. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until ackee is warmed and tender, remove from heat. 
10. Sprinkle with scallion and serve warm.

For the fried dumplings

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  
2. Add butter and rub into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal. 
3. Add water to form a soft dough. 
4. Divide dough into 9 even pieces, and form into flattened circles, about 1/2 inch in thickness.  
5. Set aside and allow to sit for 15 mins.
6. In a pan, add vegetable oil to about  1/2 inch deep.  
7. On medium heat, heat oil.  
8. Add dumplings, and cook for approximately 6 minutes per side until golden brown.
9. Remove from oil and set on a plate covered with paper towel.   
10. Repeat until all the dumplings have been fried.  
11. Serve warm.

(Source: Saltfish and Ackee)

JAMAICAN CALLALLOO

4 cups callalloo, chopped and tightly packed (I used spinach because I couldn't find callalloo)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 habanero, whole
2 tablespoons water

1. Place oil in a large pot, add onion, garlic, spring onion, thyme, tomato, and habanero on medium heat, and saute until onion is translucent. 
2. Add spinach and water, and allow to simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until tender.
3. Serve and enjoy!

(Source: Jamaican Callalloo)

BULLA CAKES

10 oz brown sugar
3 oz of water
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 cups gluten free flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾  tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp allspice
2 tbsp melted butter

1. Grease and cover a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, make a thick, dark syrup of water, sugar, molasses, vanilla and grated fresh ginger.
3. Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice).
4. Combine dry ingredients with a whisk and make a well in the center with a flat spatula.
5. Pour the syrup and melted butter into the center and mix together until a sticky dough is formed.
6. Turn out the mixture onto a well floured board and bring the dough together by kneading gently for a few minutes. 
7. Once the dough comes together and is smooth you will roll it out. If the dough keeps sticking to the board, sprinkle the board with more flour to help the dough to come together.
8. Roll out the dough to about a 1-1.5 inch thickness. It may look a bit flat but they will get a little rise in the oven.
9. Cut circles out with a biscuit cutter (or glass). 
10. Place bullas on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Once baked, pull from the oven and brush with melted butter.
12. Cool and serve with cheese or avocado 

(Source: Bulla Cakes)

The verdict?  This was an interesting one.  The saltfish and ackee was fine, not super, but not terrible.  The texture was just odd, so we broke up our fried dumplings and put them in the saltfish and ackee to add texture.  It was OK.  The Jamaican Callalloo was just another take on a spinach dish.  I was nervous about putting a whole habanero in there, but it didn't give it any heat at all; instead, it gave it more of a fruity flavor.  It needed a lot of salt.  The bulla cakes were super interesting.  They smelled amazing as they were cooking!  When we ate them, it was like all the moisture got sucked out of your mouth.  We did try it with the cheese and avocado, and it was surprisingly tasty!  The avocado and cheese also helped with the dryness of the cake as well.  This was a really easy meal to put together, but not a super one to eat.

 

        

ME

Taste of Saltfish and Ackee (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Saltfish and Ackee (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor):6

 

ME

Taste of Jamaican Callalloo (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Jamaican Callalloo (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Bulla Cakes (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Bulla Cakes (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor):5

 

Join us next time in Belarus!