Jamaican Rice and Peas (Beans)

Hello All,

Today we are going to a recipe that is relatively new to me, but I really love it and wish I had this dish a lot time ago!  Rice and beans, known as "peas" in the Caribbean, are a staple of many Caribbean and Central American countries' cuisines.  It is a savory dish that is served as a side in many meals, including breakfast.  Rice and peas is commonly served with meat, but at home you can just as easily eat them with vegetables or some other type of main course.  I actually love these as a meal by themselves too.  In Jamaica,commonly goes with jerk chicken, a dish that I will post in the coming weeks.

I was inspired to take on Jamaican rice and peas after watching and episode of Gordon Ramsey's "Nightmare Kitchen".  In the episode he is helping a Jamaican restaurant in L.A. and restaurant's rice and peas are dry and flavorless, but looked like they could be delicious!.  The rice looked very similar to the red bean rice eaten in Korea and Japan, which I love, so I decided I need to try out Jamaican rice and peas.  After looking at a different recipes and trying out a few batches, I created a recipe that I really enjoy.  While this dish is usually made with kidney beans, I am not the biggest fan of them, and I instead put black beans in the dish.  You can put in dish what ever kind of beans you like and are a fan of.  I and a very big fan of this dish and I hope you are too!  

Josh's Jamaican Rice and Peas

Ingredients (makes about 5 cups):

• 2 cups of long grain rice
• 1 15 oz can of black beans (or any beans of your choice)
• 1 19 oz can of coconut milk
• 1/2 a large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
• 2 teaspoons of ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme leave

Directions: 

1. Pour coconut milk and juice from canned beans into a liquid measuring glass.  Top off with water so combined liquid is a total of 3 1/2 cups.  Pour into pot.  The rice will be cooked in a mixture that is pretty rich, giving the rice good flavor.

   

   coconut milk, bean juice, and water mix

2. Put rest of can of beans, chopped onion, minced garlic, and whole scotch bonnet/habanero into liquid mixture.  I have had trouble finding scotch bonnet peppers, but habanero are a good alternative.  They are members of the same species, just different varieties, which gives them a little bit of a different taste.  You can chop up the pepper if you want but it is extremely spicy.  Adding it whole gives the rice a subtle kick and flavor.  If you do chop up the pepper put plastic over your hands.  If you don't every time you touch your face, it will burn.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of allspice, 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves to pot.  Bring to boil on high.  Be sure to stir when bringing to a boil.  You don't want the bottom to burn and you want to make sure that the ingredients are mixed.  

   

   All of the ingredients and spices getting ready to boil

4. Add 2 cups of washed and rinsed long grain rice.  Bring back to boil.  The rice will take just a few seconds to bring back to a full boil.
5. Once at boil turn stove on low and simmer for 25 minutes.  This may need 30 min but for me it was 25.  Just take a look at 25 min and if the rice looks to wet, then let cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Let rice rest off the element for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  It is always good to let rice sit for a little bit.  It allows the moisture to redistribute from the bottom of the pan to the top, making all the rice fluffy!  Once you fluff the rice you can get rid of the pepper.

   

   Rested and fluffed rice.

7. Plate up and eat!  Eat with as a side with meat or vegetables.  After this recipe I just ate it by itself.  Basically eat it how ever you please.

   

   Yum!

I hope you enjoy this rice dish.  In the coming weeks I will include a Jamaican jerk chicken recipe to accompany the rice.  I was trying to have the jerk chicken recipe ready to go for next week but unfortunately I need to make more tweaks to my jerk sauce.  There has been many trial and error batches and a lot of chicken for lunch and dinner the past two weeks.  haha.  Happy eating!

Josh

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Hello All,

I don't know about you guys but I LOVE sweet potatoes.   There is just something about their natural sweetness that is so satisfying.  On top of it all they are healthier and have less calories than normal potatoes.  What is not to love?

Sweet potatoes, believe it or not, are distantly related from the potato.  They are part of the same taxonomic order (solanales) but their families and genera are different.  Tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, and eggplant all have more in common with the potato than the sweet potato does.  They are all part of the same family as the potato (solanacea) while the sweet potato is in the convolvulaceae family.   If you are looking for an example from the animal world, rhinos and horses are in the same order while horses and zebras are in the same family.  Very few people know that the potato and sweet potato are this distantly related from each other!  

The sweet potato grows as a vine plant.  Every time the vine replants itself a tuberous root grows.  That is the sweet potato!  The sweet potato was domesticated in either Central or South America and from there spread to Europe after Columbus' contact with natives in the Caribbean.  The sweet potato made its way to the Philippines, and later the rest of Asia, from across the Pacific via the Spanish colonies in Mexico.  Interestingly enough, the sweet potato also made its way to the Pacific Islands through contact with South America 400 years before Columbus.

Different trips made across the Pacific by the sweet potato.  Polynesians in 1100 (red), Spanish (blue) and Portuguese(yellow) around 1500.

Sweet Potato Vines

Today I am using two different kinds of sweet potatoes, the common orange sweet potato that we are all used to in the United States, and the Asian sweet potato.  Asian sweet potatoes can be found at any Asian grocery store and are slowly showing up at normal grocery stores.  I have seen them at New Seasons and they are on the computer system at the self-checkout at Fred Meyer so I am guessing they will be there soon!  They also go by Japanese, Korean, or Oriental sweet potatoes, so you can look for those names too.  These two sweet potatoes are a bit different in taste.  The orange sweet potato in much softer and more moist, while the Asian sweet potato is harder and has a chestnut-like flavor.  There are other kinds of sweet potatoes that you can get at the grocery store, so don't be afraid to venture out!  I hope you all enjoy these sweet and savory fries!

Asian (left) and orange (right) sweet potatoes

Josh's Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 450 degrees.  I used a gas oven with this recipe.  Gas ovens are very accurate but if you have an electric oven be aware that the temps might be off a bit.  If you bake you already know this about your oven though.  Just be sure to adjust accordingly and to keep an eye on the sweet potatoes so that so not get burnt.
2. Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch strips.  The size of the fries can vary but I found a 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch is the best.
   
   
   
   
    
3. Put fry strips in bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of paprika.  When I make sweet potato fries, my general rule of thumb is a tablespoon of oil and 1/2 tsp of both salt and paprika for each large sweet potato.  You want just enough oil to cover the sweet potatoes, so depending on the size of the potatoes you may need more or less oil.  I think it is important to not over season the sweet potatoes.  They have such great natural flavor, you don't want to over power it with too much salt and paprika.  
4. Spread fries on a baking sheet and put oven for 15 minuets.  The fries can overlap a little bit when you put them on the baking sheet, you just don't want it to pile up.

   

   Ready to bake!

5. Flip and stir fries.  Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minuets.  You have to keep an eye on this one.  Depending on how many fries are in there, you might need more or less time.  With my batch 10 minuets was perfect but it can vary.
6. Plate up and enjoy!  You can eat these with any condiment you would use with normal fries.  I like them just by themselves and sometimes with a little ketchup.  It is all up to you!

   

   Ready to eat!

I hope you all enjoy these fries.  If you have tried my recipes and like them, be sure to share with other where you got the recipe!  haha.  On the right hand side of the blog there are a few different ways that you can follow my blog and have easy access to the recipes that I post.  If you have any questions or feed back, feel free to write a comment below.  Happy eating!

Josh

Sources:

http://www.sweetpotatoes.com/About/BriefHistoryoftheSweetPotato.aspx

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/sweetpotato.html

http://www.all-about-sweet-potatoes.com/history-origin-sweet-potato.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/01/22/169980441/how-the-sweet-potato-crossed-the-pacific-before-columbus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae

Panang Curry พะแนง (Kaeng Phenaeng)

Hello Readers,

This is probably my favorite Thai curry.  It is richer and milder than most Thai curries but there is still some kick in there.  Like red curry, panang curry is most popular in the central plains region of Thailand, around Bangkok. The history of panang curry is one that is debatable and I have seen conflicting sources on the internet with some saying it came from Malaysia or Laos, while others saying that it originated in Thailand itself.  Overall, I would say that the origin of panang curry is acknowledged to be unknown.  As much as I love finding the exact origins of a dish, I love the mystery of not knowing also.  It makes a nation's cuisine unique and its own.

I decided to do this curry because I had ingredients from last week's recipe that needed to be used up.  I always seem to have left over ingredients after cooking a dish, and in an attempt to use up those ingredients, I end up with even more left over ones.  Any one else seem to run into that endless loop?  This recipe again comes from our friends at Temple of Thai.  I follow this recipe pretty closely, only making a few changes.  There are not very many steps to this curry, so I think it is something that all of you can easily enjoy at home!

Josh's Panang Curry

Ingredients (Serves about 4):

• 1 19 oz can of thick coconut milk
• 4 tablespoons of panang curry paste
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in thin strips (roughly 1 to 1 1/2 lbs)
• 7 finely chopped kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tablespoons of palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of Thai basil
• 3 tablespoons of chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of thick coconut milk into a large pan.  Stir on medium heat until some of the coconut oil begins to separate.  The coconut milk used in this recipe is much thicker and richer than what I used in red curry recipe.  The can's label might identify the coconut milk as think but if it doesn't, look at the nutrition guide on the back.  The milk should be around 150 calories for a 1/3 of a cup (80 grams).  I use 19 oz because that is the size of the can.  Really, with this recipe you can use anywhere from 15 to 20 oz.

   

   The thick coconut milk and curry paste that I use

2. Add 4 tablespoons of panang curry paste.  Stir for about 3 minutes.  The mixture that this creates should be a little bit more on the pasty side, kind of like gravy.

   

   Milk and curry paste mix should have a gravy-like consistency

3. Add strips of chicken breast and finely chopped lime leaves.  Stir until outside of chicken is cooked.  The original recipe calls for the lime leaves to be added later but I love the taste and fragrance that they give off, so I add them earlier.  The chicken doesn't need to be all the way cooked yet, but you should make sure most of the outside is cooked.  No one likes raw chicken.

   

   Chicken and curry mixture

   

   Lime leaves

   

   Chopped up lime leaves and Thai basil that will be use later

4. Add remaining coconut milk.  Bring to a boil on medium.  Once the milk come to a boil all the chicken will be fully cooked.
   
5. Add 2 tablespoons each of palm sugar and fish sauce.  The palm sugar adds a nice amount of sweetness and the fish sauce adds a savory and salty flavor.  If you don't have palm sugar, brown sugar is a good alternative.
   
6. Turn off stove and add 1 1/2 cups of Thai basil and 3 tablespoons of chopped peanuts.  The peanuts are option but I love that little crunch they give.  The original recipe called for only 1/2 a cup of Thai basil, but you guys all know how much I love basil!

   

   Add in the basil!

   

   Stir in the basil!

7. Plate on dish with a side of jasmine rice and eat!   This curry doesn't need to be plated in a bowl.  With a thicker consistency, a plate it the way to go!

Yum!

This dish is quite a bit easier to make than the red curry recipe I did last week.  I hope you all get a chance to try out this recipe this weekend.  Leave me a comment so I know how it went for you! Enjoy!

Josh

Sources:

http://www.templeofthai.com/recipes/panang-curry.php

http://highheelgourmet.com/2013/09/29/authentic-thai-panang-curry/

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/thai-curries-a-guide/c27601.aspx

http://www.templeofthai.com/cooking/types-thai-curry-regional.php

Restaurant Style Salsa Roja

Hello Readers,

A staple of mine to bring to parties and get-togethers is my restaurant style salsa.  I have been asked many times for the recipe, so I figured that this would be a great side dish to add to the blog!  Many people don't know that salsa is Spanish for sauce.  Technically I think this salsa would be classified as Salsa Roja (red sauce) but someone from Mexico would know better and probably disagree with me.  haha.  Traditional salsa is made with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) but I will be making mine with a food processor.

Modern vs Traditional

Salsa has a complex history that combines many cultures together.  The main ingredients (tomatoes and peppers) come from Mexico and were domesticated by the Mayans and Aztecs.  According to documents from Spanish conquistadors, the Aztecs were eating a salsa that was made of peppers, tomatoes, and squash seeds.  Its was eaten on meat as a condiment.    The onion, garlic, cilantro, and cumin, that are also used in salsa roja were domesticated in the eastern hemisphere.  Interestingly enough onion and garlic were domesticated by the Egyptians and were staples of their diet; making salsa somewhat a merger of the three most famous pyramid civilizations' cuisines.   Through the Colombian Exchange, the eastern hemisphere ingredients made their way over to the Americas, making salsa what we know it as today.  The popularity of salsa has exploded in the United States and since 1991 has been the number one selling condiment in the country.

Mesoamerican Civilizations

My salsa recipe is based off a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.  I made a few tweaks to it, mainly more spices and less tomato.  You can always modify the recipe to fit your palate.  Enjoy!

Josh's Restaurant Style Salsa Roja

Ingredients (Makes about 6 Cups)

• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 2 10 oz cans of Rotel
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 of a white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cumin

Directions:

1. Open canned tomatoes and Rotel.  Drain well.  I know it seems like cheating but Rotel adds a bit of spice and just a hint of a vinegary taste.  It works well with this recipe.  If you don't want to use Rotel, I would probably use canned tomatoes and jalapeno to replace it.  
2. Chop up onion, cilantro, garlic and jalapenos into small pieces.  You want to make sure that these are not too big.  If they are too big the food processor might not chop the salsa finely enough.  When it comes to the cilantro I just cut off the part that is pure stem.  The rest I keep.  If you want your salsa a little more spicy, keep the seeds and membrane with the jalapeno, if not then remove the insides.  The original recipe calls for less cilantro and only a 1/4 onion, but I am a cilantro and onion fiend and have only gotten back good feedback with the amount I put in.  White onion is preferable over yellow because of the way the it blends with the other flavors.  If you only have yellow onion it will work out fine though.
   
   

   

   What I remove from the cilantro bunch.

   
   

   

   Be sure to chop up small!

   
   

   

   Keep the seeds and membrane if you want it spicy!

3. Put canned and chopped up ingredients into food processor.  Can't fit it all in your food processor?  That is ok!  My food processor is 3 1/2 cups so I just blend the salsa in four rounds and mix all up in the end.  It will still taste the same.
4. Add the juice of lime, salt, sugar, and cumin to food processor.  Mix on "chop" setting for 15-30 seconds until finely chopped.   In this recipe you don't want any big chunks, but you don't want it all mushy either.  Just keep an eye on it and and stop when it is the consistency you want.  The original recipe that I am working off of calls for only a 1/4 tsp of each of the spices.  I really enjoy the flavors they bring to the salsa though and feel like at 1/2 tsp each they enhance the salsa without overwhelming it.
   
   

   

   Done!

5. Chill in refrigerator over night or eat right away with any dish of your choice!  The flavors of the salsa blend together much better if it sits over night.  If you don't have time for that it is ok though.  At home I love eating this salsa on tacos or in a breakfast burrito.  If I am going to a party, I always make sure to accompany the salsa with a bag of Juanita's tortilla chips.

I hope you get to try this recipe soon.  If you have any questions about the recipe, or feedback to give, please feel free to do so in the comments below.  Happy eating!

Josh

Sources:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/01/restaurant-style-salsa/

http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/snacks/dips_and_sauces/history_of_salsa_sauce_the_mexican_connection.html

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/salsas/history-of-salsa.asp

http://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/history-of-onions

http://www.gillsonions.com/history

http://www.allicinfacts.com/garlic-history/