Foodhedonist’s Jerk Shrimp Pasta

Hi! Foodhedonist's 10 Popular Jamaican Recipes is available for purchase on Amazon.com! It will feature this amazing Jerk Shrimp Pasta recipe, along with other popular & delectable delights! 

*Licks fingers*

Remember the Jerk Chicken Pasta? Well, jerked shrimp is just as delicious and makes for good “nyammings,” which is Jamaican patois for “eating.” It is also very simple, ideal for dinner after a long day at work.

Cooking time: Approx. 20 minutes.

Tasty Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinegar & Sweet Potato

Nom Nom Nom! So, I had a bunch of kale in my refrigerator and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it. In the past I’ve had kale steamed with 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and some black pepper. While this is good, I wanted something a little more interesting. So, I tried the recipe below with a few twists of my own!  This salad is a must try: it tantalizes the senses with a wonderful combination of the sweet and savoury. This salad is also low in calories, high in nutrient content, and therefore relatively guilt-free. If it tastes great and is easy on the waist line, I’m all in!

INGREDIENTS

·         1-2 tablespoons butter

·         I medium onion, diced

·         1 red pepper, chopped

·         I sweet potato, cubed

·         4 cups kale

·         4 cloves of  garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

·         ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

·         salt and pepper to taste

Shredded kale leaves

Chopped red peppers

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Then remove and set aside. In the meantime, melt one - two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the onions and garlic; saute for several minutes until onions are clear.

2.     Add the kale, peppers and balsamic vinegar. Saute until the kale is darker green (before the leaves wilt!). Turn off the heat and serve with Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Hearty Lentil Soup

There’s nothing like a bowl of some good, hearty soup when it’s cold out. I love soup, and after red peas soup, lentil soup is my favourite.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 pegs of garlic

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 sprigs thyme

1 stalk scallion, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 stalks parsley, chopped
1 small dried chile pepper

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/2 teaspoon grains of paradise (ground)

Directions:

Saute the salt, onion, ginger, scallion, garlic, parsley, thyme, pepper, carrots and celery in hot olive oil. Next, add the broth, tomatoes, lentils and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and cover, cooking for about 40 minutes. You may blend for a puree – like consistency. I did not blend mine.

Stir Fry Shrimp

I love this dish because it is so easy to make. And tasty! Plus, it is healthy as well. Can’t go wrong there. 

So, this is one way to make this yummy dish:

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1 stalk escallion

• 1 cup sliced carrot

• 1/2 teaspoon japones chile pepper or one sliced habanero pepper (without seeds)

• 24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

• Approx. 2 cups of mixed vegetables

• Add corn starch to thicken sauce if desired

Add the oil to the pot. Then add the black pepper, cumin, sesame oil, the onions, scallions, peppers, garlic and ginger to the pot. Stir for one minute. Add the shrimp and carrots and stir for another two minutes. Add the soy sauce and cooking wine. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and mixed vegetables. Place heat on low. Add the water at this point. If you desire a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch with the water in a cup, then add to the pot. Cook for another minute. Serve over white or brown rice.

Indian Curried Vegetables in Coconut Milk

This quick, simple, healthy dish is very rich in flavour… and is guaranteed to change the way you look at at vegetables.
Cooking Time: Approximately 30 minutes

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 green chilli, seeded
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry
• 2 tablespoons of sweet mango chutney
• 1/2 cauliflower, chopped
• 1 potato, cubed
• 1 broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup of whole mushrooms
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

In a large skillet, sautee the onion. Then, add the spices to the skillet. Allow to cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently.
Add the potatoes, coconut milk and two tablespoons of sweet mango chutney. Stir well. Season generously with 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.
Cover and allow to cook for at least 20 minutes. After this, add the vegetables and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, longer if you prefer your vegetables less crunchy.



Serve over rice if desired. I served this over basmati rice.

Chicken in Garlic Sauce

This delicious, Asian inspired recipe is an all time favourite. It is also pretty easy to prepare.

Prep : 35 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (you may substitute this with olive or vegetable oil)
• approx 2 cups of vegetables, chopped (examples include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn)
• 1/4 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 pound of chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or black pepper
• 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 cup water

Preparation:

Cut chicken into small strips
Mix the chicken, ginger, cumin, garlic, green onions, pepper, cornstarch, soy sauce and the honey together in a bowl. Add one cup of oil to this marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, sautee onions and mushrooms in coconut oil. After this, remove the chicken from the marinade and add this to the frying pan. Continue to cook for another 6 minutes.



Then, add the marinade to the chicken and the vegetables. Cook until sauce thickens, then remove from heat.



Serve over rice or quinoa.  Enjoy