Yummm! Bajan Fried Fish

That's right folks, we're going to Barbados!!! I will try very hard to minimize my Bajan pride in this post, but if I start to bubble or gush, please know I cannot help it! LOL



Coo-coo and flying fish is the national dish of Barbados. Breaded and fried flying fish is a popular snack or meal, considered very popular based on the unique and delicious Seasoning.

Bajan Fried Fish

Recipe Courtesy of Totally Barbados

Ingredients:

Fish fillets to serve 4
2 limes (use one if they are large and juicy)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Bajan seasoning (See Below)
1 egg
1 cup 5oz/155g extra fine breadcrumbs
1 cup 5oz/155g flour
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fish multi purpose seasoning (optional)
Oil for frying (Canola or Olive are reputedly healthier)

Squeeze the limes into a bowl with ¾ cup of water, add the salt and place the fish to soak for about ½ hour. Remove the fish, rinse and pat dry.

Whisk the egg in a medium bowl with some salt and white pepper and if you are doing fish, the seasoning. Put the fish into the egg and seasoning mixture. It is best if the fish is allowed to sit in the egg for an hour or so to allow the flavours to permeate.

Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, white pepper, paprika and a little salt. This is one of those occasions when you can add various seasonings out of your kitchen cupboard like fish magic, onion and garlic powder, dried herbs or whatever takes your fancy.

Heat very shallow oil for fish, in a large frying pan over a medium/high heat. Shake off excess egg, coat in the breadcrumb mixture, shake again and place in the oil when it is hot enough (It should sizzle slightly when the item is placed in it). Fry the fish over the medium/high heat for a couple of minutes on each side. Fish needs very little cooking and is overcooked very easily. If frying flying fish place it skin side up first.

Drain on absorbent paper and place on a warm dish.

Bajan Seasoning
(This will keep in the fridge for up to six months)

Ingredients:

1½ cups vinegar
2 oz thyme
2 oz parsley
1 lb onions
5 oz green onions
2 oz marjoram
4 Scotch Bonnet peppers or habanero (add more to make it hotter)
4 oz garlic
½ oz ground clove
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp black pepper
4½ tbs salt

Directions:

Remove the stems from the thyme and marjoram and place in a blender with vinegar. Liquefy.
Place the onions, green onions, parsley, peppers and garlic in a food processor and process for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Blend this together with the seasoned vinegar in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the salt, Worcestershire sauce, ground clove and black pepper. Bottle and refrigerate.
Leave it to stand for one week, before using as required.

Yummm! I-tal ("Is Vital") Stew Peas

After a terrific time last week in Trinidad and Tobago, I am super excited to head on over to Jamaica!!!!!



Our recipe this week is for I-tal Stew Peas, a dish that is DELICIOUS and so good for you!!! Ital or I-tal (pronounced "eye'-tall") is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement.

The word "I-tal" derives from the English word "vital", with the initial syllable replaced by i. This is done to many words in the Rastafari vocabulary to signify the unity of the speaker with all of nature.

I-tal ("Is Vital") Stew Peas

Recipe Courtesy of Jamaicans.com

Ingredients:

2 cups red peas (kidney beans)
2 whole scotch bonnet peppers (if you like it hot cut the pepper up)
¼ cup water
2 cups coconut milk
bay leaves
10 pimento grains (allspice)
cloves garlic (1 crushed and 3 whole)
3 chopped scallions
1 small onion chopped
3 sprigs of thyme
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon natural sea salt (sold in stores)
2 potatoes (Irish), cubed
1 sweet potato, cubed
3 carrots, sliced
Veggie spinners/dumplings (See Recipe Below)

Directions:

Soak the peas in water for a least 10-12 hours in the pot
Place coconut milk, bay leaves, scallion, pimento grain, whole garlic and whole pepper in the pot.
Slowly boil and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the peas are tender.
Season by adding the onions, crushed garlic and thyme.
Add carrots, spinners and potatoes
Let simmer for 30 minutes
Remove the scallions, bay leaves and hot pepper before serving.
Serve hot with white rice.

Veggie Spinners

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour
Enough water to bind

Directions:

Place flour in a medium bowl.
Work mixture with hands while adding enough water to bind, making a stiff dough.
Roll into 1 inch long pieces, drop into boiling stew peas or soup.
Boil until they float or add them during the last 20mins of the cooking process.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Yummm! Pelau Chicken

Happy Friday!! Our journey is far from over, as we leave Cuba for Trinidad and Tobago (Trini Massive, stand up!!)...



This week's recipe is an Indian/Caribbean hybrid of a dish that is one of my favorite Trini dishes!

Pelau Chicken

Recipe Courtesy of Island Flave

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs chicken (breasts or thighs)
2 limes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic -crushed
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp oil
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups hot water
2 cups coconut milk
1 can pigeon peas (or green peas)
2 cups carrots
2 cups rice (NOT INSTANT!)
1 hot pepper (optional)

Directions:

Rinse chicken and rub with lime.

In a large bowl: add salt, black pepper, garlic, half of the brown sugar, and half of the Worcestershire sauce to chicken, then set aside (the longer you let it sit, the better the flavor!).

Heat oil in large deep pot. When hot, sprinkle in remaining brown sugar. Once sugar begins to bubble, add chicken and coat well until chicken is nicely browned.

Add carrots, rice, hot pepper, water and coconut milk. Mix well. Cover tightly and cook on very low heat 30-45 mins until rice is almost fully cooked. Do not stir while cooking.
Add pigeon peas. Continue cooking on low heat 10-15 mins until rice is fully cooked. Add additional Worcestershire sauce to taste.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Yummm! Picadillo

After a DELICIOUS trip to Aruba, we mosey on over to Cuba this week, where our recipe will be for Picadillo, which is a traditional dish in Cuba that is similar to hash. It is made with ground meat (usually beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute) and various seasonings.



Often accompanied with rice, the name comes from the Spanish word "picar," which means "to mince" or "to chop".

Picadillo

Recipe Courtesy of Recipe Island

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
450g lean minced beef
60ml sherry
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of ground chilli pepper
45g raisins
160g diced pineapple (fresh or tinned)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
50g red bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

Add a little oil to a large pan over medium heat and use to fry the minced beef, onion and garlic until the onion is tender and the meat is nicely browned (about 8 minutes). Drain off any excess fat then add the remaining ingredients (except the bell peppers). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Stir-through the peppers and allow to warm through (about 2 minutes). Serve immediately with rice.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Yummm! Pastechi Di Carni

This week, we're island-jumping from the Dominican Republic to Aruba... no passport needed!



A traditional favorite for breakfast in Aruba is pastechi. It's similar to an empanada or a turnover.

Pastechis are available at roadside snack trucks and huts as early as 6:30 a.m. Pastechis are even available at such fast food places as Burger King, McDonald's, and Wendy's during breakfast hours on Aruba. But pastechis aren't just for breakfast. They're popular throughout the day.

Varieties include seafood ['pastechi di pisca'], cheese ['pastechi di keshi'], or this week's recipe, ground beef with raisins ['pastechi di carni'].

Pastechi Di Carni

Recipe Courtesy of Visit Aruba

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour 1 tbs. of baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. vegetable shortening
2 tbs. margarine
1 egg beaten
1 cup of water

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a large bowl except water. Mix well. Add water, a little bit at a time to form dough. When the dough is pliable, knead it well.

Prepare the meat filling as follows:
1 lb. finely chopped beef without fat
1 tbs. margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green sweet pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbs. raisins
1 tbs. piccalilli Hot red pepper, finely chopped, to taste; preferably Madame Jeanette Soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, to taste

In large frying pan combine all ingredients except beef. Cook over medium heat, stirring till well combined and onion and celery are soft. Add beef and cook till well combined while stirring.

Roll the dough into a very thick sheet, then cut out circles about three inches in diameter. Place one tablespoon filling in the center of one pastry circle. Top it with a second circle. Lightly moisten edges and press the circles together. Fold or roll the edges over slightly and flute them as pie crust. Fry the pastechis in deep, hot vegetable oil until golden brown.
They may be prepared in advance and heated in the oven just before serving.

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Yummm! Chicken Ropa Vieja with Mangú

I've decided to shake up the recipes here on Miss Moon's Musings!!! For the next few weeks, we will be taking a culinary trip along the Caribbean, with a highlight of recipes from around the islands... and this is NO April Fool's!!! Hooray!!!

First stop on our trip is the Dominican Republic (I could've gone with Barbados first, but why be OBVIOUS about it!?!? LOL)



Ropa Vieja, which is Spanish for "Old Clothes," is a popular dish in Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, and of course... the Dominican Republic. Generally a shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base, this recipe serves up chicken instead. Paired with Mangú, a dish of mashed boiled green plaintains... you are sure to make a meal that sticks to your bones!

Chicken Ropa Vieja with Mangú

Recipe Courtesy of The Yuca Diaries

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Ropa Vieja -

4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (boiled and shredded)
1 small yellow onion
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. mojo seasoning (if you don’t have this add a tiny little pinch of cumin and a squeeze of lime)
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the Mangú -

3 large green plantains
5 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup water
salt to taste

Directions:

Boil and shred the chicken breasts. If you need something to do while the chicken is cooking, begin slicing your onions (in half-rounds) and peppers (in strips). Mince or grate your garlic cloves and set aside.

In a non-stick pan, preferably something with a little depth to hold all the ingredients for the chicken, add the olive oil and turn the heat on to med. high. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and allow for them to cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken and combine with the veggies. Next add the bay leaf, garlic powder, tomato sauce, white wine, mojo, ketchup, salt, and pepper and mix well. It should be quite wet or moist, if not add a little more liquid- chicken stock would work or even a little water. Turn the heat down to med. low and allow for the chicken to simmer and get saucy for about 20 minutes.

First, remove the skin off the plantains and cut into sections. Add water to a pot, seasoned with a bit of salt, place on stove and once the water is boiling, add the plantains.

Cook the plantains until tender. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. With a potato masher, begin to mash the plantains adding the butter while mashing, little by little. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water and continue blending. Season with a little more salt, and continue mashing till smooth.

Serve on a dish topped with the chicken, sprinkled with cheese and of cours.... Enjoy!!!

If you have a Caribbean recipe you'd love to share, be sure to email me!

Miss Moon's Musing About: Baby, Let's Cruise (My Vacay - Part Two!)

Hey everybody!! I hope you all enjoyed the pictures from the first half of my Western Caribbean adventure aboard the beautiful Carnival Valor!!

After spending a lovely day with Mr. and Mrs. D. on Grand Cayman, we parted ways back aboard the ship, and Chris and I headed for the Lido deck for another dip in the hot tub!!


The sky was so beautiful, I had to take a picture of these clouds...


After our dip in the hot tub, we hung out on the beach chair to watch a movie on the big screen!!


I ended up having an allergic reaction to the sunblock I was using (Who knew that could happen?!?) which got worse from actually being in  the sun (crazy, huh?) so I started sprouting bumps all over my face... I was feeling a bit ugly...


Chris letting me know I'm still beautiful... Awwwww!


Fresh! LOL


The Carnival  Valor has a super-uber patriotic them... The buffet area is actually called Rosie's Restaurant and  featured a prominent mural of Rosie the Riveter in tile, along with tiles showing women at work in different industries... pretty dope!!


Outside our Stateroom....


The halls were lined with these portraits of American heroes... Honest Abe was the portrait right outside of our room.


Chris and I both decided to take pictures with him...



The shipped was adorned with golden eagles everywhere you looked. Again... patriotic theme! LOL


One of the best features of the boat was this amazing art gallery on the 9th floor. On your way to the Lido deck, you could stop and take a look at art that was available for sale.




It's a long way down, man!!!


DJ Green Arrow meets the Beatles and Ali


He was holding my bag... such a gentleman!

We had for most of the cruise Channel 11 (NYC) news, so we were definitely glad we were sailing the Caribbean when we saw the news about the Winter Storm that hit NYC.


Days of hitting the pool had my hair screaming "No Mas!!!", so for our day in Cozumel, I decided to braid my hair up and wear it in a bun, adorned with flowers (in tribute of setting foot in the country of Frida Kahlo).


When we left the ship and headed into Cozumel, I had to wonder if the bad weather didn't follow us from NYC...




The rain didn't stop others from enjoying their fun, so Chris and I decided that we wouldn't let it spoil our day!!


When we reached the port, we will blessed with several moments of sunshine... which we took full advantage of by snapping pictures








I stumbled upon this amazing Mariachi Band, so we stayed and listened to them play for a moment.




We found a Mexican restaurant, Pancho's Backyard, that had its own little beach area.

A lot of ships at port... there were lines for every cruise line back onboard. I didn't have a load of dinero to spend on the cruise, but I did know that I wanted to enjoy a Margarita in Mexico, so after checking out the beach area (which had another Mariachi Band.. not as cool as the first one), we went inside.


I cannot co-sign on the food claim, because we didn't eat anything here.. but the latter I wholeheartedly can believe!!








These bad boys were NOOOOOOOOOOO JOOOOOOKE!!!! They were delicious and strong as hell!


Me (and my bad skin) feeling the effects of my Margarita....


... and Chris feeling the effects of his! LOL

While sipping our Margaritas, it started to POUR...




We had to get back to the ship, but we had some time... so we opted to get our drink on instead of getting our rain on. I was properly drunk by the time my glass was half full! LOL



It once again cleared up and time was getting shorter (I had souvenirs to buy for the familia!), so the good people at Pancho's put the rest of our Margaritas into "to go" cups (no jive!) and we made our way through the port (after checking out the shops!) back on board!!





This post is a lot longer than I anticipated, so I guess there will be a Part Three (The final chapter! LOL) next week... Get ready for photos from Roatán and our one BEAUTIFUL beach day!!!