Chicharrones,Pork Rinds,Scratchings…These are all words for the most popular bar snack, of pork skin, which has been either fried or roasted to a crispy, and moreish food. This is served in roast dinners,salads,sprinkled over stews or put into arepas(A Central/South American cornbread). This is the spicy version!!
INGREDIENTS
300-600 grams of Pork Skin-Cut into 1 inch pieces or to any desired size..It can always be kept whole
SEASONING:
1-2 Teaspoons(2 if using 600 grams of pork skin) each of-
Garlic Powder,Black Pepper,Salt, Thyme, Chilli and Pimentón Picante(Hot Spanish Paprika).
A little oil to help seasonings stick to the fat.
METHOD
Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat, and rub into it, along with a little trickle of oil. This can be left to marinate overnight, for better results. Place on a baking tray, in a preheated oven on 180 degrees. Roast until crisp and golden(If it colours too quickly turn down by 10-20 degrees), which can take 20-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the skins. Leave for longer if you are leaving the skins intact and not cutting them or if they are very thick. Enjoy!
This is another take on a lasagne, using a spicy tex-mex seasoning and chicken..
INGREDIENTS
5 Chicken Breasts sliced or more if needed
Zest of 1 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Pimenton Dulce(Sweet Smoked Paprika)
1 Teaspoon of Chilli Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Cumin Powder
A Small Bunch of Coriander chopped
About 750 mls of Bechamel Sauce *See Tex-Mex Lasagne Recipe for milk and milk free bechamel sauce
1 Tin of Tomatoes
1 Onion sliced
1 Bell Pepper Sliced
2 Cloves of Crushed Garlic
A Shot of Tequila(Optional)
8-10 Sheets of Lasagne, or more if needed
200 grams of Cheese, or more to taste
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
METHOD
Fry the onions, pepper, garlic and meat in a pan. Add the paprika, and other seasonings, except coriander. Fry for 10 minutes, and add the tinned tomatoes, and a splash(150 mls) of water and tequila, if using. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Make the bechamel sauce and grate the cheese.
Turn off the chicken mixture, and stir some chopped coriander and the lime zest. Leave to stand. Pour a layer of white sauce into a pyrex dish, pasta and meat mixture. Layer until the meat mixture and white sauce are used. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake in an oven for 30 minutes or more on a low heat, when it should be golden brown and the pasta sheets should be tender.
Hi everyone! I decided to take time out from blogging for a while and refresh my ideas, as well as accommodation issues. I realised in that time, that I had a small backlog of recipes that I hadn’t posted. So without further ado, I give you this recipe as a filling and flavourful dinner and light stew for the blustery and slightly warmer spring days.
INGREDIENTS
1 Smoked Turkey Wing-these are hot smoked, albeit a little bit tough, and require extra cooking to tenderize it. Buy these from a specialist store or Halal/Kosher butcher.
1 Medium to Large piece of Breadfruit-Breadfruit is a starchy vegetable that grows in tropical climates like the Caribbean, Various countries in Africa, and Asia. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/breadfruit.html
SPICE MIX(To be ground in a coffee/spice grinder):
Powdered Ginger, Pimento Allspice Berries, Coriander Seeds, Crushed Chilli Flakes, Cumin Seeds, Nutmeg, and Bay Leaf.. All to taste, add in small quantities.
Pigeon Peas, around a cup and 1/2. I used fresh-frozen peas, but you can use canned if desired.
These are used in Caribbean cultures, in lots of savoury dishes, particularly in the Jamaican and Puerto Rican dishes, Rice and Peas/Arroz con Gandules.
1/2 Onion,1/2 Bell Pepper and 1/2 Spring Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
Oil to sauté
**NOTE: Be very careful with SALT, as there is salt in the wings. Do not add any salt until the near end of cooking time if you feel the dish needs it.
METHOD
Firstly, if you haven’t sliced the meat from the wings, slice in a motion away from you with the knife. Reserve the meat and the bones-This will enrich the broth that everything will cook in.
Sliced Turkey, with the bones reserved.
Chop the onion and crush the garlic.
Blend the spices together and set the pan to heat. Fry the onions, and garlic for around 7 minutes.
Then add the spice mix and pigeon peas, and meat, with around 500 mls of water, or at least to cover the mixture. Simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour or the meat is tender.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the *breadfruit into pieces, removing the seeds. Then set a pot to boil, and add the peeled, cut and washed bread fruit.
Cook for at least 20 minutes, be sure to time it so that doesn’t get too soft, but just tender. Check the peas(Which should be tender with a brown/deep green colour) and meat, and if both are to the level of tenderness desired, add the pieces of breadfruit. Cook for a further 10 minutes for the breadfruit to absorb the flavours. Stir well, being careful not to break the pieces of breadfruit, lower the heat.
Check seasoning, and serve with other vegetables and rice if desired, even on its own. Disfrutalo!!
*HOW TO PREPARE BREADFRUIT- Firstly, you will have to cut the piece of breadfruit into chunks. Afterwards, hold the piece of breadfruit in one hand; and then using a knife, with the forefinger resting on the top side of the knife, and the thumb resting below the blade part of the knife. Push down with the forefinger, slowly moving the thumb, to avoid injuries from the knife. Continue until the skin has come away, repeat to get rid of the skin on all the pieces. To remove the seed, use the same motions as with the skin peeling.
Black women, be heard, this is our time! Learn to SPEAK UP! STOP INJUSTICE AND PREJUDICE, DON’T TURN A BLIND EYE BECAUSE IT’S CONVENIENT, OR TOLD TO SHUT UP!
‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ An old adage we all know well and are quite likely to have used ourselves. There has been much written about the tone argument and tone policing recently, having been linked to debates of feminism, race and politics. We could argue that our old adage has progressed to ‘If you can’t say anything nicely, don’t say anything at all’.
What is a tone argument?
A tone argument is where an individual dismisses, ignores or minimises a statement by claiming it is delivered too aggressively or in a confrontational manner. Someone who uses the tone argument can be identified as a member of the tone police, ‘policing’ the presentation of opinions.
Policing arguments may serve to defend the egos of those who feel they had no intention of offending or upsetting with their perspective on a matter. However, enforcing rules…
Hi all! Getting into the spirit of Christmas and all, I’m finding all kinds of birds,berries,and beers to buy or inspire me to create new recipes. This time it’s smoked turkey wings from a specialist butcher, and fresh frozen pigeon peas(that I had never cooked with before) cooked in one pot with rice. Simple yet delicious!
.INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4-6
1 Turkey Wing
2 Spring Onions,Red Pepper,Chilli, and Garlic cloves,blended.
SPICE MIX:
Pimento Berries, Coriander Seeds,Cinnamon powder,Annatto,Bay Leaf, and Mexican Oregano
1 1/2 Cups of Long Grain Rice,rinsed through.
Half a bag of Frozen Pigeon Peas-These peas are common in Caribbean,African, and South Asian.
Oil to sauté
Salt to taste
METHOD
Firstly, blend the spring onions, pepper,and garlic until it becomes a paste. Set aside.
Then in a dry frying pan, toast the whole spices, setting the powdered ones and nutmeg aside.
Grind in a spice grinder. Grate nutmeg,and set aside with other spices.
Slice the meat off the turkey wing and reserve the bones for the broth.Heat oil in a pot and sauté the onion-pepper paste. Add the spices and herbs after 5 minutes.
After around 10 minutes in total, add the meat, bones and peas. Then cover with water.
Leave it to bubble for at least 45 minutes or until the turkey and peas have become tender. Take out the bones, from the pot, and rinse and add the rice,mixing the ingredients equally.
Leave to simmer until all the liquid has dissolved and the rice has cooked.
Serve with a salad, or steamed vegetables. Disfrutalo!!
Hello my lovelies! I’m back again with a new vegan and vegetarian recipe for the cold winter.
INGREDIENTS
Around 250 grams of Butter Beans soaked for 8 hours at least.
1 Onion chopped,
2 Cloves of Crushed Garlic or more to taste
1/4 of a Sweet Pepper diced,
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme.
SPICE MIX
1 Tablespoon of Aji Amarillo Chilli-This medium hot chilli powder is from Peru,and has an intense sweetness and smoky flavour. Ideal in dishes when mild fruity heat is required.
1 Teaspoon of Shahi Kala Jeera(Black Cumin Seeds)-These cumin seeds have an intense smoky and nutty flavour, and go well with red meats and vegetables that need serious flavour injection.
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon or less
1 Teaspoon of Powdered Ginger
1 Teaspoon of Pimento(Jamaican Allspice Berries)
**1 Tablespoon of Fish/Crayfish Powder(Very Optional, if totally vegetarian do not add.)
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
*1 Small Strip of Ghost Chilli(Optional, just for contrast of flavour and heat level.
Olive oil for sauteeing
METHOD
Drain the beans, and boil in lightly salted water, for at least 45 minutes in a pot, or cook for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker, until tender.
Sauté the onion and pepper adding garlic and spice mix-Grind spices in a mortar and pestle/electric grinder first.
Add the beans when they have cooked, to the pot with the spiced onion mixture. Add the crayfish/fish powder.
Add water, and allow to bubble for ten minutes. After this time the stew will be ready. Serve hot with rice,bread assortment of vegetable dishes or alongside a meat dish.
Hello all! As you may well know, I try to use ingredients different to both myself and you, my followers.. This time I’ve been looking for the best way to use unusual herbs and spices.. This time I went to Mexico for inspiration, by using Epazote. Epazote is a herb used in bean dishes and some meat and fish dishes, to add flavour and take the flatulence problem away from eating beans. Click here for more information on Epazote
I decided that after some research, that I would buy some and use it-I bought some dried online. I also decided that due to the flavour of the herb, I would try to use it on chicken. I first tried it stewed, and the flavour was subtle, and was a cross between dill and mint, and slight floral accents. Then I decided that I would try the next chicken recipe in a batch of fried chicken, making this my FOURTH fried chicken recipe for Mariposaoro! Who can resist the lure of crispy chicken!! In this recipe I also decided to make a change from the regular cornmeal flour or even using wheat flour, using CASSAVA FLOUR (Or GARI to my West African Followers) instead. This has resulted in the most crispy, non oily, and tasty gluten free coating that I’ve used in any of my fried chicken recipes!
INGREDIENTS
500 grams of Chicken wings, or other chicken pieces, cleaned in salt water and drained.
Add a teaspoon or to, taste of each:
Cracked Black Pepper, Pimento(Allspice Berries), Garlic Powder
Hickory Smoke Powder, Sea Salt, Bay leaves and EpazoteCassava Flour, Sea Salt, and Cooking Oil
1-2 Whisked Eggs
METHOD
Grind the seasonings and season the chicken. This is best done overnight for all the flavours to soak into the meat.
Chicken Wings Marinated with Spices incl Epazote, Close UpMarinated Chicken Wings Aerial View
After allowing the meat to be at room temperature, set up your ‘flour’, egg, and meat stations. You can lightly add salt to the cassava.. Although you could just leave it as it is, due to the meat already being seasoned, especially for those on a limited sodium diet.
Chicken, Egg and Cassava Flour Stations
Meanwhile, heat some oil in a shallow frying pan or skillet-The trick is not to deep fry here, only to seal the coating onto the meat (If you’re frying, cook on medium heat for at least fifteen minutes, until cooked through.). Alternately, you can minimize the fat content, by simply placing in the oven to cook with spray oil. It will taste the same! When the oil has heated add at least four pieces at a time, frying on a high heat for 4 minutes in total. Or at least until the meat has become golden and crispy like this:
Chicken frying in a pan-Remember this is only to seal the coating!
Whilst doing this preheat the oven, to at least 200 degrees. place the meat on a baking tray:
Fried chicken done!
Cook for at least 20 minutes, or until cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve with beans and rice, salad/salsa, and tortillas. Disfrutalo!!
Hello all!! If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the last month or so, I have been trying out new recipes and having challenges. I also have been doing a little bit of early Christmas shopping and trying to configure things for my future plans.
I always look to improve my cookery skills in anyway possible, and this past week, I might have just surpassed myself by making Kimchi.. What’s Kimchi, you ask? Kimchi is fermented, spicy cabbage(And other vegetables), common on a lot of Korean dinner tables. The cabbage has a sour taste and is used more as a side dish, but gets used in stews like Pork Kimchi Stew(Kimchi Jjigae-돼지고기 김치찌개), and Kimchi Fried Rice(김치 볶음밥).
I had always liked Kimchi, but didn’t know how to make it.. Until I had a whole sweetheart cabbage that was in danger of going bad in the fridge. I tried to think of ways to make this cabbage go to good use and came across lactic fermented cabbage recipes, and this blog: Crazy Korean Cooking. I set about making this and found it incredibly easy to do. Fermented foods are full of probiotics, due to the growth of good bacteria during the process which releases lactic acid which is good for digestion and the immune system. Here are the pictures of my first time Kimchi Click for Original Recipe Here:
1 Week fermented Kimchi!!
Close up of Kimchi! Very Pungent Smell, but full of probiotics and vitamins.
Kimchi serving in ramekin
All this yummy goodness, and all I did was three steps: Brine, drain and season! After the fermentation process, which may take a week, refrigeration is recommended; Although this can keep very well in a cool cupboard for a very good while. ** Please note that when you go onto the webpage for the Kimchi recipe, that if you omit the anchovy sauce/dried shrimp, the flavour will not be that different! So for the sake of my vegan/shellfish allergy/Jewish friends, I did this batch without seafood, and it tasted very good!!
I am now onto my next project: Fermented Chayote, Cucumber and Winter Radish.
My next Lactic Fermentation project! Created 14/Oct/2016… Waiting for fermentation..
So, everyone, watch this space, more recipes coming soon!
Update:
29/10/2016-
The pickling of this finally happened… But it ended up being a touch too salty! So it had to go for that reason.. 😦
The flavours from the spices came through very well,and It would have been better if I’d rinsed it a few times before fermentation. Aw well! Onwards and upwards to more fermentation experiments!
Hello all!! Like the previous post, Time To Make Lemonade, which details the onward struggle to turn Mariposaoro into a known and viable business; I have come up with how to showcase using my Pepita Seasoning on foods. rather than using it as a sandwich filling and dip. In this recipe, I am using my Pepita Seasoning #2 with pigtails, stewed with a few aromatics and served over rice. Oxtail could be a good substitute, but add the seasoning in the last hour of cooking time, unless using a pressure cooker like I have for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Around 1.5kgs Of Pigtails/Oxtails, washed in lemon juice and water and drained.
1/2 a Jar of Pepita Seasoning#2-This is a vegan friendly seasoning, created by me with a base of pumpkin seeds, onion, bell peppers, dried limes, rosemary and parsley.
1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger, Pimenton Dulce(Smoked Paprika), and Ground Pimento.
1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
Method
Firstly, put the meat into a pressure cooker, filling it until it just covers the meat. Cover, and if using oxtail pressure cook for around 45 minutes on high heat for around 25 minutes, turning down for the remaining 20 minutes. If cooking the original meat, the pigtails, cook on high heat for 20 minutes, then on lower heat for 10 minutes.
Cooked boiled pigtails
When the meat is cooked, drain the water and set aside. In another pot, fry the seasoning in a small amount of oil, adding the spices and tomato paste. Do this for at least 5 minutes.
Afterwards, add the meat, and leave on a bubbling simmer in the pot for around 10 minutes, adding at least two cups of water or around 500mls.
Pigtails simmering
The end dish should have a lovely velvety sauce, which is thick and flavoursome. Stir to prevent from sticking. Serve hot with rice, potatoes, cassava, and salad…. If you’re like me, perhaps some wine too! Disfrutalo!!
Hello my friends!! Like the title states, time to make lemonade.. Its been a busy and stressful few months especially as I’m trying to take Mariposaoro to a new and wider audience.I have chosen to prepare sauces and my Pepita Seasonings #1 and #2 to showcase as products. I am currently looking for places to offer tastings.
Arggghhh!!
It has been a nightmare to try to set up a business and the struggle is ongoing.. I also would like these sauces(and other recipes!) to be published into a book, making things accessible to all.. So recently I set up a GoFundMe page to try to help. Fingers crossed! I hope you take the time to take a look and donate.. And pass it on!!:
Heeyyy!!! I haven’t forgotten you all, I’ve just had a rather busy month! I did a short course about starting up a business (Yes,Dinie dreams too!!), and been preparing for a major event.. I hope to let you know more as the weeks roll on! I hope you all can make it-Well,you London/U.K followers will most likely make it! And I hope you do!
In the meantime, I’ve been inspired and this time its the bakery menu that has a new recipe. They are spiced and fragrant biscuits, using Lapsang Souchong tea! Feel free to use any other tea of your choice.
INGREDIENTS MAKES 30 BISCUITS/COOKIES
100 grams of Plain Flour sieved
50 grams of Caster Sugar
100 grams of Margarine/Butter
1 Lapsang Souchong Teabags- This is a delicately smoky and fragrant flavoured tea, made by smoking tea leaves over pine leaves/bark.
Sieve the flour into a bowl, and add the sugar and other ingredients, including spices which should have been ground to a powder.
Rub together using fingertips, then knead the dough together lightly to mix the ingredients together. Then, add a few splashes of water to bind the mixture into a dough. This should not take long. Make sure the sugar and margarine have combined very well before this last step.
Lightly flour a surface or clean dry chopping board,and roll out a small quantity of dough. Use cookie cutters to shape the biscuit dough,and place in a non stick baking tray. Bake for around 10-15 minutes on 180° in an electric oven. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Serve with.. What else.. Tea!! Disfrutalo!
Roasted Cauliflower time again!! I swear, eating boiled is not an option again! Try this one with a roast dinner or side dish to something plain, as this one has mouth tingling Sichuan peppercorns, and spices to create a highly interesting dish that you will not believe is cauliflower! It tasted just as good as my roast beef!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cauliflower, cut into medium sized into florets-If you use frozen, prepare to cook for longer to draw out excess water from the freezing process.
Drizzle of Oil
Spice Mix (1 Teaspoon each of):
Dried Rosemary, Powdered Annatto, Powdered Garlic, Ajwain Seeds, Salt(less than a teaspoon, as too much salt will ruin it! If using a large cauliflower feel free to add upto this amount though.)
METHOD
Firstly, cut and soak the cauliflower in salted water, for about 15 minutes, then set to drain. Pre heat the oven, and place the pieces of cauliflower in a baking dish/tray. Sprinkle the spice mix over the top, dividing the cauliflower into two. Repeat the action for the other pieces.
Place in the oven. Drizzle oil over the vegetable. This should cook for around 30-40 minutes on 200 degrees. Serve with meat, tofu, fish or as part of a warm salad. Disfrutalo!
