Jamaican Christmas Cake / Rum Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup butter

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. browning

2 Tsp. lime juice 

1 Tsp. lime zest

2 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tsp. almond extract 

8 Eggs

2 Cups flour

1 Tsp. baking powder

1/4 Salt 

1 Cup white rum

1 Cup port wine

3 Cups mixed fruits (raisins, prunes, citron, currants, cherries and dates)
3 Cups water

Prepare fruits:

1.  Cut prunes raisins and currants in halves. 
2. Place fruits in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
3. Cover fruits with a mixture of rum and port wine. 
4. From time to time, examine fruits and add more rum and wine if necessary.

* Fruits can be soaked anywhere from overnight up to a year. 

Instructions:

1. Blend soaked fruits, citrons, cherries and dates and set aside. (Blend in port wine and rum left over from the jar. Add more rum and wine mixture if necessay)
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in browning, vanilla extract, almond extract, lime juice and zest. 
4. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add blended fruits and incorporate well.
5. Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Prepare baking pan by lining bottom and sides with parchment paper and grease with margarine.
7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 
8. Pour cake mixture in baking pan 3/4 way and bake for 1hr 45 to 2 hours.
9. In a separate pan, add water and place in the oven under the cake. 
10. Serve by itself or with wine. 

Ranch Pork Chops

Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4-6 Pork chops, bone in
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp black pepper
4 Potatoes

Ranch Seasoning
1 Tsp. dried chives
1 Tsp. dried dill weed
1 Tsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. garlic powder
1 Tsp black pepper

¼ Cup mayonnaise

¼ Cup milk 

Instructions:

1.  Wash and season pork chops with salt and pepper.
2.  Mix all the ingredients for ranch seasoning and set aside.
3. Wash, peel and cut each potatoes into 4-6 pieces and set aside. 
4.  Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. and spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. 
5. Pour ranch seasoning onto pork chops and ensure to get each sides. (Add more or less depending on how creamy you would like your pork chops to be.)
6. Place pork chops and potatoes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. 
8. Serve hot. 

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

Whole chicken 

1 Tsp. Salt 

1 Tsp. Ground pepper

1 Tsp. Allspice 

1 Tsp. All purpose seasoning

1 Tsp. Dried thyme

4 Tbsp. Unsalted butter

3 Cloves garlic, chopped

3 Stalks escallion, chopped
1 Onion

1 Spring thyme

3 Potatoes

1 Lemon, halved
1 Tsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash chicken, dry thoroughly with paper towel and set aside.
2. Peel and cut potatoes in 6 pieces. Rough chop garlic, escallion and onion and set aside. 
3. Melt butter and add chopped garlic, salt, ground pepper, allspice, all purpose seasoning and dried thyme and mix well. 
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5. Brush or Pour butter mixture all over the chicken, including cavity. Cut lemon in half and place one half of the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Take the other half and squeeze lemon juice all over the chicken.
6. Take chopped escallion, onion and thyme and place in the cavity of the chicken. 
7. In a heavy-duty roasting pan, place chicken in the center and add potatoes around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle olive on the potatoes. 
8. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Ensure to baste chicken 15-20 minutes with the juices at the bottom of the roasting pan.
9. Allow chicken to rest for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve hot

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 Large butternut squash, cubed
2 Tsp. olive oil
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. ground pepper
2 Tsp. sugar

Instructions:

1. Peel, wash and cut butternut squash in cubes.
2. Add butternut squash and all remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Place butternut squash on a single layer baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
5. serve hot. 

Jamaican Pumpkin Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

6-8 Cups water

4-6 Skinless chicken thighs

2 Cups pumpkin or butternut squash

2 Chayote (cho cho)

1 lbs. Jamaican yellow yam

2 Potatoes

3 carrots

1 Spring thyme

2 Escallion

1 Green scotch bonnet pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. allspice

1 Grace or maggi Chicken soup mix (optional)

Spinners

1 Cup flour

1 Tsp salt

Water to make dough

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients together to make dough (not too soft, not too hard)
2. Take a small piece of the dough and roll in the palm of your hands to form a long, thin dumpling.

                                                            Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add chicken and pumpkin and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Peel, cut wash yellow yam, potatoes and cho cho and add to the pot along with escallion, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, carrots and allspice.
3. Bring water to a boil then add spinners and grace chicken soup mix. Cook for 15 minutes or until soup thickens.
4. Add salt to taste and serve hot. 

Beer-Steamed Crabs

Ingredients:

7 Live crabs

2 (12-oz) large beer

2 Tsp. salt

2 Tsp. all-purpose seasoning

2 Tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter

3 Green onion, chopped

2 Tsp.thyme

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (optional)

 Instructions:

1. Rinse crab in lemon juice and water.
2. Add pan to stove and melt butter. Add salt, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, green onions, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper and sauté.
3. Pour beer in pan and bring to a boil. Add crabs and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Roast Fish

Ingredients :

2-4 Fish

1 Tsp. salt

1 Tsp. black pepper

½ Fish soup mix (Maggi or grace)

1 Tsp. Fish seasoning (optional)

1 Onion, chopped

1 Tsp Thyme, chopped

2 Green onion, chopped

½ Bell pepper, chopped

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped

6-10 Okra, chopped

1 Tbsp. Butter

Aluminium foil 

Instructions: 

1. Scale, gut fish and cleanse with lemon juice. Cut both sides of the fish diagonally and season with salt, pepper and fish seasoning.
2. In a bowl, combine all other ingredients and stuff each fish with vegetable mixture.
3. Placed each stuffed fish in aluminum foil. (Ensure to secure the edges by folding)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF o place on the grill for 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve hot. 

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

4 Skinless chicken breast

1 Tsp black pepper

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp all-purpose seasoning

1-2 Garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped  

¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ All-purpose flour

2 Tbps. olive oil

Instruction:

1. Wash and season chicken with salt, black pepper and all-purpose seasoning. Set aside.
2. Add olive oil, parsley, garlic, and parmesan cheese in a bowl and mix.
3. Coat each pieces of chicken in flour then transfer to the parmesan mixture.
4. Place chicken in oven on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (Flip chicken breast after 10 minutes)
5. Serve hot. 

Peanut Porridge

Peanut Porridge 

Ingredients:
1 lb.Unsalted virgin peanut
4 Cups water
1 Tsp. cinnamon
1 Tsp. nutmeg

¼ Salt 

1 Cup coconut milk

1 Tsp. vanilla 

Sweeten condensed milk to taste

Instructions:

1. Blend 1 cup water and peanut to a really fine texture.  
2. Add 1 cup of water and add peanut paste mixture to pan and cook for 15 minutes. 
3. Add coconut milk and 1 cup of water to the pan and bring to a boil.
4. Add vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Sweeten with condensed milk and serve hot. 

TIP Cook on low-Medium heat and stir consistently.

Fish Soup " Fish Tea Soup"

Jamaican Fish Soup

Ingredient:
1 lb. Fish or fish head cut in pieces

6 Cups water 

1 Spring thyme

2 Green onion

2 Carrot 

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

¼ Yellow yam

2 Cho cho/Chayote

3 Green/Unripe banana

1 Tbsp. Allspice

Salt to taste

Grace or Maggi Fish tea soup mix (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Boil fish in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Remove fish and set aside. Add remaining ingredients, except soup mix, cook for 20 minutes.
3. Return Fish and add soup mix. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add salt to taste and serve hot. 

TIP If you decide to use soup mix, use less salt as the mix already contains salt.

Hominy Corn Porridge

Hominy Corn Porridge 

Ingredients:
1 cup hominy corn

5 cups of water

1 cup coconut milk

¼ cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt
Condensed milk to sweeten 

Instructions:

1. Wash hominy corn and soak in four cups of water overnight.
2.  Add hominy corn along with water in a pan and allow to cook.
3. Add coconut milk and one cup of water to the pan and bring to a boil. 
4. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon and cook to a medium thick consistency. 
5.  Sweeten with condensed milk and serve hot.

TIP Avoid putting too much water, as porridge will become too watery. However, corn starch may be added to get a thicker consistency.

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp "swims"

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

Ingredient:

1 lb shrimp, with the head still attached. 

4 cups water

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. all-purpose seasoning

2 scotch bonnet pepper

2 green onion

1 spring thyme

Instruction:

1. Wash shrimp in lemon juice.
2. Add all ingredients in a pan, except shrimp and bring to a boil.
3. Add shrimp and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Serve.

TIP- Once cooked; allow the shrimp to marinate in the pan for an hour.

Toto (Jamaican Coconut Cake )

Ingredients:

Toto (Coconut Cake)

2 cups grated dry coconut

½ cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

¼ lb butter

1 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. all spice

1 tsp. ginger

Instructions: 

1. Mix coconut, flour, cinnamon, butter, nutmeg, all spice and ginger in a bowl.
2. Add vanilla, beaten egg, and enough milk to make dough.
3. Grease baking pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Spread mixture evenly in baking pan and bake for 30-40 mins.
5. Cut in squares and serve. 

Fried Lobster

Fried Lobster Tail 

Ingredients

Lobster tail

¼ cup flour

¼ cup cornmeal

1 Tsp. salt

1 Tsp. paprika

1 Tsp. black pepper

Sauce

½ tbsp. butter

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

1. Add butter, salt and black pepper into a container and place in the microwave for 20 seconds.

 Instructions:

1. Remove shell and wash lobster tail in lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix cornmeal, flour, paprika, salt and black pepper in container and set aside.
3. Add oil to frying pan and allow to heat.
4. Add lobster tail to cornmeal mixture and allow to fry on medium heat. (Remember to turn the lobster tail on each side)
5. Once fried, allow the oil to drain. Serve hot with sauce.

Gungo Peas Soup

Gungo Peas Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef

¾ pig’s tail (optional)

1 cup pigeon peas (Gungo peas)

4 cups water

1 scotch bonnet pepper

2 tbsp. thyme

3 green onion/escallion

½ Jamaican yellow yam

½ Jamaican sweet potato

¼ cup of coconut milk

Salt (optional)

Spinners

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

 Instructions:

1. Water to make dough
2. Mix ingredients together to make dough (not too soft, not too hard)
3. Take a small piece of the dough and roll in the palm of your hands to form a long, thin dumpling

Instructions:

1. Soak peas overnight in cold water.
2. Soak pig’s tail overnight to remove excess salt.
3. Cut meats in small pieces. Add water, meats and peas in a pot and allow to cook for 1 ½- 2hours or until cooked. (Could use a pressure cooker to cut cooking time)
4. Add coconut milk, green onions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, yam and potato. Once water comes to a boil add spinners and allow to cook for 30-45 minutes.
5. Add salt to taste if necessary
6. Serve hot.

Rice and Peas

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Ingredients:

1 cup Red Kidney Beans

2 cups rice

2 green onions

1 spring thyme

¾ cup coconut milk

1 scotch bonnet pepper

1 garlic

1 tbsp. margarine

Salt to taste

 Instructions:

1. Wash and soak peas overnight. (The water should be just enough to cover the peas)
2.  Add peas plus the same water in a pan with garlic to the stove on medium heat and allow to cook. OR Wash peas and add to a pressure cooker for 30-40 minutes or until peas are cooked.
3. Once the peas are almost cooked add coconut milk, green onion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper to the pan. Allow the water to come to a boil.
4. Add rice, margarine and salt to the pan and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes. (Ensure liquid absorbs)
5. Near the end of cooking time, if the grains are not quite cooked, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the rice and finish on low heat.  
6. When cooked, stir with a fork before serving. 

Stew Peas

Ingredients

Stew Peas

2 cups Red Kidney Beans
½-1 lb salted pig’s tail
½ salt beef
½ beef stew
1 green scotch bonnet pepper
2 green onions
2 tsp thyme
2 chopped garlic
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (optional)

Spinners
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
Water to make dough

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients together to make dough (not too soft, not too hard) 
2. Take a small piece of the dough and roll in the palm of your hands to form a long, thin dumpling. 
3. Take a small piece of the dough and roll in the palm of your hands to form a long, thin dumpling.

Instructions:

1. Wash and Soak kidney beans in water overnight.
2. Soak salted meat overnight in enough water to get rid of the salt or add salted meat in water and boil to get rid of salt. (May need to do this more than once with adding fresh water each time.)
3. Place the peas, meat and garlic in a pressure cooker for 30-45 minutes or until peas is soft.
4. Transfer everything including water from the pressure cooker into a sauce pan. Add coconut milk, thyme, green onions, scotch bonnet pepper and allspice in the sauce pan.

Jerk Chicken Burger

Ingredients
2 lbs ground chicken1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Swiss cheese

Jerk Marinade
2 tsp pimento/allspice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 spring thyme
2 green onions
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1-2 scotch bonnet pepper

2 tbsp. oil

Instructions

1. Wash, dry and season ground chicken with salt and black pepper. 
2. Add jerk marinade ingredients to blender and blend. Add jerk marinade to ground chicken and mix together. 
3. Grater 4 tbsp Swiss cheese and add to ground chicken and mix well. 
4. Form ground chicken into burger patties and place it in the oven on 350 degrees or place on a grill. Flip burger every couple minutes to avoid the burgers from burning. 
5. Once burger is cooked add Swiss cheese on top and place it back in the oven for 2 minutes. 
6. Serve hot on a burger bun with your favorite BBQ sauce and mango salsa 

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken

2 Eggs, beaten

Dry Ingredients

2 tsp salt

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground pepper

2 cups flour

Wet Ingredients

2 Green onions

1 onion

1 spring thyme

½ -1 scotch bonnet peppers

Instructions

1.  Prepare chicken. Wash, cut, drain, add wet ingredients, add ½ of the dry ingredients to chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
2.  Beat eggs and set aside. Add flour to a bowl and add the other half of the dry ingredients.
3.  Add chicken to egg then transfer to the flour batter. Ensure to do this individual so that each pieces of chicken can get a nice coating
4. Add oil to frying pan and allow to heat. Add chicken to oil and allow to fry on each side for 10 minutes on medium heat
5.  Serve hot. 

Video: https://youtu.be/9LttWeqaJZ8

Shrimp Rundown

Shrimp Rundown

Ingredients

2 lbs shrimp

1 Cup coconut milk

1 Onion

1 Tomato

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

1 Garlic

1 Bell pepper

1 Spring of thyme

2 spring escallion

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Wash shrimp with lime/lemon juice and marinate with salt and black pepper.
2. Chop onion, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, bell peppers, thyme and escallion and set aside.
3. In a frying pan add oil and sauté onion, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and bell peppers.
4. Add shrimp to pan and cook until shrimp turns pink in colour.
5. Add coconut milk, thyme and escallion and cook for 8 minutes on medium heat.
6. Serve hot. 

Crunchy Coleslaw

Crunchy Coleslaw

Ingredients

4 cups cabbage

½ carrot

¼ cup raisins

¼ walnuts

¼ tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

½ tsp vinegar

Instructions

1.  Shred cabbage and carrot and place it into a bowl.
2.  Add raisins, walnuts, sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar and toss together.
3. Serve chill and enjoy.  

Watch here: https://youtu.be/TF-Qx-vbg2g

Jamaican Curried Chicken

Jamaican Curried Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole Chicken

1 Onion

2 Green onion/escallion

2 Garlic

1 spring thyme

½-1 Scotch bonnet pepper

2 Potatoes

2 tsp salt 

2 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp allspice

Instructions:

1. Wash chicken with lime or vinegar and cut chicken into 1½ pieces.
2.  Marinate chicken for 30 minute with salt, black pepper, curry powder, allspice, onion, garlic, green onion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper.
3. Add oil to pan and brown (fry) chicken until curry powder is cooked.
4. Add water and potatoes cut in cubes to pan and set stove to medium heat. Allow the chicken to cook for roughly 30 minutes or until the chicken in tender.
5. Serve hot with rice, roti or any other side dish. 

Jamaican Potato Salad

Jamaican Potato Salad

Ingredients
3 Potatoes
¼ Chopped onions
¼ Chopped yellow bell peppe
¼ Chopped red bell pepper
1 Green onion/escallion
1 Can mixed vegetables
3-4 tbsp. mayonnaise 2 Eggs

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and cut in medium size squares
2. Add pan with water and 1/2 tsp of salt on stove to boil.
3. Add eggs and potatoes to boiling water until cook. (Eggs can be cooked separately)
4. Drain potatoes, remove egg shells and cut eggs into 4 pieces.
5. Add all ingredients together, add mayonnaise and mix.
6. Add to serving dish and serve hot or cold. 

Watch here: https://youtu.be/FJ1jlRFLOYU

Jamaican Fried Festival

Jamaican Fried Festival 

Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
Cold water
Oil for frying

Instructions

1.Mix all ingredients together and add enough water to form a dough.
2. Divide into several portions and roll to desired shape.
3. Add to frying pan and fry until it is nice and golden brown.(Roughly 8 minute)
4. drain excess oil and serve hot.

Watch Here: https://youtu.be/AJl_cYaa6WI

Jamaican Steamed Fish

Jamaican Steamed Fish w/ Cracker

Ingredients

Fish

1 Chopped onions

1 Chopped tomatoes

1 Green onion/escallion

½ to 1 Grace Fish tea soup mix

½ lbs Chopped okra/ochroes

1 spring thyme

½ Jamaican scotch bonnet pepper

Instructions

1.Wash fish in lime/lemon juice
2.Seasoned with salt and black pepper
3.Add grace fish tea soup mix in 1 cup of water
and mix.
4.Add fish tea mix to pan and wait until it comes
to a boil.
5.Add okra, tomatoes, and onion, scotch bonnet
pepper, thyme, onions, green onions and fish to soup mix.
6.Flip fish to ensure both sides are equally cooked.
7.Add Jamaican water cracker and allow to for 3
minutes and serve hot.

Video: https://youtu.be/OQhMfZLIQec

Deep Fried Okra/ochroes

Fried Okra

Ingredients

1/2 lb, okra/ochroes

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oil

Instructions:

1. Wash okra/ochroes and drain

2. Mix cornmeal, flour and salt set aside

3. Beat egg

4. Add okra/ochroes to egg then in cornmeal mixture to
coat.

5. Heat oil in a pan and add ochroes/okra to fry until
golden.

6. Put okra on paper towel to drain.

7. Sprinkle salt and serve.
Video: https://youtu.be/PuA2od6bXW4