peckings - a taste of the caribbean (my body my kitchen)
TRANSCRIPT
peckings A T A S T E O F T H E C A R I B B E A N
Sean Peters
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welcome
In January 2015, I launched mybodymykitchen.com, a website that
empowers readers to take control of their kitchens and what they
eat, by providing innovative ways to prepare everyday foods. Be-
ing from the Caribbean, I tend to incorporate many spices, flavors
and colors in my recipes and Peckings is an opportunity for me to
share more of my Caribbean background with you.
In this cookbook you will find my take on 5 popular Caribbean dish-
es. These recipes use many fresh ingredients that are staples in
Caribbean cuisine and can be found in almost any supermarket.
I hope these dishes brighten your day and your kitchen!
- Sean
My Body, My Kitchen
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taste list
1 ginger steamed red snapper gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, high-protein
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2 geera (cumin) chicken gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, high-protein
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3 garlic mashed green bananas gluten-free, paleo, vegan/vegetarian alternative suggestions
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4 spinach yellow rice gluten-free, vegan/vegetarian
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5 steamed bok choy gluten-free, paleo, vegan/vegetarian
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6 upcoming cookbook series
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Ginger Steamed Red Snapper
This recipe is inspired by the Jamaican method of steaming fish. The recipe is simple and high-
lights the natural flavors of the fish.
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prep time
10 min
cook time
20 min
serves
8 (6.4 oz per serving)
ingredients 2 lbs red snapper fillet
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 tsp scotch bonnet pepper, minced
1/2 cup water salt & black pepper to taste
method
1 Cut fillets into 8 equally sized portions. Season to taste with black pepper and salt.
2 In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; sauté onions, thyme, garlic tomatoes, ginger and scotch
bonnet pepper for about 3 minutes.
3 Remove sautéed vegetables from skillet and add fish (skin down) to skillet. Cover fish with sautéed
vegetables.
4 Pour in water, increase heat to medium-high; cover skillet and cook until fish flakes (approximately 10
to 12 minutes). Serve warm
Try pairing it with MBMK’s Garlic Sautéed Spinach
Macronutrients per 6.4-oz Serving: 143 Calories, 1 g Carbs, 3 g Fats, 24 g Protein
ginger steamed red snapper
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Geera (Cumin) Chicken
East Indian culture has had a lasting influence on Caribbean cuisine. In Trinidad & Tobago, where
more than 30% of its population is of East Indian descent dishes such as this one are very common.
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prep time
15 min
cook time
15 min
serves
4 (4 oz per serving)
ingredients 1.25 lbs chicken breast, cubed
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp scotch bonnet pepper, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
method
1 Season chicken with salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, minced garlic and cilantro. Let mari-
nate for at least 30 minutes.
2 In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat; add crushed garlic to hot oil. Sauté garlic until golden to dark
brown. Remove garlic from oil.
3 Lower heat to medium; stir in curry powder, cumin and onions. Cook for about 3 minutes.
4 Increase heat to medium-high and add marinated chicken; stir and ensure that all pieces of the chick-
en are coated with cumin and curry. Add water and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about
10 minutes until chicken is almost fully cooked.
5 Continue cooking chicken for another 3 minutes until some of any excess liquid has evaporated; in-
crease heat if necessary. Serve warm.
Try pairing it with MBMK’s Green, Red & Yellow rice
Macronutrients per 4-oz Serving: 203 Calories, 3 g Carbs, 6 g Fats, 33 g Protein
geera (cumin) chicken
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Garlic Mashed Green Bananas
This recipe is inspired by a Puerto Rican plantain dish called Mofongo. Mofongo is made by mash-
ing fried green plantains, garlic and bacon in a pilón (mortar and pestle). In this recipe, we use
boiled green bananas, crushed garlic and turkey bacon.
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prep time
20 min
cook time
20 min
serves
5 (25 oz per serving)
ingredients 8 medium green bananas
3 slices turkey bacon thick cut (optional)
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup water
salt & black pepper to taste
method
1 In a large pot boil green bananas for 15 minutes; drain and peel bananas and set aside.
2 Lightly coat skillet with cooking spray and cook turkey bacon until crispy. Coarsely chop turkey bacon
and set aside. Omit turkey bacon to make this recipe vegan friendly.
3 Using the same skillet you used to cook the bacon, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-heat. Add
green onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
4 In a large bowl or mortar combine remaining oil, garlic, cooked green onions, peeled green bananas,
and chopped turkey bacon; slowly add water while mashing ingredients until thoroughly combined.
5 Add salt and black pepper to taste; roll mashed bananas into balls or serve in bowl.
Try pairing it with MBMK’s Coconut Cilantro Tilapia
Macronutrients per 25-oz Serving: 219 Calories, 38 g Carbs, 7 g Fats, 6 g Protein
garlic mashed green bananas
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Spinach Yellow Rice
Many islands in the Caribbean have their own version of yellow rice. Turmeric or saffron is used to
give the rice a bright, yellow color. In our take on this dish, we used brown rice, a little coconut
milk and added some spinach.
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prep time
15 min
cook time
45 min
serves
4 (1/2 cup per serving)
ingredients 1 cup brown rice
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
salt & black pepper to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coconut oil
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
method
1 Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes until onions are soft
and clear (not brown).
2 Add rice and turmeric to pot and mix well.
3 Pour in coconut milk and water. When mixture begins to boil add bay leaves, thyme and whole
scotch bonnet pepper. Do not cut the scotch bonnet pepper.
4 Stir once, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover pot. Cook for 20 minutes; periodically check the
amount of liquid in the pot. Add more water if necessary.
5 Stir rice mixture once; add more water if necessary. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes.
6 Immediately after rice has finished cooking and is still hot, stir in spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
Continue mixing spinach into rice until all the spinach is completely wilted. Serve warm.
Try pairing it with MBMK’s Simply Tasty Black Beans
Macronutrients per 1/2-cup Serving: 111 Calories, 18 g Carbs, 3 g Fats, 3 g Protein
spinach yellow rice
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Steamed Bok Choy
Bok Choy is also called
Pak Choi or Joy Choy
in some Caribbean
countries including Trin-
idad & Tobago, Cuba
and Jamaica.
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prep time
15 min
cook time
10 min
serves
4 (3/4 cup per serving)
ingredients 2 lbs bok choy, washed
1/2 cup Yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup water
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp ginger, sliced
salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
method
1 Chop bok choy stems and leaves; keep stems and leaves separate.
2 In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add crushed garlic to hot oil. Sautee garlic until golden to
dark brown. Remove garlic from oil.
3 Add ginger, onions and minced garlic to oil; sauté for about 3 minutes until onion are clear.
4 Add bok choy stems, tomatoes and scotch bonnet pepper ; cook for 3 minutes.
5 Add bok choy leaves and water; cover skillet and cook for 3 minutes .
6 Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Try pairing it with MBMK’s Pineapple Jalapeno Cilantro Rice
Macronutrients per 3/4-cup Serving: 74 Calories, 10 g Carbs, 3 g Fats, 4 g Protein
steamed bok choy
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upcoming cookbook
series Be sure to look out for the upcoming My Body My Kitchen
Around the World cookbook series. There are so many
amazing flavors around the world and we want to taste all
of them!
The first of the Around the World series will feature soups,
broths and chilies and has a tentative release date of Feb-
ruary 2016. If you have a soup, chili or broth dish that you
think we should feature in this cookbook, email your sug-
gestion to [email protected].
Visit mybodymykitchen.com/cookbooks for details.