Salt Fish Buljol and Cassava Dumplings
This is a popular dish in Trinidad, it’s what we call “blue food”. When I made this, I was preparing the meal for 30 people, so I will give you a basic recipe for about 4 and you multiply as needed.
Cassava Dumplings
Gather:
1 cup grated cassava*
1 cup flour
6-10 tablespoons milk (you can also use water)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
*I put some of my cassava in the blender because of the amount I had to grate and it was time-consuming. I loved the consistency of it.
Peel and grate your cassava in a bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and combine. Be careful adding the milk/water, because the cassava has its own moisture. Knead the dough and add the milk, until your consistency is firm but pliable.
Bring a pot of water to boil.
Cut the dough into smaller balls. Flatten and add to boiling water. Let them cook for about 5 minutes or so.
Dumplings float to the top of the pot when they are done. Drain and serve.
Salt Fish Buljol
Gather:
1/2 lb boneless salted fish (I got Salted Pollock at my grocery)
1-2 Large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 Large Green Pepper, chopped
3 Pimento Peppers, chopped
1 stalk Chive, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cilantro leaves, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
Scald salt fish in hot water. Let sit for 15-20 minutes for fish to soften and remove some of the salt. I squeezed the lime on the fish and put the pieces in with it while it sat.
Salt fish in hot water
Using a fork or your hands, shred fish into small pieces.
Shredded Fish
To your shredded fish, add peppers, tomatoes, onions, chive and cilantro.
veggies added to the fish
Finally, heat oil and add garlic to oil, let that sweat until it is golden brown. Remove garlic from oil carefully, then add oil to the fish mixture.
Serve.
Yummy for your tummy!
Shrimp and Coconut Lime Rice
For my lunch today, I’m keeping it simple. Pesto Shrimp, steamed vegetables and a little coconut lime rice. I got the original recipe at The Shrinking Kitchen added vegetables and halved everything. Of course I started the day with my delicious Green smoothie. But I decided to have a heavier lunch, since my cardio burn class on a Tuesday really takes a lot out of me. So I have to make sure and eat well.
The original recipe makes 6 servings. I’m making only enough for 2. So I halved everything.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings (perfect for lunch and you have leftovers for dinner)
What you will need:
1 pound shrimp (I used pre-cooked shrimp, since I’m making this before I leave for work, time is of the essence here)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon I used cayenne pepper powder, since I forgot to get dried peppers at the grocery
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
(the original recipe called for honey, I decided to skip this)
For the Rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light coconut milk (left over milk I froze to use in smoothies)
1 cup long grain white rice
2 teaspoons lime zest
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 green onion, thinly sliced
For the vegetables:
2 cups of mixed vegetables (bought pre-chopped)
1 tablespoon of ginger (love the flavour it gives them)
Step by step To Prepare the Shrimp
1. Add the cilantro, lime juice, ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper to the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse while drizzling in 3 tablespoons of olive oil till mixture forms a paste.
3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat.
4. Add the shrimp then cilantro and toss to combine. Since shrimp is already cooked, you can saute this for 3 mins and it will be ready.
To Prepare the Rice
5. Bring water, salt and coconut milk to a boil.
6. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to a simmer.
7. Allow rice to simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
8. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, zest and green onion.
To Prepare the Veggies:
9. Steam for 6 minutes.
Lunch is gonna be yumm-O today.