Throughout the Caribbean, you’ll find little stands where the owners proudly feature their version of steamy jerk dishes, usually pork or chicken. The tradition of jerk is said to date back to the seventeenth century, when fugitive African slaves brought their tradition of slow cooking together with the natives’ cultivation and use of hot and aromatic spices to create this unique spice blend. Jerk comes in both a sauce form and dry spice blend. While jerk recipes are often closely guarded secrets of each cook in the Caribbean, there are some basic ingredients common to most jerk sauces and spice blends: cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, allspice, salt, herbs, brown sugar, garlic, and onion. Oil and vinegar are added to the sauce version.
Easy, quick, and flavorful!
Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for both the Fuhrman and McDougall programs. I got it from the Veg-Recipes list, but I’ve adapted it to remove the olive oil that was used to sauté the onion. I also reduced the amount of allspice because I made it as it was listed (1/2 tsp) and it was a little overwhelming. Even with the full amount of allspice, it was very tasty–even my six-year-old liked it, and she claims not to like eggplant.
This comes from the McDougall newsletter. I made this in the crockpot last Friday, and we are STILL eating it! It makes an enormous amount. The taste is similar to baked beans–we’ve been calling it “Sweet Beans.” It’s good, but it’s more like a side dish, so don’t make it unless you are feeding a crowd, are planning to freeze some, or can figure out a way to halve the recipe.
I know beans and rice is pretty basic, but it is pretty easy to make and easy for families to eat!
This chili is incredibly versatile. It freezes forever, it reheats as many times as you dare, you can have it with baked potatoes, in tortillas, under mashed potato.
This is one of my favorite broccoli recipes! It is from the “Vegetarian Mother & Baby” book by Rose Elliot.
2 large onions — chopped
4 cloves garlic — minced…
2 pounds of dried Great Northern navy beans
1 medium onion (about 14 ounces), chopped…
2 16-ounce cans baked beans — (vegetarian style)
1 1/2 cups crushed pineapple — drained…
This is a popular Greek dish which is called Yighantes, or ‘giant beans’. Sometimes even ‘elephant beans’ are used.
1 (15 ounces) can cooked fava beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked fava beans
1 small chopped onion…
Originally this dish was Kik Alicha or Yellow Split Pea Stew. I have modeled this dish after an Ethiopian lentil dish I enjoy to make it more solid.
Oh these are just Fab! Actually I added mustard seeds, let those pop, added two green chili’s (they weren’t very hot) and some ginger. MMM, my dh raved over it – said it reminded him of the vendors that sell the chickpea snacks along side the road in India.
