Coconut Chicken Chowder

Coconut Chicken Chowder 

From D's Kitchen 

Canned Goods:

1 can coconut milk 

1 can of corn (I used super sweet white and yellow shoe peg from green giant) 

1 can of black beans (Goya premium)

Spices and Oils:

1tsp of cayenne pepper 

1/2 tsp of cumin powder

Olive oil

2 cups water

Fresh Ingredients:

2 small yams, cubed

2 large, or 4 small Yukon gold potatoes cubed

1 stalk celery sliced thinly

1/2 Vidalia onion diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper diced

1/2 red bell pepper diced

2 sprigs thyme, leaves roughly chopped

1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped 

Three leaves of culantro, finely chopped (also known as Mexican/long cilantro, or "shado beni" if you can't find this herb use another handful of cilantro or two tablespoons of "green seasoning" found in the West Indian section of larger supermarkets)  

1 large chunk of ginger, peeled (from knuckle to thumb tip)

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

Meats:

1lb Ground chicken breast seasoned with:

1 Tbl Salt

1 Tbl Pepper

1 Tbl Garlic powder 

Cilantro

Thyme

Mix, form small meatballs, set aside 

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil 

Boil 2 cups of water

In large soup pot sauté onions and bell peppers in enough olive oil to cover the bottom (about 3 tablespoons) 

Cook until onions are translucent, then turn flame low and pile onion and pepper into a side of the pot away from the heat. 

Add meatballs (or sliced chicken breast) to exposed pot bottom. Brown chicken on both sides. Incorporate onion and pepper with chicken. Keep covered on a low flame.

In a baking/ roasting dish toss yams and potatoes with olive oil and salt liberally. 

Roast for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and crisp (some black charred corners are okay - even encouraged!) Set aside. 

In a saucepan add coconut milk, ginger, minced garlic, celery and culantro. Simmer on low flame until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir constantly. 

Remove ginger then add milk to soup pot with chicken. 

Add potatoes and yams, corn and beans. Pour enough boiling water to cover ingredients. 

Stir in cayenne pepper and cumin powder. 

Season with to taste with salt and pepper. 

Stir well, remove from heat. 

Serve with warm crusty Italian bread, toasted Cuban bread or French baguette 🥖 

Substitutions and additions:

Use 1lb chicken breast seasoned with spices as above, sliced lengthwise and marinated in lime juice with thyme and cilantro.

This would taste good with broiled or fried sweet Italian sausage sliced and added at the end... yum! 

Make it a fish chowder using firm white fish like cod or halibut instead of chicken. Add a roux to thicken further. Grind and mix nutmeg, mace, and star anise then add a pinch for a flavor explosion! 

Add roasted carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes or asparagus for an added depth. Get crazy and add them all for a super nutritious meal! 

Omit the meat for a great vegetarian dish. 

The Naparima Girl's Cookbook

A few weeks ago, a mysterious package arrived in the mail marked:  DO NOT OPEN UNTIL JUNE 7, 2011. Curious and ever the rule breaker, I opened it immediately. Out slid a colorful and glossy book and saw: The Naparima Girls' Cookbook. "Naparima," I said slowly. I knew that name - a school, wasn't it? Naparima Girls' High School? In Trinidad? Of course, its full name was The Naparima Girls' High School Cookbook. I knew it! I flipped slowly through the pages... endless recipes, familiar names jumping out at every turn - Accra, Buss Up Shot, Callaloo, Doubles - old friends I suddenly felt the need to catch up with. It turns out that all the cooking I'd grown up with, those dishes I dreamed of before and after visiting Trinidad, all were at my fingertips. An heirloom of sorts according to my dad, who was the mysterious sender. Three of my aunties had attended the school - of them one stayed to become a teacher while another became the Vice Principal. I looked at my kitchen and knew that it was in for a surprise. I mean, I didn't even have a rolling pin! So I ventured out to Western Beef supermarket, Manhattan's supplier of *most* things West Indian. I knew that I would need at least some simple base ingredients:

- Green Seasonings

- Pickapeppa Sauce 

- Chadon Beni (or Culantro)

- Ginger 

- Coconut Milk

I already had cumin and garlic, onions and brown sugar. That's right, first up: Stewed Chicken, Trinidad Style, with Paratha Roti (also known as Buss-Up-Shot). I began with making the roti. It was going to need "time to relax" on more than one occasion, so why not start there? Slowly but surely my flour became dough. I set it down for its first break and began on the chicken. I'd made stewed chicken in the past using the method in the book (whoo-hoo! one up for me!) and decided to give it a twist by adding the coconut milk, ginger and Pickapeppa sauce. By the time the chicken was getting happy in the caramel base, the dough was ready to get to work. After more back breaking kneading and rolling (and yet another break for the roti) I got my tawah (a round griddle) hot and smeared with margarine. Plop - sizzle - sigh - gasp. The dough bubbled! Yes! I remember this! Quickly  I grabbed a spatula and flipped like a pro. One down, three to go. My mind raced as I set down my roti as if I'd done it every day. What other foodie treasures lay ahead to be explored? I couldn't wait to begin this journey - discovering myself with the help of a family guide to deliciousness.... a journey to becoming a Naparima Girl in Manhattan.

Do Not Open Until June 7, 2011- Yeah, Right!

The book in it's former glory

Stewed Chicken Trinidad Style (N.G.C) 

Modified by Naparima Girl

1 1/2 lb chicken for stewing (most butchers/markets sell pre-cut packs for less than $3)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

4 Tbsp green seasoning

2 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 lemon, squeezed

1/4 cup brown sugar (light, dark or mixture of both)

pinch cinnamon

2 Tbsps Pickapeppa sauce

Oil for cooking (canola or corn)

2 cups water

1 cup chicken stock

1 can coconut milk (optional)

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Cayenne pepper/ hot sauce to taste

Place chicken in a bowl with lemon juice and cold water while preparing the dough for Paratha Roti. <-- Recipe to be posted later, guys! 

When setting the dough to rest, continue preparing the chicken. Rinse chicken and dry on paper towels or clean cloth.

Combine garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, salt and season chicken thoroughly. Add green seasoning and minced garlic. Cover and set aside for 30 min. In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of oil. Add brown sugar. Let the sugar brown and caramelize, but be sure not to burn it - don't worry, if you do, you'll know by the smell!! Once the sugar is liquid and dark, add the chicken, skin down. Scrape in all extra seasoning and garlic. Let chicken simmer on medium heat until browned, then flip and let cook until liquid is almost gone.

Just before the flip

Add 1 cup water, chicken stock and onions. Cover and cook on low heat, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should be reduced - now add Pickapeppa sauce and coconut milk (or 1 cup of water if going without), stirring thoroughly. Add ginger, hot sauce/cayenne, and cinnamon after 15 minutes. Let the stew simmer for another 20 minutes, checking tenderness of the chicken. The stew should be dark brown and the chicken easily separated from the bone. Taste and adjust salt/pepper/hot sauce quotient. 

Serve with rice and peas, or white rice, with sauteed cabbage/mixed vegetables.  

Note: *The longer simmered, the better stew.*

Note: *Add frozen/fresh pigeon peas (gandules)/potatoes to this stew for more heartiness)

Cabbage

1/2 head cabbage

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

Oil for cooking

Salt and Pepper to taste

* add shredded carrots to this if desired.

Slice cabbage lengthwise (like shredded lettuce). Toss with salt, put aside. Saute onion and peppers until onions are translucent. Add cabbage and black pepper. Stirring or using tongs to toss, cook cabbage (and carrots)  until limp but still colorful.