Had a request for this one so posting here for convenience
This recipe is easy and awesome whole food goodness. You can eat it as a stew, as-is but I love to serve it over seasoned rice and peas.
Caribbean Stew
1 large onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 minced fresh chili (optional. I usually just use about 1/4-1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes)
1 large sweet potato, cut into 3/4" chunks (about 2 cups)
2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 small zucchini, cut into 1" chunks
28 oz. canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 cups loosely packed, chopped kale
1 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
2-4 Tbs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Add more water if desired.
In a covered soup pot, sprinkle the onions with salt and saute in the oil for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the thyme, allspice and chili and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the sweet potatoes and the water or stock and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini and tomatoes with juice and simmer 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are barely tender.
Add the kale and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in lemon or lime juice and cilantro, salt to taste.
Seasoned rice and peas
1 cup of cooked rice (leftover rice is great)
After the rice is cooked, in a separate fry pan, add 2 Tbs oil and saute 3/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of cinnamon over medium heat for 30 sec.
Add 1 cup frozen peas and saute for a few minutes until the peas are heated. Add cooked riced and stir until the spiced oil is mixed thoroughly.
Rice cooking tip:
If you are like so many and struggle making rice the way you like, try cooking your rice in deep water. As it cooks, check it periodically until it is at your desired consistency. Then use a fine mesh strainer to drain the water and then rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water. This will produce a very nice consistency of grain separation, as compared to being too sticky or clumpy.
Thanks Ginger. Going to give this soooop a go.
For the rice:
Should it come out with a consistency kind of like fried rice?
When you say "deep water", how deep do you typically use? Are you talking about something like a tall pot where there are 6+ inches of water from top to bottom?
Have you ever tried a rice cooker? I haven't but tempted to get a decent one.
@bhaz I use about twice as much water compared to traditional directions where the rice absorbs all the water. I started deep water cooking my rice several years ago and love it. By the time the the rice finishes, it should be under at least a half inch of water.
I used to love rice cookers and if you like the way yours prepares rice then go for it. Rice cookers prepare regular white rice really nicely but I'm not crazy about how my brown rice finishes.
The seasoned rice that I posted is kinda like fried rice.
