Jerk Cauliflower

http://divaliciousrecipes.com/2016/09/14/jerk-cauliflower/
Serves 4
Ingredients
  1. 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Marinade
  1. 5 scallions/spring onions
  2. 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  6. 1 teaspoon marjoram
  7. 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  8. 2 scotch bonnet peppers
  9. 2 tablespoon lime juice
  10. 2 tablespoon olive oil
  11. 1/4 cup vinegar
  12. ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  13. ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  14. 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  15. 2 cloves garlic
  16. 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. Chop the spring onions, peppers, onion and garlic.
  2. Place in a food blender and add the remaining marinade ingredients.
  3. Puree until you have a smooth consistency.
  4. Place the cauliflower florets in a bowl and add about a quarter of the marinade to the bowl. Mix well until the cauliflower is coated.
  5. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F degrees.
  7. Arrange the cauliflower florets on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, turning over half way through cooking.
  8. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
  1. Nutritional Info per quarter – 114 Calories, 7g Fat, 3g Protein, 11g Total Carbs, 4g Fibre, 7g Net Carbs

I went to a farmers market and they had huge orange cauliflower so I decided to use that for this month’s theme..

cauliflower one.png

The recipe calls for preparing in advance and letting it sit in a marinate for at least 2 hours (for me it was closer to 7 hours) .

I used a lot more of the jerk/marinade than the recipe called for (probably twice as much). I’m not sure if that’s partly why the final dish was very spicy.

I couldn’t find scotch bonnets so I just habaneros instead.

habanero.png

This isn’t a very precise recipe. I prefer recipes to give weight measurements for ingredients. For example it says you need I need 5 green onions. Depending on where you get them around here they be about the size of a straw or about ½ the size of a leek.

Onions – what kind? What size? Also, I used all fresh herbs but it wasn’t clear if that’s what I was supposed to do.

(I think this was the first time I’ve cooked with fresh marjoram:
marjaram.png

I thought it needed a little more salt. Overall for me I would give it 7 out of 10. Next time I may cook it at a lower temp for longer.

cauliflower row.JPG

 

Caribbean Chicken

Taken from Food52, adapted from Chef Ginette Richards who along with her husband charters boats in the British Virgin Islands.

Ingredients

  • 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 4 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup organic ketchup

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  2. Add chicken, making sure to completely coat it in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add sugar, stirring well so sugar melts. Turn heat up to high and stir until sugar starts to brown. Be careful not to burn it. No seriously, molten sugar will smoke your entire kitchen out and it’s awful.
  4. Transfer chicken from marinade into dutch oven and brown on all sides. Use a very long set of tongs. Hot oil is one thing, but getting splashed with molten bits of sugar is not fun. You may need to do this in batches. Once browned, transfer to a plate.
  5. Add remaining marinade from bowl into dutch oven. Add water and ketchup and stir well. Transfer chicken back into pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove lid and stir, turning chicken if needed, and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes until sauce has thickened and chicken is falling apart.
  6. Apparently save some cilantro for garnishing. I didn’t see the food image until the day after I made this. 🙂

 

Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • Canadian style bacon

Directions

Poached Eggs

Using an Immersion Circulator

  1. Drop the eggs in a water bath at 145°F (62.8°C) for 45 minutes
  2. Transfer to an ice bath
  3. Bring a pot of water up to a simmer, and then lower the temperature
  4. Carefully crack and peel the eggs using a slotted spoon to separate out the loose whites
  5. Drop the eggs into the low-simmering water for 1 minute

Traditional Method

  1. Heat the water: Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart saucier.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  3. Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin.
  4. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it’s all smoothly spinning around.
  5. Add the egg: Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from “feathering,” or spreading out in the pan.
  6. Let it poach: Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 5 minutes. Don’t peek, poke, stir or accost the egg in any way.
  7. Lift it out: Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Alternatively, move the egg to an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Reheat in warm water just before serving.

Canadian Bacon

  1. Heat 1 tsp butter a non-stick frying pan on medium
  2. Once pan is hot, cook the bacon until it browns on each side

Hollandaise Sauce

  1. In the container of a blender, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and dijon. Blend until combined
  2. Place butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave at half power, stirring every 15-20 seconds, until completely melted, keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t splatter, about 1 1/2 minutes total
  3. With the blender running on medium-high speed, very slowly pour the hot, melted butter into the egg yolk mixture in a steady, thin stream until all of the butter is incorporated and the sauce is thick
  4. You can keep the sauce warm by placing the blender pitcher into a container of hot water until ready to serve