5 Ingredients or less

Trinidad Mango chow is a refreshing, savory and spicy fruit salad. On the islands, chow is a healthy snack, enjoyed year-round as a respite from the heat. Not only is it delicious, it is nutritious and energizing. Chow is made...

Have you ever wondered how to make the perfect rice for fried rice -on the stovetop, in a rice cooker & and in an instant pot? Wonder no more, I have experimented with each with some amazing results. One type...

Aloo Choka is one of the several vegan chokas we enjoy in a Trinidadian diet. In this easy recipe, potatoes, commonly known as aloo, are peeled, boiled until tender, and mashed with simple seasonings, including onion, garlic, hot pepper and...

Cooking the perfect Basmati rice can be a culinary puzzle I've spent years unraveling. After numerous trials and tribulations, I've come up with some essential steps for consistently achieving impeccable results. We all want restaurant-style basmati rice at home that...

It was another cold day and I was home alone in need of Trini comfort food, so I made myself fried smelt, a substitute for sardines, which are hard to come by. I enjoyed it thoroughly with dhal and freshly...

Growing up in Trinidad more than 40 years ago, my aunt Taina (Dad's younger sister) made this delicious dish of scrambled egg and tomatoes for breakfast. For me, it was more than just scrambled eggs. I was mesmerized by the...

This candied yam recipe was given to me by a co-worker over a decade ago. I have tweaked it to my preferences, reducing the quantity of sugar but it is still exceptionally delicious, and is a great side to your...

In this recipe, lamb chops are simply seasoned with Caribbean green seasoning, garlic and lemon juice to allow the flavor of the lamb to shine. Now that the weather is getting nicer, we already have the grill out. Since I...

Coconut bakes, coconut pot bake, roast bakes or pot bakes, as they are referred to, are nothing short of heavenly. How to enjoy these bakes? Full of coconut flavor, eating it with fried eggs, or slathered with butter or cheese,...

Custard pie is to Trinidad what flan is to the rest of the world. Added spices, including cinnamon and ginger, make this version unique and extra tasty. The addition of the base caramel layer is totally optional. The ingredients and...

On my recent Simple Thanksgiving Video, I created this quick and delicious stove top recipe since the oven was occupied with the turkey. The aim of that video was to create a simple and budget friendly menu for Thanksgiving. I...

When the holidays come around and your kitchen is busy with excitement and choas, there is always one side dish that's so simple, delicious and takes 5 mins to cook. This is a must on every holiday menu. It offers...

Learn to make this vegan Trinidadian favorite that's simply irresistible. This recipe for Trinidadian bhagi (bhaji or bhagee) uses simple ingredients, including chopped spinach, cumin, and coconut cream. This bhagi recipe is traditionally made with dasheen bush leaves(taro) or chowrai...

As I mentioned on IG and Facebook, the husband loved this combination of saltfish and veggies with flour dumplings so much he insisted that I remake and filmed this for everyone. This looks like I cooked all day but would...

Crispy fried okra, also referred to as fried ochro / fry ochro in Trinidad & Tobago, is one of my favorite vegan dishes. The crispiness is so addicting, that I can and do enjoy it as a snack. How to...

Cajun seasoning is a flavorful spice blend used in southern inspired recipes. In my homemade cajun seasoning blend I added paprika, garlic, onion, old bay, parsley, oregano, chili powder, celery salt, black pepper and Himalayan salt. All my favorite herbs...

"Trinidad Hops bread is essentially dinner rolls.  In Trinidad, it’s eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It has a unique softness, delicate, airy, light chew, and totally satisfying." As I shared on Facebook over the weekend, we ate a hearty...

This quick, simple, budget-friendly and healthy steamed cabbage recipe, referred to as "fry cabbage"  in Trinidad and is traditionally eaten as a main vegan/vegetarian dish with sada roti, fried bake, dosti roti, paratha roti, hops bread or even coconut bake...

[caption id="attachment_2736" align="aligncenter" width="1744"] Fried Aloo, Grandma's Fried Egg, Kuchela, Sada Roti[/caption]   Hope the New Year is going well for you. I am finally getting back to normal-whatever that means and enjoying today off from work! This fried aloo...

After a long day's work, there is nothing like fried aloo and dosti roti. That's what I made for dinner tonight. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="766"] This is the best![/caption] I descended the stairs of the train station, walked across two...

"This oven bbq chicken is the simplest thing you can put together--preparation is super easy, using simple ingredients and the result is moist, flavorful, and absolutely mouth-watering." Happy Wednesday! Can you believe that January is almost over? Where did the...

  As we approach the second month of 2016, and as the snow melts on the ground, I am left to wonder how many of us have stuck to our resolutions. My basic resolutions do not differ much from year...

Buljol is a Trinidadian classic and weekend breakfast staple. It's been a while! Where do I start! To give you a quick snapshot, since my last post I resigned from my position of 11 years, left my comfort zone, and...

When I thought I finally had a strong grasp on 40, life went ahead and dealt me another wild card which, if I didn't play right, would result in permanent despair. I did some introspection. I realized that somewhere hidden...

Chicken Puffs: Pâte à choux, a light pastry dough, is filled with savory, flavorful chicken paste.   It's been a rough year thus far, and I expect the turbulence to continue for another twelve months. Corporate mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, increased workload,...

Growing up in Trinidad, pumpkin talkari and dost roti (a layered roti) was one of my absolute favorite meals! Strangely enough, it is also my 10-year-old daughter's favorite meal as well. In my recipe below, cubes of pumpkin are sautéed...

When I create a dish I really like, I eat it everyday for a week...or two.…so when it finally comes up on my list of things to blog about, I'm usually at the point where I never want to eat...

  A few months ago I noticed hibiscus tea being sold at Whole Foods and thought, how strange that teas are now being made using hibiscus flowers(the one commonly grown in yards all over TnT). I made a mental note...

A coconut “palette” (pronounced pah-lit in Trinidad) reminds me of childhood days in Trinidad. I grew up enjoying this home made coconut treat, which was usually wrapped in a very thin, parchment-like wrapper. Strangely, I could vividly remember the scent...

The Canadians visited last weekend for my sister's baby shower. They brought me some of the juiciest, sweetest cherry tomatoes I ever tasted. They were as sweet as a fruit, quite possibly sweeter....and then I reminded myself that tomatoes are fruits..duuuh...  ...

  Since I last posted I have traveled on business, arranged a beach “lime” with my wonderful cousins (with fried bake and shark, saltfish and tomatoes and fry bodi for breakfast and curried duck, dhal and rice for lunch), partied and...

Several weeks ago my train wasn’t working so my husband volunteered to drop me downtown Brooklyn to another train station. As a result, I had the opportunity to chat with his coworker, Cyrus, whom he usually picks up on his way to work. I knew...

I've been avoiding the kitchen like the plague. Recipe testing and emotional eating have taken a toll on my "physique"...it also doesn't help that I usually prepare six 5 star meals on the weekend for my beloved family...that "insanity" has...

In this simple raw mango chutney, a raw half ripe mango is pureed with garlic, bandania (culantro) and hot pepper(s) to create an exotic blend of flavors. Raw mango chutney is traditionally enjoyed with fried bake and shark, aloo pie,...

Peanut butter and bananas are a match made in food heaven - whether you enjoy it on a sandwich or in a smoothie! I prepare this smoothie for my kids for a snack or a breakfast drink and it’s definitely a savior when...

Ever so not-so-often, when I am fortunate to have both the luxury of time and patience, I enjoy the challenge of trying a new recipe. These are my notes on my attempt……In other words..the following is moi interviewing moi. Which recipe did...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="943"] Trinidad sardine choka, served with Fried Bake[/caption] Trinidad Sardine Choka If you’re in a rush but still craving a hearty, healthy meal, Trinidad Sardine Choka is here to save the day. This traditional Trinidadian dish combines...

Chow, in Trinidad and Tobaho,  is a simple, refreshing combination of fresh fruits, garlic, and culantro-also known as bandhania or shado beni. Consider it a "spiced up" fruit salad.   [Culantro, also known as bandania or shado beni]   The...

If you would like a variation to the regular sweet potato fries or oven sweet potato fries....or maybe you are looking for a healthy "comfort food" to snack on......or a new side dish to serve alongside your Thanksgiving, Christmas, weeknight or...

'Trinidad Gulgula' are flavorful, deep-fried banana fritters." Gulgula Recipe: Traditional Banana Fritters You’ll Love If you're looking for a quick, sweet snack or a simple dessert, look no further than Gulgula, the traditional banana fritters! Made with just a handful...