Peas Soup and Dumplings

Dumpling Soup made with pinto beans

Peas soup and dumplings or dumpling soup is the “official soup” of the Bahamas. There are some of us, however, who prefer using beans instead of peas, in which case, I guess, it becomes bean soup☺

It is quite common to consume a great deal of soup during the wintry months. Bahamians, on the other hand, devour this stuff year round. Besides, it is quite warm here almost every day, even in the “winter.”

Ingredients for a large pot of soup:

• Two 14 oz cans pigeon peas or pinto beans**
• 2 lbs all-purpose flour
• 2 lbs ham, diced (traditional meat used is salt beef)
• 2 lbs spare ribs (ask your butcher to cube them for you)
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 2 medium white sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 plantains, sliced (medium ripe)
• Thyme
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• Hot Pepper (optional)

**You may use packaged peas/beans and cook according to the instructions on the package.

Instructions:

1. Scald ham and spare ribs for about 15 minutes.
2. Rinse of all residue and place in large pot filled with water.
3. Cook until meat is tender, adding water when needed. (Don’t allow the water to dry out).
4. Combine flour and water to make dough for the dumplings. Knead until smooth.
5. Roll the dough out and cut into strips (you may also hand-roll as I always do).
6. Add all remaining ingredients and dumplings. Season according to desired taste.
7. Cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until soup has reached desired consistency.
8. Enjoy!!

Dumpling Soup made with pigeon peas

My Unconventional Apple Pie

As the name implies, this is not your usual apple pie. The crust for this pie was made from the ingredients of a basic cookie recipe shown  here :

For the filling, I combined four sliced apples, cinnamon, sugar and two tablespoons of cornstarch in a pot and prepared it over medium heat until the apples were tender and a nice sauce is formed.

Knead the crust on a lightly floured board and place in a pie pan, pour in the filling and fold the crust inward to cover and seal in the filling. Brush with egg wash and bake for an hour or until the pie turns golden brown. Slice and enjoy.

Too bad I didn’t have any ice cream that day ☺

Bahamian Peas and Rice

Peas and Rice is arguably the main dietary staple of Bahamians. Here in the Bahamas, we consume it on a daily basis; mainly at lunch and dinner times. Visit any down-home, or formal restaurant here in the Bahamas, and you’re sure to find peas and rice on the menu (on any given day).

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 small sweet pepper
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Sprig or two of fresh thyme
• Salt  & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp browning sauce (optional)
• 1 large can of regular pigeon peas or pigeon peas in coconut milk
• 2 cups long grain white rice (uncooked)
• 3 cups water

Instructions:

1. Dice onion and sweet pepper
2. In a hard-bottom pot heat up oil and fry onion and sweet pepper along with the thyme.
3. Stir in tomato paste, add salt and pepper to taste (and the browning sauce if using).
4. Add the pigeon peas and stir well, add water and bring to a boil. Season to taste.
5. Add the rice until it is about an inch and a half below the water line.
6. Stir well, lower the stove to medium with pot uncovered.
7. While the pot is simmering, stir at regular intervals.
8. When the rice has absorbed most of the water, turn the stove to low heat and cover the pot.
9. Leave to steam until fully cooked.
10. Enjoy with meat or fish...if you wish.

Caramel and Candy Apples

This one is for the kids…and for the kid in you. To kick it up a notch, you could dip your candy-coated apples in coconut flakes, finely chopped nuts, or even m&m’s if you want to be extra fancy.

P.S. be sure to have your dentist on speed dial, lol!!

Caramel Apples:

Ingredients:

• 6 medium golden apples
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• Wooden skewers/popsicle sticks

Directions:

To make caramel, immerse unopened can of condensed milk in a pot of water and boil for about 2 hours. Make sure the water doesn’t dry out and the can is kept cover with water throughout the entire process.

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Insert skewers into the apples
3. Allow can to cool before opening, and then pour contents into a bowl.
4. Swirl apples in caramel until fully coated.
5. Place apples on cookie sheet and allow to set.

Candy Apples:

Ingredients:

• 6 medium red apples
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• Red food coloring
• Wooden skewers/popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Insert skewers into the apples
3. Bring sugar and water to boil in a hard pot, stirring constantly until temps read 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Add a few drops of food coloring.
5. Quickly dip each apple in the syrup until fully coated. Swirl to allow excess to fall off.
6. Place on cookie sheet to cool.

Note: Always keep a close eye on the pot while making the syrup or it could burn. Be sure to dip the apples quickly before the candy hardens.

Crab with Tuna Salad

Here’s a simple and tasty recipe for my crab with tuna salad:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked cooled crab meat, flaked
• ¼ cup flaked tuna
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 1 small tomato, dice
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• Juice from one fresh lemon
• Salt & black pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large medium/large mixing bowl. Voila!!

Serve with crackers or dinner rolls and enjoy.

Note: If lump crab is unavailable, imitation crab may be used.

Curry Chicken

This is curried chicken done my way. It consists of segmented chicken wings seasoned with curry powder, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powders. 

The chicken is placed in a medium pot, then a can of cream of chicken soup along with diced potatoes, carrots, chopped onions and sweet pepper are added. After thoroughly combining all of the ingredients, I proceed to cook the curry on medium to low heat for about an hour or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.  Serve over white rice, delicious!! 

Ham and Cheese Sandwich Platter

It doesn’t get any easier than this folks, when you are in absolutely no mood for cooking; a sandwich platter is the way to go. And with the weekend approaching, well, you know the rest, lol!!

All it took was one loaf of bread and a few slices of ham and cheese to get a platter filled with sandwiches. Of course a family like mine could do with more than just one platter☺

Frosted Cookies

Nothing beats a batch of homemade cookies. The aroma they give off throughout the entire house just warms the heart. My hubby and kids scarfed these down so quickly; I was left with only the tiny center ball to sample.

I reduced the sugar from one cup to half a cup because of the frosting; you don’t want them too sweet. Have fun!!!

Ingredients:

• 3½ cups flour
• ½ cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Directions:

1. Combine flour baking powder and salt and set aside. 
2. Cream together butter and sugar. 
3. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla.  
4. Gradually add flour mixture until well blended.   
5. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
7. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface. 
8. Cut out into desired shapes and place on greased cookie sheets. 
9. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until very lightly browned.  
10. Remove from cookie sheets and allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• food coloring

1.  Combine first three ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add milk if mixture is too stiff
3. Add a few drops of food coloring until desired shade is achieved.
4. Use a knife to spread frosting on cookies.
5. Arrange on platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Meatballs

When it comes to feeding a crowd you can’t go wrong with meatballs. These tasty finger foods are always a hit at parties and other social events. I chose ground turkey instead of beef because of its low fat content. This recipe is quite simple, but the taste is outstanding.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Ground Turkey
• 2 cups (Italian) Breadcrumbs
• 2 Eggs
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

Directions:

1. Season ground turkey with salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powders.
2. Add breadcrumbs and eggs and blend well. Don’t overmix or you could end up with ‘turkey dip’
3. Scoop and shape ground turkey into meatballs (use a regular kitchen teaspoon for scooping).
4. Arrange meatballs on greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degrees preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until well browned. 
5. Coat with sauce and serve.

(Makes 35 – 40 meatballs)

Sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp mustard                   
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds then coat meatballs.

Easy Banana Bread

Let’s begin the New Year with something really simple. Here’s my recipe for easy banana bread. One loaf was definitely not enough; this was gone way too soon ☺

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add sugar, vegetable oil then stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.
4. Lastly stir in the mashed bananas and nuts and mix well.
5. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Note: as an option, you may also add raisins