The Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago, The Caribbean & Beyond!
Vegetarian cooking requires creativity and innovation because a healthy vegetarian diet is based on variety and moderation. According to the USDA, dietary guidelines for American vegetarians “who eat milk products and eggs enjoy excellent health, and that ‘you can get enough protein from a vegetarian diet as long as the variety and amount of foods consumed are adequate’. An adequate amount of protein is a concern of any vegetarian diet. “Protein is made up is made up of amino acids and the only vegetable source with all three types of amino acids is soybeans”. A balanced vegetarian diet is one with a wide variety of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruits. In order to create complete protein, legumes and grains should be consumed together. For example, rice and beans or pita bread and hummus create a source of complete protein without high cholesterol sources such as eggs or cheese. Moderation is key when consuming high-fat or high cholesterol foods. Dairy products can be part of a healthy lacto vegetarian diet, especially when low-fat counterparts are used. ” As a result [of a balanced vegetarian diet], many long-term vegetarians have developed eating patterns that are among the healthiest in the world”.
The recipes in this section do not include meat or fish. They may however contain animal byproducts such as butter, milk, eggs and honey.
Trinidad Macaroni Pie. I had often wondered if there is such a thing in a definitive sense, however I have gotten so many hits with that as a search term that I now have to believe that there is. Coupled with the fact …
The genesis of this recipe came about when Nandita at Saffron Trail asked me to come up with a dish that could theoretically represent the West Indies Cricket Team at this year’s Cricket World Cup, for an article she is developing. Caribbean cooking is so …
The Ultimate Stew Roundup is now available online. My submission was Trinidad Stew Beef with Herbed Dumplings 🙂 Do check out the many other entries from around the world 🙂 Unfortunately the roundup page does not display properly on my system. I have written …
I have always been intimidated by soufflés. No, that’s not quite true. I had never thought of a soufflé? as something that should intimidate me, until I saw the horrors that Lucy Liu’s character had with them in one of the Charlies’ Angels movies. Ever …
This recipe went together so quickly and easily. And boy did it pack a punch 🙂 A punch of yum that is! 🙂 I love how the coolness of the lettuce and tomatoes played off of the scotch bonnet’s heat. The combination reminded me of …
Mom and I have been very surprised and pleased at all the curiousity and interest that y’all have shown at our market find! We are pleased to now show you the conclusion of the Saga of the Green Goddess, as Monday morning she met her …
There is something about Sundays. The pace of life is slower, the roads are empty, the neighbourhood is quieter, and the sunshine seems slightly brighter. Sundays lend themselves to leisurely baking like no other day of the week. That’s why last Sunday I decided to …
Like any good food blogger I have amassed a huge list of recipes from other bloggers that I plan to ‘try one day’. As I slowly work my way through them I decided that I would highlight those that are really spectacular in a feature …
Barfi is one of those traditional Indo-Trinidadian sweets that one consumes when attending many a Hindu or Moslem celebration. I have seen it referred to (on websites) as an East Indian fudge or Indian cheesecake. Maybe these descriptions accurately capture the East Indian …
The strains are still somewhat faint, but once the tinsel of New Year’s has been brushed away the tempo of Trinidad life begins to quicken to the crescendo that is Carnival. From now until Carnival Tuesday I’ll be sharing the sights, sounds and TASTES of …
Two weeks ago I bought a bunch of starfruit (carambola) with the crazy idea of using it to make a cheesecake topping. Unfortunately the cheesecake never materialized and I was stuck with these silly green things in my vegetable drawer. Rather than let them go …
A true inter-generational feast. My aunt’s sweet corn casserole, my mother’s callaloo, and my sorrel rum punch. All together on the same stage 😀
Carambola is a fruit that was not very popular in my life until recent years, possibly a casualty of the flood of foreign fruit imports that became popular in the Nineties. Now however, with everyone tightening their belt, local produce is once again taking center …
This dish came up as a whim on my part. I quite like it and think it makes an attractive side to a meat entree. It’s also great all by itself (as I sometimes have it) 🙂 Because it’s vegetarian in nature I think it …
