Wordless Wednesday

Green Seasoning

I picked up a bottle of Green Seasoning at my local natural foods store. I have never heard of it before, but the ingredients sounded good. Spanish thyme, French thyme, celery,chives, leeks, culantro, garlic, peppers etc...

When I got home I had to research it.

Green seasoning is a blend of fresh herbs used in West Indian cooking. The herb mixture varies slightly from island to island or by cook. It's like Dukkah, chai, za atar and other spice blend recipes, each family or area has tweaked it to their liking and has there own recipe.
The brand I got was Trinidad Country Style, and was bright green in color. I found some photos on line from http://www.chilliworld.com/ and http://www.trinigourmet.com/ . Then I had to search for some recipes on how to use it.

I found one from Sweet Hands: Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago (Hippocrene Cookbook Library), by Ramin Ganeshram, (2006, Hippocrene Boooks)

Dad's Curried Chicken
www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/127/19733
East Indians account for nearly half the population of Trinidad and curry is a staple ingredient throughout the country. Religious food proscriptions against beef and pork among Trinidad East Indians of Hindu and Muslim descent make chicken the most widely consumed meat, so it's only natural that curried chicken is practically a national dish. This is my father's version.
Ingredients: 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons green seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup curry powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium-size onion, diced
1 cup chicken stock or water
Instructions: Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and mix with lemon juice. Drain, rinse the chicken with cold water, and rinse again. Remove the chicken from the bowl and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken in another bowl with the green seasoning, salt, hot pepper, and garlic. Toss well to coat and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but ideally overnight.

Combine the curry powder with just enough water to form a thick paste. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the curry paste and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Do not allow the curry to scorch. Add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat. Add the stock, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the lid and simmer for 5 minutes more over medium-high heat, until the sauce reduces by one-third. Serve with roti or white rice.

It was very good and I found I can use the green seasoning for several things, it's good on fish too. In Trinidad they marinate the meats hours or the day before. They will also make their own green seasoning in batches that will last them a week. I think I might try that next time. Here are a couple recipes I am going to work from.

Ingredients: all fresh

chives
oregano
fine leaf thyme (French Thyme)
broad leaf thyme (Spanish thyme or Cuban oregano)
sweet basil
parsley
celery
(and any other you may wish to add, but not garlic or onion, those can be added each time you season meat )
salt
vinegar

Method:

1) Wash herbs and cut up very small or blend in blender in vinegar ( don't add water)
2) Add salt and mix well, then place in a clean bottle and keep in the fridge

Ingredients:
1 bundle of Culantro (about 1-2 cups) you can use cilantro if you can't find culantro
1 stalk of celery (include leaves if you have it)
1 head or garlic (about 11 cloves)
4 green onions (or leeks)
1 bunch of fresh thyme (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup of water
pinch of salt (optional)
2-3 shallots (optional)
2 pimento peppers (1 banana pepper )

Will keep you posted when that happens!

The rest of the Banana

I was out trying to get a good photograph of my Bird Of Paradise. When I was walking out back I notice these on the ground:

Oh yes, I knew what those were. Banana blossoms. So I looked up at this very tall banana tree...

and sure enough a banana bud!

It starts out as the purple bud, then the outer part curls back and falls off, and the blossoms are actually the tips of each banana.

They are getting bigger. the purple bud is at the bottom of the photo.

A different angle.

The first photo was taken in July. Wade kept asking when we should pick the bananas. I thought when the top one just start to turn yellow. But then we didn't want them to turn bad before we could harvest them. It's so hard to notice them being up so high. So we really had to make a point to go check on them once in awhile. Well the tree was starting to lean, and it was getting a little cooler out. Once the bananas are done the tree dies and you have to cut it down. We thought we might as well pick them while we had the taller ladder and before we lost them.

So Sunday that's what we did...errr...Wade did. He's on the top step of the ladder.

Here's the whole bunch! There are several new trees that are already quite tall that will replace the old one.

Here's the tail that broke off when he cut the bunch loose. In a perfect world or climate that would be full of fruit.

Tucker is always so helpful in the yard!

He does love those logs!

Finally the tree banana less!

I might have to bring some north with us when we go for Christmas. Or make tons of banana bread!

Wordless Wednesday

Baked Pumpkin Risotto

I've tried making risotto on the stove top where you add one ladle full of broth at a time. Looked good smelled good, but it just didn't work. The texture was off and the rice still hard. When I saw this recipe where you pretty much dump and bake, I had to try it. It was easy and it comes out creamy and good. I think I had mine go a little longer and it still turned out. It's nice not to worry about stirring the risotto. (well I had to a couple of times) It looked better than the photo, I didn't even take the time to plate it up all nice, but you get the idea. Hope you enjoy it!

Baked Pumpkin Risotto

adapted from Aida Mollenkamp

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, small dice
1 can pumpkin puree
½ medium yellow onion, minced
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil or spinach

1 tsp tarragon

¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
Heat oven to 400°

Combine broth, rice, squash, puree, tarragon and onion in a 3-quart baking dish, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to evenly combine. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake, stirring occasionally, until most the water has been absorbed and rice granules are puffed, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, if you'd like it more creamy stir in some cream cheese (2oz) at this point, season to taste, top with some grated parmesan and serve.

Ginger Shortbread Cookies

We used to make Christmas cookies every year. Both my sister's and I would sit around the kitchen table. We had all of mom's little Pyrex bowls out, (the same ones we'd use to color Easter eggs in) each with there own color of icing. We'd roll out the dough, use all the Christmas cookie cutters. The star, Santa, Christmas tree, bells. I actually bought a set of these at the thrift store once I moved to Florida. I think it came with the spade,heart, clubs and diamonds too. I also bought a vintage cookie press so I could make our other favorite "spritz" cookie. We used color cookie dough for those. I remember my favorite decoration for that one were those silver balls that looked like BBs. What are they called?

Anyway by myself it's just not the same. So I make a cookie that's boring to make, but tasty! I have been making these for years. Sometimes I just bake up one log and freeze the other one until I am ready to use it. Did I mention we have a small family? We don't eat too many sweets. I found the recipe in my: Bon Appétit March 1997

yield: 36 cookies

These delicate, buttery cookies are nice with a cup of tea or coffee.

2 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger (I used a little more about 1/3 c)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional powdered sugar (optional)

Combine flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl. Combine crystallized ginger and 1 tablespoon sugar on work surface; chop finely.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light. Add lemon peel and extracts. Beat in crystallized ginger mixture. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 4 additions.

Transfer dough to floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 6-inch log. Shape each log into 2x1x6-inch-long rectangular log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Cut each dough log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart (cookies will spread slightly during baking). Bake cookies until edges are pale golden, about 24 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 3 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks. Sift additional powdered sugar over warm cookies, if desired. Cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)

Asparagus Mushroom Scramble

I had some asparagus that I was going to roast with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, feta cheese and sliced almonds and bring for Thanksgiving. Well the asparagus was so thin, I didn't think it would roast well at all. I also had some mushrooms and a long weekend off that I had time to make a good breakfast! So this is what I did. In olive oil and butter I sauteed in a large frying pan the asparagus and mushrooms. Sprinkled on a little tarragon, fresh ground pepper and celery seeds. Wade requested the crispy tortillas pieces, so I cut up some white corn tortillas and quick crisped them up in some oil in a small pan then set them aside. This adds a nice crunch and texture to the dish.

After the mushrooms and asparagus cooked around 5 minutes until asparagus was still firm and not mushy. Add the beaten eggs, cream and what ever fresh herbs you have on hand or like. I like to use Pensey's Parisien Bonnes Herbs or Fine Herbs, but you can use what you like. When it starts to set up add the cheese, then tortilla pieces. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and finishing sea salt.

1 T butter

2 T olive oil

4 eggs

2 T half and half, cream or milk

1 cup cut asparagus (you can use less)

1 cup sliced mushroom (you can use less)

1/2 cup cheese (I used jack and Parmesan)

2 corn tortillas cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp herbs of choice (tarragon, chives, chervil, fine herbs)

sea salt and pepper