West Indian food

[Cha]

Am bored to death with what I cook and although I have dabbled with West Indian food, it has always been with my friend beside me, telling me what to do. As she can't be there every meal time, I would love some help!
I don't eat or cook meat - major drawback, I know - but am happy to do fish and seafood. At the moment I have 6 plantains in my frige all begging to be cooked, and a forlorn tin of ackee. Any suggestions? Dp's Mum is from Aruba (then Monseratt and Antigua) - are there any good dishes from there that anyone knows?

See, I'm asleep. Kateandthegirls, glad that YOU are going to try rice and peas. Zephyrcat, you need to try ackee and saltfish. You can buy ackee in most supermarkets.

Yum!!!!

The rice and peas turned out really well, and it was so easy. You were right - the whole chili pepper really did add a flavour without adding any heat (I was sceptical that I'd be able to taste it to be honest). I'll be making that again.

Really happy kateandthegirls. By the way, what time is it where you are?

We're 5 hours behind, so now it's 7:18pm.

zephyrcat, have you made any new dishes yet?

I'm actually going into town to find some ingredients today.... been skint for the last week!! Plus dp is going away for a week so cooking will keep me occupied!! I'm not sure what I'll find though, our local town is far from resourceful but will do my best!!

well I haven't forgotten you. Will be looking out some things to pop into post to you this week. Been crap getting things done over the past two weeks. Babies better though and so will be out and about doing all those things I promised. Have you ever made/had cornmeal porridge. Going to pop some of that in your parcel with instructions.

How's your cooking going kateandthegirls (I realize that you are asleep at the moment and will patiently await you)

you're a superstar marslady I was wondering about the ackee and saltfish - is the supermarket tinned ackee any good?

yes darling it's fine. I have some in my cupboard about to make fried dumpling, ackee and saltfish, eggs and bacon for lunch. Some of the family don't like to ackee.

excellent - at least i can rely on tescos for that one then! How old are your little ones? DD is 2.11 and i'm sure she's going to love all this new food - she already loves things like stuffed olives, houmus, fish pate all kinds of mad stuff!!

My brood are DS1 (about to be) 12, DD1 is 10, DD2 is 6 and the DTs are 9 months. DS1 now eats the best. The DTs are being weaned onto "english" food, but as soon as they are able to have spices I will introduce them to a more varied diet. I am beginning to blend more of our meals, just not the spicy ones. How did your shopping trip go today? Did you get the bits that you wanted?

Why are you weaning them onto english food. Give them the real stuff. I wasn't joking when I said I weaned my children on curried goat. After I'd done a few months of allergy cautious feeding (lots of food allergies in my family), I think my kids got more garlic, curry and fish eggs (ds is a bit adicted) in a week than most english people eat in a life time. Ds complains a little if things are too spicy , but dd eats it all up without blinking.

You're quite right sofiaames. Tomorrow they are going to have the same as us. My others all ate chicken drumsticks as finger food. Curried goat it is.

If i wasn't so busy packing, I'd invite myself to dinner.

Sofiaames, you can come to dinner when you are back. Sallystrawberry, yum... maybe whilst I wait for Sofia I'll come to yours lol

Hi all - just come back from town having gone there with the intention of getting everything i need for ackee and saltfish. Went into Tesco and found chinese foods/seasonings. Indian foods/seasonings. Mexican foods/seasonings. Every-bloody-county foods/seasonings but not west indian!!! God I hate this town!! I want to move back to Reading where every other shop is caribbean!!! I'm not going to give up tho Marslady

Just dipped back into this thread - man, am I feeling HUNGRY. Just thought I would tell you that I showed dp the print-out of all the recipes you lot have given on this thead and he VOLUNTEERED to cook them himself. As his only dish is tuna bake (which admittedly he has down to the finest art) this has brightened my dull culinary life up no end. Which after all was the whole point for me to start this. Result!

Well done Cha. I had wondered where you had gotten to. Keep going zephyrcat. You'll win in the end. I'm shopping for you this coming weekend. Find what you can and let me know what you can't find.

Just wanted to let you know ML that I haven't tried any other recipes yet, but when I do I'll let you know!

soon as i see this post pop up it makes me smile! I'm trying to find somewhere else around here where i can buy stuff marslady although its pretty dire - makes me mad !!! I can send you a postal order this weekend - just let me know what it'll be In the meantime i'll keep looking out to see what i can get

Good to know that you are smiling zephyrcat. Come on kateandthegirls, I want to know how they go. May have to book my flight out to be sure that you are cooking lol

ok I can definately get coconut milk, hot pepper sauce (i always have a bottle to hand and put a drop in almost everything!!), gungo peas i should be able to get. I noticed today that i can get dry jerk seasoning on the seasoning rack at tescos - is it better to save time and get one or make it myself? If dp is up for a trip to the big tesco's at the weekend i might be able to get my hands on some ackee - although looking at the 'normal' tesco's today i'm not going to count on it!!