recipes

bajan sweet bread

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>Orlando’s mum makes the best Bajan sweet bread. When I visited Barbados to meet her for the first time, she baked come fresh every day for my breakfast. Divine. Best eaten slightly warm, either on its own or with a little butter.

Ingredients
Desiccated coconut 200g
Melted butter 60g
Plain flour 475g
Margarine (or baking shortening) ½ tbsp
Baking powder ½ teasp
Salt ½ teasp
Sugar 90g
Raisins 120g
1 small egg
Evaporated milk 150ml
Almond essence ½ teasp

Method
Grease the baking tin with the margarine

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚C

Mix the flour, baking powder, sale, coconut, sugar and raisins in a bowl

Add egg, evaporated milk, butter and almond essence and mix to a firm but wet dough

Fill baking tin

Mix 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp hot water and brush on top

Bake in centre of oven for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean

Cool in the baking dish

italian tomato sauce

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>Ingredients
1kg ripe red tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
12 large leaves fresh basil
Salt and black pepper

Method
Skin the tomatoes (pour boiling water on, leave one minute, drain and peel when cool).

Keep three tomatoes back.

Cook onion and garlic until soft.

Add chopped tomatoes and 1/3 of the basil.

Add salt and pepper and simmer for 1.5 – 1.75 hours.

Chop and stir in the reserved tomatoes and basil.

proper irish scones

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>My mother makes the best scones on earth. When I was in university I lived at home, and I used to leave early on Thursdays to get home in time for the scones to be taken out of the oven. They are best eaten slightly warm with as much butter as your heart can handle. Not butter substitute, REAL butter.

Ingredients
2 oz butter
1lb self-raising flour
4 oz caster sugar
4 oz sultanas
½ pint fresh milk
Beaten egg to glaze

Method
Rub four, sugar and butter together

Rub in sultanas

Bind with milk

Knead and roll to 3/4 inch thick

Cut into scones with a glass and glaze with the beaten egg

Bake 20-25 minutes at 200˚C

Cool on a wire rack

pork meatballs with spaghetti

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>My brother and his wife make the best meatballs and spaghetti in the world, but this is an acceptable alternative using pork (more authentic I guess).

Ingredients
225g minced pork
1 dessertsp chopped fresh sage
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
75g white bread, no crust, soaked in milk
1 large egg
A little grated nutmeg
Salt and black pepper

Oil for frying
Spaghetti
Tomato sauce (jar or fresh)
Parmesan cheese
Basil

Method
Mix top ingredients, make into walnut-shaped balls, chill for 30 minutes, then shallow fry 4-5 minutes.

Heat the tomato sauce and simmer the meatballs for 10 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti, parmesan and fresh basil.

sunblush tomatoes from the oven

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>When I first came to visit Australia, I was staying with my sister. I had no money and no job, so I contributed to the household by going to the market, buying cheap seasonal vegetables and making homemade soup and other dishes. This was one of mymore successful experiments.

Method
Core and half the tomatoes, sprinkle on some chopped garlic, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

Put on a baking sheet and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil.

Leave in the over after you have finished cooking twice or three times, or alternatively roast slowly at the lowest setting for about 16 hours.

When they are finished they will be about 25% of their raw size.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

curried goat

~ maireaddoyle ~ Leave a comment

>One of the great things about living in London and having so many Caribbean friends is the food. Curried goat is by far my favourite dish and even though it is fairly easy to make, it always seems to taste better if someone else makes it.

Aletha is the one who makes the best curried goat in my opinion!

Ingredients
2 lbs goat meat
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Half tsp cayenne pepper
1 spring onion, finely chopped
Half tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 tblsp curry powder (medium, yellow-coloured curry powder)
2 cups water
2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)

Method

Cut the goat meat into bite-sized pieces and place in a large dish.

Mix the seasoning, herbs, garlic and onion together and rub into the meat, then cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

Boil the water in a large, heavy saucepan, add the seasoned meat and remains of marinade, and mix together.

Cover the pot and cook slowly over a medium heat until the meat browns, adding water if necessary.

Simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours until the meat is tender.