Weekend Brunch- Blueberry Corn Muffins

Saturdays mornings for me are about rest and relaxation. So needless to say i DO NOT wake up at the crack of dawn to make an elaborate breakfast! I wake refreshed at the crack of noon most Saturdays, HAHA! I come downstairs to my two hungry people, and make something simple and delicious. On this particular Saturday morning, the sun beaming made me think of fresh Blueberry Muffins. Not just any Blueberry muffin, but blueberry corn muffins; the addition of cornmeal adds a little something special and a slight crunch. Try this on your next lazy Saturday morning, with some fresh fruit on the side its simple divine!!!

Blueberry Corn Muffins

• 1 ½ C Flour
• ¾ C Cornmeal
• ½ C Granulated sugar
• 4 tsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 C Blueberries
• 1 large Egg; beaten
• 1 C Milk
• ¼ C Oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Spray muffin tin/s with cooking spray (recipe makes about 12 muffins)
3. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest in large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 2 tbsp of flour mixture with the blueberries.
5. Wisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a bowl.
6. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.
7. Stir in the blueberries.
8. Spoon into muffin tin/s and bake for 20 mins (insert toothpick, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done).

Happy Eating!!!!

Just for Fun- Make your own pizza pie!

Children love to help you cook and feel like they are actually making something. Don't believe me, just buy a child a set of toy pots/pans and some play food and watch the magic unfold. This child friendly activity engages your little one and gives you a chance to bond with them. So take a Saturday afternoon or day where school is out and give this activity a try. All you need is a little patience and few ingredients!

Make your own Pizza Pie

• Pizza Dough - recipe on the Pizza Night In Post
• Mozzarella
• Pasta Sauce
• Toppings: Sausage, peppers, etc.
• Cookie Cutter

Make the dough and cut into different shape. Allow your children to sauce thier own pizza and put on their own toppings. Don't worry about messes, its part of the fun! Bake for 15-20 mins., then enjoy with a family friendly movie..

Happy Eating!!

What's for Dinner- Baked Salmon Croquettes

Seafood cakes or croquettes are very popular in Trinidad, esp as appetizers. However you can always form your patties larger for a nice lunch or the meat for your dinner. Usually seafood cakes are shallow friend in vegetable oil, but tonight i decided to bake them. This "epiphany" did not stem from a desire to be healthier, rather just my disdain (at times) for the frying process. The health aspect i thought of later, haha. Try this recipe and may not ever fry another salmon or crab cake ever!!

Baked Salmon Croquettes

• 2 cans Kirkland Premium Atlantic Salmon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp green seasoning
• ½ tsp pepper sauce
• 1 tbsp Organic no salt seasoning
• Salt/ Pepper

In mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, taste for salt and set aside.

• 2 garlic cloves; minced
• ½ tbsp ginger; minced
• 1 medium onion; fine chop
• ¼ green bell pepper; fine chop
• 1 celery stalk; fine chop
• 1 carrot; shredded
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt/ Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp butter

1. In a sauté pan, coat the bottom with Olive oil and add the garlic, ginger, thyme and red pepper flakes. Turn heat on to medium high.
2. When the garlic begins to “dance” add the onions and carrots. Salt the mixture and sauté for 3 min.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables, sauté until the veggies are tender. Deglaze the pan with the Worcestershire sauce and butter. Mix well and turn off the heat.
4. Allow to cool for 10 mins.

• ½ -1 C bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• Paprika, for sprinkling

1. Add the sautéed vegetables to the salmon mixture in the mixing bowl, along with breadcrumbs (as much as is needed to reach the consistency you prefer) and eggs.
2. Form into patties and place on greased cookie sheet, sprinkle each side of the patties with paprika and spray them with PAM.
3. Bake at 400º F for 20 mins, flip patties at 10 mins to allow for each side to get golden brown.
4. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet or wire rack.

Happy Eating!!!

What's for Dinner- Trini Chinese Sweet & Sour Shrimp

Traditional Chinese dishes prepared with the flavors and ingredients of the island have been lovingly named Trini-Chinese food!! These recipes are just another part of Trinidad's unique multi-cultural cuisine. From fried rice to wontons, we love it all...

Trini-Chinese Sweet & Sour Shrimp

• 2 lbs shrimp; shelled and cleaned (Marinate with salt/pepper, thyme, organic no salt seasoning, green seasoning, pepper sauce and 1 tbsp corn starch)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ tbsp fresh ginger; minced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 carrots; cut in strips
• 2 bell peppers (1 green, 1 red); cut in strips
• 2 celery stalks; cut in strips
• 3 scallions; chopped

Sauce- combine all ingredient in mixing bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.

• 2 tbsp cornflour (mixed into ¼ C water)
• ¼ C white vinegar
• ¼ C pineapple or orange juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/3 C water
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 3 pinches of salt

1. Heat vegetable oil and red pepper flakes in wok and stir fry shrimp for 4-5 min; Shrimp is done when it turns color to pink. Remove from wok and set aside.
2. Add a little more oil then garlic, ginger, onion, carrots and celery, stir fry for 4-5, then add the bell peppers and stir fry for an additional 2-3 mins or until the vegetables are cooked to your preference.
3. Turn the heat to low, and add the sauce, cook stirring constantly until the sauce thickens (about 1-2mins).
4. Add the cooked shrimp back to the wok and stir together.
5. Turn off heat and allow to set for 3-5 mins before serving, garnish with the chopped scallions.
6. Serve with rice.

Happy Eating!!!

What's for Dinner- Mammy's Stew Fish

Fish is an integral part of the Trini cuisine and growing up, my mother would prepare fish for dinner at least 3 times a week. We ate King Fish, Blue Fish, Salmon and of course Whiting. I love fish, and this is one of the simplest yet flavor packed methods of preparing it. We call it stew fish, but the actual method closer to poaching. Poaching is the process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally water, stock or milk. I make this recipe using salmon or tilapia. If your feeling exotic, give my Dad's favorite fish King Fish a try, i'm sure you love it. Remember fish is an excellent source of nutrition, add some to your weekly meals!!

Mammy's Stew Fish

4 Fillet of any fish (marinate with lemon juice, thyme, green seasoning, salt/pepper for at least and hour prior to preparing this dish, longer marinating yields more flavor. Can be refrigerated for up 24 hours)

• 2 garlic cloves; minced
• 1 tsp ginger; minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large onion; ½ finely chopped, ½ sliced
• 1 large vine ripened tomato; sliced
• ¼ C Ketchup
• 1 tbsp green seasoning
• 1 tsp pepper sauce
• ½-1 C water or vegetable stock (depending on how much gravy you want)
• Olive Oil
• Salt/ Pepper

1. In large sauté pan, coat the bottom with Olive Oil and add the garlic, ginger, thyme and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat on to medium high.
2. When the garlic begins to “dance”, add the chopped onions. Season the onions with salt/ pepper. Allow the onion to cook until they become translucent.
3. Place the fish fillets in the pan, cook on one side for 30 sec then flip them.
4. Arrange the tomato slices and the onion slices on the top of each fish fillet.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the water/stock, ketchup, green seasoning and pepper sauce. Whisk until completely incorporated.
6. Pour mixture directly onto the fish. Cover the pan, turn down the heat to medium low and cook for 20 mins.

Happy Eating!!

One Pot Wonders- Ning Ning's Chili

There isn't much that beats cooking an entire meal in one pot. That's something i love about making Chili. You can have chili alone, or with rice, over a burger, with nachos.. the possibilities are endless. There are basically 2 types of Chili- meat only and meat with beans; and within these two types everyone has their own special way of preparing it. I developed my recipe from not wanting to just eat a bowl of meat, haha, but also not liking the traditional red beans. This is where my use of Channa (chick peas) came from... and whats more Trini than adding Channa wherever possible. My recipe adds in traditional flavors from Trinidadian cuisine to this "all American" staple.

Ning Ning’s Chili

• 1 lb ground turkey; well seasoned
• 3 garlic cloves; minced
• 2 tsp ginger; minced
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 large onion; chopped
• 2 carrots; shredded
• 1 12oz can sweet corn
• 1 16oz can Channa (chick peas)
• 2 C chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp green seasoning
• 1 tsp pepper sauce
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp CHIEF curry powder
• Salt/Pepper
• Olive Oil

1. In cast iron pot or dutch oven, coat the bottom with Olive Oil. Add in the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary.
2. Turn on heat to medium high. When the garlic starts to dance (sizzle around the edges) add in the onion and carrots. Salt the vegetables.
3. Cook the onion and carrots until the onions become soft and translucent.
4. Add the ground turkey in the center of the pot, cook for 5 mins.
5. Deglaze pot with half the stock, scrape all the caramelized meat bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Add in the tomato paste, ketchup and the remainder of the seasonings (green seasonings, pepper sauce, bouillon, chili and curry powders). Bring to a simmer and taste.
7. Add the remaining stock, turn heat to low and simmer with the pot covered for 20 mins.

Happy Eating!!!

Sweet Thing- Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

What to say about these cookies... hmm nothing but YUM YUM YUM!! Soft and chewy, and almost "healthy"!! See here is the twist, bc with Naimah there is always a twist, instead of just raisins.....i add Raisinets- Chocolate covered raisins!!

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

• 2 stick butter; softened
• 1 C brown sugar
• ½ C granulated sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 ½ C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 C Quaker Oats
• ½ C raisins
• ½ C chocolate covered raisinets

Preheat oven to 350º F

1. In large bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Stop and scrap bowl.
4. Add flour mixture slowly, until fully incorporated.
5. Stir in raisins and raisinets; mix well.
6. Drop round tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet
7. Bake 10-12 mins until golden brown.
8. Cool 1 min on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Eating!!!