It's been quite a while since I made this recipe, so I've probably forgotten some of the precise preparation details. I don't remember having any issues with the recipe as written though, so hopefully it's fine as is.

I was concerned that this recipe would be lacklustre and bland. I'm used to Jamaican patties being filled with delicious spiced beef. A meatless version seemed like it might not pack much punch flavour-wise. Boy was I wrong! These were delicious! The seasonings are superb and the combination of veggies called for works really well together. Just serve them with a nice spicy, vinegar-y hot sauce and you're good to go!

Vegetarian Jamaican Patties

Slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice berries, ground
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c. coconut milk
• 1/2 c. diced carrots
• 1/2 c. diced potato
• 1 c. fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 c. shredded cabbage
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme (or 2 tsp. dried)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground white pepper

Pastry

• 360g all-purpose flour
• 300g whole wheat flour¹
• 4 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 1/2 c. coconut oil²
• 4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 c. ice water

Directions

Filling

1. Melt oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add onion, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, chile flakes, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has browned (8-10 minutes).
3. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes and cook until tender (~10 minutes).
5. Add peas, corn, cabbage, and thyme and cook for 3 more minutes.
6. Stir in lemon juice and white pepper and season to taste with additional salt.

Pastry

1. Combine all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, turmeric, and salt.
2. Cut in coconut oil until mixture looks crumbly and sandy.
3. Stir vinegar into water.
4. Add water mixture to flour mixture 2-3 Tbsp. at a time until the dough just comes together.
5. Form into a ball, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. 1 egg, beaten (optional)

Assembly and Baking

1. Dust work surface with additional flour.
2. Roll dough out quite thin (~3mm). (It may be easiest to work with just half of it at a time.)
3. Cut out 13-15cm (~5-6") circles.
4. Spoon a couple Tbsp. of filling onto each pastry circle.
5. Fold pastry over to make a half moon shape.
6. Press with a fork to seal the edges.
7. If edges are not sealing well, try dabbing a little water onto the pastry before closing to help form a better seal.
8. If desired, brush with a little beaten egg.
9. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-35 minutes.
10. Serve with hot sauce. (Preferably something vinegar-y and acidic.)

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¹ The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour. I think I just used my regular (hard) whole wheat flour. This didn't seem to hurt it any. That said, if you have soft whole wheat flour handy, definitely go ahead and use it! ^Back
2 The recipe calls for chilled coconut oil. My house was cool enough the day I made this that I didn't feel the need to chill the oil first, but if you're doing this on a very hot day, you might want to measure out the oil and then stick it in the fridge for a bit to firm up. ^Back

I needed a protein-rich side dish to go with my vegetarian Jamaican patties. I thought this recipe seemed thematically appropriate. It was pretty good, but not amazing. That said, I messed up the prep a little bit, so perhaps with more experience I could do a better job of it. I'll plonk the recipe here for now in case I want to come back and revisit it later.

Caribbean-Style Stewed Pigeon Peas

From Olive and Mango

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 c. canned (or fresh) pigeon peas
• 1-2 tsp. molasses (optional)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 pimento peppers, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 c. peeled and chopped pumpkin
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 leaves chadon beni¹, chopped
• handful fresh chives, chopped
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 125-250mL water
• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add sugar and allow to cook until bubbling and caramelized but not burnt.
3. Stir in pigeon peas, cover, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
4. If you would like the peas to be a little darker, stir in a tsp. or two of molasses.
5. Uncover and cook until liquid has evaporated (~1 minute).
6. Add onion, garlic, pimento, tomato, pumpkin, thyme, chadon beni, and chives and cook for a minute or two.
7. Add coconut milk and 125mL of water.
8. If you would like a little heat, add the whole scotch bonnet pepper at this point. Do not break the skin!
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until pumpkin is tender (20-30 minutes), adding extra water as needed.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with extra chadon beni.

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¹ Chadon beni is an herb common in Caribbean cooking. My understanding is that it's a bit like cilantro, but much stronger. I didn't have any, so I just used a bunch of cilantro instead. ^Back

Cog

Cog (or pop) is a cornmeal-based breakfast porridge. The procedure and ratios are nearly identical to polenta, but the flavour profile is very different. I quite like it as a warm and comforting alternative to oatmeal. (I still love my oatmeal, but sometimes I am just not feeling the oats.)

As with polenta, cog wants a 4-5:1 ratio of liquids to cornmeal. The difference is that you replace some of the water with coconut milk and then season it with things like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and sweeten it with condensed milk. Instead of serving it topped with sausages or a hearty ragu, it's generally topped with fresh fruit (or just eaten on its own). I also tend to cook my cog just a bit less than polenta and serve it slightly thinner. Whereas polenta should have a sort of "soft scrambled egg" texture, I like my cog to have a "very thick gravy or soup" consistency. Not quite "stand a spoon in it" thick, but not exactly runny either.

I had been hoping to post a pressure cooker/Instant Pot cog recipe today but, as it turns out, my Instant Pot method still needs a little tweaking. So, instead, I'll give you the stove top recipe that I have used with great success in the past.

Cog
Adapted from African Bites
1 c. cornmeal
2 c. lite coconut milk
2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk + more for serving
fresh fruit (optional)

1. Combine cornmeal, coconut milk, water, cinnamon stick, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil, whisking often.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cog reaches desired consistency.
3. Stir in nutmeg, vanilla, and condensed milk.
4. Serve as is or topped with fruit and/or additional condensed milk.

Caribbean-Style Chicken Curry

This was phenomenal! Quick, easy, and completely delicious! We served it over basmati rice, which worked quite well. I think a nice arugula salad would've rounded out the meal though.

Caribbean-Style Chicken Curry
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2015
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. jerk seasoning
1/8 tsp. cayenne
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (19 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
salt and pepper
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. cashews, toasted and crushed/chopped

1. Heat up the peanut oil over medium-high heat and rub the chicken thighs all over with the jerk seasoning and cayenne. Toss the chicken in the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is done (internal temp of 175F). I accidentally took mine up to 190F, but it doesn't seem to have come out any the worse for wear.
2. Remove the chicken to a serving dish. Add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for a minute or so.
3. Add the pineapple and coconut milk. Cook until slightly thickened.
4. Add 1/4 c. cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken.
5. Top with cashews and remaining cilantro. Serve over rice.