Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• While in a bowl or colander, rinse the rice to remove dust and debris.

For long-grain brown rice, use 1 1/4 cups water to 1 cup rice.

For short grain, use 1 1/2 cups water).

Use a wide shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid to ensure evenly cooked grains.

• Bring rice, water, and salt (1/4 teaspoon per cup of rice) to a boil.
• Cover the rice, and reduce to a slow, steady simmer.

Many recipes call for 50 minutes, but 30 minutes may just be enough.

Rice should be tender, not overly hard, or mushy.

• Let the cooked rice sit for 10 minutes, covered, to absorb maximum moisture; then remove the lid, and fluff the grains with a fork!

Caribbean Stewed Lentils

Ingredients:

• 2 cups red or green lentils soaked overnight
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bouillon cube (low-sodium, vegetarian or meat based) *
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (optional)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tomato, diced
• 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 green onion, thinly diced
• 1 cup pumpkin, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp salt, to taste
• 1 dash black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• If using dried lentils, soak in a bowl with water for a few hours or overnight.
• Rinse lentils, put in a saucepan with water, add a dash of salt and bring to a boil.

Allow lentils to come a boil and become tender, then set aside.

• While lentils boil, in another larger pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add garlic, onions, ginger, and bouillon, then turn down heat and stir.

Allow garlic to turn lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes.

• Next add turmeric, cayenne pepper, brown sugar.

Don’t burn the brown sugar and keep stirring while on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

• Carefully add lentils and water to the large pot containing oil and sugar.

Be EXTREMELY careful, no splashes.

• Stir in pumpkin, carrot, tomato, green onion, cilantro and thyme.
• Increase to medium heat and allow this to simmer for about 25 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.
• Stir and check every 5 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove pot cover and crush pumpkin if you want a thicker consistency.

Add more water 30 ml at a time and keep pot covered if you would like a thinner consistency.

• Remove thyme before serving and enjoy!

Sauteed Spinach

• Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bag/ bin (16 oz) spinach (organic if possible)
• 3 cloves, crushed garlic
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Don’t let the garlic turn brown.

• Add in sliced onions and stir on a low to medium-low heat so the onions separate, soften, and almost turn translucent.
• Add in spinach and then cover the saucepan.

Let the spinach wilt down for approx. 3-5 minutes.

• Next add in tomato and stir.

Make sure the tomato doesn’t become mushy.

• Reduce heat and then add in salt and black pepper to taste.

Make sure you stir!

• Remove from heat while tomatoes and spinach are at the desired texture.

This shouldn’t be mushy and there should still be liquid in the pan.

Fried Plantain

Ingredients:

• 1 plantain (spotted to black)
• 3 tbsp olive oil for frying

Directions:

• Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantain.

Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain and peel only as deep as you need.

• In a frying pan, on medium heat, add 2 tbsps. of olive oil.
• Fry 12 to 15 plantain slices at a time until golden brown.

2 to 3 minutes, on each side should be good.

• Transfer with a fork or slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the next batch of plantain as needed.