Okra & Cornmeal (Cou-Cou)

Ingredients:

12 okras (sliced into rings)

6 cups water (more if necessary)

Salt (to taste)

2 cups cornmeal (sifted)

1 tbsp. butter

Instructions:

Wash okras and cut off stems. Slice into rings and boil with half the water and salt for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the water and salt to the sifted cornmeal and mix well. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the cornmeal mixture, stirring ingredients with a wooden spatula over medium heat. When mixture becomes stiff smooth and breaks away from the saucepan cleanly at the bottom then it’s finished. Put into a dish immediately and spread liberally with butter. 

SOUSE (pickled pork)

Souse

Ingredients:

1 lb. shoulder steak pork (pieces)

1 lb. trotters (pig feet)

2 small cucumbers (peeled & sliced)

¼ lb. onions (sliced)

1 large red pepper (sliced)

1 bunch scallions (chopped)

Celery (chopped)

Juice of 4 large lemons or 5 limes

¼ pint vinegar

1½ pints water

 Salt (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Carefully clean meat with lime juice and remove all bones. Boil meat in lightly salted water until tender, but not broken up. Place meat in a colander and run cold water over it to remove excess fat, discard boiled water. Allow meat to cool. Peel and slice cucumber, onions and pepper, chop scallions and celery. Prepare marinade with lime and/or lemon juice, vinegar and about 1 ½ pints of water; add salt to taste.  Arrange meat, onion, pepper, celery, scallion and cucumber in layers. Pour in enough marinade to cover completely. Set aside at room temperature for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving. 

Note:

1 lb. pig face & ears can also be used (make sure you clean and remove any hairs & teeth). Trotters and ears can be cooked in a pressure cooker until half done before adding remainder of meat to simmer.

CRAB GUMBO (simple recipe)

Crab Gumbo

Ingredients:

6 cooked crabs

6-7 okras (sliced)

2 tbsp. butter

3 large tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 onion (chopped)

Spring of parsley & thyme

1-2 blades chives

½ red peppers (sliced)

Water to cover 

Instructions: 

Prepare crabs, extracting meat. Skin tomatoes; wash and cut up seasonings. Melt butter and brown crab meat. Add seasonings and sliced okras. Brown all and add bay leaf and water to cover. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Consistency should be like a thick soup. Serve alone or with white rice.

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP

Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. flour

3 cups milk

¼ tsp. pepper

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. grated onion

1 chicken bouillon cube 

3 cups shredded cucumbers (peeled, seeded & grated)

1 tbsp. lemon juice (or) I tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. sherry

*Parsley  or mint leaf for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Use a double boiler or a (glass or metal) mixing bowl to mix & cook soup). Sprinkle flour, pepper, salt, onion, over milk and mix thoroughly, then place over heat (boiling water). Add the bouillon cube and cucumber and stir until soup thickens (for about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, sherry and chill thoroughly. Stir well before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or mint leaf (optional).

DUMPLINGS (plain- for soups & stews)

Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. margarine or butter

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:

in a bowl, mix (dry ingredients) flour, salt, sugar, baking powder together. Add margarine or butter and milk and make a dough. Drop by spoonfuls into soup or stew then cover pot to steam for 10 minutes. Cooked meat can also be folded into dumplings before adding to soups or stews. 

PUMPKIN SOUP

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. pumpkin (peeled & cut into pieces)

2 onions (sliced)

1 tbsp. butter

1 sprig of thyme

½ cup split peas (soaked prior to cooking)

2 cabbage leaves (cut finely)

½ lb. beef (cut into pieces)

water to cover

Instructions: 
Lightly fry onions in butter. Add pumpkin and the rest of ingredients. Cover with water and simmer for about 1 hour. Serve hot.

SHRIMP & CALLALOO (Spinach) SOUP

Shrimp &
Callaloo Soup

Ingredients:

½ oz. shortening (for frying)

1 large onion (chopped)

2 pints water or stock

1 bunch scallions

2 celery stalks

Salt & pepper (to taste)

1 oz. shrimp or prawns (cleaned)

1 bundle callaloo (spinach) (finely chopped/shredded)

Soy sauce (few drops)

Instructions:

Sauté onions in shortening. Add water or stock, scallions & celery (tied together), salt, pepper and bring to simmering point, and simmer for about ½ hour. Clean shrimps/prawns thoroughly and add to soup. Cook for 5 minutes. Add finely chopped/ shredded callaloo. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Add a few drops of soy sauce to soup. Serve hot.

OKRA SOUP

Ingredients:

1 dozen okras (chopped)

½ lb. salt beef

4 cups water

1 small of callaloo (Spinach) (finely chopped)

Salt & pepper (to taste)

1 large tomato (chopped)

Scallions-red peppers (handful-chopped)

Thyme

Instructions: 

Wash salt beef and soak in water overnight. Add water, okras and beef and simmer gently for about 2 hours. Add chopped callaloo and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer until okras are tender then add tomatoes, scallions, red pepper and thyme and let simmer until vegetable are tender. Serve hot.