Top 10 tips for healthy Caribbean cooking

Mother and daughter team, Monica and Lee Cudjoe founded Tan Rosie Foods in 2010 and create Caribbean concoctions inspired by family recipes from Carriacou in Grenada. Here they share their top tips for cooking healthy and authentic Caribbean cuisine at home...

1. Fire up the barbecue

Barbecuing is a very popular cooking method in the Caribbean and is a healthy alternative to frying as you omit most of the oil. Coat your lean meat, skinless chicken or pork in a jerk seasoning or a Caribbean rub for great flavour and barbecue to perfection. Wet weather keeping you indoors? Roast or grill for a similarly healthier result.

2. Make the most of meat with a marinade

We love to marinade our food in the Caribbean to make sure it's bursting with flavour. A good tasty marinade will give your food plenty of depth, avoiding the need for added fats like cream and butter for a good taste. For a Caribbean influenced, easy and healthy marinade, juice and zest a lime, grate some ginger, chop a Scotch bonnet chilli and combine with a little olive oil, salt and some Caribbean hot sauce. Use to marinade lean meats or salmon or alternatively use with chopped tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple and papaya for an excellent salsa.

3. DIY coconut milk

Coconut milk is a great way to add a creamy taste to Caribbean food but beware, it is fairly high in calories. Instead of using full-fat coconut milk, opt for the light or low fat versions, which taste just as good. Feel adventurous? Make your own by grating a fresh coconut and blending with water. Strain to remove the coconut pulp and add to curries, stews and more of your favourite Caribbean dishes for a healthier option.

4. Get a protein hit with beans and pulses

Beans and pulses are often used in Caribbean cooking and are added to soups, rice dishes and stews. When eaten with rice, traditional pulses such as kidney beans or pigeon peas provide you with a good dose of protein and all the essential amino acids your body needs. Protein is also reported to make you feel fuller for longer - meaning you are less likely to snack between meals.

5. The healthy secrets of the red snapper

You'll often find red snapper on the Caribbean menu - it's delicious and its health benefits are varied. Apart from being an excellent, low-fat source of protein, it provides almost your entire recommended daily amount of vitamin D. Serve a Caribbean citrus salad alongside for a hit of vitamin C.

6. Balance blood sugar with sweet potatoes

I love the versatility of sweet potatoes and often use them in a variety of dishes. They are particularly tasty baked with spring onions, the juice and zest of an orange, salt and pepper plus a squirt of extra virgin oil. Apart from being full of vitamins C, D and B6 and the minerals iron, magnesium and potassium, they release natural sugars slowly into the bloodstream, helping to ensure your body receives a balanced and regular source of energy.

7. Spice things up with a Scotch bonnet

The Scotch bonnet is native to the Caribbean and used to make hot sauces and spice up curries and stews. If you like it hot, chop a Scotch bonnet as this will release the potent heat while adding to a dish whole will add flavour but keep things cooler (though make sure you don't eat it!) Scotch bonnets contain vitamins A and C and are good sources of potassium.

8. Pineapple - a taste of paradise

This tropical fruit is synonymous with the Caribbean and reminds me of sitting on Paradise Beach in my native home in Carriacou, Grenada. A delicious and healthy dessert option is fresh pineapple sliced, drizzled with honey and a sprinkling of ground cinnamon then grilled and served with a dollop of low-fat crème fraiche.

9. Eat your greens

Callaloo is a green leafy vegetable found in the Caribbean that is used in the well-known soup of the same name in Trinidad and Tobago. It's a versatile veg and ideal for using in your own soups, stews and beyond as it's a great source of dietary fibre. If you struggle to find this super green, try spinach and kale as a great substitute.

10. Learn to love lean meat

Although not an obvious meat choice here in the UK, in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, goat is a popular option and used in popular dishes such as curried goat. Although it tastes 'meaty', goat is actually very lean - each 100g serving of raw goat meat only has 109 calories and is low in saturated fat, making it a great alternative to fatty red meats. Great for your heart and waistline. You can buy goat's meat from specialist suppliers across the UK.

Let Me Teach You How To Make Amazing Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberries have always been eye-catching fruits and a lot of people appreciate their taste at the same time. This is especially true in the time of strawberry season, most of the people got strawberry vegetation someplace in their lawn and they just enjoy picking them all up.

So, what could be much more fabulous to do with these freshly harvested ripe strawberries than making a milkshake? Perhaps there's absolutely nothing more nutritious and luscious! Strawberry milkshakes always soothes our warm summer season. Get recharged and invigorated by indulging into this amazing strawberry milkshake recipe for you!

What to prepare:

• 4 cups hulled strawberries
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups strawberry ice cream
• 2teaspoons white sugar
• 2 cups ice cubes

Steps:

1. Start preparing your blender as well as all the stated ingredients.
2. Stir hulled strawberries, milk, ice cream, white sugar, as well as ice cubes into your blender. Mix for roughly 5 minutes or right up until mixture looks even and creamy.
3. Dispense in individual glasses and you may add one dollop or two of vanilla or strawberry ice cream prior to drinking the milkshake.
4. Shed a few fresh strawberries and then serve instantly.
5. Savor this cooler summer season!

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of those comfort foods that we all love to enjoy with a warm cup of tea after dinner. After cutting out dairy, there are a lot of foods that you might worry you will no longer be able to indulge in, but cheesecake is not one of them! Beware, this is based on a lot of nuts. This means that it's definitely not going to be low in fat. It is however, completely devoid of all the gross things hidden in dairy cheesecake. Here is an attractive Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake recipe you can try:

What you'll need:

Crust:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 3-4 dates

Filling:

• 2 cups strawberries
• 1/2 cup agave
• 2 1/2 cups cashew butter
• 3/4 cup coconut butter
• 4 lemons (juiced)

What to do:

1. To prepare the crust, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix them until everything is a fairly fine powder. It should stick together when pressed, if it falls apart, add filtered water 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
2. Press the crust into the bottom of a pan. Spring form pans are great for presentation, but if you don't have one, any cake pan will do!
3. To prepare the filling just process everything in your food processor.
4. Pour the filling over the crust and form it using a spatula.
5. Place in the fridge or freezer to set for at least 30 minutes.

Here Is A Delicious Almond Milk Pudding Recipe

I have been wondering for some time what sweet I should make to mark this festival and I realized that it has been some time since I made Kheer!! Badam Kheer or Almond Milk Pudding is one of my favourite Kheer recipes. The Kheer has a deliciously soft grainy texture, is fragrant with cardamom and saffron, and if you pay close attention gives a hint of heady almond towards the end. Here is the delicious almond milk pudding recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Large pinch saffron

Method:

1. Soak the almonds overnight in plenty of water.
2. Next morning, drain the water and peel the almonds.
3. Grind the almonds to a coarse paste. Set aside.
4. Take a quarter cup of milk and put the saffron in it. Set aside.
5. Place the remaining milk and the evaporated milk in a large saucepan.
6. Bring to a boil, then continue boiling for about 10 minutes. Stir continuously.
7. Reduce the heat, add the almonds and cardamom to the milk.
8. Continue cooking stirring occasionally for another 25 minutes or until the pudding begins to thicken.
9. Pour in the sugar, saffron and milk. Stir and cook for another five minutes.
10. Turn off the heat, remove the kheer into a heat proof bowl.
11. Cover and allow to cool completely.

It Is Really A Lemon Souffles Recipe

The magic that is a souffle eluded me and my sweet tooth for longer than I'd care to admit. It just seemed too complicated, too stressful, too sophisticated for a home baker.

Individual Lemon Souffles Recipe

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter, softened, to coat ramekins
• Granulated sugar, to coat ramekins
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 (16 ounce) container frozen sliced strawberries or raspberries in sugar, thawed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat the bottom and sides of four 1/2-cup ramekins with softened butter. Coat the bottom and sides with sugar, tapping out excess. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Bring a large saucepan halfway filled with water to a simmer. Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside.

Step 2
In a large heatproof bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and flour until pale yellow and frothy — about five minutes. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk the mixture constantly until very thick — about five minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk the mixture on medium speed until cooled — about five to seven minutes. Pour the batter into a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 3
Clean the mixer bowl and add the egg whites, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cream of tartar. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk on low speed until frothy, gradually increasing speed to medium until the mixture becomes meringue-like and holds soft peaks — about five minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.

Step 4
Whisk 1/3 of the meringue mixture into the lemon batter. Slowly fold in the remaining meringue mixture until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins all the way to the top — smooth the tops with the back of the spoon. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until slightly golden and puffed.

Step 5
Meanwhile, make the berry sauce: In a blender, puree the thawed berries and lemon juice until smooth. Remove the souffles from the oven and dust with the powdered sugar. Serve immediately with the berry sauce on the side.

This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe Is Really Unique

Smooth, velvety and rich – this triple chocolate mousse cake is the perfect way to end an indulgent Valentine's Day meal. Made up for three sumptuous mousse layers, this dessert not only tastes amazing, but also looks stunning.

Each layer is made in the exact same way, just using a different kind of chocolate. This recipe makes quite a lot of mousse – I'd say around 6 portions – but they freeze really well so you can just keep them frozen until your next chocolate craving hits.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Mousse

• 1/2tsp gelatine
• 1tbsp water
• 60ml milk
• 70g finely chopped dark chocolate
• 140ml double cream

Milk Chocolate Mousse

• 1/2tsp gelatine
• 1tbsp water
• 60ml milk
• 70g finely chopped milk chocolate
• 140ml double cream

White Chocolate Mousse

• 1/2tsp gelatine
• 1tbsp water
• 60ml milk
• 70g finely chopped white chocolate
• 140ml double cream

Recipe:

1. Pour 1tbsp of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Leave the gelatine for about 5 minutes – until it has soaked up the water.

2. Heat up the milk in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine mix to the saucepan. Stir really well until the gelatine is completely dissolved then pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Leave to sit for 2 minutes and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

3. Separately, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Mix a small amount of cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up, then gently fold the rest of the cream in. Pour into a cylindrical mould and place in the freezer.

4. Repeat the above steps with the white chocolate and pour on top of the dark chocolate in the mould and leave to set in the freezer. Do the same again for the milk chocolate and freeze until set. Remove the mousse from the freezer at least 2 hours before you’re ready to enjoy it.

Here Is A Really Tasty Black Forest Cake Recipe

Black forest cake is a type of cake that is legendary. Black forest cake is very tasty and sweet. Black forest cake too many variations, not just coated with chocolate cream, but you can add fruit on top. How to make black forest can be mastered by reading the following review.

MATERIALS:

• chicken eggs 5 grains
• powdered sugar 175 g
• 100 g flour
• cocoa powder 30 g
• 20 g cornstarch
• 0.5 tsp baking powder

CREAM:

• 50 g sugar
• butter or margarine 150 g white
• sweetened condensed milk 150 g
• Rhum 2 tbsp

Embellishment:

• thinly sliced chocolate bar
• chery fruits and raisins to taste

HOW TO MAKE A BLACK FOREST:

1) Wheat flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and sifted.
2) whipped eggs and sugar until thickened.
3) Wheat flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder already sifted included, and stir until blended.
4) round pan measures 22 cm x 4 cm that has been covered with paper and spread with margarine, prepared. Put the cake batter into the pan. Baked in the oven until cooked and then cooled cake.
5) For the cream, powdered sugar, butter, whipped and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
6) cake cut into two parts. The bottom sprinkled with rhum, cream smeared on it evenly, then raisins sprinkled on top of the cream.
7) cake next to it is closed on it.
8) All of the outside cake smeared with cream, then decorated with chocolate slices. So that the entire surface of the cake covered in chocolate.