Red pepper Beef mince noodles

Pantry Dinner

I don’t always make quick and easy recipes; I think there is beauty in taking the time to slowly develop flavors. But other times, you need dinner in 30 minutes or less, and that’s fine too. You should keep this recipe saved for the days when the ingredients are low. I went through my freezer, pantry and refrigerator grabbed a couple ingredients, and here we all are.

Birria Spring Rolls with consommé

Birria is King!

I am not Mexican, I have never had an authentic birria taco, actually, I’ve never even had a birria taco before this one that I made. But over the last year, I have been seeing birria being made on Instagram and I could not take it anymore. I had to try it. I don’t know how authentic this is but I tried, I did my research, checked out a few food blogs, watched so many YouTube vids and decided it was my time!

Thai Meatball quinoa bowl

 

One big bowl of Protein!

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to flavor town. From the meatballs to the sauce, to the charred veggies to the quinoa, it's just one big bowl of healthy deliciousness. keep reading for more.

One Pot Hamburger Helper

 

Belly Full on a Budget

Beef and macaroni are the epitome of a belly full. If you were a fan of hamburger helpers as a kid, this just might be up your alley. It tastes more grown-up but is still giving me an ‘I’m a kid eating a sloppy joe at summer camp vibe’. It is the dinner that will please both adults and kids and the whole pot only cost $1586.78 JMD. It can serve maybe 6-8, but let’s say it serves 6, that’s only $264.46 per serving, not bad at all.

Breakfast Jamaican Beef Patty

 

Belly Full on a Budget

Today’s cheap eat is elevating the left-over Jamaican beef patty. The beef patty is probably one of the most consumed dishes in Jamaica daily. It’s the Jamaican grab-and-go fast food. Deliciously seasoned meat baked inside the perfectly flakey crust, what could be better? Well, this breakfast patty is what is better! If you ever end up with leftover beef patties this is the way to bring them back to their original glory.

Cheeseburger Dumplings

 

The perfect bite

I have wanted to make cheeseburger dumplings for so long. Some of you already know I have a fierce love for all thing's Asian food. Generally, when I make dumplings, they are always filled with veggies or pork, never beef. I saw someone make cheeseburger dumplings about two years ago on Instagram, and I was so intrigued. So, this was a welcome change from the usual. The ultimate east meets west. It literally tastes like a little mini cheeseburger.

Coffee Maple Country Style Ribs

Fall off the bone tender!

There is nothing I love like I love maple syrup….well, maybe pepper jelly. I just adore them both. Maple syrup makes everything better; and maple syrup with coffee is the makings of bbq sauce heaven. Ever since I made the bacon-wrapped coffeebourbon ham one Christmas I have been planning to revamp the combo on some ribs. And it only took me 5 years to actually do it.

Garlic Lemon pepper almost fried Spare ribs

"Quarantine Cooking"

Six months ago, back in October, a time when we didn’t have to wear masks to step outside, we could brave restaurants, malls, and farmers markets without fear of catching a deadly virus…..sigh…. the good old days. Anyway, I digress, back then, I was in Canada with my sister. We took the drive from Mississauga to Waterloo to check out St Jacobs farmers market (which is amazing) close by is a restaurant our friend took us to called Crazy Canuck. That is when I first had a taste of a salty, sour, crispy rib.

Spicy shrimp and sausage pasta

"Christmas is coming"

Its November, another month of recipes for your holiday table. In Jamaica we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, we throw down for Christmas dinner. However, these recipes will work perfectly for your Thanksgiving dinner as well, if you want a departure from the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce. This month, I will be sharing recipes for two side dishes, a main dish with chicken, a seafood dish and a simple dessert. So we start things off with a rather untraditional pasta side dish that can replace mac n cheese without anyone noticing.

Jamaican Curry Cow foot and Beans

OFFAL

There is just something about this Jamaican dish that is so comforting. Some people love it brown stewed, but today we are making a curry. I know some of you may be reading this and thinking how does one eat a cow’s foot? It's easy once you have a pressure cooker and don’t mind thick, sticky gelatinous gravy, yum!

Smoked stew peas

OFFAL

I’m not sure how many other ways I can make stew peas for this blog. I have a meatless version and a traditional version with meat. However, after the last stew peas recipe I added some smoked meats and the flavor was so amazing I decided to share that recipe as well. The first attempt I smoked the oxtail only. Today I smoked both the oxtails and pig tails.

Bacon wrapped grilled corn with spicy mayo and cilantro

"We be Grillin"

Summer time is fast approaching, and it is the season to grill. The next recipe up for everyone, is one of the most delicious corns ever. I finally got my hands on some fresh corn, husks and all. Took all my inspiration from the Mexican grilled corn ‘elote’ with a little added Jamaican flair.

Baked mac n cheese steak

Brunch knows best

Steak, onions and peppers are another match made in heaven. Especially when cheese is added. I have a recipe for a cheese steak scallion pancake wrap and some simple cheese steak sliders already on the blog. But one can never have enough cheese steak. This time cheese steaks, meet macaroni and cheese.

Choco-whiskey ribs

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

I don’t think there are any limitations when it comes to pork ribs. Over the years I have been playing with chocolate and pork with much success. However, this is by far the most delicious chocolate ribs recipe to date. The chocolate raspberry ribs and the coco chipotle baby back ribs are the other two rib recipes that contain chocolate. While those were good, they were a bit more work. This recipe is literally a set it and forget it kind of ribs; you don’t need a grill for this like the other two recipes. Aluminum foil and an oven does all the work here.

Sweet lemongrass, ginger and sage glazed Ham

"Christmas is coming"

You would think I would have run out of ham recipes by now. Between selling ham recipes and making my own for the blog, I’m wondering what ingredients are left? As usual I let my grocery stores available ingredients guide my path. The moment I saw lemongrass in the store I knew I would use it for ham, and it was a most delicious ham.

Lasagna, Greedy Girl style...Jatalian?

"Christmas is coming"

The thing that makes Italian food so good is the fresh quality ingredients and time. Time for that ragu to develop flavors, time for the tomatoes to develop natural sweetness, all this time that most of us don’t have. So, when you want a nice lasagna and you don’t have 12 hours to simmer a scratch made ragu, what’s a girl to do? Follow this recipe.

Slow cooker beef bowl

"Beefy"

It’s the last recipe of the month. Next month will be all about pumpkins. For this last recipe I wanted to do a simple enough recipe, very hands off, something you can set in the night or before you head off to work and then have ready when you get home or wake up. If you don’t have a slow cooker it’s something I would recommend.

Breakfast meatloaf sliders

"Beefy"

How often do we eat beef for breakfast? Depending on where you live that may be a whole lot, but in my family, not very often. We do pork sausages, bacon and chicken. The only time we will do beef for breakfast is when we are having dinner left overs. I wanted to do a recipe that was not a typical beefy dinner recipe. This is basically a beef breakfast sausage seasoned as if it were a meatloaf. Paired with all the yummy things you would expect to see on a breakfast platter.

Bourbon maple coffee neck bones

"Beefy"

I know you have heard of oxtails, but have you heard of neck bones? In Jamaica, Oxtail is like that golden child who always steals the show because they are so outgoing and extroverted they scream look at me, I’m delicious and beautiful and worth the ridiculous prices restaurants and grocery stores charge to have me. Meanwhile their sibling neck bone, on the other end of the cow, is just as delicious and beautiful but, are not very popular, no one really makes it and showcases it and shows it off, no one does anything new and different with it. A quick google search of neck bones will show links asking what is it? and what to do with it? rather than the 50 pages of recipes you get when you search for oxtails.

Smoked and Curried Oxtails

"Beefy"

Oxtails are a tried and true recipe beloved by all Jamaicans. It my brother’s favorite dinner meal. Over the years my methods of cooking oxtails have greatly evolved. I’ve eliminated soy sauce or browning and started naturally braised and browning the oxtail to get the best color and develop richer flavors. I choose not to mask the flavors by using water to stew it rather than wine or a broth. It always turns out delicious. But at the end of the day sometimes a great recipe can always stand to be a greater recipe. With that goal in mind over the last year I have experimenting with new ways to make oxtail even more flavorful than it already is.  I’ve made fried oxtail in a sweet sticky glaze, I’ve smoked it and I’ve curried it.