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.

Cilantro Grilled Chicken Sandwich

If perfection had a flavor...

It's the herb you either love or hate, the great cilantro. This recipe is very long overdue. I finally had a bunch of cilantro in my fridge. I managed to use it for this recipe before it all went bad. I have mentioned on this blog about the best-grilled chicken sandwich ever that I had on Prince street in New York. It was our spot after we did our nails at Marie Nails. I finally recreated it, and it is epic. If you don't like cilantro, I'm shocked that you are still reading, no need to continue. 

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival

#Jamaicacoffeefest

If you are a Jamaican who grew up with a grandparent at any point in your life, you have had some experience with coffee. My great grandmother is the culprit in this case. Feeding my mother’s three infants with tuff crackers soaked in black coffee, and please believe it was not decaf. She is the reason I adore coffee so much, and also the reason my younger brother hates it. I was most excited to hear that Jamaica (Home of the best coffee in the world) Was finally having a coffee festival to showcase Blue Mountain coffee in all its glory.

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.

Are you ready for Restaurant week?

Tamarind

"Greedy Girl Eats"

Yall know my Greedy Girl restaurant reviews are slated to start in December. However I got invited to partake in a sampling of what Jamaica's restaurant week has to offer and I couldn’t refuse. Last night the Jamaica Yellow pages sponsored the Restaurant week Blogger bus. A few other bloggers and social media gurus along with myself, got a taste of what’s in store for the public come November 13^th when restaurant week 2015 begins. Organized by Market me Jamaica, I was joined by, Iceta Wright of Bawn Natural, Krystal Anderson, Jamaica Gleaner food writer and host of I'm not a chef, Jamaican Makeup artist and Vlogger Yanique Lambert aka Chunchi, Entertainer Rohan Perry aka QuitePerry , TVJ ER crew, Sleek Jamaica and Infuzion Inc. We sampled cocktails at C & C south beach restaurant, appetizers at Beirut Mediterranean cuisine, entrees at Tamarind Indian cuisine and finally Desserts at Roe Japanese restaurant. It’s a long post but worth the read if you’re an avid foodie and are dying to try some great dishes at great prices.

Jamaican Style Mussels

Something Smells Fishy...

 It’s the last recipe of seafood month, and I decided to try some mussels. I was first introduced to mussels back in high school by my best friend Petra who loveeeesssss them! She and her mom always made a lovely looking pasta with tomato sauce and mussels.  This pot of mussels is no different. It’s steeped in a divinely garlicky coconut sauce with a hint of white wine and sweet pearl onions.

Greedy Girl Eats: Homemade escovitch fish

"Greedy Girl Eats"

What is Escovitch fish? It’s a well-seasoned fish fried crispy and topped with a spicy pickle sauce. The sauce is full of vinegar, onions, pimento, hot peppers and carrots. This sauce can be made and left to soak for months, even years and still be delicious. The longer it soaks the better the flavor. I have spent the last month at various restaurants in Jamaica, testing their versions. I think I have come up with a home-made version that will rival the best seaside fish joint in Jamaica.

Greedy Girl Eats: Border fish

BEST PICKLE 

"Greedy Girl Eats"

Growing up this was the seafood spot we were most acquainted with and knew very well. As a matter of fact it was here that I first fell in love with escovitch fish. We always stopped here on our way to the beach. Border is known for two things Fried fish and bammy. The only other things sold here is soup and maybe festivals (if your lucky) But fish and bammy are the two main items on the list here. Lets see how their escovitch fish rated.

Greedy Girl Eats: Glorias Seafood

BEST CRUNCH (Tied)

"Greedy Girl Eats"

Glorias seafood restaurant is one place that has such a great reputation. Its a spot I have always heard of and wanted to try. The reason why this place has eluded me for all these years is its location. All the way in Port royal; as in Pirates of the Caribbean Port Royal. One evening after picking up my sister from the airport we decided to make a quick stop at Glorias since we were a stones throw away. Lets see how their escovitch fish rated.

Greedy girl eats: Whitebones seafood restaurant

"Greedy Girl Eats"

Whitebones seafood restaurant has been another go to eatery for our family. This is the second of the only two establishment I have reviewed that is not on the seaside. This restaurant is in the heart of Kingston city, or maybe on the outskirts of the heart. Their menu is quite extensive and they even have all you can eat crab Thursdays. However I will be schooling you all on their escovitch fish. Lets see how their escovitch fish rated.

Greedy Girl eats: Hellshire Beach (Bev & Sons)

BEST TEXTURE (delicate and tender)

BEST CRUNCH (tie)

"Greedy Girl Eats"

For this post, I headed over to the South East coast of Jamaica to Hellshire beach. I have never been to this location before. Anytime escovitch of fried fish is mentioned Hellshire fish is always among the places receiving accolades. So I made it my point of duty to try this spot. In particular I visited Bev and Sons establishment which is one of many lining the beach. Lets see how their escovitch fish rated.

Greedy girl eats: Jack Sprat

"Greedy Girl Eats"

This is another one of our favorite seafood restaurants. A number of years ago a bunch of friends and I decided to head down to the coast to try this spot we had been hearing about.We had no idea where we were going, we just drove and followed the signs. We took a few wrong turns but were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to this beautiful spot. The food was great and we have been back there so many times since that I cant even count. Today lets talk about Jack Sprats escovitch fish.

Greedy Girl Eats: Little ochie Seafood Specialist

 

"Greedy Girl Eats"

If you are a lover of seafood this place comes as no surprise. Little Ochie in Alligator Pond is a seafood institution. My family has been dining at this establishment for years. Their menu is extensive and the seafood items available for you to dine on is equally so. My favorite dish here has got the be the brown stew fish with the bammie cooked in the brown stew gravy. But that's for another greedy girl eats. Today I will be reviewing their escovitch fish.

Sorrel Glazed Ham

"Christmas is coming"

In Jamaica, Christmas is the most loved holiday. It’s a time where we celebrate Christ and family. Once the Poinsettias start to turn red, you know it’s on and popping! With that the fruits are soaking, the sorrel pods are being harvested and everyone is starting to flesh out their Christmas plans. This ham needs to be at the top of list. It’s so moist and delicious and the sorrel and ginger sauce add the most perfect flavor to every bite.

Jamaican Chicken Pumpkin Soup

“Pumpkin Everythang”

Pumpkin is such a widely used vegetable here in Jamaica; I’ve had pumpkin dumplings, fritters, rice, curry pumpkin, in steamed fish and foil roasted fish. You name it and pumpkin has been there. Now when it comes to soup, there is no way one can make any soup here, without the addition of pumpkin. It’s almost unheard of, an unwritten Jamaican rule. So much so that to make the task of having a pumpkin soup quicker a number of companies most notably Grace, makes a pumpkin soup sachet. The other day I saw a pumpkin and beef and a pumpkin and chicken flavor too; I chuckled.

Potato Asparagus alfredo pizza

M..eat...less

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. We had quite a relaxing time in Ocho Rios at a friend’s guest house.  The place had the most spectacular views, was so breathtaking. Went to the blue hole, dipped in the ocean, had breakfast by the pool with lovely sea views and finally took in the last few hours of racing at Dover raceway.  Now after all that fun its back to reality and another blog post. And yes my friends, it’s another pizza.

Homemade Fried Chicken

"Greedy Girl Eats"

For me fried chicken is one of the hardest things to make. I feel like restaurants in Jamaica set the bar so high with how amazingly delicious their fried chicken is that the home made ones just seem to fall short. That is why I went on the quest to find the best fried chicken; one that was seasoned, spicy and would remain crispy. I found the best one in Negril and now I'm making my own.

Greedy Girl Eats: Seaview Bar and grill Negril

"Greedy Girl Eats"

The #1 spot!

This summer I was introduced to this amazing spot. We went to the Daydreams party in Negril for dream weekend. We stayed at a hotel that was not all inclusive, so we had to find our own food. This usually poses a challenge because Negril is super expensive. The same thing that will cost $300 inland will cost $600 in Negril.  But as fate would have it, a local gave our friends a tip about a very affordable and delicious spot, they shared the wealth and the rest is history.

Greedy Girl Eats: at Dukunoo Den Cafe

 "Greedy Girl Eats"

 This restaurant is quite the gem. I am very thankful for the day we landed off the plane and opted for something other than Island Grill. Their menu changes daily and everything that I’ve ever tasted from them is quite delicious, their fried chicken is no exception. On this particular day the fried chicken angels were watching over us, we rolled into the airport for a pick up at around 3:45pm and got the last two fried chicken dinners they had. Lucky!

Greedy Girl Eats: Juici Patties

"Greedy Girl Eats"

The restaurant that was once just a patty shop, has now transformed into Jamaica’s very own fast food chain; serving breakfast, lunch and early dinners.  Juici Patties (formally Juici Beef patties) now has quite an extensive menu (hence the removal of the word beef from their name). They serve eight different types of patties, jerk, fried and bbq chicken lunches, soups, porridge's, ackee, callaloo, buns, cakes and ice-cream.  It’s like these people don’t ever want you to leave their doors, there are 50 locations across Jamaica.