Easy Caribbean – A great new cookbook has hit the shelves this week: Easy Caribbean.
Weeknight dinners don’t have to be boring, and brothers Shaun and Craig McAnuff bring feel-good ‘flava’ to your table in 80 simple, delicious, quick and easy recipes. Craig and Shaun, raised in London and of Jamaican descent, are bringing Caribbean food to the masses. In April 2016, they launched the Original Flava brand, sharing videos of them cooking simple Caribbean recipes. Their videos went viral and within a month they had garnered 70k followers and had been interviewed on TV. Since then, the brothers have been featured on the BBC, Sunday Brunch, Buzzfeed, BET Network, London Live and Reprezent Radio, they have sold out supper clubs and appeared at food festivals around the UK and often visit schools to inspire the next generation.
This is Caribbean food cooked in an easy way. Using only easily accessible ingredients, and with chapters covering snacks, easy Caribbean classics, everyday favourites, one-pan wonders, mouth-watering BBQ and sweet treats, all with an Original Flava twist, you’ll find recipes including: Air fryer saltfish fritter balls with scotch bonnet chilli jam; Easy Caribbean lamb roast; Coconut cod curry; One pot jerk chicken rice and peas; Pepper steak pasta; Jerk halloumi salad with mango vinaigrette; Maple-glazed Caribbean veggies; Pepper mango baby back ribs; Coconut and lime cheesecake pots; Guinness punch ice cream … and many more.
These are tasty, vibrant and exciting Caribbean meals. The book is published by Bloomsbury at £25 for hardback. Here’s a brief taster for you:
Roasted Plantain and Chickpea Salad with Mango-Lime Dressing – serves 4-6
“Sweet roasted plantain slices tossed with fresh greens, juicy veggies and a zingy mango-lime dressing. Light, colourful and full of Caribbean sunshine. Dis one perfect as a side dish, or to enjoy as a healthy meal when yuh waan eat clean but still keep di flava.”
2 ripe plantains, peeled, then sliced into rounds
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp olive oil
100g rocket leaves or mixed salad leaves
½ cucumber, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
400g cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt
For the dressing
1 ripe mango, peeled, destoned and diced, or 350g frozen mango, defrosted
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes, plus extra to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, plus extra to taste
½ scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded (optional)
1 Preheat your oven to 200°C Fan/220°C/Gas 7, or if cooking in the air fryer, proceed to the next step.
2 In a bowl, toss the plantain slices and chickpeas with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt.
3 Tip the plantain and chickpeas into an oven tray and roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the plantain is golden and caramelised and the chickpeas are crispy, or place the plantain slices in a single layer in the air-fryer basket and cook at 200°C for 7 minutes. Turn the slices and add the chickpeas, then continue cooking for a further 7–8 minutes until everything is golden brown.
4 While the plantain and chickpeas are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a blender, add the mango, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, scotch bonnet, if using, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust to your liking – add more lime juice for tang, or more honey or maple syrup for sweetness.
5 Assemble the salad by adding the rocket leaves or mixed salad leaves to a large serving bowl, then top with the cucumber, red onion and cherry tomatoes. Toss in your chickpeas and plantain slices. Drizzle over the dressing, toss gently, and serve right away.
Flava tip
Keep any extra dressing in a jar for up to 3 days – it works perfectly on grilled chicken or fish or even in a quick wrap.
Coconut and Lime Cheesecake Pots Serves 4 – 6
“Fresh, zesty and creamy wid a Caribbean sunshine kick! These likkle no-bake pots are quick, simple and perfect for family or when friends pass through.”
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
75g unsalted butter, melted
300g cream cheese
200ml coconut milk
100g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest and juice of 1 lime
150g coconut flakes
1 Tip the crushed biscuits into a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well, then press the biscuit mixture equally into the bottom of 4–6 small glasses or ramekins.
2 In another bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, coconut milk, icing sugar, vanilla and half of the lime zest and all of the juice until smooth. Spoon it equally over the biscuit bases. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
3 While the cheesecakes are chilling, heat a dry frying pan over a low heat. When hot, add the coconut flakes and toast for 20 seconds or until starting to turning golden and smelling toasty.
4 To serve, top the cheesecakes with the toasted coconut flakes and sprinkle over the remaining lime zest.
Flava tip
Add a likkle dash of rum to the cheesecake mix if yuh making it for grown up folk – proper island vibes!
The Seasoned Gastronome