It can be a bit of a challenge having to figure out what to serve your family on certain days. Even professional cooks can find this challenging. St. Patrick’s Day is just round the corner. If you haven’t given much thought to what you’ll be putting on the table, here’s a recipe you may want to try out. It’s one of those easy-to-prepare meals that also makes a good fit for everyday cooking.

Gram’s Irish Stew

Takes 20 minutes to prepare and cooks in four to five hours.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil – 1 teaspoon
• Cubed beef stew meat – 4 pounds
• Dried sage – 2 teaspoons
• Potatoes (peeled and cubed) – 10
• Carrots (diced) – 4
• Mushrooms (sliced and drained) – a 4-ounce can
• Onion (small, chopped) – 1
• Celery seed – 1 teaspoon
• Worcestershire sauce – 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper (ground) – 1 teaspoon
• Beef bouillon – 1 cube
• Corn starch – 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste
• Water to cover
• Warm Water – 1 cup

Directions

1. Place the oil in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add beef and sage. Allow to cook until both sides are browned. Drain off the grease.
2. Place beef, beef bouillon, carrots, celery seed, mushrooms, onion, black pepper, potatoes, and Worcestershire sauce in a slow cooker. Add salt and enough water to just cover the ingredients. Adjust cooker to high setting and cover. Allow to cook for about five hours, stirring occasionally to facilitate proper cooking.
3. Place corn starch and warm water in a small bowl. Mix together using a whisk until smooth. Add mixture to the stew and stir for even distribution. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until thickened. The stew is more enjoyable when thick. However, if you prefer a light stew, you’ll need to use slightly more water.

Gram’s Irish Stew is one of those recipes that can stir up an interest in developing culinary skills. It is an absolutely delicious recipe, that makes a filling and hearty meal. You can experiment by using a different variety of vegetables, such as green peas or diced turnip. You may even wish to spice up the flavor by adding in spices of your choice. The stew can be eaten as it is or may be accompanied by rice or bread rolls.

Source

Allrecipes.com (2012)

(C) Sheri Ann Richerson and Julius Boos

History Of:

Aroids are believed to be one of the oldest cultivated crops known to man. They were grown in Asia as a food crop over 10,000 years ago. It is believed that many Asian rice-growing terraces were originally developed for Colocasia cultivation. The rice that has subsequently been cultivated in these fields was believed to have been discovered as a weed that was found growing wild in the wet taro fields. Rice then evolved as a major food crop while Colocasia cultivation diminished.

In the 1400’s when the very first European explorers arrived on the West Indian Islands off South America the inhabitants of these Islands were found to be consuming tuberous aroids. The main species that was eaten here was Xanthosoma, which is often called ‘yautia’ and ‘ocumo’; both words are believed to be of aboriginal origin. It is also often referred to as tannia or malanga.

Other aroids that were consumed by the people of the West Indies Islands included at least one Dracontium species and Caladium bicolor. The natives transported these plants and some animals such as the red-footed tortoise and giant land snail up the West Indian Island chain in their canoes, and they were often referred to as ‘journey food.’

Colocasia or taro was transported across the Pacific by Hawaiian and other Polynesian people during their epic ocean voyages. It was also a food on the ships that brought slaves from Africa to the New World . However, Xanthosoma replaced Colocasia on these ships for the return voyage back to Africa . This is why you will hear Colocasia referred to as ‘old co-co yam’ and Xanthosoma referred to as ‘new co-co yam.’

Today, taro remains a national Hawaiian dish. Over 200 cultivars have been recorded, some grown for their tubers while others are grown for their leaves and inflorescence which can be cooked and eaten in a variety of ways.

Edible Varieties:

Many aroids are eaten in one way or another although they are mainly used as a carbohydrate or starch food. These days with more people traveling to far off, exotic locations, more records of aroids being used as food are coming to light. Aroids can be fried as ‘chips,’ cooked and added to ice cream, curries, stews or soups as a potato substitute or flavoring and the leaves can be used as a spinach or wrap. Here are a few varieties that are commonly used as well as the locations that they are used.

Colcasia esculenta is a common aroid that is used as a food product all over the tropical world. Locations include India , Asia, Africa, the pacific region, the West Indies, Florida and even the Carolinas . The use of Xanthosoma has also spread to these areas, although possibly to a lesser extent.

Amorphophallus species are widely used as food in Japan , China , and the Far East as well as in South India . These plants are extensively grown in these regions. The tubers as well as the leaves and seeds of this genus are used.

The inflorescence of Spathiphyllum species are also considered a food product for the people of Central America and the Guyanas as are the young leaves and flowers of Caladium bicolor.

Typhonium species are often prepared and eaten by the Australian Aborigines. The rhizomes of this genus were specially prepared and used as food by the Native Americans in addition to Symplocarpus foetidus, which was often used to make peppery bread.

Other edible aroid tubers that are often prepared because of their starchy properties include species of Arum and Arisaema. Calla palustris is sometimes used by the Lapps in Finland to make flour for bread. Montrichardia seeds can be roasted and are eaten by South American Indian tribes.

Cyrtosperma merkusii is a big part of some of the isolated Western Pacific Island cultures and is an integral part of their wealth as well as their culture. On some of these islands where taro cannot be cultivated, large pits are dug in the coral substrate, and then the pits fill with brackish water that filters in. Big baskets are woven from coconut leaves; a plant of Cyrtosperma is then put in this basket together with leaf mulch, coconut husks, pig manure and other similar material. This basket is then lowered into the pit. The natives must then wait three to six years before harvesting this crop. Some of the tubers can weigh up to 120 pounds! The tubers are then used for a status symbol as a gift to rival clans for feasts.

Finally, the fruit of several aroids can be eaten including the fruit obtained from Monstera deliciosa, several Philodendron species as well as Montrichardia species.

Recipes:

Aroid Casserole

Use any edible Xanthosoma sp. such as tannia, malanga blanca, yautia, or dasheen.

Ingredients

1 lb. of any of the above aroids

Seasoned and cooked ground beef (approx. 1/2 lb.)

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup whole milk

Method: With gloves or oiled hands, wash and peel your choice of aroid. Cut into chunks and boil in salted water for 15 minutes. or until done. Drain and mash cooked aroid (as you would potatoes), add milk, powdered seasonings to taste. Mix in cooked ground beef and pile in a greased, pie dish. Using a fork, score the top, add a few dabs of butter (or grated cheese, optional) and bake until top is brown and crisp – about 45 minutes.

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Eddoes Recipe

Bajan “Slippery Dips” In Devil Sauce [Passed on to my by my Mother, from her mother, a 'bajan' from the Island of Barbados .]

Made from eddoes (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum.)

Ingredients

1 lb. eddoes (firm, very little or no “sprout” at the growth tip)
1 purple onion (or Spanish yellow onion)

1/4 tsp. finely minced garlic

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 green habanero or other chili pepper

1 lime

Method: With a sharp paring knife, peel eddoes (wear gloves or oil hands to prevent itching). Place in a medium sized sauce pan, cover with water, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine and bring to a boil. (Be careful, your pot will froth or “boil over” if fire is too hot!) and cook for 15 minutes. (I like to cook mine for 5 minutes longer after they test tender right through with a cake tester (approx, 20 minutes total). If eddoes are large you can cut in half or thirds so that pieces are approx. 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. (If you’re using dasheen, cut into 2″ cubes.)

While your eddoes are cooking, peel and mince your garlic (or use 1/2 tsp. of bottled minced garlic). Peel onion, cut in half from top to bottom then slice very thinly. Wearing gloves, cut rings off green hot chili. Starting at the bottom, discard any seeds. Use a knife and fork as your hands will blister if you handle fresh, hot chilies! I’m serious! When eddoes are done, pour them, together with their cooking water (you may have to discard a little) directly into a heat-resistant glass or stainless steel serving dish (no
aluminum!!) Add black pepper, garlic, chili slices (if spicy food is not your thing, you can leave the chilies out) and sliced onions on top, plus the rest of the butter or margarine. Squeeze half of a fresh lime over everything, stir, let sit 5 minutes and serve hot with broiled, baked, steamed or fried fish.

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Tannia Accras Or Fritters

Using tannia, (malanga blanca), Xanthosoma sagittifolia. You can also use Yautia amarilla or malanga amarilla, Xanthosoma (?) attroverins.

2 – 3 small tannias or 1 cup grated tannia

1 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 – 2 blades chives

1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda or 1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 egg, beaten

Method: Wearing gloves or with oiled hands, wash and peel tannias. Wash again and grate finely. Chop seasonings finely and mix all ingredients well. Drop by spoonfuls into smoking hot vegetable oil. (Don’t use too much batter for each accra , or they will be uncooked in the middle). Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel, serve at once.

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Tannia Or Eddoes Cream Soup

Use eddoes (Colocasia esculenta) or tannia or malanga blanca (Xanthosoma saggittifolia).

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 lb. tannias or eddoes

2 cups water or light stock

1 onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 blades chives & other herbs to taste

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup whole milk or 1/4 cup light cream

4 tbsp. bread croutons

Method: With gloves or oiled hands, peel, wash and roughly cut up tannias and seasonings. Melt butter in an enameled or aluminum pot and lightly fry tannia and seasonings without browning (use a cover). Add stock and salt. Heat to boiling, skim, then simmer until tannia is soft and coming apart. Place mixture in blender and puree until smooth. Add milk or cream, re-heat and serve at once. Serve with croutons.

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West Indian Shepherd’s Pie

Use dasheen (also called taro, malanga cabeza or malanga islena) Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta.

Ingredients

3/4 lb. left over cooked ground beef, chopped goat meat or lamb.

1-1/4 lb. dasheen

1/4 cup whole milk, warmed

2-3 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup grated cheese

Method: With gloves or oiled hands, peel and cut dasheen into chunks. Boil in lightly salted water until tender – 20-25 minutes. Mash until smooth, adding milk, butter, powdered seasonings and salt to taste and until dasheen is smooth. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cooked meat in a greased 2-qt. casserole and spread mashed dasheen over the meat. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. or until top is brown. (You may have to brown top under grill for a couple minutes).

Note–depending on what var. of dasheen you get, this topping can be very light, of rather ‘sticky’, to ME all are good! If the dasheen takes on a gray-blue color when boiling, this is a GOOD sign! Some white ones are also good too, we had a very gluey type recently in Fr. Guyana, but it was great!

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We use the large land-crabs, which are kept in a pen, purged with fresh, green chili leaves, fed soaked soft corn, then cleaned and cooked with the calaloo. A good substitute is the larger American ‘blue’ crabs, but cleaned (backs removed, tripe cleaned out), or bits of shrimp.

By the way, when Julius made this and other Aroid-based ‘treats’ for his presentation at the monthly Aroid meeting at Fairchild gardens a couple of years ago, some sort of strange malandy overcame some of the normally cultured ‘guests’, it made them raise their plates to face-level and lick them clean! The late Dr. Monroe Birdsey was particularly fond of this calaloo!

Callaloo

Traditionally this Caribbean soup is made with taro root leaves (Colocasia esculenta, ‘dasheen’ leaves) but spinach can be substituted.

Serves 4-6

2 ounces Salt pork, diced

1 medium Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pound Colocasia esculenta (dasheen) leaves, chopped

6 cups Chicken broth

8 ounces Okra, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

8 ounces Crabmeat

1 cup Coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the pork in a large, heavy soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just soft. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, thyme, and okra. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and crab. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. Check the seasoning. Serve warm.

Grand Finale:

When you stop to think about it, aroids not only make unique plants but also are useful as food. This is one feat that you can’t say has been accomplished by many plants. Typical vegetable plants are definitely not an attractive addition to most landscapes in the manner that aroids are, nor have typical vegetable plants ever drawn the crowds that many aroids do.

Nothing compares to the tender, spicy taste of BBQ beef ribs. Beef ribs are easy to make if you know how. The trick is to cook the ribs long enough that the meat is falling off the bones. This recipe will take two and a half  hours to cook. The temperature to cook the ribs on is 350 degrees F.

I cook my ribs in a blue enamel ware oval covered pan. If you don’t have one of these pans, you can use any pan and cover it with aluminum foil.

The first step is to assemble your ingredients. If you have a large rack of ribs, you will want to cut them down so they will fit in a frying pan or an electric skillet. Try to leave three bones per section of meat.

3/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon chicken fat or bouillon

2 tablespoons safflower oil or olive oil

2 tablespoons dried rosemary or 3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon dried savory

1 1/2 cups red wine

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon A-1

To taste: garlic powder, McCormick’s Montreal Steak Spicy Grill Seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper

Begin by putting the rosemary, chicken fat or bouillon and oil into a frying pan.

Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to gently bubble.

Flour the beef ribs so all the sides are covered. Then put the ribs, one section at a time into the frying pan.

Brown the ribs.

As the ribs brown, set them into the pan that they will be baking in. Once all the ribs are in the pan, add the additional spices to taste as well as the soy sauce and A-1 sauce.

Pour the beef broth and wine in the bottom of the pan. Then add enough water so the liquid is covering the sides of the ribs. See the photo above to get a better idea of how much water to add.

Cover the pan and place it in a 350 degree F oven. Set the timer for one hour. When the timer goes off, check the ribs to make sure there is still plenty of water in the pan. If there is not enough water in the pan at that point, add more being careful not to get it on the top of the ribs.

Put the pan, covered back into the oven for another hour. When that hour is up, check the ribs. The meat should be tender enough that it will easily fall away from the bone using a fork.

Once the beef ribs have cooked for two hours, remove the pan from the oven, remove the lid, check the water level one last time. If it is low, add more water.

Before putting the ribs back into the oven for the final half hour of cooking, cover the top of the ribs in BBQ sauce. How much you use will depend on what your family likes. I like to put it on thick. Remember the heat will cause it to run and thin.

Cover the pan again and put it back in the oven. Set your timer for thirty minutes. When the timer goes off, the beef ribs are done.

Everyone loves good fried chicken, but not everyone loves the grease. Normally I brown my chicken on both sides, then put it in a pan in the oven at 350 degrees F. If you use a broiler pan, the grease will drop below just like it does when you broil food. This time, however, I decided to go ahead and fry it in my cast iron skillet. The trick to reducing the greasiness of fried food is to turn it just once during the cooking time.

Before you begin, gather the following ingredients.

1 large bowl

wooden spoon

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon dried mustard

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon ginger

Put the 2 cups of flour in the bowl. I prefer organic, but whatever you like is fine.

Pour the 1/2 cup of cornmeal on top of the flour in the bowl. You will mix this up later on.

Add the salt and any other ground spices to the flour and oatmeal.

This is what mine looked like at this point. I left the whole spices such as herb leaves, garlic cloves and paprika peppers out. I will add these shortly once they are powdered.

Put any whole herbs or spices into a grinder and process until they are finely ground.

Add the fresh ground herbs and spices to the mixture and stir well. This is what the flour mixture should look like when everything is well mixed.

Add the oil of your choice to your skillet. I used a cast iron skillet. I  add paste ginger to the oil instead of using powdered ginger. Remember that the 1 teapoon of ginger is enough for three chickens, so if you use the paste ginger or whole ginger, reduce the amount you use by 1/3.

The next step is to make sure the raw chicken is well coated on both sides with the flour mixture. I used a wooden spoon to scoop the flour out of the bowl, then used my hands to pat the flour into the chicken. When one side is well floured, turn it over and repeat. Do not let your spoon touch the chicken. I also wash my hands once I turn the chicken over. This way I can save the flour mixture and not worry about accidental contamination.

When both sides of the chicken are coated with the flour mixture, put it in the pan. Remember the oil in the pan is warm so it may want to sizzle. Use a utensil, such as tongs, to lay the chicken pieces in the pan.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.

After cooking for 30 minutes over medium heat, use the tongs to turn the chicken over. This is what the side that has been face down should look like. Put the lid back on and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

We use a meat thermomter to check the internal temperature of any meat we cook just to be on the safe side. Chicken breast should register at 170 degrees F when it is done. Properly cooked food that reaches the correct temperture and is maintained at that temperature is an important step in preventing illness from improperly prepared meals. It is also important to maintain sanitary conditions in your kitchen or on any areas where food will be.

If you are like me, you love coming up with new recipes using ingredients you have on hand. Nothing is more satisfying to me than growing and raising my own food.

The banana leaves came from a dwarf banana I am growing in a pot. If you don’t grow bananas, ask someone who does if you can have a couple of leaves. An alternative is to check with ethnic markets in your area. Ask for banana leaves that have been grown organically. Sometimes if they don’t have banana leaves on hand, they can order them. Put the extra leaves in the freezer so you have them when you need them.

Sage, rosemary, chili peppers and garlic are spices that most gardeners grow. If you do not grow these, ask around. Organic is best. Feel free to dry some for winter use, but do keep the leaves of the sage and rosemary whole. The flavor lasts better if you wait until you use them to grind them. I also dry my garlic as whole cloves, powdering it as I need to. The same goes for any peppers from the garden. If they are small, I dry them whole. If they are larger, I cut them in half or quarters so they do not appear dry on the outside and mold on the inside.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! A delicate banana like flavor does come through as does the warmth of the spices from the wine. The chili pepper gives a hot, spicy taste to the meat. Feel free to substitute the ingredients to suit your families taste.

 Enchanted Tropical Pork Chops

• 2 fresh banana leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced or powdered
• 1 dried chili pepper – you may omit this ingredient if your family does not like hot, spicy food.
• 1 teaspoon ‘Alaea Hawaiian’ red sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
• 2 1″ thick pork chops
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup Witches’ Brew – this is a red wine spiced with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Feel free to substitute your favorite wine if you cannot find this one.

Rinse off the banana leaves with water. Place them in the pan you will be using to bake the pork chops. Set this aside.

Put sage leaves, rosemary, both garlic cloves, whole chili pepper, red sea salt and peppercorns in a spice grinder.

Grind until all of the herbs and spices are finely ground.

Spread finely ground spice mixture onto a plate. Make sure it is evenly distributed.

Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.

Place the first pork chop on the plate pressing lightly.

Turn the pork chop over and repeat the process.

Place the first pork chop in the pan that contains the melted butter and olive oil. Cut diagonal slits in the top of the pork chop.

Pick up the second pork chop and repeat the process making sure both sides are covered in spices.

Put the second pork chop in the skillet next to the first pork chop, making sure to cut slits in the top of it. If any spices remain on the place, brush them off into the skillet.

Cook chops over medium heat for about ten minutes.

Turn the pork chops over and cut diagonal slits on this side as well. Cook for ten more minutes. Both sides of the pork chops should be lightly brown at this point.

When the pork chops are brown, remove them one at a time from the skillet and place in the center of the banana leaves. There should be one pork chop on each banana leaf. Pour the liquid remains of the skillet over the pork chops.

Roll one side of the banana leaf towards the pork chop. Then roll the second side towards the pork chop. Your pork chop should now be rolled up in the banana leaf.

Turn the banana leaf over so the two ends are on the bottom of the pan. The weight of the pork chop will keep the banana leaf from unrolling and exposing the pork chop.

Repeat this process with the second banana leaf and pork chop.

Pour ¼ cup Witches’ Brew or your favorite wine over the banana leaves making sure to get some in the ends of the banana leaves where the pork chops are.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Be warned, the intensely nutty fragrant smell of the banana leaves cooking will transport you to a tropical island.

When the time is up, your pork chops will be done. Remove the pan from the oven. Move the banana leaved pork chops to a plate using a spatula. Allow to cool briefly, then carefully remove banana leaves from the pork chops. They will both be hot, so use caution. Serve the pork chops with your favorite side dishes. We chose baked honey Brussels sprouts with shells and cheese for our side dishes.