Making the most from covid-relief food baskets

Some people have already received the food baskets offered by the government to help the vulnerable families during the most recent tightening of covid19 restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on May 3.

A total of 25,000 food baskets are expected to be given to the 41 MPs for distribution to their constituents.

Sourced by certified farmers and provided by the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (Namdevco), the baskets contain approximately :

Five lbs of sweet potato, five lbs of dasheen, two bundles of dasheen leaves, five lbs of cassava, four lbs of plantain, five lbs of squash, five lbs of pineapple, ten units of citrus, four lbs of paw paw, four lbs of cucumbers, two lbs of bodi, three lbs of sweet pepper, ten units of hot pepper, five lbs of tomatoes, four lbs of melongene, ten units of ochro, and two four-lbs chickens.

Professional chefs, amateur chefs, and foodies alike exclaimed at the large amount of food in each basket, and decided to share their suggestions and recipes for turning the ingredients, with the help of a few others that you probably should get if you intend to do more cooking, into delicious meals.

The first meal is a contribution by Chef Brigette Joseph, director of the food business consultancy firm, Chef Brigette and Co.

“Now, more than ever, it is important for us to be healthy. For us, health always starts in the kitchen. It is important to eat meals that are good for you, nutrient dense and of course, delicious.”

She said it is important that people “maximise the items” in their cupboards to reduce expenses and explained how to do so with the chicken, complete with bones, in order to extract all the nutrients.

“Chicken broth has more than 19 easy-to-absorb, essential and non-essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and essential for digestive health and immune system support. The amino acids released when making chicken broth reduce inflammation in the respiratory system and improved digestion. And sweet potato is high in vitamin C and vitamin A, which also helps support your immune system.”

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO STEW

Ingredients:

1 eggplant / melongene (medium, unpeeled, and diced)

2 tomatoes (small, diced)

1 onion (small, diced)

1 tbsp garlic

1 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon geera

1 pimento (chopped finely)

1 sprig chadon Beni

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Prepare the veggies: dice the unpeeled eggplant, tomatoes, pimento and onions into small pieces. Set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, add the garlic, tomato paste, geera, salt, cayenne pepper, and water and stir well.

3. Add the veggies and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the melongene is tender. Add chadon beni and stir in. Set aside until chicken is ready.

POACHED CHICKEN

Ingredients :

1 (4-pound) chicken, whole

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 medium carrots, quartered,

1 chive

3 sprigs fresh fine thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

black pepper and salt

1 bay leaf

Method :

1. Rub chicken with salt and pepper, and green seasoning. Combine the chicken, vegetables and herbs, in a large iron pot. Pour in enough water to just cover the chicken completely. Heat the water to just under a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a very low simmer, so that 1 or 2 bubbles break the surface of the broth about once a minute. Skim any fat and scum from the surface with a large spoon. (To prevent losing a lot of stock when skimming, put the skimmed liquid into a cup, and return any useable broth back to the pot.) Cook for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through but not dry.

2. Remove the chicken from the pot but continue to simmer the broth. Cool the chicken for about 10 minutes. Remove all the chicken meat from the bones and return the bones to the pot and cook for 1 hour more on low heat.

3. Strain broth into another pot or a large stainless steel bowl and cool before putting in the fridge. Discard the bones, the vegetables you can keep to eat with the broth.

SWEET POTATO

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch thick circles

water

1/2 tsp to salt water

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method :

1. Place sweet potato and salt in a pot, with enough water to cover the sweet potato, over a medium fire and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender, it will vary according to the size of the pieces. Strain and set aside.

2. In a frying pan over a medium fire add 1 tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add sweet potatoes, salt and black pepper. Fry for two minutes per side, until potatoes are crisp on each side.

To serve, cut the poached chicken into large cubes, add to the melongene and tomato stew and mix to combine. Serve stew over the sweet potato rounds.

Rachel Jardine is a Caribbean content creator with Check Ting said her recipe is something she makes for her family and they love it, including her children. It is simple, the extra ingredients are inexpensive, and it can be "dressed up" if desired.

“This recipe serves four. It is easy to put together, flavourful, inexpensive and can also be used as a base for casseroles, wraps or enjoyed on its own. It can also be made without meat."

GROUND PROVISION HASH WITH CHICKEN

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped provision

1 large onion

1/2 lb chicken de boned and cut into bite size pieces

salt and pepper

few dashes of soy sauce

few dashes cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp green seasoning

1 egg per person (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and scrub your ground provision. Peel and dice it into uniform one-inch cubes and place aside.

2. Chop your onion into similar sized pieces.

3. Chop all the chicken into bite-sized chunks

4. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, green seasoning and half the garlic.

5. In a skillet or cast-iron pan, heat about 1 tsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken into the heated pan in an even layer, allowing the chicken to brown.

6. Add a few dashes of soy sauce around the pan.

7. As the chicken begins to cook, flip sections of the chicken over to brown the chicken evenly. Once it is cooked through, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

8. Add about two teaspoons more of oil, add the onions, and ground provisions into the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and the remaining garlic. Stir the onions and provisions so they are evenly coated with oil and seasoning.

9. Add 1/2 cup water to pan working provisions to the sides. The water heats quickly, creating steam. Cover the pan with a lid, capturing the steam in order to cook the provisions through. Once the water has cooked off, remove the lid and the outsides of the potatoes will brown and crisp up. This should take 10-15 minutes depending on the amount of vegetables.

10. When provisions are cooked add chicken back to the pan and toss together.

This recipe can be topped with a cooked egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, or anything your family may like.

Teacher and amateur chef Sunita Maharaj created a vegetarian meal for those who prefer not to eat meat. In addition to the spices listed in the recipe, she suggests adding others such as paprika, cayenne pepper, and celery salt if people have them in their cupboard. Also, since the pineapple is sweet, it can be saved for desert or eaten as a snack.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients:

3 lbs sweet potatoes cut into bite sized cubes

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper

2 tbsp cumin

2 sweet peppers cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium onion cut into bite-sized pieces

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together then transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil.

2. Heat oven to 400 F.

3. Bake sweet potatoes covered for 30 minutes.

4. Remove foil, toss and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered.

GRILLED MELONGENE AND PINEAPPLE

1 medium melongene

1 pineapple

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp brown sugar and cinnamon (optional)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Slice melongene and pineapple into ½ inch slices.

2. Brush both with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on pineapple. (optional)

3. Heat stove top grill pan over medium heat and grill melongene slices for three minutes on one side then two minutes on the other.

4. Grill pineapple slices for two minutes per side.

CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD

Ingredients :

2 medium cucumbers cut into cubes

3 medium tomatoes cut into cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 minced pimento

Juice of 1 lemon or orange and zest

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine cucumbers and tomatoes in large bowl.

2. In a large jar, combine all other ingredients and shake well.

3. Pour contents of the jar onto cucumbers and tomatoes and toss.

SPICY LENTILS

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb dried brown lentils

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium sweet pepper, chopped

2 pimentos, minced

1 hot pepper, chopped (optional)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

Assorted herbs (optional)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add oil, onions, sweet peppers, pimentos and hot pepper (optional). Cook for five minutes.

3. Add lentils and stir into the rest of ingredients. Cook for five minutes.

4. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and enough hot water to cover everything.

5. Cook for 25 minutes or until lentils have softened.

6. Turn off heat and stir in assorted herbs (optional). Let stand for 5 minutes for herbs to infuse into lentils.

If you prefer something more traditional, some other meal ideas from the basket include boiled and fried cassava, dasheen and dasheen leaves; melongene choka with sada roti; a sweet potato and squash pie; a papaya and pineapple drink; or stewed chicken with pound plantains.