Easter brunch

It’s the Easter weekend, there will be many gatherings this weekend of friends and family. Food is always a central part of any Trinidadian get together or lime. Its also a time when we celebrate the harvest and provision is the star.

The weather had been unseasonably warm so cooking seems more of a chore than a joy, why not swap out meats in favour of seafood, they are easier to prepare and much quicker in cooking time which means more time for you.

If you want to try a new dessert, try the lime tart, it’s cool and refreshing and totally refrigerated. Which means you can make it ahead of time. Happy Easter!

Caribbean seafood quiche

1 pre-baked pie crust

1 tbs butter or olive oil

1 lb small shrimp. Peeled and deveined

1 tbs minced chives

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup chopped chives

2 tbs chopped chadon beni

3 eggs beaten

Milk

1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat eggs and add enough milk to make mixture about 1½ cups.

Add cheese and stir.

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan, add onion, and sauté until translucent and fragrant, add shrimp and sauté until pink, add chives and season with salt and pepper.

Place shrimp into pie crust, pour on milk and egg mixture, sprinkle with chadon beni.

Bake for 30 minutes until firm.

Cool a bit before slicing.

Serves 4 to 6

Provision salad

4 lbs provision (dasheen yams, sweet potatoes), peeled boiled and cut into cubes

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

⅔ cup olive or vegetable oil

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp oregano

1 tsp minced garlic

¼ cup minced parsley

¼ cup diced celery stalks

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

¼ cup diced sweet red bell pepper

1 tbs Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine dasheen with pepper, celery, chives and parsley, oregano, paprika.

In a small bowl combine oil with vinegar Dijon, garlic, salt and black pepper, blend to make a thick emulsion.

Combine with dasheen toss to coat evenly.

Garnish with parsley, refrigerate until ready for use.

Lambie souse

2 lbs lambie, cleaned, tenderised and chopped

1 onion

1 cucumber

2 large limes, juiced

½ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup chopped cilantro or chadon beni

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1 lime sliced

Steam lambie for about 3 to 4 minutes, remove and drain,

Place in a glass bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and cover and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours.

Serve cold

Serves 4 to 6

Grilled lobster with hot sauce

2 lobsters live or frozen

⅓ cup butter

In a large pot, heat 3 quarts of water, add 2 tbs salt and bring water to a boil.

Plunge lobsters into water, head first.

Cover and heat to boiling, reduce heat and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove lobster and drain.

Place lobsters on their backs, cut into halves, lengthways with a sharp knife.

Remove stomach, which is just behind the head, and remove the intestinal vein which round from the tip of the tail to the stomach.

Crack the claws.

Place tails meat side up on the baking pan, drizzle with some of the melted butter.

Broil 3 inches from heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove and serve with Sauce Chien.

Serves 2 to 3

Hot sauce

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

¼ cup chopped chives

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ hot pepper, seeded and chopped

¼ cup chopped parsley

juice of 2 large limes or 3 limes

2 tbs sunflower oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup boiling water

Combine the first 5 ingredients.

Stir in the lime juice.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour on the boiling water then cover and leave for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve spooned over the lobster.

Caribbean black bottomed lime tart

This tart is light tasting and delicious, the chocolate cookie crust adds a delicious flavour to the whole tart.

For the crust:

20 chocolate cookies

4 tbs melted butter

2 tbs chopped almonds

For the filling:

1 lb cream cheese

⅔ cup granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

2 eggs

1½ tbs lime zest

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Finely crush cookies and almonds in a food processor, add melted butter and combine.

Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.

Refrigerate until ready for use.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy, add sugar, eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth, gently beat in sour cream. Lime zest and lime juice.

Pour batter into cookie crust and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until cheesecake is slightly puffed and the centre is set.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Serves 8 to 10

rahamut@gmail.com