Roasted Carrot and Ricotta Tart

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted multicolor carrots, sliced into thin ribbons (I like to use purple and yellow, for contrast)

• 1 cup ricotta

• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped

• 1 lemon (juice and zest)

• Salt

• Pepper

• 1 sheet puff pastry

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 egg (for egg wash)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 420°F (215°C).

2. Toss the roasted carrot ribbons in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3. Roll out the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score a 1-inch border around the edges to form a crust.

4. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, chopped basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly inside the scored border on the puff pastry.

5. Arrange the roasted carrot ribbons on top of the ricotta mixture in a visually appealing pattern, swirling them into little nests. Tuck the garlic slices between the carrots.

6. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg for a golden crust.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.

Passion Fruit and Coconut Pudding

Ingredients 

• 5 ½ tbsp butter (plus extra for greasing)

• 1 ½ cups caster sugar

• 3.4 fl oz passion fruit juice (about 6–8 passion fruit)

• 2 ½ tbsp lime juice

• 4 jumbo eggs, separated

• ½ cup self-raising flour

• 1 ¼ cup light coconut milk

• 1 cup milk

• Icing sugar (for dusting)

• Cream or ice cream (for serving)

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 1.5-quart baking dish and place it in a larger roasting tray. Boil water and set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well.

3. Mix in the flour, then slowly add the coconut milk and milk on low speed. Stir in passion fruit and lime juice.

4. Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until firm peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter.

5. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Pour boiling water into the roasting tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

6. Bake for 40–45 minutes until puffed and golden.

7. Cool for 5 minutes, dust with icing sugar, and serve with cream or ice cream.

Plantain Brûlée

Ingredients

• 1 ripe plantain (yellow with black spots for sweetness)

• 2–3 tbsp brown sugar

• Ice cream of your choice (vanilla works best)

Directions

1. Peel the plantain and slice it diagonally into ½-inch thick slices for a larger surface area. Lay the slices flat on a heatproof surface, such as a baking sheet or cutting board. 

2. Sprinkle an even layer of brown sugar over the top of each slice. 

3. Use a blow torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a crispy golden crust, holding the torch a few inches away and moving it in a circular motion to avoid burning.

4. Place the caramelized plantain slices on a plate alongside a scoop (or two) of your favorite ice cream. Serve immediately to enjoy the warm, crispy plantains paired with creamy, cold ice cream.

Roasted Chili Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary and Thyme

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in

• 1 medium onion, sliced coarsely lengthwise

• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup of thyme

• 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 handful chili flakes (if you’re sensitive to pepper, use about half that)

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

• Score chicken before marinating to help the marinade penetrate as deeply as possible by pricking the surface of it with a fork or slicing it shallowly with a knife

• Place all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag for 2 hours

• Spread onions and garlic cloves in a baking dish that can fit the chicken in a single layer

• Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 425 degrees F.

• Enjoy over any grain or alongside a side salad

Moroccan Chicken Lentil Soup (A Modern Twist on Harira)

Inspiration: North Africa, with a twist

Harira is a Moroccan soup with lentils and chickpeas and is typically made with lamb/lamb broth. I’ve adapted the recipe below to include chicken/chicken broth. This soup is most divine 1-2 days after cooking and makes for the perfect winter comfort food. I was lucky enough to take a Moroccan cooking class a few years ago where I first learned the basics of harira, but I’ve taken some liberties with the recipe below and have adapted it to make it my own.

When you reheat it, add a little bit of water. Note that I haven’t added salt here because the preserved lemon and chicken stock (when not made from scratch) can often be salty, so be sure to taste and adjust as you go.

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 leek, washed and finely sliced

• 2 tsp chopped cilantro

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp saffron

• 2 tbsp harissa

• 4 cups of chicken stock

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed into 1 cup water

• 3/4 cup brown lentils

• 1 handful dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and peeled

• ¼ cup dried apricots, finely chopped

• 1.5 tablespoons preserved lemon, minced

• 1 cup fresh spinach

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat and sauté the onion, leeks, and ginger until the onion turns translucent — about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the spices and sauté another minute.

2. Add chicken, stock, tomato paste mixture, lentils, chickpeas, salt, saffron, dried apricots, and chicken thighs.

3. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, then taste the broth and adjust the salt.

4. Remove the chicken from the chicken and shred it with a knife and fork before returning to the pot.

5. Keep the soup going for another 15 minutes to allow the lentils to become softer. Be sure to watch the liquid levels — the soup should be on the thicker side but still pourable. If you add more water, continue to taste to monitor the salt levels.

6. Add the preserved lemon, honey, spinach, and cilantro.

You can eat this solo or you may wish to add a bit of khobz, a traditional Moroccan bread, which you can also substitute with pita if you prefer to go the simpler route.

Jerk Yassa: Jamaica meets Senegambia

This recipe is inspired by the Caribbean with a dash of African flavor by way of Senegambia where yassa chicken is one of the most popular dishes. I grew up eating yassa chicken, but first experienced jerk chicken through my childhood best friend Liz, whose family hails from Jamaica. In Jamaica, jerk chicken is famous due to its marinade, which always uses allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Meanwhile, yassa chicken (or yassa au poulet), is typically prepared with onions, lemon or mustard, and is a specialty from the Casamance region in the south of Senegal, near Southern Gambia. I took the lemon and onions from the yassa and crossed it with Jamaican jerk chicken to create a fusion dish that is sure to delight. Serve it alongside this fantastic recipe for rice and peas.

Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients

8 -10 pieces of legs and thighs
1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
6 chopped garlic cloves
1 - 2 scotch bonnets
2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground allspice
3 onions, finely sliced
6-8 tablespoons Dunn’s River Jamaican jerk seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

(Note that for this recipe you will need a drip pan)

1. Trim the chicken of excess fat, then slash the skin lightly before patting it dry. Put it to one side then mix the ginger, lemon, garlic, allspice, brown sugar, scotch bonnets and tablespoons of the jerk seasoning together.

2. Cover the chicken with the jerk marinade and make sure it is well-coated. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (preferably longer or overnight). Be careful when handling the jerk marinade as it will be extremely hot. Use gloves or wash your hands vigorously after handling it.

3. After you take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator, prepare for the next stage by pre-heating the oven to 375 degrees then add all of the cut onions to a drip pan with a few tablespoons of water. This water will create steam inside the pan as the chicken bakes, and keep it moist and juicy.

4. Brown the chicken on the stovetop over medium-high heat then transfer it to the drip pan with the onions and the water at the bottom. While the chicken is cooking, the jerk marinade will also drip onto the onions giving them a delicious flavor.

5. Cook the chicken and onions in the oven for around 30 minutes then serve the chicken with the onions arranged over them with a splash of lime.