Grilling season, garden parties, picnics... Summer is such a great time for socializing around delicious, well seasoned food.
This summer I decided to explore the Caribbean cuisine and stumbled upon these two raw seasonings that can easily be used in both, raw and cooked, vegan and non-vegan dishes. They are easy to make and store well in the fridge.
The Jerk
Ingredients:
- 2-5 hot peppers (habanero, ghost chili, Carolina reaper, or Trinidad scorpion)
- 1 small red onion
- 3 scallions
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger root
- 1/2 inch fresh turmeric root
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 twigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- freshly pressed juice of 1 lime, use more if necessary
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch Celtic sea salt
- 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
Method:
- Prepare chili peppers for blending by removing stems, seeds and seed membranes.
- Toss all solid ingredients into a blender and pulse blend. Add all liquid ingredients and blend again. Add spices and molasses, and blend until smooth. Adjust the taste to your personal liking.
- Pour the sauce into a sterilized jar, close tight and store in the fridge. It stores well for at least two weeks.
The Green Seasoning
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1 bunch fresh thyme (leaves only)
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 4 jalapeño peppers
- 2 sweet peppers (optional)
- 2 heads of garlic
- juice of 1 lime, add more if necessary
Method:
- Prepare jalapeño peppers for blending by removing stems, seeds and seed membranes.
- Clean and roughly chop all the other ingredients. Toss everything into a bawl of a food processor and pulse blend until well combined, creamy but slightly chunky.
- Transfer the green mass into a sterilized jar, close tight and place in the fridge. Stores well for at least two weeks.
These two hot raw condiments are quite versatile. They can be used to marinade fresh ingredients for dehydrating, if you love raw food, or for grilling and stewing, if you prefer your food cooked. You can use them to spice your dips, salad dressings and soups, raw or cooked. They can be mixed together to enhance the taste, and also make a very nice hostess gifts.
The jerk is incredibly spicy and complex. If you cannot tolerate the heat, use only just a little bit of the hot chili or add a sweet pepper to mitigate the heat. My first one was so hot I could only use it in tiny doses.
I did not add any sweetener, but used blackstrap molasses to only slightly sweeten the sauce and add a nice color. Unlike sugar, molasses contains useful nutrients: Vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, chromium, and selenium. With a glycemic index of 55, it helps stabilize blood sugar. It isn't as sweet as agave syrup, but definitively much better for you.
I hope you will try these exotic recipes and learn to incorporate them into your own dishes. Whatever you do, enjoy it in good company!
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2022