Author: Arohie Chopra

Have you had enough of this icy, cold Canadian weather? Well, it’s time to turn up the heat with a tropical twist on a classic Jamaican dish.

After spending my Christmas holidays in Jamaica, I learned three things: the Patois language is extremely addictive, the “no worries” attitude is incredibly infatuating and the craving for authentic jerk chicken is constant and everlasting.

I was daring enough to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and cliff dive from Rick’s Café but, upon my return, I was intimidated by this recipe and its elaborate list of spices. Finally, I decided it was time to tie up my hair, roll up my sleeves and prepare for a jammin’ time!

Once you have successfully marinated the chicken, feel free to be creative. You can eat a traditional jerk chicken meal by including side dishes such as rice and plankton or attempt this Caribbean inspired recipe for jerk chicken tacos.

 

(Serves four)

2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless)

6 to 8 tortillas

 

Jerk Chicken Marinade:

2 yellow onions (chopped)

1 bunch of green onions (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 cup orange juice

2 tbsp lime juice

2 chili peppers (chopped)

1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp ginger powder

¼ cup honey

¾ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp sage

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

½ cup olive oil

½ cup white vinegar

Salt (to taste)

 

Mango Salsa:

1 red onion (diced)

1 tomato (diced)

1 green onion (diced)

1 mango (diced)

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup cilantro

salt, pepper and ground cayenne pepper to taste

 

1. Place all the ingredients for the marinade into a blender and puree until smooth.

2. In a well-greased non-stick skillet, cook the chicken at medium heat for about 10 minutes, flipping once in between. Once it is golden brown on both sides, add ¼ cup of water and cover the skillet. Let the chicken simmer gently for another seven minutes.

3. Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it cool slightly. Using two forks shred the chicken.

4. In a large bowl add the shredded chicken and coat with the marinade. Once the chicken is thoroughly covered, place it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least two hours.

5. Mix all the ingredients for the mango salsa in a separate bowl.

6. When ready to serve, warm up the chicken and warm the tortillas. Garnish with the mango salsa.

 

Over the years I have had the privilege of travelling quite a bit. One of my most memorable trips was to China — climbing the Great Wall and visiting Victoria Peak were adventures I will never forget and neither will my taste buds. Since then I tried to recreate a dish I absolutely loved, Hong Kong style fish, and have been delighted by the result.

This nutritious recipe incorporates Hong Kong’s fusion culture with zesty flavours for the real food fanatic. The delicately steamed fish will melt in your mouth and leave you longing for more.

 

Hong Kong Style Fish (serves four)

 

1 bamboo steamer

4 fish fillets (sea bass, cod or haddock)

1 lb green beans

1 cup spinach

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 two-inch piece of ginger (cut into thin strips)

2 green onions (chopped to your liking)

2 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)

 

Line a bamboo steamer with the spinach and place the fish fillets on top. Place the bamboo steamer over boiling water and cover for eight to 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Boil the green beans for five minutes in a pot. In a well-greased pan, stir-fry the ginger, green onions and garlic. Add the drained green beans and the sesame seeds. Continue to stir for five minutes. Mix the sugar into the soy sauce until completely dissolved and boil in a skillet. When plating the dish, drizzle the soy sauce mixture over all the ingredients. Serve with rice.

Twenty-something-year-old university students are known for being independent, motivated, and highly caffeinated. We strut as if the world twirls within our fingers. Yet, regardless of our tough exterior, we all miss the tastes of home sometimes. Since I come from a very food-oriented culture, it is inevitable that I turn to Indian cuisine for consolation when I miss my family. While it may be frosty outside, you can keep warm and mix it up by trying this sweet and spicy recipe for chilli paneer. Enjoy!

 

Chilli Paneer (serves four)

Ingredients:

1 tomato, diced

1 / 2 red onion, diced

400g paneer cut into 1 / 2 inch cubes

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tbsp tomato chilli sauce

1 tbsp yogurt

1 tbsp sour cream

4 green onions

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 orange pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 green chili peppers

1 pinch of salt

4 pieces naan bread

 

1. Sauté the diced red onion in a well greased pan at medium heat. When brown, add the diced tomato and green onions.

2. In a bowl, mix the paneer, salt, ginger-garlic paste, and tomato chilli sauce.

3. Add the yogurt, sour cream, and all the peppers to the pan and lower the heat.

4. Finally add the paneer mixture to the pan and let it simmer, tossing occasionally. After about 5-8 minutes it is ready.

4. Serve with naan bread or rice.

 

If you’ve tried out this recipe, send a photo to our Twitter @TheConcordian, or post a photo to our Facebook page!

So, you have been studying for hours and you keep getting the same question wrong. You have a group project due tomorrow and your teammates refuse to do their share. You are hungover and you have no idea who or what gave you that huge bruise. You have texted your crush for the umpteenth time and still have no response. You are still not done midterms and finals are only a couple weeks away! Experiencing the mid-November blues? Well then it’s time to find inner peace.

Traditionally, one would take a yoga class, but speaking from experience, I find making spinach ricotta ravioli from scratch a lot more therapeutic than tangling my body in upside down positions. This dish is very time consuming but will keep your hands busy with dainty details and your mind preoccupied with luscious longing. It’s my way of relaxing and keeping calm. 

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli (Serves four)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp olive oil

2 eggs beaten

1 1 / 2 tbsp water

300 g ricotta

2 cups baby spinach

1 / 4 cup parsley

1 pinch cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 / 2 jar of pasta sauce

 

1. Mix the olive oil, eggs, and water in a bowl. Keep two teaspoons of the mixture aside to use later as an egg wash to seal the ravioli.

2. Soak the baby spinach in lukewarm water for about 5 min. Pat dry and cut into slices.

3. For the stuffing, combine the ricotta, spinach, parsley, cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of the oil, egg and water mix. Add salt and pepper according to taste.

4. For the pasta, add small amounts of the oil, egg, and water mix to the flour and keep kneading the dough until it is smooth.

5. Using a rolling pin and square cookie cutters, shape the dough into very thin squares.

6. Take one dough square and place a teaspoon of the stuffing into the centre and sandwich the top with another dough square. Seal the ravioli by using the oil, egg, water mixture set aside from before. Smear it onto the edges of the square and press together.

7. Once you have made all of your raviolis, place them into salted boiling water. They will float to the top when ready.

8. When serving you can use any type of pasta sauce, including meat sauce, tomato sauce, alfredo or a rose. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!