Jamaican Sorrel for #SundaySupper

Dec 16, 2012 by lovelypantry

There is always something new going on in my kitchen.  This beverage is a big deal…to the husband. Sorrel is a drink he loves and until now, he had to depend on someone giving it to us as a gift or going to Jamaica to have the real authentic drink. Sorrel is a popular beverage to have during the Christmas season. I’ll confess ~ I never really liked sorrel. Give me some other tropical drink. Give me soursop juice, carrot juice or fruit punch. Just not sorrel. Well, it seems that my taste is changing. I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorrel is amazing! Around this time of year in Jamaica, most households, family gatherings or formal gatherings will have Sorrel in their selection of beverages.

Today’s #SundaySupper theme is Holiday Drinks and Appetizers and our host is Connie from The Foodie Army Wife. A big shout out to my Bestie for giving me “The Real Taste Of Jamaica” by Enid Donaldson! It’s getting good use! I was happy to have it so I could share this recipe today. Please be sure to check out the other beverages and appetizers brought to you by the #SundaySupper family. You’ll need ideas if you are hosting or attending a holiday gathering.

Everyone that I’ve asked makes sorrel a little differently. Some people add a little wine to it. Some add a “little” White Rum, which is true in most cases. I didn’t do too much adapting but I plan to tweak it a bit more on the next round. I’ll add more ginger and just a little less sugar. This was a bit sweet for me but easily rectified by diluting it and adding ice. Sorrel is best served ice-cold. For my household, I omitted the rum because I wanted to be able to drink it at any time during the day, and also I wanted my children to be able to taste it. My children drank it several times, and that truly made me happy.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very important step. Steeping the Sorrel for at least 24 hours allows for a very rich, full-bodied liquid. I allowed mine to steep a little longer. I love all the natural ingredients that make up this drink. If unsweetened Sorrel wasn’t so extremely sour, I’d omit/reduce the sugar. But the sugar is a very necessary component. Substitutions will ruin this drink.

 

 

Once strained, sweetened and chilled – Sorrel is ready to be enjoyed!

 

 

 

The perfect glass of Sorrel …

 

 

 

Sorrel is an excellent gift. It can be made with or without alcohol – either way, it is extremely enjoyable. It can also be kept in the fridge for a long period of time! Especially with the addition of rum as a preservative.

 

 

 

 

Holiday Cocktails

• Glühwein from Magnolia Days
• Cookies-n-Cream Cocktails from The Urban Mrs
• Cranberry Fizz from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Rosemary Orange Punsch from Galactopdx
• Candy Cane Martini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Raspberry Hot Chocolate from Momma’s Meals
• Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog from The Daily Dish Recipes
• Jamaican Sorrel from The Lovely Pantry
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Spoons from Chocolate Moosey
• Homemade Eggnog from Flour on my Face
• Moroccan Mint Tea from MarocMama
• Cherry Bomb from Noshing with the Nolands
• Wassail from There And Back Again
• Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Pomegranate Cosmo from Supper For A Steal
• Poinsettia Mimosas from Big Bear’s Wife
• Mulled Wine: Spiked and Steamy from Daddy Knows Less
• Poinsettia Cocktails from The Catholic Foodie
• The Red Carpet Diva from Cooking Underwriter

 

Holiday Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres

 

• Cheese Ball Wreath from The Meltaways
• Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts from My Catholic Kitchen
• Prosciutto Goat Cheese Rolls with Fig Preserves and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Muenster and Spinach Pinwheels from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Drunk Moose Meatballs from The Foodie Army Wife
• Smoked Salmon Blinis with Cranberry-Spiced Feta from Chattering Kitchen
• Sticky Wholegrain Mustard & Ginger Cocktail Sausages from girlichef
• Potato Leek Soup from What Smells So Good
• Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread from Small Wallet Big Appetite
• 5 Quick & Easy Appetizers for Your Holiday Party from Webicurean
• Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn from Gotta Get Baked
• Crostini topped with Voodoo Chicken Cream Dip from Country Girl in the Village
• Mushroom Strudel from Vintage Kitchen
• Roxanne’s Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Queso Dip from The ROXX Box
• Herbed Holiday Party Mix from Curious Cuisiniere
• Old fashioned Swedish Meatballs from I Run For Wine
• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bites from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch from Juanita’s Cocina
• Salsa Baked Cheese from Home Cooking Memories
• Cookie Dough Dip from The Cookie-A-Day Challenge
• Parmesan Onion Rounds from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Lip-smacking Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs from In The Kitchen with KP
• Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip from Comfy Cuisine
• Indian Spiced Tuna Balls from Soni’s Food
• Onion marmalade with Bacon from Ruffles and Truffles
• Sweet Potato Dip from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Festive Cucumber & Ginger Sushi Rolls from The Ninja Baker
• Baked Jalapeno Popper Ranch Dip from Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Brie from Family Foodie
• Hoisin Asisan Meatballs from Damn Delicious

 

Do you have a favorite dish or beverage to take to a party?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during#SundaySupper on December 16th.  

We’d also love to feature your recipe for holiday parties on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

** Due to the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, we will not be having a live chat this Sunday December 16, 2012. Our hearts and prayers go out to the souls lost and the affected families. **

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Black Bean Soup With Hot Roast Pepper Cream for #SundaySupper

Nov 4, 2012 by lovelypantry

It’s November and the boots and coats are officially necessary when going outdoors. The weather has been terrible and watching the news has been quite depressing. Hurricane Sandy did some serious damage in the Caribbean as well as the East Coast of The United States and parts of Eastern Canada. My heart goes out to all those affected. While I was making this soup, I thought about my friends/family in Jamaica who went several days without electricity – and some without water. Thankfully, everything is returning to some sort of normal, as life indeed has to go on.

I really like this weeks theme for #SundaySupper. There’s nothing better than a home-made soul warming meal on a wet, cold, gloomy day. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel better when I’m with my family eating a nice soup or stew with the family! I was so impressed with the line up this week,  I encourage you all to check out the wonderful dishes prepared by my fellow food bloggers. This weeks #SundaySupper is being hosted by Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen.

My recipe today comes from a book I bought while I was in Jamaica last year called Caribbean Food Made Easy by Levi Roots. I didn’t have to make many changes at all. Most of the ingredients I already had on hand – whether in my fridge or in my pantry. I’m really thinking about having soup more often. My husband absolutely loved this soup and asked me to kindly note this soup as a definite favourite. Enough said! This soup made about 6-8 servings and I was able to freeze 3 servings for lunch this week.

I should note that I used Scotch Bonnet Pepper in this recipe. I have never been able to fully enjoy spicy food. Seriously. But somehow this soup hit the spot in the best way, because I enjoyed it immensely! I also did an extra step because I’m picky with my gravies and creams. I strained the pepper cream – which was a task because it is rather thick. This step is totally optional, but I do like the smooth creamy texture that resulted in me doing so.

 

 

 

Here are the soul warming recipes brought to you by the #SundaySupper team! Please share, pin, email, print, make and enjoy!

Main Entrees: 

• Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole – Happy Baking Days
• Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
• Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
• Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious

Chili/Stews:

• Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
• Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
• Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
• Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta –Webicurean
• Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles – Galactosemia in PDX
• Cowboy Beef Stew – Comfy Cuisine
• Ham and String Beans – Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili – Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Seafood Gumbo and Soul Warming #SundaySupper Wine Pairings – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew – In The Kitchen With KP

Soups:

• 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal
• Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious
• Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream – The Lovely Pantry
• Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker
• Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
• Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food
• French Onion Soup – Momma’s Meals
• Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine
• Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
• Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie
• Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen
• Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey
• Rule of Thirds Soup – What Smells So Good?
• Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
• Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal
• Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} – Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
• Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
• Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days
• Tuscan Bean Soup – The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways
• Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup – Daily Dish Recipes

Desserts/Beverages:

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

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Jamaican Carrot Drink

Sep 20, 2012 by lovelypantry

Greetings friends of The Lovely Pantry! I have certainly been missing in action for the past few months. Mainly because I went to Jamaican for most of the summer. I usually take the time to spend with my family and my friends during the summer months. The connection is very important to me. Sometimes, you need to reconnect and rejuvenate, and that’s exactly what I did. I’ve been trying to get back into blogging but obstacles just keep popping up. Since I’m no quitter – I’m going to press on and continue what I really enjoy doing with the friends that inspire and encourage me every day. I should also try to make nice with my scale. I did not hold back when it came to food while I was in Jamaica! LOL!

A big hearty THANK YOU to my fabulous Food Blogger friends who did not hesitate to guest post for me while I was away! Sofie, Chung-Ah, Renee, Anuradha, and Sandra ~ You guys are so AWESOME!

Today’s post is a wonderful refreshing drink that is quite lovely with a Sunday dinner, or a special drink for entertaining. I got the recipe from a book given to me by the BESTIE a few months ago. I’ve added it to my growing collection of Jamaican Treasures and I’m so happy to be sharing the recipe with you here. The book is called The Real Taste of Jamaica by Enid Donaldson. I had it on my wish list for so long! I believe I had the book years go but gave it away because I wasn’t really into cooking at that time. I’m glad I have it once again! I’m keeping this copy! It has sentimental value 🙂

 

 

 

I’m just too excited. I love books – of course photography books and the like, but I have a soft spot for Cook Books. I just can’t have enough. Here are a few books that I got on my recent trip to Jamaica (except the one by Enid Donaldson). I absolutely adore the book called Jamaican Food, that documents the origin of certain foods that are a big part of the culture and some foods/dishes that are unique to Jamaica. I’ve never had a book like this before. Clearly, I have some reading and cooking to do!

 

 

I’m happy to be back! I feel like giving my kitchen a big hug!

Take good care everyone! *Virtual Hugs for you all*

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Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding #SundaySupper

Jun 3, 2012 by lovelypantry

It’s time for another #SundaySupper and this week the theme is “Heritage”. I was undecided for a while as to what to prepare, but a quick phone call to my Mom helped to narrow it down. Most of my Jamaican favourites have already been shared on The Lovely Pantry, but I wanted to take this opportunity to share something new.

When I think about my heritage, I think about the country and culture that influenced my life the most. As some of you may know, I grew up in London England, Jamaica, and currently reside in Toronto, Canada. My parents always instilled in my brother and I, the importance of family, and knowing our heritage/culture. This was a challenge while raising a family in a foreign country with so many other cultures blended around you. But my parents made it work. From the music, to the dialect, to the FOOD – oh, my parents love their food!

I’ve always been a part of a close-knit family (more like a tribe). In fact, there are so many of us, we could form our own small community. As a child, my father showed us our family tree so that we could see exactly who started this awesome family of ours. I plan to do the very same thing for my children. It will be a larger family tree compared to what my father had shown me but it will definitely be a wonderful family project. Perhaps one day we’ll go to Cuba to see where my paternal Grandfather was born, and then perhaps travel to Ireland to see where his father was born. Hopefully we will get to do the same for my husband and see his German-Irish background. That’s the beauty of Jamaica and being Jamaican. We are truly “out of many, one people“.

Being Jamaican is great, but living and experiencing other cultures is amazing too! I love having friends and family, from other cultures. What better way to learn about this wonderful world we live in! We are all alike in so many ways, but our cultural differences are what make us so unique. I’m so honoured to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful recipes from a diverse range of cultures.

I hope you enjoy my recipe today – Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding. Growing up, I much preferred cake over pudding. But after I made this pudding, I believe I have been missing out!!! Pudding of some sort (Cornmeal, Bread, Sweet Potato) can be found at many gatherings and is especially good with ice-cream. My pudding would not have been the same without a few “drops” of some Appleton Rum. This pudding is authentic at the very least, and I’m glad to have come across this recipe so that I could put my own personal touch to it. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Before I go into the photographs, I wanted to include images of the Jamaican flag as well as the Coat Of Arms 🙂

 

      

 

I always remember pudding or “pudd’n” as we call it, being thick and moist. I figured the raisins wouldn’t sink in the batter, but I went ahead and tossed them in flour any way.

 

 

Fold the raisins into the batter, ensuring that everything is full incorporated.

 

 

I had to buy a baking pan big enough to hold the batter for this pudding. Of all the items in my kitchen, I did not have a 9 X 13 Baking pan. I chose to line it because I find it easier to clean the pan but also to remove/transfer the cake after it has cooled. Parchment paper is one of those multi-use items that I always have handy.

 

 

50 minutes later, the pudd’n is ready! The kitchen smells AH-MAZING!

 

 

Cornmeal Pudding is served in squares (or slices if you use a round pan). I prefer squares because it gives a great place to rest the ice-cream!

 

 

You can’t go wrong with having pudding on the menu. It’s a crowd pleaser! Either that, or the rum just makes people really enjoy it.

 

 

This is by far my favourite part of eating this pudding. A nice chunk of pudd’n with some softened ice-cream! Heavenly!

 

 

My other favourite Jamaican recipes include: Oxtail (my favourite), Ackee & Saltfish (Jamaica’s National Dish), Escoveitched Halibut and Sweet Potato Bun. Let us not forget Rice & Peas!

 

Here are the recipes for todays Heritage theme. Check out the posts from these amazing food bloggers!

• Scotch Eggs and Brotchen Rolls – The Meltaways
• Apple Kuchen – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Spaghetti Carbonara – Katherine Martinelli
• Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash – Make Dinner Easy
• Potato and Spinach Knishes – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• German Potato Salad – Magnolia Days
• Sausage and Broccoli with Orecchiette – Daddy Knows Less
• Chicken Enchiladas Suizas – The Weekend Gourmet
• Strawberry Tiramisu – Chocolate Moosey
• Chocoflan – Juanita’s Cocina
• Egg Liqueur Cake – The German Foodie
• Rasmalai (Ricotta in Sweet Coconut Milk with Almonds and Pistachio) – Sue’s Nutrition Blog
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad – In the Kitchen With KP
• Rouladen – Midlife Road Trip
• Lemon Balm Roasted Chicken and Rum Raising Cupcakes with Maple Frosting – What Smells So Good?
• Keftikas (Turkish Meat and Leek Patties) – The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Croque Monsieur with a Béchamel sauce  – The Daily Dish Recipes
• Momma’s Meat Pie with Poutine Sauce – Momma’s Meals
• Polish Rustic Plum Tart – Comfy Cuisine
• Drop Scones (Scottish Pancakes) – Cositas Bonitas
• Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding – The Lovely Pantry
• Borscht Shooters – Cookistry
• Shepard’s Pie – Big Bear’s Wife
• Parsnip Cakes – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Roasted Curried Vegetables – Hot Curries & Cold Beer
• Portuguese Mussels and Shrimp in a Chorizo Sauce – Family Foodie
• Kalbi Steak Kimchi Grilled Cheese – Damn Delicious
• Wine pairings for all the recipes – ENOFYLZ

 

For more awesome inspiration, be sure to follow our Pinterest Board and also follow our #SundaySupper hashtag on Twitter. To find out more about or even participate in #SundaySupper as a food blogger, the sure to check here for further information.

 

Happy Sunday, and as we say in Jamaica…”Walk Good!” … which is the same as saying take care!

~Lyn

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Sweet Potato Bun

Apr 15, 2012 by lovelypantry

I had to share this recipe. It tastes too good to keep to myself. I will also say that this is the last bun recipe I will post until next Easter. Seriously.

However, I will not classify this bun as an Easter Bun even though I found it in The Gleaner’s Easter Cookbook 2012 (Page 26). No, not this bun. This bun can be prepared at any time throughout the year. There are many recipes in the cookbook that I will be trying very soon. I have the best Dad. He mailed me the booklet so that I could have a resource for my posts. He knows how much I like to flip though pages. Isn’t he great? I’m sure you guys remember one of my most favourite things is sending and receiving mail. My dad put a really big smile on my face! Thank you Dad!

The first time I made this bun, and it was a hot mess. I’m not a baker so I had no idea what I did wrong. The batter was thin and after baking it for more than the suggested time, it still came out like a pudding. My husband described the texture of the outside of the bun felt like leather. I was so disappointed because the flavour was quite pleasant but the texture was not good at all. This was my very first baking flop. I decided to look through the ingredients again and compare with all the other bun recipes. I realized that there was probably too much liquid and not enough flour. I made some changes to the original recipe and got it right! Success!!! This is the bun that I will be making next year! I only used raisins and there’s no mixed peel to pick out.

The only way I’ll be making this bun again this year, is if someone specifically asks me to make it or places an order ($$).

 

 

 

 

I was watching the consistency so closely the second time around.

 

 

I like the contrast in colours here.

 

 

In go the raisins. The batter at this point is fairly firm and has a thick consistency. Exactly what I want.

 

 

Ready for the oven!

 

 

Fresh out  the oven, looking good, smelling great and not feeling like leather on the outside 🙂

 

 

Checking for the consistency – looks perfect. And then I realized I had cut my bun before I glazed it.  So anxious!

 

 

Now this is more like it!

 

 

This bun was so nice, I had to double up on the cheese. It was moist and dense, as it should be. I think that’s totally acceptable since I’m not having this bun again until next year.

 

 

I feel great about this bun. Have you had any baking triumphs? I’d love to hear about it.

Have a wonderful Sunday and an awesome week!

~Lyn

 

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