Skillet Corn and Edamame with Spinach and Bacon for #SundaySupper

Jan 13, 2013 by

Today is a very special day for #SundaySupper. We are celebrating our very first birthday! For one year, #SundaySupper has been inspiring families with home cooked meals every Sunday. Most Sundays, you will read my accolades about the #SundaySupper family and the camaraderie we share. The internet is a huge place, and I feel quite privileged to have found a very special group with whom I can break bread with and get to know through their weekly posts. I remember my very first #SundaySupper post. I joined in April 2012. The theme was Budget Friendly Meals and I made Baked Butternut Squash & Asparagus Risotto. I loved that recipe. And I still bake my Risotto to this day. There were about 12 of us participating that day. Who knew that #SundaySupper would become such an integral part of my blogging experience. We get to learn about cuisine from all over the world. We learn about family history and traditions.

We are celebrating this week’s birthday event by choosing recipes from contributors that have inspired us during the past year. Honestly, it took me a few days to decide on a recipe from past #SundaySupper events. I finally decided on a very colourful and healthy salad that was part of the event titled  “100 recipes every mom should have”  by  Katie Workman. This event was held in July so I was unable to participate since I was on vacation. But I felt like I didn’t skip a beat. Every recipe for our #SundaySupper events is listed on the Family Foodie website for ongoing inspiration.

I was inspired by a post from Sunithi, from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz. Her post was titled “Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame and Bacon Bits“. Absolutely delightful! This recipe totally fit in with my current mindset which is to eat healthy! The ingredients are items that I generally have on hand and the combination of colours is just absolutely visually appealing. Sue always posts healthy recipes which I have always appreciated. I know you will love and appreciate this recipe from our #SundaySupper archives.

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

 

 

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Sweet Corn
  • 1 Cup Edamame
  • 2 Heaping handfuls of baby Spinach
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • ½ Red Sweet Pepper, slice and diced
  • ¼ Cup Cilantro, chopped
  • ½ Cup Red and Orange Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 Slices Bacon
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ Tsp Cumin
Instructions
  1. In a serving dish, place spinach to cover most of the dish.
  2. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Break up into bits.
  3. Drain the skillet of most of the oil, reserving about a tablespoon
  4. Add scallions to the hot skillet and sautee for about a minute
  5. Add corn, edamame, sweet pepper, salt & pepper and cumin to the skillet. Sautee for about 4 minutes
  6. Add cilantro and fold in gently
  7. Add tomatoes and fold in and allow to warm through for about a minute
  8. Using a large spoon, transfer the contents of the skillet to the bed of spinach.
  9. The heat from the salad will cause the spinach to soften nicely
  10. Top the salad with the bacon bits. Serve warm and enjoy

 

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon - main ingredents

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon – main ingredients

 

The main change to the original recipe – I did not add the spinach to the skillet. It will soften when the corn and edamame are placed on top. I also changed the title just a bit because of this change. I also did not use any oils. I just used some of the fat rendered from the bacon. It gave the salad such flavour!

I can see this salad being served with most meats as a side dish. I had it myself as a main dish and it certainly hit the spot. The salty bacon, the creamy edamame, the cilantro, the sweet corn, the tomatoes, sweet pepper..they all combined very well together.

 

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon-7a

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

 

Here are the recipes from the #SundaySupper family. They all look wonderful! This must have been a big task! After all, How do you choose just one recipe from 52 weeks of fabulous Sunday Supper Recipes?

Sunday Supper Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:

 Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 

Sunday Supper Veggies: 

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 

 Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:

Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

 

Announcing a New Addition:  Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversay Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries orginally posted by The Messy Baker Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

 

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Jamaican Blue Drawers for #SundaySupper

Jan 6, 2013 by

Welcome to the first #SundaySupper of 2013! I’m so grateful when I am able to participate and I’m more than happy to jump right on in at the start of the new year. Today’s theme is Whats on your recipe bucket list? My recipe bucket list is quite long. There were a few things I wanted to start off with but then I remembered that I promised myself that I’d make Blue Drawers. It’s a very simple sweet pudding that has been around for decades in Jamaica. I only knew about it as an adult and was surprised to know that some of my friends have only heard about it, but have never had it. I guess its something that our grandmothers would make. I’m no grandma, but I love exploring my heritage and learning about the food from the land of my birth. So let’s go!

Please check out all the exciting recipes that the #SundaySupper family have to share. I’m looking forward to seeing the dishes that we are all making for the very first time! I’ll consider this the post to kick off my bucket list recipes.

Blue Drawers (you might also see it as Blue Draws) has a few aliases … Tie-A-Leaf, Duckoono/Dokunnu and Boyo. It is originally a West African dish (Dokunu) that was traditionally made with plantains, but modern versions are made with cornmeal, sweet potato, green banana, cassava, or a combination of your preference. Blue Drawers is essentially a boiled pudding that is considered a treat because it is sweet as opposed to savory. Along with the selection of ingredients mentioned previously, grated coconut is always added. Consider this a mandatory ingredient. What really got me interested in making Blue Drawers, was that each portion is boiled in a banana leaf secured with thin strip of banana bark. Something about it just seems so rustic, and pure. I love that in Jamaica, it is pretty much still prepared that way. I always wondered about how this pudding ended up with the name “Blue Drawers”. Well, according to the National Library of Jamaica, it was given the nickname Blue Drawers because the banana leaves apparently have a blue hue once they are cooked. Well. Okay then! Who knew?

The fact that I did not have banana leaves did not stop me from preparing this pudding. I used the alternative…foil! It doesn’t look as rustic and earthy but it’s what I have access to. And it worked just great. I also added my very own special touch to this Jamaican treat ~ a simple coconut glaze with a hint of citrus to break up that coconut essence just a little bit.

 Jamaican Blue Drawers Collage

 

 

 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Cornmeal
  • ½ Cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Tsp Salt
  • ½ Tsp Mixed Spice
  • ⅓ Cup Golden Raisins
  • ¼ Cup Shredded Coconut
  • 1 Cup Coconut Milk
  • ½ Tsp Vanilla
  • ***
  • Coconut Orange Glaze
  • ¼ Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
  • ⅛ Tsp Pure Orange Extract
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, mixed spice, shredded coconut and raisins
  2. In a small bowl, add coconut milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix to combine
  3. Add the coconut milk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and mix with a spoon until combined
  4. Prepare 12 sheets of foil, 12" X 8"
  5. Using a standard ice-cream scoop, place a scoop of batter into the center of the foil sheets, and fold the foil around each scoop to form parcels
  6. Place the parcels in pot enough boiling water to cover them completely
  7. Cook on medium high heat for about an hour
  8. Remove each parcel with tongs and place on a bowl.
  9. Carefully unwrap each parcel over a few sheets of paper towels as some water may drip out
  10. For the glaze: In a small bowl, add coconut milk, and confectioners sugar. Whisk until well combined and smooth. Add orange extract and combine.
  11. Add glaze on top of each pudding once cooled

 

I took this photograph in August for 2012 while I was visiting Jamaica during the Jamaica 50 celebrations (Jamaica celebrated its 50th year of independence). I only knew of Blue Drawers by name. I had not had it at this point. Then a friend of mine gave me some that his mother had made. I knew that even if it was just once, I would make Blue Drawers. So keep in mind that this is how they would have been presented if I had banana leaves.

 

Jamaican Blue Drawers

Jamaican Blue Drawers

 

In terms of the main ingredient, I did make a very slight change. I used golden raisins instead of regular raisins.

 

Golden Raisins

Golden Raisins

 

I combined the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients to make a moist batter.

 

Blue Drawers Prep

Combining ingredients to make Blue Drawers

 

Combining the batter was easy, and so was the parcel preparation. There was no particular way in which to fold the parcels, so I just made them the best I could. Utilizing the scoop ensured that each pudding would be identical in size. I got exactly 12 scoops using this recipe. I made my parcels fairly small. I cut the ingredients in half in order to keep the servings small.

 

Jamaican Blue Drawers Parcels

Jamaican Blue Drawers – Preparing the parcels for boiling

 

Cooled Blue Drawers

Jamaican Blue Drawers-18

Jamaican Blue Drawers

 

I think adding the glaze gave it a modern touch. I enjoyed it with the glaze. The orange essence is very subtle.

 

Jamaican Blue Drawers with an Orange Coconut Glaze

Jamaican Blue Drawers
with an Orange Coconut Glaze

 

I hope you enjoyed this item from my bucket list. Whats next on your recipe bucket list?

 

Check out the recipes

This Week’s Sunday Supper Recipes:

Sunday Supper Specialty Breads:

Sunday Supper Main Dishes:

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks:

 

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. 

We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.

Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Don’t forget to also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

 

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Top 12 Recipes of 2012 – What a great year!

Dec 31, 2012 by

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, spent with family and friends. I took the week off to do my last-minute running around, making sorrel, baking cakes, doing some light housework, spent a day out of town… the family was quite busy. I even surprised myself when I realized that I had not physically been on the computer for 3 whole days. This type of scenario does not happen often. But it was all for a good cause, seeing as it was the most wonderful time of the year.

Well, it’s the end of 2012 and as I reflect, I know very well that I have much to be thankful for. I’m satisfied with my accomplishments in blogging and I’m ready for what 2013 has to offer. Bring it on! There’s so much more to be done! I feel like making some changes at The Lovely Pantry. I’m still tossing some ideas around in my head so I’m not 100% sure what I’ll be doing. Growth is a wonderful thing.

I don’t do resolutions anymore. If I really want to accomplish something, I will just do it. It’s just a matter of timing and priority. There are a few recipes that I plan to conquer in the new year. I’m creating a list of things I want to learn, both in and outside of the kitchen. As a life long learner, I don’t feel comfortable if I’m not growing in some way or the other. Looking at my posts throughout 2012, I see lots of growth. I see improvement in my photography and in the types of recipes that I’ve challenged myself with.

 

Lets take a look at what had people’s attention. Here are the top 12 posts for 2012 at The Lovely Pantry!

 

 

Top Recipes 2012 - The Lovely Pantry

Top Recipes 2012 – The Lovely Pantry

 

 

The top 3 posts:

Cristina Ferrare’s Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs

This is my most popular post to date!

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs, Recipe by Cristina Ferrare

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs, Recipe by Cristina Ferrare

 

Hoisin Salmon with Quinoa & Zucchini

Everyone seemed to enjoy my very easy freestyle salmon. It went nuts on Pinterest!

Hoisin Salmon with Quinoa & Zucchini

Hoisin Salmon with Quinoa & Zucchini

 

Whole Wheat French Toast

I guess it must be true when folks say “simple is best”. This post has always been popular, ever since it was published in February 2012.

Whole Wheat French Toast

Whole Wheat French Toast

 

The remaining posts are in no particular order.

 

Polenta, Parmesan, Mozzarella and Tomato

Polenta, Mozzarella, Tomato

Polenta, Mozzarella, Tomato

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

Bavarian Apple Torte

Bavarian Apple Torte

Bavarian Apple Torte

 

Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding

Cornmeal Pudding with Rum, Raisins and French Vanilla Ice Cream

Cornmeal Pudding with Rum, Raisins and French Vanilla Ice Cream

 

Black Bean Soup With Hot Roast Pepper Sauce

Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream

Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream

 

Grilled Polenta Cakes

Grilled Polenta Cakes

Grilled Polenta Cakes

 

Jamaican Sorrel

Jamaican Sorrel

Jamaican Sorrel

 

 Banana Coconut Coffee Cake with Macadamia Nut Streusel

Banana Coconut Coffee Cake With Macadamia Nut Streusel

Banana Coconut Coffee Cake With Macadamia Nut Streusel

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding

Jamaican Christmas Pudding with Hot Wine Sauce

Jamaican Christmas Pudding with Hot Wine Sauce

 

I want to say a very special thanks to the #SundaySupper family. It feels good to be a part of such an incredible group of people who share a common cause – to get families together to enjoy a home cooked meal on a Sunday. It could be on any day of the week, as long as it is possible. Sharing ideas for meals for your family is what I enjoy doing, and I spend a lot of time sharing on Twitter and Pinterest. Congratulations Isabel, for your amazing success! I can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store for #SundaySupper!

 I really love my little blog. I’m quite fond of the wonderful people and communities I’ve joined along this journey.

I want to thank each and every one of you who read/comment on my posts.It means so much to me.

To the friends that have made recipe suggestions and offered advice with regards to technique/instructions, I thank you!

For those that have suggested The Lovely Pantry to friends/family who are looking for meal ideas, have an interest in Jamaican cuisine, or who are just wanting to know how to use a certain ingredient… I appreciate you!

Consider joining me on Facebook and Twitter to keep up whats new on TLP, or just stop by to say hello.

 Have a blessed and wonderful New Year!

Happy 2013

~Lyn

 

 

 

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Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Dec 23, 2012 by

Any major holiday has me homesick. Not even so much missing Jamaica, but missing my family. I haven’t spent a Christmas in Jamaica in a decade. I’ll  have to work on fixing that in years to come. Aside from the family gatherings, and holiday parties, I always look forward to the food. YES! The food!! 🙂 The theme for today’s #SundaySupper is Holidays, Heritage and Traditions. Our wonderful host is Bea from Galactopdx. You’ll love the wonderful recipes being shared today!

Christmas time has always been a special time for families. Children get excited about gifts and everyone gets into the holiday spirit of giving. People also get into the kitchen and throw down! Yes, Christmas food is wonderfully made and is often done with much preparation. On Christmas Day, after church, we usually enjoy a big brunch – my Mom makes the BEST Ackee & Saltfish and Fried Dumplings ever. One of these days I’m going to try my hand at making fried Dumplings. Fried Breadfruit is another favourite thing to add to the list. Dinner is everything from Roast Beef, Ham, Roast Chicken, Smoked Chicken, Potato Salad, Moms special sweet and sour pork (this was only made at Christmas because Dad doesn’t eat pork. This was our time to experience it since we were almost pork-free {Bacon stays!}). Gungo Rice and Peas (Rice & Peas using Gungo Peas instead of Red Kidney Beans) is a must! Then there’s Rum Punch and Sorrel to wash it all down! To end the feast, look out for desserts like Sweet Potato Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cornmeal Pudding, and of course…Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake.

 

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-6

Jamaican Christmas Pudding – fresh out of the oven

 

As I was mixing the batter, I had fond memories of my Dad’s baking. This was just like home. The wonderful aroma…me watching my father cut up the prunes, soaking all the fruits. And then baking day came. Our house smelled wonderful!

It smelled like Christmas 🙂

 

 

 

The original recipe called for additional items like dates, cherries, mixed peel and nuts. As a youngster, I remember not liking these things in christmas cake. I really do have a thing for texture. I can totally see why my kids are fussy with their food. It’s all my fault and I’m totally okay with that ~ sometimes. Since I was essentially making this to my liking, I just used the fruits I prefer. I bought a special jar just for soaking my fruits. Did you know that some people have their fruits soaking for months in advance in preparation for Christmas baking? We don’t play around when it comes to Christmas Cakes and Puddings.

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-1

Raisins, Currants and Prunes, soaking in rum and red label wine

 

Dad was the baker in the household so he always had Christmas cake to offer whenever friends stopped by or to give away. He doesn’t bake as much anymore, but was able to give me a few tips to help me along. Dad reminded me that blending the fruits before adding to the batter, gave the pudding a much nicer consistency. So that is exactly what I did. There will still be fruits left over to make another cake 🙂

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-2

Blended Fruits – 4 Cups

 

For the pan, I knew that I had to make the seal tight. I lined a baking tray with foil first. I then placed the bottom of the spring form pan on the baking sheet, then covered it with 2 layers of parchment paper. I then sealed the ring to the base so that the parchment was lining the pan and also allowed for it to be tight-fitting at the base so the batter couldn’t leak out. I hope I explained that properly. Here’s what I did!

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-3

Greased Spring Form Pan lined with Parchment Paper

 

Okay – So the recipe said to use a 9-inch pan. I wasn’t sure how much the pudding was going to rise and I didn’t want it to overflow. So I put 3/4 of the batter into the 9 inch spring form pan and the remainder in 9-inch square pan. Worked out perfectly. I baked the smaller cake for 2 hours. The next time I make this pudding, I will use a 10-inch pan instead. The pudding itself does rise, but as it cools it reduces. I wasn’t able to take a photo of it when it was almost at the top. I’ll know what to expect next time.

This was my first time steaming a pudding. This is essentially the difference between a pudding and a cake. The pudding has the boiling water directly underneath the batter in the oven, whereas this is omitted when baking the cake. Now I will definitely have to bake the cake and document the difference in texture and density.

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-4

Pudding Batter

 

The cake was still warm when I took the photos, but when the pudding was cooled, I put it back in the cake pan and added some rum. This will change the texture on the top just a little. Christmas cake/pudding tastes better after a few days, so let the rum work its magic.

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-13

Jamaican Christmas Pudding

 

This is certainly a slice of Jamaican perfection. It was so good ~ just like this.

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-7

A slice of Jamaican Christmas Pudding

 

But this is a Christmas Pudding.

We have to have both bells AND whistles. So I added an optional garnish for this awesome pudding. You have to sit down though, to eat it with the special treat.

It’s so good, it will make your knees tremble.

 

Jamaican Christmas Pudding-18

Jamaican Christmas Pudding with Hot Wine Sauce

 

Enid’s Christmas Pudding Recipe had an optional sauce to add to this already delicious treat. It’s very simple to make, and very easy to enjoy. I made one very slight change. (Lyn, you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you??) I don’t like too much nutmeg. So I used allspice instead.

 ***

Hot Wine Sauce

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup Red Label Wine

1/2 Tsp Allspice

In a saucepan, add wine and sugar over a low heat. Stir to combine. Add allspice and butter. Stir until fully combined, and pour over the cake – or individual slices.

***

 

I swear, this pudding alone is like 40 minutes on the treadmill. But ’tis the season to be jolly… so keep the slices modest and don’t sit still for too long this holiday season! I hope you enjoyed my post today.

From my family to yours, Have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season! I will be back after Christmas so take care of you!

 

Here are the wonderful recipes being shared by the #SundaySupper Family!

 

Breakfast
– Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
– Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
– Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
– Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks
– Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
– Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes}by Kimchi Mom
– Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.
– Roasted Chestnuts by Curious Cuisiniere

Sides
– Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} byGalactopdx
– Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
– Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
– Lightened up Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes by Real Nutrition
– Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina

Main Dishes
– Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
– Christmas Eve Pizza & Martinis by The Webicurian
– Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
– West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
– Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale chips
– Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
– Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
– Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by The Family Foodie
– Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
– New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
– Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less
– Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic
– Red Chile Pork Tamales by Home Cooking Memories

Desserts
– Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey
– Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
– Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
– Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
– Gluten Free Cookies for Santa by The Cooking Underwriter
– Pfeffernusse by The Foodie Army Wife
– Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
– Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
– Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes
– Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
– Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
– White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
– Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious
– Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
– Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s  Nutrition Buzz

Drinks
– Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
– Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped Cream by Mama Mommy Mom
– Mint Chocolate Cocoa by Mama’s Blissful Bites

 

What does it mean for you to be Home for the Holidays?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 23rd.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper to talk about our Holiday Traditions.  We are so excited to have you join us.  
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

 

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Jamaican Sorrel for #SundaySupper

Dec 16, 2012 by

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.

 

Jamaican Sorrel-9

Jamaican Sorrel

 

 

Jamaican Sorrel

A traditional Jamaican Beverage for the Christmas Holiday Season

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Dried Sorrel
  • 1 inch Root Ginger, shredded
  • 12 Whole Cloves
  • 5 Pimento Leaves
  • 6 Cinnamon Leaves
  • 12 Cups Boiling Water
  • 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Rice

Instructions

  1. Rinse the Sorrel sepals in a strainer under cold water for just a few minutes
  2. In a very large pot, add sorrel, ginger, rice grains, cloves pimento leaves and cinnamon leaves
  3. Pour boiling water over the contents of the pot and cover for 24 hours
  4. Strain the liquid into another large pot and add sugar and lime juice
  5. Stir to combine
  6. Transfer into bottles and chill
  7. Serve ice cold

Notes

This yields just over 2 litres of sorrel (optional) 1/4 Cups White Rum can be added to the pot after the sorrel has been strained and sweetened

https://lovelypantry.com/2012/12/jamaican-sorrel-for-sundaysupper/

 

So some of you may be wondering…”What is Sorrel?”. Jamaican Sorrel is a type of Hibiscus plant (Hibiscus Sabdariffa). The sepals are used either fresh or dried to make a refreshing cold beverage or a hot tea. Sorrel can also be used to make Jams and Jellies. Sorrel is seasonal and is ready around December-January, making it the perfect holiday beverage.

 

Jamaican Sorrel Collage

 

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.

 

Jamaican Sorrel-7

Sorrel

 

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

 

Jamaican Sorrel-21

Jamaican Sorrel

 

 

The perfect glass of Sorrel …

 

Jamaican Sorrel-11

Jamaican 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.

 

 

Jamaican Sorrel-16

Jamaican Sorrel – Gift

 

 

Holiday Cocktails

 

Holiday Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres

 

 

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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