Lyn’s Oxtails

Feb 3, 2012 by lovelypantry

 

 

Oxtail is one of my most favourite and beloved dishes – ever. It’s a popular Jamaican meal which has a deep, rich flavour that I love so much. It’s a heavy meat so I choose not to eat it too often. I think its safe to say I have it about 3-4 times per year, at most. I’ve had it at a few restaurants here in Canada as well as in Jamaica but I’ve always been concerned with the taste and how it is prepared. Oxtails taste differently every where I go. Some places are better at preparing it than others, and that’s expected.

Traditionally, the Oxtails are seasoned (often overnight) then browned in oil before being cooked down in water over a few hours, and may include dumplings or as we call them in certain dishes – “spinners” (elongated shaped dumplings). This is how my maternal grandmother used to cook it for me and it took her hours! I have fond memories of her at the stove making it, because we both loved it so much. Alas, this is when I was young and slender and nothing could change my figure (LOL). So now that I’m older and more conscious of what I consume, I try to have my favourite things in moderation. I also find ways to prepare them that I find acceptable. For me, this means no frying in oil. This may not be acceptable to some traditionalists, and that is okay 🙂

I bake my Oxtails in the oven. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m thinking it tastes better than some of what I’ve had at restaurants… hmmm…

Here’s how I do it.

 

 

I should mention that there is usually a certain amount of “heat” in most Jamaican fare. And by “heat”, I’m referring to Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper. If you wanted to add heat, I would probably add the pepper at the beginning and remove it half way through so that it does not burst. I personally cannot eat too much pepper because it gives me some major heartburn! Plus, my little ones palates are so darn sensitive. A little is fine though, it gives it a little extra kick.

There are so many variations of Oxtails that I would love to try. One of my Aunts introduced me to this method (as in, using the oven). Another Aunt of mine prepares her Ox with BEER. I think I’ll be giving her a call soon for that recipe 🙂

 

A special shout out to my cousin Shelley – Happy Birthday sweetie! This recipe is for you ~ now at least you’ll have it in writing 🙂

Take care, guys! Have an awesome weekend! ~ Lyn

 

 

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Seared Scallops with White Kidney Beans & Spinach

Nov 30, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

Cooking brings me such joy and calm. Looking at beautiful photographs of food, and envisioning how I’ll prepare it inspires me to make what I see or to do something similar. I like to use ingredients that are available to me in the moment. For this recipe, adapted from Cooking Light’s Mix & Match Low Calorie Cookbook,  I pretty much had everything available. Except the Scallops! They look tasty and I’ve read that they have a really mild flavour. So off I went to get these scallop things from the supermarket. Scallops are generally available year round – fresh or frozen.

Scallops are a great source of : Protein, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin B12, Magnesium and Potassium. It’s good to know how what you eat benefits your body, don’t you agree?

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided

1 LB Sea Scallops

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Can White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

2 Cups Baby Spinach

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

 

Preparation:

Rinse scallops well and pat dry. In a medium-sized skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook on both sides  for about 2 minutes or until a nice golden colour is achieved. Set aside and keep warm. You may have to do this in batches so that you don’t have too many scallops in your skillet at one time.

Using the same skillet, add the remaining oil and saute the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and combine. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has been reduced, about 2 minutes. Add broth and beans, allow to cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook for about a minute or until it wilts nicely.

Remove from heat. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

I can’t believe how velvety these scallops were. Very mild and almost sweet! I enjoyed this meal and I bet you will too.

 

Lyn

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