Around the World in Foodventures (Barbados: CASSAVA PONE)

Cassava Pone is a gelatinous sweet treat found in many Caribbean countries, and there are about a million different recipes for it because everyone’s mother, auntie, uncle, and grandpa each have their own version.  This speaks to how flexible of a recipe it is and how forgiving cooking it can be, which is why I decided to try two different varieties….one traditionally dairy-full with only coconut included, plus another vegan version with some common additions (pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins) as well.  And they both happen to be naturally Gluten Free.

These recipes are adapted from Alicia’s Pepperpot.  I essentially followed her exact ingredients, proportions/measurements, and method -- other than the part where I added pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins to the vegan version.  Here we go…..

INGREDIENTS:

Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white should be kept separate by itself.

(for Traditional version) 2-1/4 cups grated cassava root    * you can grate it by hand or use a food processor to mostly puree it 1/4 cup grated coconut    * I used storebought pre-grated, frozen coconut – completely thawed 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons softened butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1.5 cups evaporated milk (this is one 12-ounce can)

(for Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added) 2-1/4 cups grated cassava root 1/4 cup grated coconut 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons vegan "butter" 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1.5 cups coconut milk

1/2 cup grated pumpkin    * I used canned pumpkin puree 1/2 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato 1/2 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In one bowl, combine the Traditional version ingredients (cassava, coconut, brown sugar, butter, extracts, spices, and milk).  
3. In another bowl, combine the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies ingredients (cassava, coconut, brown sugar, vegan "butter," extracts, spices, and coconut milk).
4. Stir each one (with separate spoons, of course) until they're all well mixed.
5. Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins to the Vegan bowl -- and stir to combine.
6. Pour each mixture into its own greased baking pan, and bake for probably at least an hour until golden to slightly dark brown, set/no longer wobbly in the center, and starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.*

* The smaller pan you choose, the more time it will need to bake because it will be thicker.  I used an 8" x 8" pan for the traditional dairy-full version, and a 9" x 13" pan for the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added.  Because the latter had extra ingredients but was in a larger pan, both pans ended up with about the same depth of batter.  So, I baked them each for an hour and a half.  The traditional dairy-full version turned out denser than the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added, and I think I probably could have baked both of them a bit longer -- but both were delicious and perfectly good the way they turned out, with definitively distinct flavor profiles.  Taste-wise, I personally preferred the traditional (but don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean there was anything wrong or bad about the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added).  After spending the night in the fridge, both versions firmed up and were even better.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Mediterranean Style Quinoa Salad

I went to a potluck-style crafting gathering yesterday.  After Googling for ideas, this quick and easy salad is what I came up with to bring, based on wanting to use ingredients I already had at home and only buying minimal new/additional things (the only thing I had to go out and get were the lemons).  And it's vegan if you put Honey in that category.

INGREDIENTS
Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white should be kept separate by itself.

For the Quinoa: 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 cup of Tri-Color Quinoa 1.5 cups of Water

For the Salad: 1/2 cup of Carrots, cut into ~1/2” matchsticks 3 Scallions, chopped 1.5 cups of cooked Pinto Beans, completely cooled (or one 15-ounce can) Note: Pinto Beans are what I had cooked on hand. You really can use any beans you like, or chickpeas. 1.5 cups of Arugula, roughly chopped 3/4 cup of small-chopped Broccoli 2 Tablespoons of chopped Fresh Parsley 2/3 cup of Raisins 1/3 cup of Sunflower Seeds

For the Dressing: 1/2 cup of Olive Oil 6 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice 2 Tablespoons of Honey 4 cloves of Garlic, minced 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin 1/2 teaspoon of Chili Powder 1/4 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon Up to 1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil in a medium pot, then toast the Quinoa in it for 3-5 minutes (stirring occasionally).

2. Add the 1.5 cups water to the pot with the Quinoa and bring it to a boil.

3. Once it's boiling, remove it from heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes until the water is all absorbed.  Then cool it completely.

4. While the Quinoa is cooking and cooling, you can combine all the Salad ingredients in a large bowl.

5. Also, put all the Dressing ingredients into an airtight jar -- and stir and shake well to combine.
6. Finally, mix together the Quinoa, Salad ingredients, and (about two-thirds of) the Dressing.  Taste and add more Dressing if you desire.

We really liked this salad.  Next time -- and there *will* be a next time -- I might try adding in some Sumac, too.

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

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