Symposium Recipes

Tuesday

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Crispy Tofu
(Makes 8)

Ingredients:

• 4oz, vermicelli or rice noodles
• 8-10 whole spring roll rice papers
• 1 bunch fresh mint and 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 ½ cup julienned vegetables such as red pepper, carrot, cucumber
• Almond butter dipping sauce
• 1/3 cup salted creamy almond butter
• 1tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1-2tbsp brown sugar, agave or honey
• 1tbsp lime juice and a ½ tsp chilli garlic sauce
• Hot water to thin
• Crispy tofu
• 8oz extra firm tofu
• 4tbsp sesame oil
• 3tbsp corn-starch
• 2 ½ tbsp. soy sauce
• 1tbsp brown sugar or agave:

Method:

• Prepare rice noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes (read instructions), drain and set aside
• Meanwhile, heat lge skillet over medium heat, cut tofu into small rectangles. Toss in cornstarch and flash fry in 3tbsp sesame flipping to ensure even browning – about 5 minutes.
• Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Prep veggies, prepare almond sauce by adding all ingredients except water to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add enough hot water until a pourable sauce is achieved.
• To add flavour to the tofu, transfer 2.5tbsp of the sauce to a small bowl, add additional tbsp each of soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar and whisk to combine
• Add tofu back to the skillet over medium heat and add “sauce/glaze,” stirring to coat. Cook for several minutes or until all of the sauce is absorbed and tofu looks glazed, stir frequently.
• Set aside with prepared veggies and vermicelli noodles
• Assembling spring rolls, pour very hot water into shallow dish, immerse rice paper to soften for about 10-15 seconds. Transfer to a damp cutting board or towel, gently spread into a circle.
• To the bottom third of the wrapper add a small handful of vermicelli noodles and layer julienned vegetables, herbs and 2-3 pieces of tofu on top. Gently fold over once, tuck in edges, and continue rolling until seam is sealed.
• Place seam-side down on a serving platter and cover with damp warm towel to keep fresh.

Contributed by Dr Ishtar Govia and Professor Matthew Smith; a favourite vegan dish.

Hyperlink here: https://minimalistbaker.com/vietnamese-spring-rolls-with-crispy-tofu/

Vegan Ackee
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 can of ackee or 1 dozen fresh ackee
• 1 small onion sliced
• 1 med tomato sliced
• 1/ sweet bell pepper sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 scallions (spring onions)
• 3 sprig of dried thyme
• ¼ – ½ scotch bonnet pepper 9seeds removed)
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 4tbsp vegetable oil.

Method:

• Strain canned ackee, if hard may need to boil for 5mins, if fresh ackee pluck, skin and
• deseed, wash and cook for 15-20mins.
• Heat oil add onions, garlic and thyme and sauté until soft.
• Add tomato, sweet pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, scallions and cook for 3-4mins. Stir continuously.
• Stir in ackee, cover the pot, lower heat, cook for 10mins, and stir occasionally.

Contributed by Dr Ishtar Govia & Professor Matthew Smith as a favourite vegan dish of theirs.

Hyperlink here: https://jamaicanfoodsandrecipes.com/ital-ackee-vegan-ackee-recipe/

Joe’s Saltfish
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Salt-cod
• 1 Onion
• 3 Garlic
• 5cm Ginger
• 3 Spring Onions
• 1/2 Scotch bonnet or a red chilli – take the seeds out
• Stir Fry Vegetables of your choice:
• 1 Green pepper
• Cabbage – finely chopped, shredded
• Leaks/stir fry vegetables
• 1 teaspoon of All-purpose seasoning

Method:

• Boil the kettle – soak the saltfish for 20 minutes
• Fry medium heat, 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice
• Fry garlic and ginger for 4 mins and 1 tsp of paprika
• Then add all of the vegetables

Suggested by Joseph Pilgrim, chef and CEO of Island Social Club in London.

Banana Nut Bread
(Makes 1 / 8 slices)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts)
• 1 egg
• 2/3 -3/4 cup milk
• 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Combine flour, whole wheat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nuts.
• Beat together egg, milk, oil and bananas.
• Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and beat for 30 seconds (batter will be lumpy).
• Pour in a greased loaf pan 9x5x3” and bake for 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre.
• Lower heat if bread browns too much.

Contributed by Prof Nigel Unwin and Dr Conny Guell

Recipe can be found in the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook; gifted to Nigel when he moved to Barbados.

DAY TWO

Ame Shireen’s Kuku (Persian frittata)
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 3 handfuls of spinach/1 bunch spinach
• 4 eggs
• 0.5tsp of turmeric
• 0.5tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1.4 tsp of dried fenugreek
• ¼ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
• ¼ cup of zeresht/barberries (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Chop herbs finely
• Add to bowl of eggs and spices, beat really well
• Poor oil in pan and heat up
• Poor herb and egg mixture all around your pan to the edges
• Then put pan in the oven on a low heat for 10 minutes
• Eat alone or Serve with bread, rice or crunchy salad
• Contributed by aunty of Dr Olivia Barnett-Naghshineh; a common household recipe for busy
• Iranian women who want to feed people quickly and with something delicious.

Similar recipe can be found here:
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/kuku-sabzi-persian-baked-omelet/

Three Sisters Soup Recipe
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh sweet corn cut from the cob, or 2 cups of frozen corn (may also substitute or 2 cans of white hominy corn)
• 2 cups fresh green and yellow beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1 cup of pre-cooked kidney beans, pinto beans or roman beans
• 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash or acorn squash
• 1 ½ cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1 to 2 pounds cubed beef or chicken
• 5 cups water;
• 1tsp salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2tbsp melted butter;
• 2tbsp all-purpose flour

Method:

• In a large pot, pour in water, salt and add meat, bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
• Place the corn (or hominy), green beans, squash, and potatoes into the pot, and return to boil.
• Reduce to medium/low heat, and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes
• Blend flour into the butter, then stir into the soup.
• Increase heat to medium, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until soup thickens.
• Season with pepper, and serve

Contributed by Dr Andrew Judge; a traditional Haudenosaunee dish made from highly valued staples.

Recipe Hyperlink: https://www.nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2012-Diabetes-Traditional-Foods-and-Recipes.pdf

Sticky Toffee Pudding
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 50g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200g pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300ml just-boiled water
• 75g light soft brown sugar
• 75g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs
• 175g self-raising flour

• For the sauce
• 125g butter
• 75g light soft brown sugar
• 50g dark muscovado sugar
• 200ml double or whipping cream
• Pinch of salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Butter an ovenproof dish – about 20 x 30cm
• Put the dates and bicarb in a bowl and cover with the just-boiled water then leave to stand
• Put the 50g of butter and the sugars in a bowl and beat with an electric beater until very soft and fluffy. Add the eggs, one a time, adding a heaped tablespoon of flour with each addition.
• Fold in the rest of the flour
• Add the dates and their soaking water and stir briefly to combine, then pour into the prepared dish. Bake the pudding in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until it is springy to the touch and slightly shrinking away from the sides.
• While the pudding is baking, make the sauce. Put all the ingredients in a pan, place over a low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugars have dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of a light custard – it should coat the back of a spoon
• While the pudding is still hot, poke holes over the surface and pour over half the sauce. Leave the pudding to stand for a while – if you like, you can leave it for a couple of days and it will just get stickier.
• When you’re ready to eat, warm it through again and serve with the rest of the sauce, also warmed through. Serve with cream or ice cream

Contributed by Dr Ruth Thurstan; a favourite sweet treat.

Recipe from: The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King and Dave Myers is published by Seven Dials

Hyperlink here: https://www.itv.com/thismorning/articles/sticky-toffee-pudding-the-hairy-bikers-recipe

DAY THREE

Irish Soda Bread
(serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 250g Whole meal flour
• 200g Plain white flour
• 1tsp bread soda sieved
• 1tsp salt.
• 1 egg
• 350ml. buttermilk approx.
• 1tsp honey
• Optional topping 1tbsp sesame seeds or pinhead porridge oats.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
• Mix the flour, bread soda and salt together in a bowl. 
• Combine the egg with the buttermilk and honey then mix into the flour.  Add a little more buttermilk if the mixture is dry – it should be a soft dough. 
• Pour the dough into a lightly oiled loaf tin.  Sprinkle the sesame seeds or porridge oats over the top of the loaf if using. 
• Bake for 45-50 minutes.  To know when it is cooked simply tap the bottom of the loaf – it will sound hollow when it is fully cooked.
• Remove from the tin and wrap in a clean tea towel while cooling.  This will keep the crust soft.
• It HAS to be served with lashings of butter and proper butter, no rubbishy spread.

Contributed by Professor Karyn Morrissey; a favourite and delicious staple from home.

Hyperlink here: https://www.bordbia.ie/recipes/desserts-and-baking-recipes/traditional-brown-soda-bread/

German (Bavarian) Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 500 g potatoes (salad potatoes)
• 1 onion
• 125ml hot broth/veggie stock
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 cucumber finely sliced or a few cornichons
• and/or 1 raw grated apple
• and/or fried bacon lardons

Method:

• Boil potatoes until soft, but still firm, then peal after cooking (easiest done under water)
• Heat broth or make stock with stock cubes and hot water
• Finely slice onions and marinate in hot stock for a bit
• Slice or cube potatoes
• Pour warm stock with onions over potatoes 
• Add other ingredients of choice, gently mix, season to taste
• Tastes best eaten still slightly warm!

Suggested by Dr Conny Guell; a simple and quick lunch dish from home.

Sudbury Stilton and Cranberry scones
(Makes 10)

• Ingredients:
• 450g self-raising flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1tbsp caster sugar
• 115g butter, cubed
• 115g Stilton cheese, crumbled
• 115g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 115g fresh or dried cranberries
• 1 egg beaten
• Approx. 200mlmilk

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a mixing bowl, add the butter and rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
• Stir in the Stilton, Cheddar and cranberries, then add the egg and enough milk to make a soft dough.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to about 4cm thick. Stamp out using a 7cm round cutter.
• Knead the trimmings together lightly, re-roll and stamp out more rounds.
• Place on the baking sheet and brush the tops with milk
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
• Enjoy warm with plenty of butter to get the full cheesy experience

Suggested by Dr Ruth Thurstan, originally from Derbyshire, the home of Stilton!

Recipe can be found here National Trust Book of Scones, page 67.

Hyperlink here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sudbury-hall-and-the-national-trust-museum-of-childhood/recipes/sudbury-stilton-and-cranberry-scones

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

• Mixture 1 (melt these together – Fan oven set at 160 degrees)
• 185g unsalted butter
• 185g dark chocolate
• Mixture 2 (sieve these together)
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• Mixture 3 (Whizz together until light and fluffy and full of air bubbles)
• 3 large eggs
• 275g golden caster sugar
• Mixture 4 (Chop into large pieces – use high quality chocolate if possible as these will stay solid in the middle after cooking!) 
• 50 g white chocolate
• 50 g milk chocolate

Method:

• Pour mixture 1 into mixture 3, fold in very gently.
• Fold in mixture 2 to create a grungy and fudge-like texture
• Stir in the white and milk chocolate pieces (mixture 4)
• Pour into a 20cm square tin (greased if metal, no need if silicone)
• Place in the oven for 25 minutes, longer if required (tends to need a little longer than this in my oven but check after 25 mins).
• When it’s finished the brownie should not wobble in the middle – it should have a papery crust and be coming away from the sides”

Suggested by Ruth Thurstan; one of her favourite (but consciously artery-clogging!) sweet recipes.

DAY FOUR

Trinidad Corn Soup
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 5 ears of corn chopped in 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup corn kernels 115g
• ¾ cup presoaked split peas drained (115g)
• 1 medium sweet potato chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 cup pumpkin chopped (135g)
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 chives scallion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped finely
• ¼ of chadon beni chopped (cilantro/coriander)
• 4 sprigs of thyme stems removed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 can of coconut milk 400ml
• 3 cups of vegetable stock 300ml
• 3 cups warm water 300ml
• 1 scotch bonnet
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Pink salt to taste
• To make the dumpling:
• 1 cup of gluten free flour (or normal flour) 125g
• ½ cup of warm water
• 1/4tsp of pink salt

Method:

• Melt the coconut oil on medium heat.
• Proceed to saute the onion, chives, garlic and celery until soft and translucent.
• Add the split peas, red bell peppers, sweet potato then stir and season with thyme, chadon beni, black pepper and pink salt to taste.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Pour in the vegetable stock along with the warm water
• Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low then cover with lid and simmer for
• 30 minutes until the split peas are soft (they should be easy to smash with a fork or spoon).
• Remove the lid then use an immersion stick blender to puree the entire contents in the pot.
• Pour in the coconut milk, ears of corn, corn kernels, carrots, pumpkin and scotch bonnet.
• Make the dumplings by placing the flour and pink salt in a medium sized bowl
• Pour the water, in intervals into the bowl while kneading the flour and water into a large dough ball
• Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll in the palm of your hands to create a long (spinner) dumpling
• Repeat and lower each dumpling into the pot of soup.
• Once added continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes.
• Remove the scotch bonnet pepper before serving

Suggested by Dr. Ishtar Govia and Professor Matt Smith as one of their favourite vegan dishes to cook.

Hyperlink here: https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/trinidad-corn-soup/

Lentil Loaf
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup or 8oz lentils, soaked overnight in 2-2 ½ cups of water.
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ cup tomatoes, skinned, chopped
• 1 cup coarsely grated carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped apples or mangoes (half ripe)
• ½ cup finely chopped pimento or sweet peppers
• ¼ cup finely chopped chive
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 ½ tsp slat
• Hot pepper to taste
• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs or more
• 1 beaten egg

Method:

• Cook lentils until soft and water is absorbed, crush until smooth.
• Heat oil and fry onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, apples, pimento, peppers, chive and thyme until soft.
• Add onions- tomatoes mixture to lentils, together with salt and pepper and breadcrumbs.
• Stir in beaten egg until mixture is well blended, adjust salt and pepper.
• Place in greased loaf pan 8 1/2×4 ½ x 3” and bake at 325-350F for 25-30 minutes or until firm.
• Variations: substitute pigeon peas or minced soya for lentils.

Contributed by Prof Nigel Unwin and Dr Conny Guell

Recipe can be found in the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook, which was gifted to Nigel when he moved to Barbados.

Betty’s Fat Rascals Recipe
(Makes 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour, sieved
• 150g self-raising flour, sieved
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 125g cold butter, cubed
• 100g caster sugar
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 150g dried mixed fruit (currants, raisins and sultanas in equal quantities)
• 1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 4 to 5 tbsp. milk
• Glaze and Topping
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• Glacé cherries and blanched almonds, to decorate

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
• Sieve both flours and the baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the sugar, citrus zest, spices, dried fruit and mix well. Add the beaten egg and enough milk to bring the mixture together into a soft dough. Form the mixture into 6 saucer-sized rounds, about 3/4″ or 2cm deep
• Mix the egg yolk and water together to make a glaze and brush this over the fat rascals.
• Decorate with the cherries and almonds – see photos. Transfer to a non-stick baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• Fat rascals are best served warm from the oven but they can be frozen and reheated in a low oven. You can serve them alone or with lashings of butter

Suggested by Professor Henrice Altink; Fat Rascals are famously found at Betty’s tea rooms in York.

Hyperlink here: https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2015/02/home-away-from-home-bettys-fat-rascals-recipe.html