Category: Breakfast

Plantain Croutons

Plantain croutons are a great grain and gluten free alternative to regular croutons. Perfect for salads, the base of a hash or a side dish for any meal. They are quick to make and perfect for meal prep.

Plantain croutons
Plantain croutons

What ripeness should I use to make plantain croutons?

The ideal ripeness would be a green plantain. They are starchier, get crispier and will hold up to the salad dressing more. If the plantain has a bit of yellow in it that’s ok, just don’t use yellow or completely ripe plantains. They will not get as crispy as we need in a salad.

Can you make these ahead?

They sure can! They will store up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. If adding to a salad, then I would recommend reheating them in an air fryer or skillet on medium heat for a few minutes to take the chill off but not get them hot.

Can these croutons be made in the air fryer or oven?

Absolutely. If cooking in an air fryer or oven, preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the liner with cooking oil. Cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking halfway through. Cooking them in the air fryer will have a bit of a different texture on the inside but will still be crispy just like cooking them in a skillet.

Things to know about these plantain croutons:

  1. Plantains should not be left unattended. Keep a close eye and stir/shake them frequently as they can go from fine to burned in a second.
  2. If you can, use coconut oil to pan fry these. If you don’t have coconut oil, avocado oil works great.
  3. When cutting the plantain, remember they will shrink as they cook. Cut them slight bigger to compensate for the shrinkage.

What recipes go well with these croutons?

Try eating them with this Jerk Chicken Cesar Salad, Jerk Bacon or use them as a base in this Plantain Hash.

Plantain Croutons

Grain and gluten free alternative to croutons. Perfect in salads, a hash or as a side dish.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Chef knife
  • 1 Large skillet
  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • Measuring spoons
  • 1 Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 green plantain peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp coconut oil melted
  • 3-4 TBSP coconut oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Add plantain, salt, garlic and onion powder, 1 tsp melted coconut oil to a bowl and mix to combine.
  • Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once heated, add remaining coconut oil.
  • Once oil is heated, add in seasoned plantain in a flat layer and fry, stirring occasionally.
  • When golden (7-10 minutes) remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
  • Serve as desired or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

Green plantains work best but if it has some yellow that’s ok. ⠀
Feel free to leave the seasoning out and 1 tsp oil to make it plain. ⠀
You can also add herbs halfway through cooking.⠀
Plantains shrink a bit while cooking. Keep that in mind when prepping your plantain.
This recipe can be doubled and tripled.
If cooking stovetop, do not leave unattended. Not even for a minute or you may miss your plantains and they burn.
You can enjoy as a snack or side dish.
Keyword air fryer, caribbean, caribbean food, croutons, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, jamaican, jamaican food, jamaican recipe, plantain, plantain recipe, soy free, whole30

Jerk-Style Bacon

Jerk-style bacon has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. I always loved adding jerk seasoning to premade bacon and then I realized I could make bacon from scratch and season it the way I like. It takes some preplanning but it’s totally worth the wait.

Jerk Bacon
Jerk bacon with breakfast potatoes and blueberries

Why make bacon at home?

There are many reasons! For us, we wanted to control the salt that was going into our food more. It’s also a great way to really flavor the bacon. Having the pork belly marinate in the jerk seasoning adds a great smoky flavor that you wouldn’t get by just adding jerk seasoning to premade bacon. And this way we get to control how thick or thin we want our bacon slices.

Is jerk-style bacon spicy?

It will be as spicy as you want it to be. The way I have written the recipe does not make it very spicy but feel free to add more chili flakes. This goes back to why it’s great to make your own bacon.

Things to know about this recipe

  1. It may seem like a lot of salt but it’s not. Through the curing process you need the salt to help break down the meat.
  2. Every oven is different. It may take your bacon a little longer to reach a safe internal temperature.
  3. I used regular salt instead of curing salt and had no problems. Feel free to use a compatible curing salt if you desire.
  4. This recipe is whole30 compatible. But you can add 1-2 tablespoons of brown or coconut sugar (for paleo) if you desire a little sweetness.
  5. make a double batch! You’ll thank me later.
  6. I recommend using a jerk rub instead of a jerk wet marinade. I recommend this one by All Seasoning.

What can I serve jerk-style bacon with?

It cooks just like regular bacon. I like to serve it with a vegetable and a serving of fruit for breakfast. Feel free to use it wherever you would use bacon like a BLT, or even my bacon wrapped plantain stuffed chicken thigh recipe.

Whole30 Jerk-Style Bacon

Homemade jerk bacon. This recipe takes a few days to create so plan ahead.
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Course Breakfast
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 10

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Ziplock bag
  • Airtight container
  • Measuring spoons
  • Baking sheet
  • Baking rack
  • Meat thermometer
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

Jerk Bacon (makes 1/2 cup)

  • 3 pounds pork belly
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup jerk seasoning

Jerk Seasoning

  • 1 TBSP garlic powder
  • 1 TBSP onion powder
  • 4 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp ground allspice
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Season pork belly with salt and jerk seasoning.
  • Place in a Ziplock bag and refrigerate for 7 days, turning the bag every day.
  • On day 7 remove and wipe off any extra seasoning.
  • Preheat oven to 200F.
  • Place on a rack on top of a baking sheet and let cook for 3-4 hours or until the pork reaches 150F.
  • Let cool and place in the fridge to cool for up to 24 hours. Then remove and slice as thick or thin as you would like.
  • Store in the fridge or an airtight container.
Keyword bacon, gluten free, grain free, jerk, jerk bacon, soy free, whole30

Callaloo and Saltfish

This is a very popular Jamaican breakfast side, but you can enjoy this any time of day. It comes together in a blink of an eye. Perfect addition to any weekday meal. 

Callaloo and Saltfish

Easy Jamaican breakfast.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Medium pot with lid
  • Skillet
  • Wooden spoon
  • Tongs or 2 forks
  • Mixing bowl
  • Can opener

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can callaloo drained⠀
  • ½ medium onion diced⠀
  • ⅓ green bell pepper diced⠀
  • ⅓ red bell pepper diced (you can use a small Roma tomato, seeded and diced)⠀
  • ½ package or 3 filets saltfish boiled and flaked⠀
  • 1 stalk escallion green onion⠀
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped⠀
  • 1 TBSP compliant oil

Instructions
 

  • Put saltfish in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Once it boils drain the water and taste. If it’s too salty boil again. 2. You shouldn’t need to boil more than twice because you want some saltiness to it. Remove and set aside.
  • Flake saltfish filets.
  • Heat a skillet on medium heat then add oil. ⠀
  • Sauté onion, garlic, escallion and peppers until the onion is translucent. ⠀
  • Add in callaloo and saltfish and heat through. ⠀
  • Serve with your favorite vegetables and enjoy!

Whole30 Jamaican Breakfast (Ackee and Saltfish)

Ackee and saltfish is known as the national dish of Jamaica and is often served for breakfast but can be enjoyed for lunch and dinner. Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and considered a delicacy. I made this using red bell pepper to replace tomatoes, but you can add that if you wish. While traditionally this can be eaten with dumplings or bread, you can also enjoy it with roasted or boiled starches that are compatible. 

Ackee and Saltfish

Whole30 version of a traditional Jamaican breakfast.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Can opener
  • Mixing bowl
  • Medium pot with lid
  • Skillet
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can ackee drained⠀
  • 2 fillets of saltfish salted cod or pollack works⠀
  • 1-2 TBSP oil⠀
  • ½ red bell pepper chopped⠀
  • ½ medium onion chopped⠀
  • 1 escallion green onion⠀
  • 4-5 cloves garlic chopped⠀
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper optional⠀
  • 3 green banana score the peel⠀
  • 1 ripe plantain cut in large chunks and score the peel⠀
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Put saltfish in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Once it boils drain the water and taste. If it’s too salty boil again. You shouldn’t need to boil more than twice because you want some saltiness to it. Remove and set aside. ⠀
  • In the same pot add in green banana and plantain and cover in water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a rolling boil with the lid covering half the pot for 10-15 minutes. ⠀
  • In a skillet heated on medium heat add 1 TBSP oil. Sauté the onions, pepper and garlic. If using tomato and you can add it here too.
  • Once onions are translucent you can add the ackee in. Be careful when you stir so you don’t break it up too much. Then flake saltfish filets and add in. At this point we are just heating up everything as the ackee is already cooked (5-10 minutes). ⠀
  • Peel the bananas and plantain and serve on a plate with the ackee and enjoy!
Keyword ackee, ackee and saltfish, breakfast, caribbean food, gluten free, grain free, jamaican, jamaican food, jamaican recipe, saltfish, soy free, whole30

Plantain and Carnitas Hash

I’m a bit obsessed with making a hash for breakfast. It’s a great way to use up leftovers and also to use up vegetables that may be going bad. The magic of a hash is that you don’t really need a specific recipe. I usually try to use 2-3 types of root vegetables and a non-starchy vegetables and whatever meat I’ve got to use. I always recommend serving on top of greens and top with green onions. It’s a great way to get greens into your diet.

Plantain and Carnitas Hash

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Microwave
  • Microwave safe bowl
  • Skillet
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 2 plantains diced, any ripeness⠀
  • 1 sweet potato diced ⠀
  • 1 small onion diced⠀
  • 5 big cloves garlic chopped⠀
  • 1 package Trader Joes carnitas⠀
  • 2 TBSP high smoke point oil I used coconut oil
  • 1-2 stalks green onion sliced ⠀
  • 1-2 handful of your favorite greens I used arugula⠀
  • Pinch of salt⠀

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet over medium heat, heat up oil. ⠀
  • Once oil is heated, add onions, potatoes and plantains and cook until everything starts to get a good crust. About 7 minutes. Add more oil if you need to. ⠀
  • In a microwave safe bowl heat up carnitas for 2 minutes. Once heated use two forks to pull the carnitas. You could chop it if you prefer. ⠀
  • Add carnitas and garlic and cook until carnitas is crispy and the veggies have a good color. Stir often enough to not let the garlic burn. Add a salt to taste. ⠀
  • Serve on top of greens and garnish is with green onions. Enjoy!

Notes

If you can't get Trader Joe's carnitas, use any leftover cooked meat like sausage or grilled chicken. If on a Whole30, ensure all meat is compatible.
If plant based, substitute carnitas for tofu. pan free the tofu, remove it and cook recipe as written.
Keyword breakfast hash, gluten free, grain free, hash, plantain, plantain recipe, whole30

Boiled Dumpling and Mackerel

Quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Boiled Dumpling and Mackerel

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Can opener
  • Measuring spoon
  • Measuring cup
  • Large pot with lid
  • Skillet

Ingredients
  

Jamaican Dumpling

  • 2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
  • ¾ - 1 cup water
  • ¼ tsp xanthan gum omit if your flour has it
  • 1 tsp salt

Mackerel

  • 1 15 ounce can can of Jack Mackerel⠀
  • ½ red bell pepper deseeded and diced⠀
  • ½ green bell pepper deseeded and diced⠀
  • ½ medium onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic diced⠀
  • 2 stalks scallion chopped (optional)⠀

Instructions
 

  • To make the dumplings combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together using your hands. ⠀
  • Slowly add water about a tablespoon at a time. Each time you add water work it into the flour. Keep adding until it forms a slightly sticky dough. You may not use the whole cup of water. If you add too much add 1 tablespoon of flour to even out. Add more water or flour to get the dough to the right texture. ⠀
  • Pinch some of the dough off (slightly smaller than a gulf ball) and roll into a circle. Using your ring finger and thin make and indent and flatten the edges as much as you can. Repeat until you make all the dumplings. Do not worry if they are thin, they will puff up when they boil. ⠀
  • In a pot boil about 4 cups of water. Once boiling add a teaspoon of salt. ⠀
  • Add dumplings and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook dumplings 15-20 minutes slightly covered with a lid. ⠀
  • While the dumplings cook heat a skillet to medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Sauté́ the onion, pepper, tomato and garlic until the onions are becoming translucent. ⠀
  • Add mackerel and break up slightly. Let simmer on low until dumplings are ready. ⠀
  • Dumplings may begin to rise after 5 minutes. The last minute or two use a spoon to lift any dumplings that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. ⠀
  • Once dumplings are cooked serve with mackerel and enjoy.

Notes

When cooking with GF flour all blends are not created equal. For this I recommend a blend that has rice flour tapioca flour and potato starch.
This meal can be enjoyed for breakfast lunch or dinner.
Dumplings can be served with butter for a quick easy snack or dinner.
The next day you can slice the dumplings lengthwise fry and serve.
Keyword caribbean food, dumpling, gluten free, jamaican dumpling, jamaican food, jamaican recipe, mackerel