MY FAVORITE CARIBBEAN ALKALINE STEW

That feeling of waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell and comfort of savory aroma coming from the kitchen; the knowing that something delicious is cooking in the pot that you’re going to devour in a few hours; your mother blasting music without care for your rest, yeah, is something we all cherish, lol.

That experience is one that we’ll always remember because it’s a time of bonding with your family, eating some good food and feeling a laughter high afterward.

I loveeee my Caribbean food! When I came to realize that I wouldn’t have rice and beans, stew chicken, brown stew chicken anymore!! Ugh, I was going through it! I couldn’t let the experience of good comfort home cooked meals go as if it never existed! So, me being me, of course, I said, “Man, let me just make the same thing with alkaline ingredients.”  BOOM! Chef boyar-Cee came to existence, haha.

*Disclaimer* I was cheffin’ in the pot before I became vegan, I just got better, okay. Lol. Everyone tends to become a chef when they turn vegan, it’s wild. Seriously, it’s been proven!

Okay, so if you’re curious about alkaline eating, currently eating alkaline or vegan here is the recipe for a spicy, savory, and filling stew!

Ingredients:

(I don’t measure exactly how much I use, which I’ll start, to help you all out. For now, season to taste.)

• 2 cups organic chickpeas
• 2 organic zucchini squash (sliced and diced)
• 1 chayote (potato replacement)
• 1 cup of quinoa
• Spelt flour for dumpling (recipe below)
• 4 cups of spring water
• Half red onion
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 Green/Red Pepper diced
• 2 tbsp Grapeseed oil

Spices:

• Cayenne powder, basil, thyme, oregano, achiote seeds, sea salt

Slice the zucchini, onions, and peppers and put to the side. Peel and dice the chayote into chunks. I like to chop it the same way I did with potato. Put to the side.

Heat grapeseed oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for 3 minutes or so.

Add chickpeas with aquafaba (water that comes with the peas) into the pot with chopped cilantro, sea salt and achiote. I already have achiote in a jar that I make in batches. It adds great flavor and depth to any dish. (See recipe below) Simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high.

Add spring water, spices, chayote and quinoa and cook on medium heat until chickpeas and chayote become tender; about 20-25 minutes. Once chickpeas are tender and quinoa is almost cooked, add squash and cover.

Cook for 10-15 minutes. While this is cooking, add spelt dumpling. (See recipe below)

Add spices if necessary. I like my things extra spicy, so I add more achiote and cayenne to taste.

All done! Enjoy with some avocado and a salad.

All alkaline. All upful.

Spelt dumpling

Measure 1/2 a cup of flour. Slowly add water to flour while stirring until flour forms into a ball. Take small chunks and roll the flour through your palms to make the dumpling. 

Achiote

Measure 1 cup of oil and add to sauce pan on low heat. Take 3 tablespoons of achiote and add to oil. Simmer until oil extracts flavor from achiote. The oil will become dark and red. Let cool and store.