You may have decided to give up meat for Lent. Or, if you can’t do the entire 40 days, you can abstain on Fridays. Whatever the decision, you’ll need a few recipes to add to your arsenal to complement the fish and seafood ones that are already your go-to.

The Jamaican soil is rich and blessed. Each day, farmers reap some of the region’s best produce. Ginger, mangoes, green bananas and ground provisions are domestic and export gold. You’ll never have pumpkin as good as Jamaican pumpkin!

Jamaicans are known for culinary prowess among a myriad other things. However, many use familiar ingredients in the same old way. Thursday Food scoured Jamaican cookbooks, cooking blogs and popular culinary websites featuring Jamaican writers and chefs for recipes that use local produce in exciting ways. Here are four recipes that will meet your needs in the absence of meat. Enjoy!

Roasted Plantain with Pepper Compote

This recipe is a love letter to Jamaica from Summerhouse Harmony Hall. Adapted from Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau’s Provisions cookbook, this recipe took the internet by storm and the editors at Saveur had a fab time recreating it in the test kitchen. And, even though it’s not pear season in Jamaica (for the Jamaicans abroad lucky you have them all year round) this recipe is moreish even without the avocado.

Ingredients:

For the pepper compote:

5 Scotch bonnet chillis, a mixture of red, green, and orange, washed and hulled

3 medium plum tomatoes, quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 medium scallion, trimmed, and sliced crosswise into one-inch pieces

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

For the roasted plantains:

2 ripe plantains (1 lb), unpeeled

½ cup raw shelled peanuts, skin on

2 medium avocados

1 large lime, cut into wedges

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

Step 1

Make the pepper compote: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel chopping blade, add the chillis, tomatoes, garlic, onion, scallion, and mustard. Pulse several times until the mixture is well combined but chunky. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture has the consistency of a thick, chunky salsa, 3–4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If using immediately, set the compote aside at room temperature. Otherwise, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Step 2

Roast the plantains: Place 2 racks, spaced evenly apart, in the centre of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

Step 3

Place the plantains, with the peels still on, on a baking sheet. Roast until the plantains are very tender when poked with a fork and their juices begin to seep from their peels, 35–40 minutes. (Alternatively, you can cook the plantains on a medium-hot grill.) Keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 4

Meanwhile, spread the peanuts on a second baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and evenly toasted, about 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 5

Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of the skins. Roughly mash the flesh and arrange on a large plate. Squeeze the lime wedges over the avocado and dust with paprika, cinnamon (if using), cayenne, and salt. Coarsely chop half of the peanuts and sprinkle over the avocado. Slice the plantains (keep the peels on) in half and add to the platter. Drizzle the plantains with the compote. Top with the remaining peanuts and serve warm.

Green Banana Rundown

This recipe is from Jamaican-born registered nurse and certified holistic health counsellor Michelle Blackwood. She runs the vegan blog called Healthier Steps and is the author of the cookbook Healthier Steps:125 Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

Ingredients:

7 medium green bananas

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

2 green onions, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 sprigs thyme

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon Creole/Cajun seasoning, optional

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Step 1

Separate green bananas from the stem and wash bananas. Using a sharp knife cut through or cut off the ends. Make a cut along the side of the banana, cutting only through the skin, not deep into the flesh.

Step 2

Remove the skin along the line all the way around the banana. Discard the skin. Repeat until all the banana skins are peeled.

Step 3

Bring water to boil in a large pot, add the bananas and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer until bananas are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain water and set aside.

Step 4

While the bananas are boiling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, green onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Stir in tomatoes, thyme, allspice, Creole seasoning, coconut milk, Scotch bonnet pepper and salt to taste.

Step 6

Add green bananas and bring to a simmer. Cover the skillet and allow rundown to cook until the sauce is thick, about five to eight minutes.

Step 7

Serve immediately. It is delicious served with Jamaican steamed cabbage or callaloo.

Dasheen Gnocchi

From former Strawberry Hill chef James Palmer, this gnocchi recipe is an innovative use of dasheen and was featured on Martha Stewart’s website — marthastewart.com.

Ingredients:

1 pound dasheen, peeled and cut into two- to three-inch pieces

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into two- to three-inch pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes

½ cup marinara sauce

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Method:

Step 1

Place dasheen and sweet potato in salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add basil and garlic, and cook for one to two minutes. Remove skillet from heat, and add wine and tomatoes. Simmer for about a minute. Stir in marinara sauce; season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Step 2

Bring another large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain dasheen and sweet potato, and pass through a ricer into a large bowl. Add eggs and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring until fully incorporated.

Step 3

Using two wet teaspoons, dip out a rounded spoonful of the gnocchi mixture. Transfer the spoon to your left hand with the gnocchi mixture; place the other spoon on top of the gnocchi mixture, and smooth with the bottom of the other wet spoon. Then slide the second spoon under the gnocchi to release it into the boiling water. Cook until the gnocchi rise to the top and float, about 5 minutes. Drain, and add to the skillet with marinara sauce, tossing to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Butter Cassava

Trinbagonian Renee Simeon is the founder and chief content writer for the gluten-free blog Off The Wheaten Path. This recipe is a simple but tasty cassava salad that is popular in the twin-island republic.

Ingredients:

1lb cassava

1 cup grated carrots

½ small onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons butter or dairy-free butter alternative

Pinch of dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1

Peel and cube cassava into one-and-a-half inch cubes. Add to boiling water and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Step 2

Once cassava is cooked, drain and let cool until you can handle it easily without burning your hands.

Step 3

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat butter, add garlic, onion and carrots, sautée for a minute or until fragrant and onions are translucent.

Step 4

Add the cassava to the skillet and toss to evenly coat the cassava in the butter, onion, garlic and carrots.

Step 5

Cook for a minute or until the butter is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and serve.