September marks the beginning of autumn and for many, new beginnings — namely, back to school for students and teachers; in the fashion world, new collections; and in the food world, different styles of cooking to reflect the season. Today my column is all over the place as I will briefly touch upon the topics mentioned above, beginning with back to school since it is foremost on many minds at the moment.

Back to School

School fees, uniforms, books and lunch money – people are juggling these items in this harsh economy. Last week, I was the guest speaker at UTech’s School of Hospitality orientation for the incoming first-year students. I interacted with a few afterwards who shared the sacrifices they and their parents have had to make for this semester. I’m not yet a mother, as I have stressed before, so this subject is often difficult for me to discuss because I feel hypocritical not being a parent and therefore, not an authority on the subject. From a food perspective, I’ve questioned my mum and many other mothers to ask them what goes into their school lunches, and many of them have shared with me that I have already covered it for them in recent years. I was most touched that the few times I have dared tackle this subject, I seem to have passed the test. With that said, I have nothing new to offer this year.

Keep in mind, however, that healthy bodies feed healthy minds. It’s so important that children eat well during the school term. I’m not sure what kind of lunches are served in school canteens across the island, but I remember when I went to school the box lunches were not very healthy the very few times I consumed them, as I was spoilt by healthy food prepared lovingly by my mum. I recall hardly any vegetables were present, a little meat and lots of rice. Don’t get me wrong, I love rice and one of my recipes today is a rice pudding, but I hope this has changed and that food served to children is much more balanced. It’s also alarming to witness the number of vendors outside school gates who sell loads of candy and snacks. A friend raised this point to me the other day and I began to take a closer look. It would be lovely to see more fruit being sold and other nutritious options.

Fashion’s Night Out, September 10, 2010

September is also the month that the Jamaica Observer celebrates Fashion’s Night Out. Please support this global shopping extravaganza and applaud the fact that we are listed amongst the most stylish fashion capitals of the world — no easy feat and for this we should be proud. Small as this island is, we are “tallawah”, and can keep up with the trends sprinkled with our inimitable sass. Our economy needs all the support it can get ,and by spending, we play our part in stimulating it. Of course, many of us are broke and on budgets but this is exactly the point: we have an opportunity to shop for fantastic bargains and get some early Christmas shopping in, no matter how small an item. Some of you may wonder: ‘What does this have to do with food?’ Well, I’m all for plugging in food somewhere, and I think it is a fun time for friends to get together and eat well. All of that shopping is going to burn calories, so you will need sustenance. Next week I’ll write a special piece for Fashion’s Night Out.

Avocados

Seasonally, we are seeing an abundance of avocados at the moment. I love these green fruits, which are so divine and rich in vitamins A, B6 and K, fibre, folic acid and potassium. Avocados are reputed to be good for heart health because they contain the latter two which fight against high blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol. They also contain monounsaturated fatty acids. Jamaicans love their “pear” which is often eaten by itself, with hard dough bread or bulla, and in salads.

JuicyChef’s Greek Style Zucchini and Crustless Cheese Tart

I love Kourkouto, a famous zucchini and cheese pie from Greece, but I didn’t have any filo pastry, so instead I have just gone crustless which is equally delicious. I’ve adapted this recipe from one that was given to me by a dear friend. This is great to carry for lunch with a salad on the side. Fabulous for a brunch item as well.

Ingredients:

4 zucchini (3 diced, 1 sliced)

2 onions, chopped

Pinch of salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried dill

6 eggs

250g plain yoghurt

150g all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

200g feta, crumbled

1 small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for sautéing and greasing baking dish

Method:

Preheat oven to 350ûF

Grease baking dish with oil

In a frying pan, sauté zucchini and onions until soft, remove from heat and cool down

Add salt, oregano and dill.

In a separate bowl whisk eggs and yogurt together, then add flour and baking powder.

Add vegetables and parsley to the mixture then pour into prepared baking dish.

Garnish with zucchini rounds.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden and set.

Sprinkle over more fresh herbs before serving.

My Cinnamon Spiced Coconut Rice Pudding

I love rice puddings during the cooler months. When I yearned for Jamaica during the depressing cold, the scent of coconut wafting in my kitchen brightened my spirits. Now that we are in the rainy season, this is the ultimate comfort food. Sometimes I would soak my raisins in Kirsch, a cherry-flavoured liqueur if I didn’t have any rum at hand. I like using basmati rice because it is naturally aromatic. When I make this recipe I find it is appreciated by both adults and children. Serve warm or cold.

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk

300ml low-fat milk

1 egg

395g condensed milk

300g basmati rice

1 litre of water

Peel of 1 orange

2 cinnamon sticks

3 pimento berries

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup rum-soaked golden raisins

Unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish

Method:

Wash basmati according to package directions and place it with water, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and pimento berries to soak for an hour.

Bring to a boil then simmer for roughly 20 minutes or until most liquid has evaporated, then mix in the condensed milk.

Whisk together egg, milk and coconut milk and pour in stages to the rice mixture, keep on stirring occasionally. Cook for another 30 minutes, always stirring occasionally and add the raisins.

Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The mixture should be nice and thick.

Black Bean and Avocado Salad

I have a beautiful avocado tree in my garden and I’m so excited that it’s beginning to bear ripe fruit. I love mixing them with black beans for a simple healthy treat.

Ingredients:

1 large avocado, cut into cubes

1 can of black beans

2 tomatoes, diced

2 stalks of escallion, green parts only, sliced

1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro, chopped

Method:

In a bowl add black beans.

Add all the other vegetables, and drizzle with oil, vinegar, juice, zest, salt and pepper, then add cilantro and mix well.

Many thanks to MegaMart.

Contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!