Cooking up a storm

As the country grapples with the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the dangerous Category 5 storm that made landfall on Tuesday, many will depend on the non-perishables in their pantries or emergency kits. As we assess the damage and look towards recovering and rebuilding, Executive Chef Noel Cunningham shares a few creative ways to prepare your canned goods, dried beans, pasta, rice, and nuts.

Chef Cunningham tells Food, “Even during a storm, good food can bring comfort and calm. Keep things simple, stay creative with what you have, and don’t waste anything. A little planning and imagination can turn even pantry staples into something delicious. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of each other. The kitchen will always bring people together.”

You can get creative with simple canned goods, “non-perishable foods like canned beans, tuna, soups, rice, and pasta,” shared Cunningham. “[They] don’t need refrigeration and can last for months. They are your safety net when power or water becomes unreliable,” he added, sharing that people can make meals such as canned mackerel rundown with coconut milk, corned beef and canned mixed vegetables in a one-pot rice meal or sweet corn fritters.

As for those hoping not to run out of snacks, rationing will prove to be the key component for longevity. “Those still struggling with binge snacking should portion out snacks in small bowls or bags so you don’t go through an entire tin of biscuits in one sitting. Try alternating snacks with small meals like crackers with tuna or peanut butter, so you stay full longer. Keep fruits like apples or bananas handy to satisfy cravings without touching your emergency stash too quickly,” shared Cunningham.

And, with the majority of the island out of electricity, Chef Cunningham says it’s smart to cook what’s most perishable first, like meats, eggs, or vegetables, before they spoil. “You can make hearty one-pot meals such as stewed chicken or curried vegetables that last longer and don’t need reheating. Keep portions reasonable so you’re not wasting food that might spoil later. Think fried chicken. With escoveitch fish, the pickle also helps to preserve the dish,” he shared.

He advises that you keep your refrigerators closed as much as possible to prevent the cold air from escaping, “Move items that spoil easily, like milk or cooked meats, into a cooler with ice packs. And, if you have a gas stove, cook perishables before they go bad and store them in airtight containers,” shared Chef Cunningham.

Here are a few recipes to get you through the next few days.

VEGETARIAN CHILLI

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup walnuts

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, washed, stems removed

1 medium carrot, cut into chunks

THE CHILLI

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2–3 tablespoons cayenne pepper powder

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1–2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)

1 14–ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes (with juices)

1 14–ounce can of kidney beans

1 cup water or vegetable bouillon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor or manually, pulse together or crush the walnuts, mushrooms and carrots until broken down into a chunky paste-like texture and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent for two to three minutes. Add pepper, tomato paste, chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and soy sauce.

3. Add your mushroom and walnut mixture to the pan. Once it mixes in and starts cooking, it should start to resemble chilli meat. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes or so to soften the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Add tomatoes, kidney beans and water or vegetable bouillon to get the consistency right. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes to soften the vegetables, thicken it up, and let the flavours come together. Serve with your favourite chilli toppings.

TUNA CAKES

INGREDIENTS

4-5 oz canned tuna, drained of liquid

1/2 medium Scotch bonnet, finely chopped

2 stalks of scallion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, grated

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons mustard (optional)

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons olive oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Strain the tuna, and chop up the chunks with a fork. Add to a mixing bowl. Then add the remaining ingredients – the finely chopped pepper, green onions, garlic– and the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, breadcrumbs, and seasonings like salt and pepper.

2. Using your hands, form about six patties from the tuna mixture.

3. Place on a platter, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm up the texture if you are able to. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add some olive oil and sauté about three patties at a time, flipping to make sure both sides are nice and golden brown. Be careful so that the patties don’t break apart. They are a bit fragile. Serve with spicy mayo, if desired.

4. Prep time is 15 minutes, while the cooking time is 10 minutes.

SPICY MAYO RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sriracha, any chilli or pepper sauce

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the mayonnaise, sriracha or pepper sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl.

3. If you have electricity, refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

COCONUT SHRIMP OR CHICKEN CURRY WITH INSTANT RAMEN NOODLES

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ small onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 cups water

13 ounces of ramen noodles

1 seasoning packet

½ cup frozen or canned peas and carrots

½ pound of raw, peeled, deveined shrimp or diced chicken breast

1 tablespoon scallion

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.

2. Sauté onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the curry powder and cook for two more minutes. Add diced chicken breast, if used. Add the coconut milk and water. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.

4. Add ramen noodles and cook for five minutes, and season to taste with a seasoning packet. Add scallion, peas and carrot. You can add the shrimp here.

5. Simmer for five more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turns pink. Serve and enjoy.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com