July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 4min readBy Komal Patel
This post was originally posted on Sweet&Masala and republished here with permission.
I don’t know about where you are, but here in Boston, it is starting to get hot and humid. The heat isn’t so bad, but when you have that humidity it SUCKS. I feel like I need to take a shower as soon as I step outside.
Anyways. Let’s talk about something serious, k. Ready?
Let me backtrack for two seconds and talk about an even more important subject…ICE CREAM. I love ice cream. YEAH. It’s pretty simple. The thing about ice cream though is that it’s full of fat! I know, I know… You can get dairy-free ice cream and other stuff like it, but personally, if I am going to eat ice cream, I’m just going to eat the real thing.
That leads me to popsicles! Popsicles can be a fun way to get that frozen treat fix without worry about what’s in it, especially if you make them at home. You can make them with fresh fruit, purees, yogurt, herbs, etc. Customization is key, and since I’m doing this entire 80/20 thing, I might as well reward myself with some healthy treats! These popsicles were super easy to make and gave me all the sludgy, icy feels when I bit into them. Like I said, playing around with flavors and having fun with these popsicles is half the fun! I bought a popsicle mold off Amazon, here, which came with convenient slits on top for the popsicle sticks.
These freeze really well and can be ready to eat by the end of the day if you do them in the morning. I would recommend overnight if you can. My recipes called for some coconut passionfruit water which I found at my local grocery store, but if you can’t find it, just use regular coconut water or any flavor you like!
These popsicles are a great alternative to the kinds you buy at the store, well, first, you know what’s in them + there isn’t any refined sugar in them, so you can feel good about what you are eating. Now, I know you def want a popsicle now. Get to making them!
What is your favorite popsicle flavor?
SUMMER POPSICLES
Peach Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles
8 large strawberries pureed
3 peaches pureed
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. vanilla Greek yogurt
Watermelon Mint Popsicles
1 cup watermelon pieces cut
1 tbsp. fresh mint leaves
½ cup coconut passionfruit water
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. lime zest
1 tbsp. Honey
Coconut Lemon Blueberry Popsicles
5 lemons juiced
½ can coconut cream
¼ cup coconut passionfruit water
1 tbsp. honey
Handful of blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
Peach Strawberry Mango Yogurt Popsicles
Blender together strawberries and 1 tbsp. honey until pureed and set aside.
Repeat with peaches and set aside.
In your popsicle mold layer 2 tbsps. strawberry puree, followed by 2 tbsp. yogurt, then 2 tbsp. peach puree and repeat until full.
Make a fruit puree your last layer.
Tap the mold on the counter to let the layers settle and to remove air bubbles.
Insert the sticks and freeze overnight.
Watermelon Mint Popsicles
Blender together watermelon, mint, coconut passionfruit water, lime juice, lime zest and honey.
Pour into molds.
Insert the sticks and freeze overnight.
Coconut Lemon Blueberry Popsicles
Blend together lemon juice, coconut cream, coconut passionfruit water and honey.
Pour into molds until almost full.
Add as many blueberries as you like and fill up the rest of the way.
Insert the sticks and freeze overnight.
RECIPE NOTES Try using whole pieces of fresh fruit for fun color and textures! For the Strawberry Peach Popsicles, my popsicle maker made three even layers of each fruit. Replace the coconut passionfruit water with regular coconut water or any other flavor. I had extras leftovers for all the purees, which can be kept in the fridge for a few days.
January 3, 2023January 10, 2023 3min readBy Subrina Singh
Curried Chicken with Roti Parata or Roti, popular Middle Eastern/Indian cuisine
It is officially that time of year—the holiday season. There’s nothing like Christmas and New Year’s in the West Indies. Between the pepperpot in Guyana and the palm trees decorated in lights in Trinidad, the home food, warm weather and laid-back ambiance makes us wish we could escape the cold and head back to the Caribbean. Most of us, however, cannot “take holiday” and find ourselves hungry for fresh dhal puri and doubles. But, thanks to these Indo-Caribbean food bloggers, we can bring the motherland to our kitchens.
From Diwali mithai specialties to curry chicken, Matthew is creating a name for himself as a young Guyanese food blogger. He makes a great effort to incorporate Hindu holidays and traditions on his Instagram account, in conjunction with the customary foods and sweets associated with these religious events. However, his expertise does not end there, with new and alternative recipes for classic dishes such as curry chicken and bhara, Matthew takes center stage sharing both traditional Guyanese dishes as well as specific religious dishes made for festivals. His most popular YouTube video, with 1.4 million views, features his grandmother and focuses on the best tips to make the softest Guyanese paratha roti. In addition, his YouTube account is home to many videos offering guidance to Indo Caribbean cooking. Find recipes at @mattews.guyanese.cooking
Natasha Laggan of Trini Cooking with Natasha is wildly popular throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. With humble beginnings, Natasha credits her love of food to her family’s business. She speaks of the nostalgia home food provides her as she reminisces memories of her grandmother’s cooking and helping her mother make sandwiches early in the morning. Featured by Forbes, Natasha grew her Facebook following quickly throughout the pandemic by posting old YouTube videos. Today, she has more than 1 million followers on Facebook and over 200K followers on YouTube. She uses her passion for cooking and Trinidadian culture to bring easy-to-follow recipes to viewers. Her following has now reached the West Indian diaspora globally as she has also become a brand ambassador to two well-known food companies. Follow the food expert @trinicookingwithnatasha.
With over 100K followers on YouTube, Ria is quite the expert when it comes to making roti. Her dhal puri, sada roti and paratha roti tutorials have over 1M views! However, her expertise does not stop there. Of the 180 YouTube tutorials, her recipes vary from curry to other Trinidadian favorites like macaroni pie and pigtail soup. Just scrolling through her YouTube page makes your mouth water. From doubles to classic Trinidad bakes like pound cake and sweet bread, she provides precision and anecdotal commentary while guiding you through the familiarity of home food. Check out Ria’s page at @cookingwithria.
Known as Chef Devan, Devan Rajkumar embraces his Guyanese Canadian heritage by creating recipes combining flavors of both the East and West Indies. His love of food has allowed him to expand his role to judge in a popular Canadian cooking show: Food Network Canada’s Fire Masters. His cooking often blends the flavors of multiple cultures but also creates the classic recipes of his motherland. With a multitude of interests, Chef Dev uses his social media platform to connect with followers by sharing various aspects of his life that go beyond cooking. His most recent YouTube video provides a trailer for an upcoming video “Tastes Guyana” which shows him exploring Guyana from the inside, specifically deep parts of the inner country. To learn more about Chef Devan follow @chefdevan.
Reshmi is the chef behind the growing blog, Taste of Trinbago. A Trinidadian native who now resides in Texas, she uses her love of food and Trinidadian culture to share hacks, tips and easy recipes with West Indians throughout the globe. She finds a way to simplify traditional West Indian meals, that we once watched our elders make with curiosity. From holiday specialties like black cake to Diwali delicacies, Reshmi has brought vegetarian and non-veg recipes to followers in an extremely accessible way. She even posts recipe cards on her IG highlights for followers who may need written instructions. Her IG profile is a mix of various West Indian foods while also sharing bits of her life and even her secrets to baby food. Follow her @tasteoftrinbago.
These are just five Indo Caribbean food bloggers sharing their secrets to easy cooking. The once very daunting recipes and food instructions our parents gave have been simplified by most of these bloggers through video, voice over and modernized recipes. We no longer have to estimate a “dash, pinch or tuk” of any masala. We are just days away from Christmas and this is the perfect time to find the best-suited recipe to make that paratha for Santa.
This post was originally posted on Sweet&Masala and republished here with permission. 
[READ RELATED: Easy Mango Pudding]
These freeze really well and can be ready to eat by the end of the day if you do them in the morning. I would recommend overnight if you can. My recipes called for some coconut passionfruit water which I found at my local grocery store, but if you can’t find it, just use regular coconut water or any flavor you like!
What is your favorite popsicle flavor?
