Sendy Chancy

Food | Hair | Life

Twice Fried Plantains (Bannann Peze)

by Leave a Comment

It’s been way too long BUT I have a brand new tutorial for you! Bannann Peze, twice-fried green plantain, is a staple side dish in the Caribbean. They go well with just about anything or a alone. Watch to see how simple it is to make this wonderful treat!

 

Twice Fried Plantains (Bannann Peze)
Recipe Type: Appetizer or Side
Cuisine: Caribbean, Latin
Author: Sendy Chancy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 green plantains
  • cooking oil (I use coconut oil or canola oil)
  • tostonera (to press the plantains) or two small dishes
  • 1 teaspoon of celtic salt (or salt of your choice)
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • about a cup of lukewarm water
  • fresh pikliz to garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. First, you have to peel the plantains. Slice the peel down the length of the plantain on one or two sides. Then, you can remove the peel. Quick tip: if you let the plantain sit in some hot water or if they are room temperature or ripe plantains then they will peel off seamlessly.
  2. Slice each plantain crosswise into medium pieces about 1 1/4″ wide.
  3. Heat cooking oil at 375°F for several minutes.
  4. Place the plantain pieces in a bowl and add the juice of the lime, vinegar, salt and lukewarm water to cover the plantain in the bowl. Let sit for few minutes.
  5. When oil is hot, make sure the water id drained, place the pieces in the oil (carefully!), trying not to crowd them too much.
  6. Cook for 7 minutes or until the plantain has turned a light golden brown color.
  7. Remove from oil and place in a dish with a paper towel to absorb the oil before smashing.
  8. Using the tostonera place the fried plantain piece in the recessed portion of the tostonera and fold together to smash the plantain. If you don’t have a tostonera you can use two small dishes or even the flat edge of a meat tenderizing mallet.
  9. After you press the plantains, dip them in the liquid, drain and fry them in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
  10. Remove them from the oil and let them sit on a paper towel for a few minutes and serve immediately!

Some serving ideas:

  • They make a great snack or appetizer all by themselves! I like them with pikliz.
  • For a heartier snack, enjoy with sliced avocado
  • Dip them in your favorite dip — chopped garlic sauteed in olive oil is my favorite
  • You can make mini “sandwiches” with them (I like them with fried pork)
  • As a side dish with Caribbean or Latin dishes

Enjoy!!!

Yes, We’re Pregnant!

by Leave a Comment

 

IMG_8683So it has been a while since I have created a blog post let alone a video on YouTube! BUT it was for a great reason we are pregnant!

I have to say it was hard keeping this secret especially since it was one of the main reasons why I stopped producing content and being more active on social media. There definitely will be a post with more detail on what has been going on in my life. In the meantime I got a new job with a great company, starting filming again which has been awesome so I have a few videos in the pipeline. We are super excited to welcome Baby Jean-Louis and I cant wait to share more details of this new chapter with you.

For the moms (and dads too) that are reading this any tips, tricks or positive thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome

by Leave a Comment

Sendy-5120Hi and welcome to my blog! However you happened to get here, I am so thrilled to have you! It has not been the easiest journey to put myself out there for the world to see and hear but I am glad that I started taking the steps and well here it goes…

My name is Sendy (yes spelled with an e and no it is not short for anything else), a native Bostonian and I’ve made Brooklyn my home. I started this blog as a way to chronicle my love and passion of food, travel and lifestyle (quite honestly anything that I like) and share that passion with others. This is my space. My haven. My spot to have fun, experiment and investigate all that’s around me.

I’m a self-taught Haitian-American chef (by night ’cause I have a J-O-B) and my passion for food started at age five when I used to spend time with my mother in the kitchen. The staple ingredients that I cannot live without are garlic, scallions, thyme and olive oil, and as much as I love to cook, strangely enough, I can’t stand touching raw meat and no I’m not a vegetarian. Crazy right?! But seriously I LOVE to cook! You can most likely find me barefooted in the kitchen, with music playing and a glass of wine. Oh YES.

I went natural in 2006 and BC’d (big chopped) in 2007! My mother thought it was too funny because back in 1995 she remembers me begging’ (seriously) her to relax my hair so that I could fit in with my peers (I went to a predominately white school) and here I am 20 years later (completely natural) and I could NOT imagine wearing my hair any other way!
Lately I have been making traveling a major part of my life. Life is meant to be LIVED to the fullest and that is exactly what I intend to do! This year alone I’ve taken three pretty awesome trips and have two on the way (bless my bank accounts and vacation time at work) so stay tuned for more on those trips.

I am constantly evolving and so will this blog. So, thank you for joining me on this adventure called life and sharing all the things I love!

How To Make Haitian Pikliz

by Leave a Comment

What is a Caribbean meal without pepper, pepper sauce or some type of pepper condiment? It is a major part of our culinary culture. We all take pride in our pepper sauces however it must be said that Haitian Pikliz is at the top of the list when it comes to spicy condiments.
I love how vibrant-looking and tasty the vegetables are and the heat from the scotch bonnet peppers (my favorite pepper) is AMAZING.

There are many variations to this recipe depending on the region of Haiti. Since my mom is from Jeremie this is the recipe I learned to make:

How To Make Haitian Pikliz
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • ½ cup shredded cabbage
  • ½ medium carrot
  • ½ cup bell pepper (green, orange, red)
  • ¼ white onion
  • 3 scotch bonnet peppers
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper ( I put ½ teaspoon but realized it was a bit much)
  • 5 tablespoons vinegar (see note)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (you can also use sour orange juice)
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
Instructions
  1. It’s really a simple recipe to put together. Start off by slicing all the vegetables very thinly, same for the all the other ingredients.
  2. Place all the sliced ingredients in a large bowl and mix in the salt, pepper, thyme and liquids.
  3. Note: Add enough vinegar to cover the ingredients in the storage container.

You can serve it immediately (preferably with some griot or any fried food for that matter) or allow it to pickle for a few days before use. I love to sprinkle this on my salads especially when I am dieting! It literally brings the salad to life.

To store the pikliz I like to use a mason jar. Put everything in it, cover and set aside to marinate. The longer it pickles the better the pikliz!
The vinegar will act as a preservative so you don’t have to worry about it going bad if you don’t put it in the fridge. If you do store it in the fridge it can last for months (but will lose some heat)!
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos on YouTube and Facebook. Also, leave me a comment below – I would really appreciate it.

Natural Hair | My Big Hair Twist Out

by 1 Comment

This is my go to look that I get soo many questions about so this tutorial will show you how I do my BIG twist-out. Using 11 twists vs my normal 20 gives me more of a wavier, fluffier look. Please feel free to use your favorite products, as I am listing mine for reference.

Also my hair was a week old co-wash. It lasts about two weeks if I re-twist (5-6 twists) every third night.

Products:
Filtered water
Aloe Vera Juice
Castor Oil (Haitian version I got from Haiti)
Curl Enhancing Smoothie (purchased from Walgreens)
Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil

Products that I used can be found at my Amazon Store here: http://astore.amazon.com/sendchan-20?…

FTC Disclaimer: I’ve purchased everything featured in this video myself.

Haitian Black Rice (Diri Djon Djon)

by 2 Comments

I get so many requests for this rice when I am hosting an event or going to a potluck style affair. Diri ak djon-djon (Haitian Creole) or du riz avec djon-djon (French) is native to the northern part of Haiti, where the djon-djon mushrooms are grown. Since this is considered a delicacy, they are reserved for “special” occasions and I remember growing up only having it at parties or holidays. When boiled with water, they release a beautiful, rich dark gray-black broth, giving this recipe and many others (stewed chicken, gumbo, or even polenta) a distinct aroma and flavor. This rice is usually served with a meat or fish dish. It can be served alone when it is cooked with seafood such as crab and/or shrimp.

 

Haitian Black Rice (Diri Djon Djon)
Recipe Type: Black Rice
Cuisine: Haitian
Author: Sendy Chancy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of Djon Djon Mushrooms (2 cups of water to steep)
  • 1 cup parboiled basmati rice
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 1 cup of baby lima beans, green peas or pigeon peas
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 sprig of parsley
  • 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Edward & Sons vegan bouillon cube*
  • 1 slice of white or yellow onion
  • 2-3 slices of green peppers
  • 2-3 slices of red peppers
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper
  • Spice blend consists of:
  • 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of granulated onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon of lawrys season salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
Instructions

*Use this code for $10 off your order at Vitacost

How to Cook Rice

by Leave a Comment

I think one of the questions I get asked the most is how to cook rice (white, brown, parboiled). It’s actually quite simple and I promise you that once you have your technique down this will become second nature. Check out my video below as I show you how to make perfect white rice!

 

How to Cook Rice
Cook time:
Total time:
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 cup water 1 cup jasmine rice ( I prefer Thai Hom Mali Rice) 1 tablespoon of your homemade epice 2 teaspoons of salt (optional) Note: the same recipe can be followed for brown or parboiled rice you just need to adjust the water used to cook it (ratio is usually 2:1)
Ingredients
  • 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup jasmine rice ( I prefer Thai Hom Mali Rice)
  • 1 tablespoon of your homemade epice
  • 2 teaspoons of salt (optional)
Instructions

Don’t be intimidated by cooking white rice at home (or any rice for that matter). This is the way that I learned to cook rice and is by no means the ONLY way but doing it this way is the best way that I’ve found to make perfectly cooked white rice!

The Greatest Haitian Food Secret…Revealed!!

by Leave a Comment

This will change your cooking life! Like seriously?!  And maybe, your life in general!! It will make the difference between good food and great food. Friends will be making reservations to dine at your place. This is the basis for most savory Haitian dishes and it will enhance, turn up and turn out the flavor for any style of cooking. It’s a paste made of blended spices that we call “epices”, which translates to “blended spices” in English. This is something you can make batches of and refrigerate (or freeze depending on use and quantity), and use when needed. It only takes a food processor and the following ingredients to make:

2 cups of peeled garlic
1 scallion
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Click here for my video tutorial on how to make epice! And always don’t forget to subscribe for more!!!

 

Subscribe Me

by Leave a Comment

You’ve been asking and I’ve been working! I am so excited to share my Youtube Channel with you! In many videos to come, I’ll be cooking my heart out and and sharing my best Haitian recipes, talking about hair, style, and how to live a fabulous life. I promise you loads of goodness if you pay it forward and make this happen!

Thank You!!

À bientôt,

Sendy