An easy Friday night meal - Bake & Salmon

I've never shared my Guyanese meals on social media before, but there's a first time for everything, right?! Bake & Salmon is so easy to make, healthy(ish) & so delicious. I guess I should mention now that I'm a "Pescatarian" (I gave up meat about two years ago but still eat seafood - sometimes). So this meal is perfect for my diet & still allows me to stick to my roots.

If you're wondering, I converted to Pescatarianism because not eating meat makes me feel so amazingly good about myself. I know... I shouldn't eat seafood. They were once alive, too. But sometimes there's nothing else to eat. And in a family that eats duck curry & chicken stew on a regular basis, sometimes you have to settle for shrimp curry unless you want to eat bare roti. So there. I've also lost about 15 pounds since I converted to this diet, so that's a plus. For the most part, I don't miss chicken at all. Being completely honest... sometimes I get cravings & I've been known to cave in once or twice, but hey, were' human, right?!

But I digress. This meal was a staple of my childhood whenever my mom wanted to cook something up real quick on a Friday night that actually had substance. If you know Guyanese people, we don't frequently go out to eat. We cook - it makes sense, it saves money & it's less gluttonous. My mother is an AMAZING cook, so I can't even compare myself to her when it comes to cooking. For your convenience, I've included some more information about this meal:

Bake - bake is similar to bread. It's more coarse, crispy on the outside & somewhat fluffy on the outside.

• 4 cups all purpose flour 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar 
• A pinch ground cinnamon (optional) 
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
• Lukewarm water 
• Oil for deep frying 

Preparation:

1. Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon (if using) to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. 
2. Rub in butter to flour mixture. 
3. Add enough water to make a soft dough. When the dough comes together, knead for 2 - 3 minutes. Rub the dough with oil and let rest, covered for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Knead rested dough for 1 minute and then divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and form into balls. 
5. Heat oil in a deep pan and let come up to 350 degrees F. The oil should be hot but definitely not smoking. 
6. Roll one piece of dough into 3 1/2 to 4-inch circle. Add dough to oil - the dough should sink and within 2 second start floating to the top of the pan. Using a long-handled pot spoon, spoon oil over the top of the dough so that it continues to puff up, as soon as it puffs up, flip it over. You will notice that it starts to bubble and move around the pan. Let cook until the side is nicely browned. 
7. Using a slotted spoon, remove bake from pan draining off the excess oil. Add to a paper-toweled bowl. 

Salmon

The number one reason I say this meal is quick is because we use salmon from a can - simply purchase at your local grocery store, crack the can open & season with some salt, pepper, paprika & whatever your favorite seasonings may be. We also add some tomato, onion, shallots & raw pepper in there to give it a kick. Remember - less is more!

It's important to note you can have bake with other foods - I enjoy it with some egg or salt fish.

That oh-so-amazing Pepper Sauce you see near the bottom right

I would never be able to call myself a Guyanese if I didn't eat the pepper sauce with every single meal I eat. I put that stuff on EVERYTHING - fish, pizza, egg - EVERYTHING!

It's so simple to make... and if you like spicy, it's for you!

We just blend up some "wiri-wiri" peppers (see below) & add some cucumbers & mustard if it's too spicy for ya. It has an amazing flavor that just can't be found in American pepper or hot sauces.

There ya have it - if you decide to try this simple meal for the first time, let me know how you like it!