January 13, 2020

At Mustard Seed, we feed more than 600 residents and volunteers around the world every day. The caregivers and staff at each location work tirelessly to prepare meals that are both flavorful and nutritious. Mission volunteers often ask us to share our favorite recipes—enjoy!
Jamaica
- Baked Chicken with Guava Sauce and Rice & Peas
- Jamaican Rice & Peas
- Banana Fritters
- Ackee and Saltfish/Cod fish
- Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
Dominican Republic
Zimbabwe
Nicaragua
Jamaica
Baked Chicken with Guava Sauce and Rice & Peas
Ingredients
5 lbs chicken
2-3 fresh guavas
3 scallion sprigs
1 small stalk of thyme
1 oz ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 tbsp salt
1 cup of vinegar
½ cup sugar
Instructions
Wash and clean chicken with 1 cup of vinegar
- Cut chicken into parts
- Blend together the scallion, thyme, onion and ginger
- Put ginger mixture on chicken and marinate for 1 hour
While chicken is marinating, prepare guava sauce as follows:
- Cut guava into pieces and place in blender
- Add sugar, salt and ginger
- Blend these together
- Transfer the blended mixture to a pot for boiling
- Boil until some thickness is observed then remove from heat
Once chicken is marinated:
- Place chicken in the oven (preheated at 350 degrees)
- Bake for 45 min
- Glaze chicken with guava sauce and serve with rice or mashed potatoes
Jamaican Rice & Peas
Ingredients
4 lbs white or brown rice
¼ lb of scallion and thyme
Pimiento
2 sachets of coconut milk
4 tbsp of margarine
1 lb of red peas (kidney beans)
1 large whole country pepper (scotch bonnet)
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash red peas (kidney beans) thoroughly
- Wash rice until water is clear
- In pressure cooker, pressure cook peas for 45 min for suitable softness
- Transfer to a larger pot for boiling
- Add coconut milk & all other ingredients and bring to boil for 10 mins
- Drain water from rice and add to peas pot
- Add whole country pepper
- Leave to simmer until water recedes then reduce heat until rice is cooked
Banana Fritters
Ingredients
6 overripe bananas
3 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon powder
2 cups water
2 cups cooking oil
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, crush peeled bananas with fork until liquified
- Add all dry ingredients and water to a bowl and whisk together to form a batter
- Let mixture rest for at least 3 minutes
- Add oil to a pan on medium heat (just to cover the bottom of the pot)
- When oil is hot, use a ¼ measuring cup to put the mixture into the frying pan/pot, put as much as the pan/pot can hold
- Fry each side until golden brown
Batter can make at least 30 fritters.
Ackee and Saltfish/Cod fish
Ingredients
2 dozen ackee (cleaned, cooked and drained)
½ cup salt/cod fish (deboned and cooked)
½ cup onion (chopped or ring)
¼ cup sweet pepper chopped
2 peg garlic chopped
½ cup tomatoes chopped – optional
½ cup cooking oil
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat cooking oil, and add garlic, stir for 30 seconds
- Add onion, sweet pepper and tomato, stir for about 3 minutes
- Add salt fish/ cod fish and stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes
- Add drained ackee to saucepan stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes, sprinkle black pepper, stir, and serve
Serves 6-8 people
Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
5 slices of bread (cut into sticks)
6 medium eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
½ cup cooking oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl break eggs, add dry ingredients, whisk together to make a batter, then set aside
- Heat a medium saucepan on medium and add cooking oil to cover the bottom of the saucepan
- Dip breadsticks into the batter for 2-3 seconds, remove from batter on place into saucepan, and fry both sides until golden brown
Zimbabwe
Soya Mince Stew
Ingredients
4 cups Soya Mince
2 tbsp cooking oil
Stew mix (soup powder)
2 large onions
2 cups tomatoes
2 cups peas/green beans
Salt
2 cups water
Instructions
- Soak soya mince in hot water for 10 minutes
- Drain and put aside
- In a separate pot steam green beans or peas. Drain and put aside
- In hot oil fry onions, then add tomatoes and soya mince
- Fry together until golden brown
- Add stew mix of your choice, stir, and add peas
- Simmer on low heat and serve
Bean Stew
Ingredients
12 cups of sugar beans
Beef stock/ cubes
Salt
2 tbsp curry powder
3 large carrots
5 tsp granulated brown sugar
Cooking oil
2 cups onions
6 cups tomatoes
4 packets tomato soup powder
Instructions
- In a pot, add beans and enough water to cover the beans. Boil the beans for 3 hours
- Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the beans are tender. Put the beans in a separate bowl together with any excess liquid
- Use the same pot to heat oil. Fry onions, carrots, garlic and add curry powder. For 3 minutes stir until onions are translucent and carrots are crunchy
- Add tomatoes and stir. Cook for another 3 minutes. Return cooked beans together with any excess liquid to the pot and stir
- Make a paste of tomato soup powder with water and add it to the beans
- Add sugar
- Give a good stir to incorporate the sugar into the stew evenly
- Simmer for 15 minutes then it's ready to serve
Can be served hot or cold
(Serves 30)
- Can be served on its own or with a starch—sadza or rice.
- Sugar beans are nutritious, healthy and provide the proteins and fibre. They are also said to reduce cholesterol levels. Sugar beans are an affordable source of protein.
Dominican Republic
Moro
Ingredients
8 lbs rice
6 cans green peas
Green pepper
Vegetable Oil
Chicken soup
Chinese sauce
Oregano
Garlic
Onion
Vinegar
Celery
Oil for seasoning
(Amounts depend on serving size)
Instructions
- Blend the ingredients for seasoning
- Put the pot on the stove and add a little bit of vegetable oil
- Add the vegetable and vegetable smoothie
- Stir for a few minutes, then add the green peas
- Add water, salt and boil
- Wash the rice and add to pot with the other ingredients
- Cover and boil until cooked.
- Remove and serve.
Serves 18 people
Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
2 lbs carrots
3 lbs potatoes
4 tomatoes
Green oil (Vegetable Oil)
White Vinegar
2 onions
Salt
Instructions
Salad:
- Wash, peel and cut the vegetables into small pieces to boil them
- Add salt at your wish
Dressing:
- Peel and wash the onion
- Dice onion and add the vinegar
- Heat the green oil and cook the onion until translucent
- Add to the cut vegetables and decorate with sliced tomatoes
- If you wish you can place the mixture in a bowl and add when serving the salad
White Rice with Sweet Corn
Ingredients
10 lbs rice
3 cans corn
Vegetable oil
Salt
Instructions
- Put water and salt in a pot, then add the washed rice
- Cover and let cook until all the water is absorbed
- Add a little vegetable oil, stir and cover again over low heat.
- Cook and add corn
Served with meat
Stewed Beans
Ingredients
3 lbs beans
½ lbs pumpkin
Green and red pepper
Vegetable oil
Chicken soup
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Instructions
- Wash and boil the beans
- Add a little amount of salt
- Add pumpkin pieces when boiling
- Blend a portion of the beans once they are soft
- Seasoning with green peppers, vegetables, chicken broth, garlic and onion
- Add a hint of vegetable oil
- Let thicken and serve with rice
Fried Chicken
Ingredients
10 lbs chicken
1 lb wheat flour
Garlic
Onion
Lemon juice
Chicken soup
Vegetables
Vinegar
Celery
Greens
(Amounts depended on serving size)
Instructions
- Cut into pieces and wash the chicken with hot water and lemon
- Blend the ingredients to season and add to the chicken
- Let sit for one hour
- Take out the chicken pieces and spread with wheat flour
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, and fry chicken well
- Leave until well cooked
- Place the fried chicken on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil
- Cut onion into thin strips (Julienne) to serve
Nicaragua
Vigoron
Ingredients
10 lbs cassava
1 cabbage
6 large tomatoes
1 carrot
Pork rinds
Vinegar
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of the Cassava and cut each piece in half crosswise.
- Peel off the brown skin
- Cut the pieces into quarters lengthwise
- Add the cassava to a pot of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the water boils, reduce to a medium heat and let the cassava boil for 25 minutes until it is soft.
- Remove cassava from put and set aside to cool
- Boil another pot of water and blanch cabbage for 50-60 seconds then pat dry after removing
- Add chopped onions, tomatoes, salt and vinegar to cabbage as one mixture
- Place cassava on plate and add salad mixture and pork rinds to complete
Serves 8 people
Pico De Gallo
Ingredients
6 medium tomatoes
3 medium onions
3 medium bell peppers
Coriander leaves to taste
Lemon juice
- Dice all ingredients and combine with coriander leaves, salt & pepper to taste, and cilantro
Arroz A La Valenciana
Ingredients
3 lbs whole rice
3 lbs chicken breast
1 stick butter
3 large bell peppers
2 medium onions
3 sprigs of celery
3 cloves garlic
1 bottle of ketchup
1/2 lb chorizo / mortadella
1 jar of peas
1 can of corn
Instructions
- Boil chicken with onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic
- (this water is used for rice)
- Fry all other vegetables (onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic minced, carrot)
- Fry rice
- Shred chicken and combine with sausages in cuadrito, corn, pitipuas, chorizo and vegetables stir it with rice.