Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Ital Vegetable Stew

A hearty, coconut-scented Jamaican Ital vegetable stew loaded with root vegetables, okra, callaloo, and red kidney beans simmered with thyme, pimento, and Scotch bonnet for warming island flavor. 100% plant-based, nourishing, and deeply comforting.

🇯🇲 Jamaica$

Ota Ika

Ota Ika is Tonga’s coconut–citrus ceviche: tender fresh fish briefly cured in lime and lemon juice, enriched with creamy coconut milk, and tossed with crisp vegetables, chili, and herbs. Bright, cooling, and perfect for warm weather.

🇳🇺 Niue$$

Saltah

Saltah is a traditional Yemeni bubbling stew topped with foamy whipped fenugreek (hulba). This version features tender lamb simmered with tomatoes, potato, okra, aromatics, and warm spices, finished with cilantro, green chili, and lemon.

🇾🇪 Yemen$$

Kashkaval

Kashkaval is a semi-hard Balkan cheese known for its buttery, mildly tangy flavor and excellent meltability. Made by culturing milk and setting it with rennet, then brining and aging, it’s delicious on cheeseboards, grated over dishes, or pan-fried/grilled.

🇲🇰 Macedonia$$

Yuca hervida

Cuban-style yuca hervida with garlicky citrus mojo: tender boiled cassava finished with olive oil, lime, garlic, onion, and herbs.

🇨🇷 Costa Rica$

Pargo de La Libertad

A coastal-style red snapper from La Libertad: pargo marinated in lime, garlic, achiote, cumin, and oregano, then cooked with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Served with rice, boiled yuca, and fried plantain, finished with fresh cilantro.

🇸🇻 El Salvador$$

Salade de chouchoute

A bright, crunchy Réunion-style chayote (chouchoute) salad with carrot, onion, herbs, a zesty lime-vinegar–mustard dressing, a hint of chili heat, and nutty sesame seeds.

🇵🇫 French Polynesia$

Mel i Mató

A classic Catalan dessert of fresh mató cheese drizzled with honey, sprinkled with walnuts, and brightened with lemon zest. Light, creamy, and aromatic—mató can be made at home from whole milk curdled with lemon juice; a spoon of plain yogurt can be used to enrich the curd.

🇦🇩 Andorra$$

Croquant de Dakar

A classic Senegalese peanut–sesame brittle scented with lemon and vanilla, with a touch of coconut for aroma and crunch. Crisp, glossy shards that balance caramel sweetness with toasty nuts and seeds.

🇸🇳 Senegal$

Khao Lam Bites

Chewy, aromatic Thai street-dessert bites of coconut-sweetened sticky rice with black beans, steamed/roasted in banana leaf or bamboo. Finished with shredded coconut and toasted sesame for a nutty, caramelized flavor.

🇱🇦 Laos$$

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