Black beans are not as commonly consumed in Jamaica like our Latin neighbours; however, they are becoming more popular. The Jamaican pineapple is special, and our varieties are some of the best in the world. In fact, it is on our national coat of arms. Pumpkin is inexpensive and available all year round. This yummy and unusual combination is great for a salad buffet selection and one of the dishes I had created in honour of the International Year of the Legume a few years ago.
Ingredients:
- 500g diced pumpkin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsps olive oil, divided
- 250g chopped ripe pineapple
- 1 standard can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ small red onion, finely chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded, finely chopped
- Handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C and while heating up, toss diced pumpkin in 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper and add to a baking tray. Place in the ready oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and cool down.
- In a large bowl, add black beans, cut pineapple pieces and any accumulated juices, red onion and scotch bonnet. Add cooled pumpkin and half the basil leaves, mix well.
- Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed, add a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lime and scatter over the remaining basil.
Jacqui ‘JuicyChef’ Sinclair, founder of Nyam & Trod, is a British Jamaican award-winning chef, writer, and food culturist. She is a co-founder of Kingston Kitchen, an annual food event supporting food artisans. Jacqui has been an advocate of the Meatless Monday Global movement in Jamaica since 2011. Jacqui’s work has been featured in such publications as the Huffington Post, the Jamaica Observer, Saveur, The Jewish Post and numerous blogs. She has appeared on the Travel Channel’s ‘Bizarre Foods’ with Andrew Zimmern and Food & Wine’s Jamaica episode with Kwame Onwuachi.