Jamaican Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

8 skinless chicken thighs
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup canned, unsweetened pineapple chunks
(reserve the liquid)
2 bananas, cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons or more vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Coat the chicken pieces with the flour.
Brown the chicken pieces on both sides over medium-high heat, adding more oil if necessary.
Salt and pepper the chicken pieces to taste.

Cut the potatoes into quarters.
Add the potatoes, the orange and pineapple juices, and the bay leaf to the skillet.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered, turning the chicken once.
The potatoes should be tender and the chicken pieces cooked through.

Remove the chicken and potatoes and keep them warm.
Discard the bay leaf.
The pan juices should be thick and syrupy.
If not, cook over high heat until they’re reduced to a sauce consistency.
Add pineapple chunks and bananas.
Heat through.
Pour the fruit mixture over the chicken.
Sprinkle the peanuts over the top.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Jamaican Buns

Yields 24 buns

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon rind
1 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon rind.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly in texture.
Beat eggs with milk and add to flour mixture.
Blend until just moistened.
Do not overmix.
Add raisins and coconut and mix again - just enough to incorporate.
Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, portion dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
Brush the tops of each bun with beaten egg whites and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for about 25 minutes.
Buns should be golden brown and firm to touch.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Marinated Shrimp Salad

4 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled, de-veined
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 scallions (with tops), thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 to 10 drops aromatic bitters
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
Lettuce leaves
Lime wedges

Heat water to boiling in 3-quart saucepan.
Add 1 tablespoon salt and the shrimp.
Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer until shrimp is pink, about 3 minutes; drain.

Mix oil, lime juice, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, scallions, tomatoes, garlic, bitters and red pepper in large bowl; stir in shrimp.
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Just before serving, gently stir in avocado.
Spoon shrimp mixture onto lettuce-lined plates with slotted spoon.
Garnish with lime wedges.
Serve with remaining marinade if desired.

Yields 4 servings.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Baked Kidney Beans and Rice (Riz et Pois Rouges)

1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked regular rice
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
4 ounces fully cooked smoked ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups boiling water

Cook and stir onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until tender.
Mix onion mixture and remaining ingredients in ungreased 2-quart casserole.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 55 minutes.
Stir before serving.

Yields 5 to 6 servings.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Havana Pork Tenderloin

Posted by FootsieBear April 29, 2001

1 pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 limes or 1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 bunch spinach
4 oranges

Slice tenderloin into medallions 12-inch thick.
Heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add meat, garlic, oregano and chili powder.

Flip meat over after it is well browned on first side, and allow to brown on the other, about 2 minutes per pound.
Reduce heat to low.

In a small bowl, stir together juice of three limes, sugar, cilantro and soy sauce.
Add to meat in skillet and stir well. Remove from heat.

On four plates, arrange spinach leaves.
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white pulp as possible.

Slice oranges crosswise and arrange on top of the spinach.
Spoon meat on top of greens and oranges.
Drizzle remaining pan juices over all.

Serves 4

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Jamaican Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

8 skinless chicken thighs
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup canned, unsweetened pineapple chunks
(reserve the liquid)
2 bananas, cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons or more vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Coat the chicken pieces with the flour.
Brown the chicken pieces on both sides over medium-high heat, adding more oil if necessary.
Salt and pepper the chicken pieces to taste.

Cut the potatoes into quarters.
Add the potatoes, the orange and pineapple juices, and the bay leaf to the skillet.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered, turning the chicken once.
The potatoes should be tender and the chicken pieces cooked through.

Remove the chicken and potatoes and keep them warm.
Discard the bay leaf.
The pan juices should be thick and syrupy.
If not, cook over high heat until they’re reduced to a sauce consistency.
Add pineapple chunks and bananas.
Heat through.
Pour the fruit mixture over the chicken.
Sprinkle the peanuts over the top.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Maduro en Gloria (Heavenly Bananas)

Posted by Olga March 20, 2002 15:43:15

From Willemsted, Curacao, West Indies.

Named after the famous shipping banking family, Maduro, this is a dish served on festive occasions.

4 tablespoons butter
6 firm bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound cream cheese
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Curacao liqueur

Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the bananas very quickly over high heat.

Place half the banana slices on the bottom of a buttered pie plate.
Blend heavy cream and cream cheese until very soft.
Add sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and liqueur, beating until light and smooth.
Spread half of the mixture over the bananas.
Place remaining banana slices on top, and spread the rest of the cream-cheese mixture over the dish.
Bake in a 375 degrees F.
oven for 20 minutes or until almost all the cream is absorbed and the top is lightly browned.
Do not allow all the cream to be absorbed, or the bananas will become too dry.

Serve hot.
If desired, top with whipped cream.

Serves 6.

adminCaribbean2 Nov, 2007No Comments

Mojito (Cuba)

This is a favorite in Cuba.
Ernest Hemingway was particularly fond of it.

Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 or 3 fresh mint leaves and 1 sprig mint, for garnish
Crushed ice
1 1/2 ounces white rum
Club soda

Stir lime juice and sugar in a tall drink glass until the sugar dissolves.
Add the mint leaves, crushed ice and rum, then stir.
Top off the drink with club soda.
Stir again, then garnish with the sprig of mint and serve.

Serves 1.

adminCaribbean31 Oct, 2007No Comments

Fried Plantains

Serve as a side dish or as a dessert.

Allow at least half a plantain per person.
Leaving the skin on, cut them in half, and put them into a pan of cold water.
Bring them to a boil.
It should take about 15 minutes of boiling to get them to the proper degree of softness.
Drain them, cool them, and cut the two halves of each in two again.
Gently press them flat and sauté them in hot butter.
Drain on paper towel and serve.
If you want, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar or drizzle them with honey.

They work as a dessert or a side dish.

adminCaribbean30 Oct, 2007No Comments

Cuban Sandwich

1 loaf Cuban Bread
Mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
1/2 pound deli ham, thinly sliced
1/2 pound roast pork, thinly sliced
8 thin slices dill pickle
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Cut bread into 6 x 3-inch pieces with a serrated knife.
Slice bread horizontally to open.
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the 4 top halves and a thin layer of mustard on the 4 bottom halves.
Arrange one-fourth of the ham evenly on each of the bottom halves, then stack a fourth of the pork, 2 pickle slices and a fourth of the cheese on each.
Cover sandwiches with the top halves of the bread.

Grill sandwiches in a buttered sandwich press until they are flat, the bread is browned, and the cheese has melted.
If you do not have a sandwich press, substitute a waffle iron.
Cut each sandwich in half and serve at once.

Serves 4.

adminCaribbean28 Oct, 2007No Comments