Welcome aboard our Caribbean Cruise, as we venture off to capture the tasty delights of Caribbean Cuisine. This thread is designed to feature culinary treasures from:
So join Aline and I on this venture, as we visit the e-kitchens of the Caribbean. No passports needed here! Now, lets get our recipe venture underway!
Aline & B-man 8)
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Hot habanero peppers will bang on your taste buds like steel drums! This fiery marinade is so hot and so good, you’ll want to use it all through the summer.
Serves 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
4 limes, juiced
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground allspice
0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1.5 cups chopped green onions
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 habanero peppers, chopped
Place chicken in a medium bowl. Cover with lime juice and water. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, place allspice, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, black pepper and vegetable oil. Blend well, then mix in onions, green onions, garlic and habanero peppers until almost smooth.
Pour the blended marinade mixture into bowl with chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate.
Cook chicken slowly on the preheated grill. Turn frequently, basting often with remaining marinade mixture. Cook to desired doneness.
B-man 
Let’s all have a drink first! YAH MON! 8)
Simple Jamaican Rum Punch
Serves: 10-12
4 cups water
1 cup lime or lemon juice
3 cups strawberry-flavoured syrup
2 cups Jamaican white rum
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl. Serve over ice cubes with a piece of lime or lemon. Water and rum may be added to weaken or strengthen as needed.
JAMAICAN JERK SEASONING
Ingredients:
1/2 cup allspice berries
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
6-8 cloves garlic
4-6 Scotch Bonnet or habanero peppers
1 Tbsp. ground thyme or 2 Tbsp. fresh
2 bunches green onions
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Put all ingredients in a food processor (we used a blender) and
process until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Rub meats
with the seasoning, or can place the rub under the skin of chicken.
Refrigerate and let marinate overnight. Grill meats over low fire
until done.
B-man
Jamaican Carrot Punch
1 cup carrot juice
1 cup condensed milk
2 cups beer
Mix juice with condensed milk. Add beer and serve chilled over ice cubes.
Jamaican Beetroot Drink
2 cups beetroot
1 lemon /lime
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
8 whole cloves
1 cup rum
Wash beet and cut up coarsely. Extract juice from lemon/lime. Boil beet in water for 20 minutes, then strain. Stir sugar into the strained liquid, then add cloves and lime/lemon juice. Add 1 cup rum then pour into bottle. Leave to ferment for three weeks.
Cuban Mojo Chicken Wings
1 pound drumsticks
1/2 cup Mojo Sauce (recipe posted below)
1 tablespoon of garlic salt
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Pour mojo sauce over wings and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Drain excess sauce and add garlic salt, salt and pepper.
Broil in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Cuban Mojo Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, large, cut into paper thin slices or finely chopped
2/3 cup orange juice, fresh and sour or 1/2 cup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fresh
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and pale golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let brown too much, or the garlic will become bitter.
Stir in the sour orange juice, water, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stand back; the sauce may sputter. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the cilantro. Transfer the mojo to a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Serve in the jar and shake well before serving.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Cuban Breaded Steak (Bistec Empanizado)
4 steaks ¼-inch thick or cube steak
1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
¼ cup sour orange or lime
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning (recipe follows)
4 eggs
1 cup finely ground cracker meal (saltine crackers), salted to taste (or use breadcrumbs)
olive oil
Sprinkle steaks with chopped onion, garlic, juice, and salt. Rub garlic into meat. Marinate overnight.
Beat the eggs in bowl and dip each steak in the egg first and then cracker meal, coating each steak completely.
Fry steak in skillet on medium heat until golden brown and well done.
Adobo Seasoning
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Grind all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle to make a paste.
Jamaican Cole Slaw
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dry jerk seasoning
Combine the cabbage, carrots and sweet peppers in a large bowl and set aside. Mix mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and seasoning. Pour over previous mixture and toss well.
Bahamian Fruit Punch
water melon
pear
strawberries
melon
7up or Mountain Dew, Mellow Yellow (Soft Drink, not cola)
You add any quantity of the fruits listed above into a large punch bowl. Fill the punch bowl with a soft drink. Serve!
All ingredients should be well chilled.
Bahama Mama
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce 151 rum
1/2 ounce coconut liqueur
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur
4 ounces pineapple juice
1/4 ounce lemon juice
Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled tumbler filled with ice. Garnish with a strawberry or cherry
Jamaican Jerk Pork
2 lbs pork tenderloin cut in pieces
3 tbsp Jerk Seasoning
2 tbsp soy sauce
Mix all ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Marinate a few hours or overnight.
Place on greased grill over hot coals or on rack of broiler pan 5-7 inches from heat. Grill or broil 40-45 minutes or until cooked through, turning frequently.
Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops with Coconut Rice, Black Beans, & Plantains
Ingredients:
4-8 Pork Chops
Store Bought Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Long Grain Rice
Coconut Milk (Amount Depends on the Amount of Rice)
Salt to Taste
Canned Black Beans
Cilantro Leaves (optional)
Plantain Bananas (Brown not Black), peeled & 1/4" slices
Pam Cooking Spray
Marinade Pork Chops Overnight with 1/2 to 2/3 of the Marinade.
The Next Day, cook the rice 1st by following the directions on the package by substituting coconut milk for water.
You might want to add some salt before cooking the rice.
Preheat your grill to a smoking point and cook the pork chops. Brush on the remaining sauce after removing from the grill while they’re still hot.
The heat from the pork should be enough to warm up the sauce!
Preheat a non-stick pan to medium, spray with Pam and cook the plantains. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN! You just want to caramelize it.
Microwave the Black Beans and serve as is or add some fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
SERVE on each plate a pork chop, a mound of rice, some black beans, and 2-3 slices of plantains.
B-man
Trinidad Rice and Curry Ground Beef
6 cups of long grain white rice (8 cups water to boil)
1 lb of ground beef
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 large onion chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch (to thicken)
1 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add onion, garlic, and soy sauce. Saute for 8 minutes until all flavors blend together. Add curry powder and water. Simmer on medium heat.
In the mean time, boil the rice. Once the rice is cooked, go back to the ground beef mixture and add more water if needed.
Take one table spoon of liquid and mix with the cornstarch. add to the ground beef and stir. Sauce will thicken. add salt and pepper to taste. serve on top of white rice
Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Mango Salsa
Very popular in the summertime
Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1 can pineapple chunks in juice – 14 oz
1 jar mangos – chutney
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 bunch green onion – cut on slant
2 pounds pork tenderloin
Season the pork tenderloins with salt and the roll in a pie plat with jerk seasoning to coat on all sides. Some jerk spice blends are hotter than others so season accordingly. If you like your food spicy add some red chili pepper flakes to the jerk spice.
Combine the chutney and drained pineapple in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. You do not want to puree this, just blend lightly so it remains chunky.
Lightly brush the tenderloins with some olive oil and place on grill. Grill to medium and remove to rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile heat the chutney in a saute pan and thin with some of the reserved pineapple juice if necessary.
Slice the tenderloin on the bias, fan the slices on a dinner plate, and top with the heated chutney. Garnish with green onions.
Serving Ideas: Serve with plain white rice and a salad
NOTES: You can use a little jerk paste, or alternately a prepared jerk sauce. Heat in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
B-man
Jamaican Coffee Cocktail
Fill a glass with a few “coffee cubes.” Combine 1 oz. dark rum, 1 oz. Tia Maria liqueur, 3/4 oz. heavy cream and 4 oz. coffee. Pour over ice and enjoy!
coffee cubes: merely the-end-of run coffee left over in your coffee pot; freeze in ice cube trays.
B-man
The Islands Tropical Twister
1 ounce white rum
1/4 ounce Galliano
2 ounces orange juice
1 ounce coconut cream
Combine all ingredients. Serve in a goblet and garnish with a cherry or pineapple. 8)
Jamaican Beef Patties
makes: 24 servings
Ingredients:
4 c All purpose flour
1 ts Salt
1 1/4 c Shortening
6 To 8 Tbsp ice water
Filling:
1 lg Onion, diced fine
4 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Jalapeno chilies, seeded, stemmed, and minced
3 tb Vegetable oil
3/4 lb Ground beef
2 ts Each ground coriander, cumin, and tumeric
1 ts Each ground allspice and cinnamon
1 Green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
4 Tomatoes minced
1 bn Green onions, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
Pastry: Preheat the oven to 400 deg F. To make the dough: place the flour and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Cut the shortening into small pieces about the size of walnuts. Add to the flour and, using your fingers, rub the flour and shortening together, making a coarse, mealy dough. Add the ice water and gather the dough into a ball. The dough should be firm and not sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water, but if the dough is too sticky, add just enough flour to make it form a ball. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
To make the filling: in a large skillet, cook the onion, garlic, and chilies in the oil over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the beef, herbs, spices, bell pepper, and tomatoes, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and saucy. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
To assemble the patties: on a lightly floured surface, divide each ball into 2 equal balls, so that you have 4 equal balls. Flatten into disc shapes, then divide each disc into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball into a 3 1/2 inch diameter circle. Brush the edges with beaten egg. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on one side of each circle, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Fold the dough over, making a half-moon shape. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork, and brush with the remaining egg.
Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the patties are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
B-man
The Islands Coconut Ice
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded coconut, fresh or packaged
1 cup sugar
pinch cream of tartar
1 egg yolk, beaten
a few drops almond extract
In small saucepan, scald milk. Place 2 cups coconut in a sieve. Pour hot milk over coconut while holding sieve over large bowl to catch liquid. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze all of the milk out of the coconut.
In large saucepan, combine coconut milk, sugar, and cream of tartar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved.
Remove pan from heat and add beaten egg yolk. Beat well with a spoon. Stir in remaining coconut and add 2 or 3 drops almond extract. Taste and add more extract if desired.
Pour into 2 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer.
Remove coconut ice from freezer after 4 hours and break apart with a fork. Serve immediately.