Caribbean &
Tropical Food Recipes

Shrimp Alfredo

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 regular box (16 oz.) Alfredo pasta (or whatever you like)

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1/2 fresh red bell pepper

1/2 fresh orange bell pepper

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms -- your favorite variety

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream (or half & half)

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (or mixture of parmesan and Romano)

1 tablespoon flour

Pepper

1. Boil pasta until tender; drain and set aside. Keep warm in low-heat oven.
2. Thinly slice all vegetables.
3. Sauté shallot in olive oil, slowly, until it's translucent and starts to caramelize; add shrimp and sear; turn down heat, add peppers and mushrooms. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While shrimp and vegetables cook, make sauce. Shake flour in cold cream or half & half (I use a Tupperware shaker). Pour into a sauce pan and heat on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add parmesan cheese and allow it to melt; keep stirring. Mixture will thicken as it heats. Add pepper to taste. Add fresh parsley. Taste sauce. Add more parmesan if desired.
5. Time to eat! Top cooked pasta with shrimp, vegetables, and Alfredo sauce.

Enjoy with your favorite side salad or green vegetable. Mmm.

Variations:

This can also be done with chicken. Start with 1 pound of fresh boneless, skinless breasts, sliced into 3-inch pieces.

Salmon Satay with Orange-Jasmine Rice

This one's straight from our local Publix supermarket.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup jasmine rice

1-1/2 pounds salmon fillets (skin removed; thawed)

8 (10-inch) bamboo skewers

1/3 cup sesame ginger marinade

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine in medium saucepan: water, orange juice, and seasoned salt; cover and bring to a boil on high for rice.
2. Stir rice into boiling mixture and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; cook 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
3. Cut salmon into 8 equal pieces and thread lengthwise onto skewers. Combine in small bowl: marinade, sesame oil and peanut butter; reserve 1/3 of the mixture for final step. Brush 1/2 of remaining mixture over both sides of salmon.
4. Arrange skewers on baking sheet; bake 2 minutes. Turn skewers over; brush with remaining 1/2 of marinade; bake 2-4 more minutes or until flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (discard any marinade that has been in contact with raw salmon).
5. Use reserved marinade as a dipping sauce. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Side possibilities:

Salad

Asparagus

Green beans

I'd Rather Be Fishing Pork Roast

It's the weekend, the weather's fine, and the fish are biting. Who wants to cook in these conditions? Go fishing! Let your meal cook itself while you're enjoying your day in the sun! Brace yourself for one of the most delicious, fuss-free, meals on the planet.

You'll need:

A crock pot

1 boneless pork loin roast

1 onion, cut in large pieces

Around 20 raw baby carrots

1 can of cream of mushroom soup (forgive me. I usually don't like recipes that start with the words "open a can", but this is a rare exception! Open the can!)

Water

Pepper

Extra: Fresh green beans, cleaned

1. Get up, eat breakfast, and gather all fishing gear. Don't forget sunscreen.
2. Put roast in crock pot. Add onion pieces and carrots. Open the can (trust me) of soup and dump it in. Fill the can with water, getting the remaining soup that's in there, and dump that in. Add pepper to taste. Cover.
3. Turn crock pot on low setting.
4. Go fishing for about 8 hours.
5. Come home. Take a deep breath. Mmm! Smells darn-good, doesn't it?
6. If you caught something, eat your catch tonight (fish is best fresh); the roast will be even better tomorrow. If you were skunked today, however, then eat that roast. It's ready. If you want to add some green to your meal, now's the time to throw in those green beans. They'll be done by the time you put away your fishing gear and take a hot shower.

Goes great with mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles.

Guacamole

Leave the store-bought guacamole-like substance where it belongs -- in the store! This is REAL guacamole, and a total crowd pleaser. You'll have it whipped up in 15 minutes, but it'll taste like you slaved for hours. Two things to remember, though, before you start:

1. Unless you're really lucky when you purchase your avocados, they won't be ripe for at least 2 days. I usually "plan" my guacamole day, therefore (this slight lack of guacamole spontaneity is quickly forgotten with the first bite). So if you know you're gathering with friends on a Saturday afternoon, for instance, buy your avocados on Thursday, and they'll be perfect by Saturday.

2. Don't omit the lemon or lime juice. Avocados have a tendency to oxygenate quickly as soon as they're cut open (they turn brown when exposed to air). In addition to adding some zing, lemon and lime juice also help slow that browning process.

Here's what you'll need:

4 small or 2 large avocados

1 medium-sized, ripe tomato, diced to your liking

About 2 tablespoons salsa (any kind)

About 1/2 tablespoon cilantro

A healthy pinch of cayenne pepper

Lemon or lime juice, about 1 teaspoon

About 1/4 cup sour cream

About 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Have all your ingredients prepared before you cut your avocados (see my note about oxygenation above).

Cut avocados and mash into a bowl, leaving some nice chunks throughout. Add the lemon or lime juice right away and stir. Add everything else now (no particular order) and stir it up. Taste, and adjust as you see fit. Cover tightly and refrigerate. The flavors will be more intense a few hours from now. Right before serving, stir. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa. Mmm!

GREEN IDEA

Trying to go green? Don't trash those pits -- plant them! Here's how, straight from Wikipedia :

Avocado can be grown as a houseplant from seed. It can germinate in normal soil in a large pot or by suspending a washed pit (generally using toothpicks embedded in the sides) pointed-side up and filling the glass until the bottom quarter of the pit is covered. The pit will crack as it absorbs water and germinates, and should sprout in 4–6 weeks. When the roots and stem emerge from the seed, it can be planted in soil. The young tree is amenable to pruning and training but will not normally bear fruit indoors without sufficient sunlight and a second plant to cross-pollinate.
Check Mail Compose

Shrimp & Tangerine-Mango Salad

2 ripe mangoes, ¼ - ½ inch cubes
· 2 ripe tangerines, ¼ - ½ inch cubes
(substitute orange)
· ¼ cup lime juice (fresh is best)
· 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
· 20 medium shrimp, peeled, veined, and washed
(before cooking)
· 2 red bell peppers, cleaned and diced
· ¼ cup mayonnaise (mix in mashed avocado to taste)
· 3 scallions, chopped
· 1 healthy pinch of salt

Peel, cube, and mix manoges and tangerines. Puree 1/4 of fruit,
drain, and save.

Mix lime juice, cilantro, and the rest of the fruit together in a
bowl and put in refrigerator covered.
Boil shrimp from 1 to 5 minutes depending on your taste for
texture. Rinse under cold water. Place in large serving or
mixing bowl.

Mix together, gently, the red peppers, scallions, mayo, salt,
puree, and shrimp.
Chill and serve.

Me-Oh-My Key Lime Pie

Crust:
· 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
· 6 tablespoons melted butter
· 1/3 cup sugar

Filling:
· 3 egg yolks
· Zest from 2 key limes
· 1 can sweetened condensed milk
· 2/3 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
(only use bottled if you really have to)

Topping:
· 1 cup whipping cream
· 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter pie pan. Mix
graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until
combined, then press mixture into bottom and sides of pie
pan. Bake crust until golden, about 8 or 9 minutes. Set
aside.

Filling: Beat egg yolks and lime zest with electric mixer at high
speed until fluffy, about 5 or 6 minutes. Continue beating
while gradually adding condensed milk. Lower mixer speed
and slowly add key lime juice until combined. Pour into pie
crust, bake for 10 minutes (or until filling has set).

Cool on wire rack before refrigerating. (You might even want to
freeze for 10 minutes or so just before serving).

Topping: Whip cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks
form. Top cold pie slices with whipped cream and enjoy!

Key West Grouper

Fish is very filling, and fillets have nearly no waste, and with
other side dishes, this will be one entre with maximum
“mmm” power and satisfaction longevity. Fresh fish tastes
best, fresh-frozen if you have to, and also, other light,
white fish can be substituted, such as tilapia or orange
roughy.

· 4 grouper filets (6 to 7 ounces)
· Zest and juice from one lime and one lemon
(substitute your favorites)
· 4 tablespoons of chardonnay wine
· 1 teaspoon crushed chili peppers
· 1 healthy pinch of salt
· 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

When preparing the zest, do not go beyond the coloration of
the fruit into the white layer below. Mix zest, juice from
fruit, olive oil, wine, chili pepper, and black pepper. Pour
marinade over grouper in a shallow pan. Let set for two
hours. Remove fish and save marinade for basting.
Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 450 degree oven for 8 to 12
minutes or until flaky.

Brush fish with marinade and pan juices as desired during
cooking and prior to serving.
Great with a mango salsa draped across or around plate.

More to come soon.

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