A tropical island theme is perfect for a lively dinner party on a February evening. Entertain your guests with island music and the fresh tastes of the Caribbean. After a light and satisfying meal featuring steamed vegetables and jerked, grilled chicken breast, a sliver of key lime pie and piping hot coffee, your guests will be ready limbo!
Tropical Punch
Black Bean and Mango Salad
Grilled Chicken Breast with Jerk Seasoning
Tropical Island medley of freshly steamed vegetables
Rice and Peas
Key Lime Pie
Jamaican Coffee
To experience exotic flavors anytime, try Healthy Choice Flavor Adventure meals.
Cooking Tips
Ready for island hopping? Create delicious menus around spicy Caribbean-style barbecue or delicate seafood – perhaps with a complement of tropical fruit or the ever-popular rice and beans. A few “how tos” can help you cruise toward culinary success!
Fish for Flavor!
Fishing for dinner ideas? With the ocean’s bounty, seafood is an outstanding tradition in Caribbean cuisine. Besides familiar grilled and broiled dishes, both finfish and shellfish are prepared in main dish soups, stews, fritters, and beignets. For a great seafood meal with fresh flavors:
Shop for high-quality fish: finfish that has a fresh ocean-breeze scent with firm, moist flesh, and raw shrimp with a mild aroma. If it’s frozen, look for fish that is solid, free of ice crystals and freezer burn, and no drying or discoloration.
Keep fish at its peak! Store it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Or freeze up to 6 months for lean fish, such as cod and flounder, and up to 2 to 3 months for fatty fish. Make sure it’s in airtight packaging (perhaps in zippered freezer bags) before freezing or refrigerating.
Cook fish just until done, not overcooked. For cooking whole finfish (or steaks or fillets) use the “ten minute” rule: 10 minutes of cooking time at about 425°F for every inch of thickness. Whether you bake, broil, or grill, cooked fish should have an internal temperature of 145°F when done. Shrimp (pink when done) cooks in about three to five minutes, depending on their size.
For frozen Healthy Choice fish Dinners: Freeze for up to two to three months. Microwave or bake as described on the package.
Bean Basics
Island cuisine is filled with many variations of rice and beans. Red (kidney) beans are island favorites, along with black, gungo (green pigeon peas), pinto, and other beans. Whatever version of rice and beans you make – from the Caribbean or elsewhere – a few bean basics can help you make the perfect dish!
For speed and convenience, use canned beans – then spend your efforts with the other ingredients. Get canned beans ready for your dish by first draining and rinsing them to remove some sodium.
If you choose to use dry beans, soak them first. Soak them in water for at least four hours or overnight in lukewarm water. Or when time’s shorter, bring them to a boil, then soak them in hot water for one to four hours, depending on the bean variety. Now drain and cook: use 6 cups of water for every pound of beans. Tip: a little cooking oil to keep beans from foaming as they cook.
Jerk Rub: Spicy Flavors!
Jerked chicken or meat—the signature dish of Jamaica – is simple to make. Just rub chicken or meat with a spicy jerk paste, marinate it for several hours, and then grill. You might buy bottled jerk paste – or enjoy the culinary adventure of making your own. In two steps here’s how:
Step one: Toast 1/3 cup whole allspice in a small skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring as it browns. Then grind allspice in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder used just for spices) or with a mortar and pestle.
Step two: Add ½ cup chopped green onion, 2 to 3 jalapeno or Scotch Bonnet chiles (to taste), 2 garlic cloves, 4 thyme sprigs, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Grind everything together… and rub on meat or poultry.
Enjoy a little spicy jerk rub on kebabs, made with Healthy Choice Chicken, Turkey, or meat from the deli!
Savor a Tropical Dessert!
Mango, pineapple, banana: all perfectly delicious for tropical desserts. These easy Caribbean favorites can help you fit in the sweet flavors of fruit!
Top your favorite Healthy Choice Ice Cream with tropical flavors: toasted coconut, crushed pineapple, sliced mango, or a combination of all three!
Create a tropical crisp. Use the recipe for your favorite fruit crisp – but prepare it with mango, pineapple, or papaya as the fruit ingredient, and top with toasted coconut and perhaps a touch of cinnamon. No time to peel and slice fresh fruit? For convenience use canned mango or pineapple instead.
Bake bananas! Arrange peeled, sliced ripe bananas in a baking dish. Combine ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, 3 tablespoons lemon juices, and (optional) a splash of rum; pour over the bananas. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F until you can pierce the bananas easily. Serve with Healthy Choice Vanilla Ice Cream.
Click here – for more cooking tips to create Caribbean-style meals!
