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Recipe

We debuted this recipe last week and immediately fell in love. We are always splashing orange blossom water in whatever feels right, and this combination was incredible. Usually we are sticklers for real organic cane sugar to be used in our mojitos, but the honey and orange blossom together are fabulous. There is no exact recipe that we follow, so these are the guidelines:

Use a scotch glass or other sort of tumbler.

Pour 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of rum (we use brown rum in our mojitos), such as Flor de Cana, into the tumbler.

Add 1 ounce Honey Syrup (see below) and stir.

Use 2 limes or 3-4 key limes (rinse them well under hot water), and juice them all you can into the glass. Toss in the rinds. Mash with the back of a spoon or another utensil to release the oils from the skins.

Add a splash (about 1 T) orange blossom water and stir everything together.

Add ice and top off with sparkling water. Stir once more and serve with a few torn mint leaves.

Makes 1 glass.

To make the Honey Syrup: heat up about 1/2 cup of honey in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Stir over low heat and simmer slightly for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. This just makes the honey more liquid and able to dissolve into the drink.

May 5, 2010   |   0 comments
Tags: Caribbean, Drinks, Latin America
Recipe

This ceviche focuses on the often ignored Pomelo.  When researching
grapefruits for our Cold Care episode, we discovered that grapefruits
are actually the hybrids of pomelos and oranges. Many people are unaware of this big and beautiful citrus, so we decided to highlight it in a refreshing ceviche.  You can use whatever white-fleshed fish you find locally. 

For 1 side of a medium snapper you will need approximately:

1 cup of a combination of freshly squeezed lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 pomelo

1/2 tsp. pomelo zest

1 or 2 more limes

1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise and then in thin pieces

¼ cup red onion, sliced paper-thin

1 pomelo

Small handful cilantro

Rinse the snapper with water and pat dry. Using a sharp fish filet
knife, slice it into thin strips and place in a non-reactive container.
Pour over the citrus juice and toss in the garlic. Let the fish “cook”
in the citrus juices for 2-4 hours in the fridge.

Peel the pomelo with a sharp knife, removing all of the white pith. Use a small knife to remove the fruit sections.

Soak the red onion in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes to remove its sharpness.

Take the fish out of the fridge, drain it of the citrus marinade, and
toss with the juice of the limes, Serrano chile, red onion, pomelo
pieces and zest, and a real good shaking of salt. Roughly tear up the
cilantro, toss, and serve.

Serves 6 as a party appetizer.

Goes well with chips or toasted pita.

Recipe

This authentic Bahamian recipe uses coconut cream to give it its intense coconut flavor. If you can't find coconut cream, use coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil for cooking the vegetables. It will not be as potent, but it contributes a coconut aroma.

1 cup kidney beans
2 cups long grain rice, well rinsed
½ green bell pepper, seeded, small dice
½ red bell pepper, seeded, small dice
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded, small dice
½ white onion, small dice
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 tomato, chopped and pureed, or 2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 handful cilantro, stems and leaves, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme leaves
¼ cup coconut cream (from an Island grocer)
Vegetable oil
Water

The night before, cover the beans with ample water and soak at room temperature.
The next day, drain the beans of their soaking liquid, place in a large pot with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for an hour or so, or until the beans are soft and tender.
Meanwhile, chop up the vegetables and combine in a bowl (not the tomato puree).
Heat up some vegetable oil in another pot and add the vegetables. Sweat the vegetables in the oil until soft and translucent.
Add the tomato puree and continue to cook. Next, add the coconut cream and the herbs and let the flavors meld for a few minutes. Pour in the beans with their cooking liquid and bring to a boil.
Tip in the rice and bring to a boil again. Cover and simmer until cooked through, about 1 hour.
Serves 4 people.

Rice and beans are cooked with coconut cream and fresh vegetables. The aromas of thyme and cilantro will take you places you have never been. This is a great one pot meal that is really healthy and full of island flavor.
April 22, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Caribbean, Coconut, Entrees
Cooking Show Video

Coconut Rice is a soulful one pot meal that is healthy and satisfying. The chopped peppers, onion, celery, cilantro, and thyme create a natural seasoning unlike anything you could buy. Bahamian cooking starts in the garden with fresh ingredients.

April 22, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Caribbean, Entrees
Recipe

This is the most authentic Conch Fritter recipe you will find. Keep in mind that these were made in Miami during their growing season. Feel free to substitute the peppers and herbs for more seasonal ingredients according to where you live. You can also use scallops, clams, and fish instead of conch.

4-5 conchs, about 1 ½ - 2 lbs, ground or chopped into small pieces
½ green bell pepper, small dice
½ red bell pepper, small dice
½ yellow bell pepper, small dice
½ white onion, small dice
1 celery rib, finely sliced
1 teaspoon jalapeño chile, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 cups all purpose flour
Salt (Jamaican seasoned salt is best)
Water
Vegetable Oil

Mix together the peppers, onion, celery, chile, and herbs in a small bowl.
Sift together the flour with a good teaspoon or so of the seasoned salt. Add the conch to the flour and make sure it has all been coated, then stir in the vegetable mixture.
Add in enough water to make a batter that is thick and viscous, but not too dry. You can always adjust by adding more flour or water.
Heat up about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a skillet. Test the batter by frying a small amount in the oil. The oil should immediately sizzle around it.
You want to cook the fritters at an even pace, so that they cook through on the inside, and brown on the outside. You do not want to have a dark brown exterior, and raw interior.
Drain the fritters on some paper towel and serve with the dipping sauce.
Makes about 30 fritters.

Dipping Sauce:
Mix together equal parts Mayonnaise and Ketchup. You can add a bit of Barbeque Sauce if you prefer.

This Bahamian Conch Fritter recipe is no where near being healthy, but boy is it good. If you do not have conch local to where you are, substitute another type of seafood that you can find fresh. These are a hit at parties!
April 21, 2009   |   1 comments
Tags: Appetizers, Caribbean, Fish
Cooking Show Video

We learned how to make these Conch Fritters with Rose Lawless down in Miami. She shares her famous recipe with us. If you are not down in Florida, you can still use the base of the recipe and technique for making them, while substituting local seafood and aromatics. For example, this Spring, try scallop fritters with garlic scapes, scallions, and fresh herbs.

April 21, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Caribbean
Blog entry

This ceviche brings in a citrus fruit often ignored- the Pomelo. I was actually anti-pomelo, because I thought it was one of those weird hybrid fruits, like the tangelo and the pluot. But when researching grapefruits for our Cold Care episode, I discovered that Grapefruits are actually weird hybrids of pomelos and oranges. Fancy that. So I decided that I would make a ceviche with Pomelo. And I would love it. And so I did. After all of this time ignoring the 1 kilo citrus giants, I have fallen in love. I hope you do too.

For 1 side of a medium snapper you will need approximately:

1 cup of a combination of freshly squeezed lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pomelo
1/2 tsp. pomelo zest
1 or 2 more limes
1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise and then in thin pieces
¼ cup red onion, sliced paper-thin
1 pomelo
Small handful cilantro

Rinse the snapper with water and pat dry. Using a sharp fish filet knife, slice it into thin strips and place in a non-reactive container. Pour over the citrus juice and toss in the garlic. Let the fish “cook” in the citrus juices for 2-4 hours in the fridge.
Peel the pomelo with a sharp knife, removing all of the white pith. Use a small knife to remove the fruit sections.
Soak the red onion in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes to remove its sharpness.
Take the fish out of the fridge, drain it of the citrus marinade, and toss with the juice of the limes, Serrano chile, red onion, pomelo pieces and zest, and a real good shaking of salt. Roughly tear up the cilantro, toss, and serve.
Serves 6 as a party appetizer.
Goes well with chips or toasted pita.

February 27, 2009   |   8 comments
Tags: Appetizers, Caribbean, Ceviche, Chiles, Fish, Healthy, Latin America
Recipe

You will need:
Limes: if you are using Key Limes, use 4 per glass, if you are using conventional limes, use 1 ½ large limes per glass.

Sugar: don’t bother with fancy measurements, a good soup spoon full of organic cane sugar will do.

Rum: pour in a good ounce or so of quality dark rum, like Venezuelan Cacique. Do not pay attention to those who say that light rum has to be used in a mojito- it is simply not true.

Ice: a few cubes

Mint: use about 2 leaves of mint per glass, roughly torn up.

Sparkling water: just use enough to top off the glass.

How to:
Slice the limes in half, and into quarters if large enough. Use a citrus juicer or your hands to squeeze the lime juice directly into the glasses. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add a few of the lime rinds to the glass and use the back of the spoon to grind the rinds and extract some of the essential oils. Pour in the rum and stir well.
Tear up the herbs and add to the glass. Stir in the ice.
Top off with a dash of sparkling water and serve right away.

Basil Cucumber Mojito:
Instead of using mint leaves, use 1 large leaf of fresh sweet basil. Tear it up roughly and add to the drink.
Peel a cucumber and cut it in half horizontally. Thinly slice it lengthwise into long strips. Add to the glass and stir it around, before topping off with the sparkling water.

Everyone loves the classic mojito cocktail, especially in the Summer. There is nothing quite as refreshing and delicious as the combination of sugar, rum, lime juice, and mint. Here we give you our classic mojito recipe, so that you can mix some up for your friends at your next fiesta. Try our basil- cucumber variation for a new twist on the older version.
August 19, 2008   |   0 comments
Tags: Caribbean, Caribbean, Drinks, Fusion, Latin America, Summer