Taste of the Caribbean

After spending a couple of days getting comfortable in Houston, my fiance and I decided to take a vacation in Saint Lucia Caribbean island. We did a lot in the island: mineral baths, dining in a tropical forest, shopping, swimming in the beach, and etc. Unfortunately, the pictures are stuck on the our camera or phone and I'm too lazy to load them up right now. So instead of pictures about our Caribbean trip, I will present you the taste of the Caribbeans:

Caribbean Chicken Wings

1. Wash 24 chicken wings and place in ovenproof pan.

2. Combine 3 oz dark rum, 2 oz soy sauce, 1 oz lime and 1 oz orange juices, 2 teaspoon orange rind, 1/4 cup of dice onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/4 teaspoon mustard in food processor and combine to form a paste.

3. Pour paste over chicken wings, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

4. Bake chicken wings in pre-heated, 350-degree oven, turning and basting with sauce, for about 25 minutes or until the wings have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees for 15 seconds.

5. Remove chicken wings from pan and place on patter.

6. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoon water, mixing well, and add to liquid in pan and stir until thickened.

7. Pour mixture over chicken wings and serve.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken Bites

1) Mix 1/4 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt, 1/8 tsp. lime zest, 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice, 1/8 tsp. Caribbean seasoning

2) refrigerate for 20 min

3) Top 36 Ritz crakers with: 1/2 avocado, cut into 36 thin slices then cut in half.1/2 lb. cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced, cut into 36 pieces. 2 Tbsp. BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE COCONUT, toasted. 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Grilled Jerked chicken with Mango Salsa

Chicken Preparation:

Cut the 3 chicken breast into six cubes per breast and brush the meat with 2 oz olive oil. Rub with 3.5 oz Raptor Caribbean Jerk Rub and skewer the chicken. On a medium-high heat BBQ grill the meat until cooked through

Mango Salsa Preparation
Combine all this in the bowl and seasoned:
1 cup Mango (small diced)
½ Red Onion (small diced)
1 tsp. Red Jalapeño (minced)
1 tsp. Ginger (minced)
3 Sprigs Cilantro (chopped)
6 Mint Leaves (chopped)
2 Scallions (chopped)
1 tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mamasitas Taqueria Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

For the shrimp:

* 2 tablespoons Special Seasoning
* 1 lemon, halved
* 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
* 1 clove garlic, finely minced
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 10 extra large tail-on raw shrimp

For the cocktail sauce:

* 1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce*
* 1 cup ketchup
* 1 tablespoon horseradish
* 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
* 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
* 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Rum Infused, Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Topping

You’ll need:

1 ripe pineapple

2-3 tablespoons of dark rum

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of whipped topping (try to avoid the canned stuff.. get some whipping cream and make your own – musch more tasty)

1/4 cup of shredded coconut.

Peel pineapple and cut crosswise into 6 slices. Place in a bowl and drizzle the rum and sugar over the slices. Mix around so every piece gets coated (would be nice to let it sit for about 3-5 minutes – covered so the rum does not evaporate). On a medium hot grill, place the slices for about 10 minutes, turning once. Remember to watch closely since the sugars can burn and become overly charred.

Top with the whipped cream and shredded coconut… feel free to add a nice heaping scoop of your favorite ice cream.