Recipe(tried): Carribean Menu for Amy....

Hi Amy,

What fun...a gathering of friends enjoying food!
Here are some menu suggestions for a Carribean style dinner:

Carribean Hot & Spicy Chicken
White Rice
Fried Sweet Plantains
Mixed Salad
Pumpkin Flan
or
Cuban Skillet Chicken
White Rice
Fried Sweet Plantains
Mixed Salad
Cuban Bread
Guava-Rum Cheesecake
or
Picadillo
White Rice
Sweet Fried Plantains
Mixed Salad
Guava Shells with Cream Cheese
(individual servings of Guava Shells served with a slice of cream cheese. The guava shells can be bought in a Latin market or in the spanish section of your favorite grocer.)

I have given you the recipes for the main dishes and desserts. Enjoy yourselves and let me know how it comes out.

Happy Cooking! Gina
HOT & SPICY CARRIBEAN ISLAND CHICKEN

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 c. orange juice
3 T. canola oil
3 T. honey
1/4 t. ground red pepper (more if you want to kick up the heat)
1 T. ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lime
3/4 t. dried basil
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 Hefty freezer zip-lock plastic bag
2 T. canola oil for frying

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Set on a plate and squeeze the lime juice over and sprinkle coriander on them.

In a zip-lock bag, pour in the orange juice, canola oil, and honey. Add the red pepper, basil, parsley, salt and pepper and garlic. Close bag and knead to mix well.

Add the chicken and knead to coat well. Put the bag inside a bowl inside the fridge. Marinate for 6-8 hours, turning the bag every time you open the fridge to get something.

Next day, drain, reserve marinade. Brown the chicken in the 2 T. of canola oil, on both sides in a skillet. Arrange meat in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over. Bake at 350 for 25 mts. Serve hot or cold.Cuban Skillet Chicken

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 sour oranges
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. dried cilantro
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
Use a plastic container with a lid so that the chicken can be marinated overnight in refrigerator.

Put chicken in container, drizzle oil over to coat, squeeze the oranges of juice over, add garlic and all other ingredients and toss lightly to cover completely. Cover with lid and let marinade overnight.

Next day, in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil, put chicken in to brown with marinade, cook over med heat for about 10 mts. Put onion slices in and cook til nicely browned. Cover with a lid and watch chicken does not burn.

PICADILLO (Cuban Beef Hash)

1/4 c. pure olive oil
1 med. size onion, chopped
1 med. size green pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground chuck
1/4 c. dry sherry (vino seco)
1/2 c. crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tblsp. salt
1 tblsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Tabasco sauce
1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 c. dark raisins
1/2 c. pimiento-stuffed green olives
1/4 c. veg oil. for frying potatoes

In a skillet, heat the oil over low heat until fragrant, then add the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook stirring 10 mts. Add the beef and cook stirring until brown., 10 mts. Break up any large chucks with a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the sherry, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, worcestershire and tabasco, stir and cook uncovered over med. heat about 5 mts.

Heat the oil and fry the potatoes until golden, about 10 mts..
Add the potatoes, raisins, and olives to the meat, stir well and cover and continue cooking over med. heat for another 10 mts. or so.Guava Rum Cheesecake

crust:
1 1/4 c. chocolate crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. melted butter
2 T. sugar

Filling:
1 c. guava paste
1/3 c. rum
2 lbs. cream cheese, room temp.
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 T. grated lemon zest

Glaze:
1/4 c. guava jelly
1 T. water

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9" springform pan.

Prepare the crust by combining the ingred. and pressing onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake til dry about 8 mts. Set aside to cool.

Fillling:
Melt the guava and beat constantly 2-3 mts. til nice and smooth. Add the rum and let it cool. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, add the sugar, eggs one at a time, vanilla, and zest. Stir in the melted guava mixture gently to fold. Por into the prepared pan, bake for 1 1/4 hours. If top starts to brown, tent with foil. When doen, turn heat off, open oven door a few inches and let it cool inside oven for 20 mts. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnite.

Mix glaze ingred. together in a small saucepan til melted and it is the consistency of heavy cream. Let it cool and brush on top of cake. Cover and chill for at least 30 mts. to set. Pumpkin Flan

1 16 oz. pumpkin puree
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
2/3 c. evaporated milk
2/3 c. condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
5 large eggs
1/4 c. sugar

For Caramelizing Pan: 1 c. sugar

Blend together the pumpkin, spices, milks and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time and then the 1/4 c. sugar. Blend well.

Caramelize the sugar in a saucepot till golden amber. As it begins to dissolve, stir often...once dissolved do not stir as it will begin to crystallize. Pour into the custard molds or an 8" souffl pan. Tilt and cover sides and bottom. It will begin to harden. Pour custard in and then set in the middle of a larger pan and fill that pan half-way with water (bain marie) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes for custard cups and 1 hour and 20 minutes for souffl pan. Allow to come to room temp., then chill before inverting on a platter.

Sweet Fried Plantains

veg oil for frying
4-5 yellowish-black plantains, (the blacker the sweeter)

Peel the plantains by cutting off each end, slicing through with knife tip the long lines going down and peeling. Cut the plantains on the diagonal to get long slices. Heat the oil over med. heat and put the slices in browning on both sides. Drain on paper towels and arrange on platter.