US Virgin Island Cuisine

The US Virgin Islands consist of the four main islands of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island and many smaller islands. It is the only part of the United States where traffic drives on the left. The US Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles east of Puerto Rico.

Sweetie Shrimp & Chicken Penne



Ingredients

10 16-20-peeled and deveined shrimp tail on
2 5-ounce chicken breast cut into 1" wide strips
10 ounce uncooked penne pasta
1 small head broccoli cut into spears
6 baby portabello mushrooms sliced 1/4 thin
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
4 tablespoon Caribbean Specialty Foods Sweetie Pepper sauce
½ cup of chicken stock or water

Method

Boil water and cook pasta until desired tenderness.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil on high. First add chicken and brown all sides. Add garlic, mushrooms and broccoli and sear. Add white wine and reduce by half.

Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Add Caribbean Specialty Foods Sweetie Pepper Sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Strain pasta and toss together serve in a pasta bowl and top with freshly grated Romano cheese. Serve with your favorite wine.
Caribbean Island Cuisine

British Virgin Island Cuisine

The British Virgin Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It consists of over 50 islands and cays located in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Originally part of the Dutch Empire, the Islands were acquired by Britain in 1672.

The largest islands of the group are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke. Road Town, the capital and largest town, is situated on Tortola.

Caribbean Island Cuisine

Garlic Pork

Ingredients

3-4 pounds lean pork (with just a little fat)

2 pints vinegar

1/2 pound garlic

1 bunch thyme (I broad leaf and 4 stalks fine leaf)

6-8 wiri-wiri peppers

4-6 cloves

4 teaspoon salt

Method

Cut pork into suitable sized pieces. Steep pork in a solution of 1/2-pint vinegar and water, then lift out using two forks and put into a large jar or bottle.

Pound garlic peppers and thyme. Add to the rest of the vinegar. Add salt and clove. Pour over pork, making sure that there is enough liquid to cover pork completely.

Leave to soak for about 3 - 4 days or longer if possible. Into a pan, put pork with some of the vinegar liquid and leave it to boil until liquid evaporates.

The fat of the pork should also melt supplying the fat in which the pork will fry until brown. Serve hot.

Caribbean Island Cuisine

Caribbean Island Cuisine

Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rican Flan

Ingredients

1 cup sugar (to caramelize pan)

8 eggs

2 (14 ounces) cans condensed milk, undiluted

3 ½ cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Caramelize a pan by melting 1 cup of sugar slowly, melt to a light gold and swirl so that the sides are coated. Set on wire rack.

In large bowl, mix ingredients and strain. Pour strained mixture into caramelized pan.

Set pan in a large shallow baking pan containing 1 inch of hot water. Bake for 1 hour, or until set and golden. (Check center with toothpick, must come up clean.)

Remove pan from water bath. Allow to cool on wire rack. Cover, and set in refrigerator. When ready to serve, turn Flan onto a platter
Caribbean Island Cuisine

Cuban Cuisine

Cuban Recipes
Caserola de Camarones Enchilados (Shrimp Casserole)



Ingredients

2 cups shrimp, cooked and peeled
2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
1 onion, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked white rice

Method

Sauté the onion, garlic and green pepper in the butter.

Add the shrimp, salt and pepper.

Stir in the canned tomatoes.

Add the cooked rice.

Place in casserole dish and bake at 375oF for 30 minutes.
Caribbean Island Cuisine

St. Martin Cuisine

Saint Martin is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico. The 98 km² (38 square-mile) island is divided roughly in half between France and the Netherlands; it is the smallest inhabited land mass in the world that is divided between two nations. The southern Dutch half is called Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; the northern French half is called Saint-Martin and is part of the French overseas région and département of Guadeloupe. The main towns are Marigot (French side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side).


The most popular types of cuisine in St. Martin are traditional French and spicy West Indian Créole. Many of the restaurants, which range from inexpensive to trés cher, combine the best of both. Fresh seafood appears on virtually all menus, sometimes prepared in Créole style with spices, sometimes in the classic French manner with herbs. Local rum drinks often precede a meal and fine French wines provide the perfect accompaniment.



Recipes of St. Martin
Callaloo Soup



Ingredients

2 pounds fresh kale
½ pound callaloo, or fresh spinach
12 okra pods
¼ pound salt pork, cut into thin strips
½ pound fresh lean pork, cubed
2 onions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 hot pepper, seeds removed, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock

Method

Pull all stems from kale and callaloo. Discard stems and roughly chop the leaves. Wash leaves thoroughly. Roughly chop the kale. Place salt port in a large, heavy soup kettle and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, rendering fat.

Discard all, but 2 tablespoons of fat.

Add pork cubes and onions to pan. Sauté over medium heat until cubes are brown and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add kale, callaloo, okra, black pepper and hot pepper. Add thyme and stock.

Cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours. Remove salt pork before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

Crab Backs



Ingredients

12 live blue crabs
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Unseasoned dry bread crumbs

Method

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add crabs. Boil for 15 minutes, until the shells turn bright red. Drain and cool.

Break open the claws and pick out the meat. Discard pieces of shell. Carefully open the crab backs, removing and reserving any meat and fat, but discarding gill and white intestine. Scrub empty shells thoroughly.

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato and chives. Cook until softened and remove from heat.

Stir in flaked crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.

Refill crab backs with the crab mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Place stuffed crabs on a baking sheet and brown under broiler. Serve hot.

Roasted & Stuffed Mussels



Ingredients

To steam the mussels:
48 fresh mussels, washed
1 cup dry white wine
1 ounce of butter
¼ cup of breadcrumbs

For Filling:
3 shallots
10 garlic cloves
12 basil leaves
¼ bunch chopped parsley
5 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon chopped dill
Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoon of alcohol
Salt & black pepper mignonette
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pinch of dried fennel
½ pound butter at room temperature

For Garnish:
1 tomato
Green leaves

Method

Steam the mussels: Scrape and washed the mussels several times and drain in colander. In a large pot, place the mussel, the wine, and the butter. Cover, and cook on high heat until the mussels are open. Strain in a colander and set aside to cool.

Making the filling: In a food processor, finely chop garlic and shallots. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and rectify seasoning if necessary.

Leave the meat inside one shell, so you can remove the top ones. Reserve the juice to make a soup or even a sauce. Stuff the mussels with the butter mixture, making sure you completely cover the meat. Refrigerate.

Bake: Before serving, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 450º F for about 20 minutes.

Serve and garnish: Serve on large plates with few green leaves underneath and a tomato rose. Accommodate with your favorite dry white wine.

Chef’s Note: When selecting your mussels, never choose a mussel that is chipped, broken, or damaged in any way. Also, never choose a mussel that is open. The mussels should be tightly closed and stored in a cool area where they can breathe. When you purchase your mussels, make sure to immediately unwrap them at home so they can breathe, otherwise they may die before you cook with them. Soak your mussels in fresh water just before cooking for about 20 minutes. As the mussels breathe, they filter water and expel sand. After about 20 minutes, the mussels will have less salt and sand stored inside of their shells.
Caribbean Island Cuisine

Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rican Recipes

Puerto Rican Fried Meat Pies (Empanadas)


Ingredients

Dough:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cups vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

Filling:

1 pound browned ground beef or cooked shredded chicken
½ medium onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 cups chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 cups sliced green olives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 packaged Goya Sazon with annato

For cooking:

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Method

Dough: Combine all the dry ingredients in electric mixer, add all the wet ingredients. Mix for about 3 minutes until well combined. Dough will form.

Take it out and knead for about 3 minutes, let sit wrapped in plastic-wrap for another 15 minutes.

Divide into 12 pieces and then roll into 4 inch circles.

Filling: Brown ground beef (drain excess grease), or sauté shredded chicken in 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add all the ingredients and cook for an additional 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool.

Cooking: Pre-heat the oil in a frying pan at about a medium temperature. Place about 2 tablespoon of the filling in the dough and seal the edges with a fork.

Fry for about 5 minutes on each side, then place on dish lined with paper-towels.
Arroz Con Gandules



Ingredients

2 ½ cups long grain white rice
5 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons sofrito (jarred or make your own by dicing onion, bell pepper (any kind), garlic, cilantro and tomato)
¼ cup chopped bacon
¼ cup chopped ham or sausage
2 tablespoons Spanish olives
1 can green or dry pigeon peas, drained
1 envelope sazon with annato
½ teaspoon ground oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Start by heating the oil in a pot at high heat, and when the oil is hot, add the bacon. When the bacon is cooked but not crisp, add the ham/sausage. Once that has browned, add the Sofrito. This must stir fry all together for about 1 minute.

After that has been done add the water, then the peas, the olives, the tomato paste, and all the spices, including the envelope of sazon.

At this point, add salt and pepper to taste. Bring this up to a boil then stir in rice.

Once it has begun to boil again, lower heat and stir 1 more time, then cover.

Let this cook for about 30 - 40 minutes on a low heat setting, stirring occasionally (every 10 minutes) until the rice is tender. Serve.

Puerto Rican Rum Cake



Ingredients

½ cup chopped pecans
1 packet yellow cake mix
1 packet instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
½ cup cold water
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup Gold Puerto Rican Rum

For Glaze:

¼ pound butter
¼ cup water
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup Gold Puerto Rican Rum

Method

Preheat oven to 325oF. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle pecans over bottom of pan.

Mix all cake ingredients together.

Pour batter over pecans in pan. Bake for one hour. Set on rack to cool.

Invert on serving plate. Prick top. Drizzle and brush glaze evenly over top.

For Glaze:

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in Rum.


Avocado Shrimp Boat



Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
Lemon juice
2 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 green onions, minced
1 sprig of fresh mint, chopped fine
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon water
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon French dressing
1 cup cooked shrimps
Watercress

Method

Halve the avocados and remove seeds. Scoop out pulp and dice.

Put shell with lemon juice and set aside. Peel and chop tomatoes.

Mix all remaining ingredients except shrimp and watercress. Pour over tomato and avocado pieces, mix carefully.

Fold in shrimp. Pile mixture in avocado shells, top with watercress, sprigs and chill. Makes 4 servings.

Puerto Rican Flan



Ingredients

1 cup sugar (to caramelize pan)
8 eggs
2 (14 ounces) cans condensed milk, undiluted
3 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350oF. Caramelize a pan by melting 1 cup of sugar slowly, melt to a light gold and swirl so that the sides are coated. Set on wire rack.

In large bowl, mix ingredients and strain. Pour strained mixture into caramelized pan.

Set pan in a large shallow baking pan containing 1 inch of hot water. Bake for 1 hour, or until set and golden. (Check center with toothpick, must come up clean.)

Remove pan from water bath. Allow to cool on wire rack. Cover, and set in refrigerator. When ready to serve, turn Flan onto a platter.

Caribbean Island Cuisine

Dominican Republic Cuisine

Dominican Republic Cuisine is predominantly made up of a combination of Taino, Spanish and African influences over the last few centuries. Typical cuisine is quite similar to what can be found in other Latin American countries, but many of the names of dishes are different. Breakfast usually consists of eggs and mangú (a boiled cassava or some other root vegetable). For heartier versions, these are accompanied by deep-fried meat and/or cheese. Similar to Spain, lunch is generally the largest and most important meal of the day. Lunch usually consists of some type of meat (chicken, pork or fish), rice and beans, and a side portion of salad. 'La Bandera', the most popular lunch dish, consists of broiled chicken, white rice and red beans. Typical Dominican cuisine usually accommodates all four food groups, incorporating meat or seafood; rice, potatoes or plantains; and is accompanied by some other type of vegetable or salad. Many dishes are made with 'sofrito', which is a mix of local herbs and spices sautéed to bring out all of the dish's flavors.

Locrio de Pollo (Rice and Chicken)


Note: Before starting to cook, remove skin from chicken and wash under warm water. Rub with wedges of lemon and cut into small pieces.

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken

4 cups rice

7 cups water

5 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup green peppers, chopped

1 pinch oregano

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 pinch black pepper

1/8 cup chopped pitted olives

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon of thyme leaves

Salt

Method

* Marinate the chicken for approximately 10 minutes in a bowl containing the green peppers, oregano, garlic, black pepper, olives, celery, parsley, coriander, and thyme.

* In an iron pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, reserving 2 tablespoons for later use. Add sugar to heated oil and quickly stir. When sugar turns dark brown, add the chicken (without the vegetables), being careful with splattering oil.

* Stir, cover and let simmer at medium heat for 10 minutes, adding tablespoonfuls of water regularly to prevent it from burning.

* Add the vegetables. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add remaining water and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.

* Add the rice and stir often to avoid excessive sticking. Once all the water has evaporated, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over very low heat. Wait for 15 minutes, uncover and stir, before adding remaining oil.

* Cover and wait another 5 minutes. Taste chicken it should be firm but tender inside. If necessary, cover and leave another 5 minutes over very low heat.

Arroz Con Fideos (Golden Rice and Noodles)


Ingredients

4 cup of rice

1/2 cup of noodles

1 cube of chicken stock

6 cups water

5 spoons of oil

1 teaspoon of salt

Method

* Heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add the noodles and stir until they are golden brown being careful not to let them burn.

* Add the chicken stock and the salt, and stir until the chicken stock has dissolved. Add the water, bring to a boil and then add the rice.

* Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking. When all the water has evaporated cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on very low heat.

* Wait 15 minutes and uncover. Stir, add the remaining oil and cover again. Wait another 5 minutes. Try the rice, it should be firm but tender inside.

* If necessary, cover and leave another 5 minutes on very low heat. Serve with meat (or seafood), as a side dish and beans.

Masitas (Coconut Biscuits)


Note: Before starting to cook, brush up a baking sheet with oil.

Ingredients

100 grams of all-purpose white flour

50 grams of creamed butter

40 grams of sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup of coconut chopped into very small cubes

1 teaspoon of baking powder

2 tablespoons of milk

Method

* Mix all the ingredients and incorporate well.

* Put tablespoonfuls of the mixture on the baking sheet. Bake until they turn golden brown.

* Put on a rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.




Feel free to republish this article on your website. However, you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept active.
Caribbean Island Cuisine