How to make Coconut Milk or Cream:

While coconut milk is often available in your local market we find the superior quality of freshly prepared coconut cream justifies the process of making your own.


To make Coconut Milk:

To make coconut milk, pour 2 cups boiling water over the 4 cups grated fresh coconut meat, and allow the mixture to stand for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve, or double layer of cheesecloth that has been rinsed and wrung dry.

Squeeze Cheesecloth to remove all the milk.

To make Coconut Cream:

Allow the coconut milk to sit until it separates, and spoon the thickened cream off the top.

You can also make coconut milk with unsweetened dried shredded coconut, substituting 1/2 & /2 for the water.

Key West Guava Bread Pudding

Ingredients: 

 

2 Cups Cubed Cuban bread, Or French bread
12 Fluid Ounces Evaporated milk, Purchase a 12 oz. can
1 1/2 Cups Whole milk, Using evaporated milk can to measure
4 Each Large eggs

1/4 Cup Granulated sugar

5 Tablespoons Granulated sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Ground cinnamon

3 Ounces Guava Paste

2 Tablespoons Dark rum 

 

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and 11 1/2 by 7 1/2-inch baking dish. Do not use a deep dish. 
2. Place the bread and a large bowl and pour the evaporated and fresh milks over. Allowed to soak 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is saturated. Pushed down any floating bread into the milk with a spoon.
3. Separate 3 eggs keeping the yolks and add the remaining whole egg to the reserve the yolks. Set aside the egg whites at room temperature for the meringue.
4. Add the 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well, and pour into the bread and milk mixture.  
5. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes.
6. Cut the Guava Paste into four or five pieces and place into a small saucepan with the rum.
7. Stir over low heat until it is melted and smooth, adding more liquid if necessary to make a syrupy paste. 
8. Spread the guava mixture on the pudding and return to the oven.
9. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar.
10. Beat until the whites are stiff and the sugar is dissolved.
11. Spread the meringue over the pudding, swirl it with a spatula seal it to the rim of the baking dish.
12. Return the pudding to the oven and bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
13. Cool until slightly warm or room temperature prior to service.

 

Tropical fruit salsa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced fresh Papaya
1/2 cup sliced Bananas
1/2 cup diced fresh Pineapple
1/2 cup diced Kiwi
1/4 cup diced Red, Green, and Yellow Bell Pepper
1/4 cup diced Bermuda onion
1 Scotch Bonnet, seeds and stems removed, minced
2 tablespoons Orange juice
1 tablespoon Lime juice
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons Pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons minced Cilantro
Steps:


combine the Papaya, Banana, Pineapple, Kiwi fruit, Bell Pepper, Onion, and chili in a large bowl. In a small ball, mix together the Orange and Lime juices and oil. Drizzle over the fruits and then toss gently to mix well. Allow to sit for two hours. Just before serving, add the Pomegranate seeds and toss well. Garnish with Cilantro.

Guacamole

While originally from Mexico, Guacamole is an avocado side dish that has become very popular throughout the rest of the world due to its ability to complement an array of dishes.

 

The most important step in making Guacamole is to begin with ripe avocados. Avocados should give a little when pressed on the outside to show the avocado is ripe. A secret to finding great avocados is to look under the stem to decide the color of the creamy flesh within. We prefer to use the Hass Avocado for our Guacamole, but it is purely a matter of personal preference. Here's how we make ours at Iguana Isle for our Fish Tacos, and sometimes just to eat with fresh tortilla chips.

  

 

Ingredients: 

 

1/2 Medium White Onion, Diced

 

1 Beefsteak Tomato, Seeds Removed( Petals), Diced

 

2 Jalapenos, Seeds & Stem Removed, Minced

 

5 avocados, Seed Removed, Diced

 

1 1/2 teaspoon Santa Catalina Guacamole Seasoning 

 

1 Lime, Juiced

 

1/2 bunch Fresh Cilantro

 

Steps:

1. Split Avocados, and remove pits then slice several times( perhaps use a butter knife to keep fingers during this step) horizontally, and then vertically across the light green flesh to create a grid pattern. Gently scoop green flesh from the skin into a large non-reactive bowl.
2. Squeeze fresh lime juice over Avocado, and throw away remaining lime. 
3. Add remaining ingredients, and gently fold to incorporate evenly as you want to protect the texture of the Guacamole. 
4. Serve Immediately.

 

White Chocolate Mango Cheesecake With Toasted Macadamia Nut Crust

Ingredients:

Macadamia crust:

1 tbsp simple syrup

 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts (toasted and coarsely chopped)

 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

 3 tbsp brown sugar

For the cheesecake:

8 tbsp melted white chocolate

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp sour cream

2 cups cooked pureed mango

Note: To make simple syrup, put 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp sugar in saucepan. Cook over low heat until clear, then boil for a minute or so, until thickened.

Steps:

For the crust:
Combine simple syrup, macadamias, graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Set aside.

To assemble:  

1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or microwave it in a glass bowl).
2. Grease a 12-inch spring-form pan with butter and line the outside bottom of pan with foil for a tight seal. Set aside.
3. Place crust mixture into the bottom of pan and press firmly.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugar.
5. Slowly add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add while mixing on low speed, vanilla, sour cream, and melted chocolate.
7. Mix to incorporate evenly.
8. Fold in pureed mango.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan. Fill a roasting pan with about 2 to 3 inches of warm water. Place cheesecake in the water bath and place pan on center rack of oven.
10. Bake at 300 degrees for 45-60 minutes. It's done when toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Turn off oven, open the door slightly and let cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour.
11. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours prior to service. 
12. When cake is chilled, remove spring-form pan and place cheesecake on platter, leaving cheesecake on bottom of spring-form pan during service.

Pastelón de plátanos amarillos ( Ripe Plantain Casserole)

The first time we saw this dish being served we thought it to be the Caribbean equivalent of shepherd's pie, and in a lot of ways the two dishes are very similar. Additional vegetables may be added to the filling, however in the Dominican Republic the dishes served as the recipe has been written.




Ingredients:

6 plantains, very ripe

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 jalapeno chilies, seeds, stems removed, diced

1 pound lean ground beef

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeds, stems, ribs removed, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground oregano

2 avocados, seeds removed, peeled, sliced (wait until dish is completed)

Steps:

preheat oven to 350°

1. In a large skillet, brown the beef in the oil.

2. Add the onion, garlic, chilies, bell pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and oregano and sauté for two minutes.

3. Add tomato paste and 1/4 cup cold water to the beef mixture. Stir to incorporate. Allow to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and reserve.

4. Peel the plantains and boil in salted water. When the plantains are very tender remove from the heat. Carefully remove the plantains from the hot water, drain. Add butter and mash with a fork until very smooth.

5. Place one half of the mashed plantains into a 9x9x3 baking dish, and spread to cover the bottom.

6. Add ground beef mixture into the baking dish on top of the plantains and spread evenly, sprinkle with one half of the shredded cheese.

7. Add remaining plantains to cover the beef mixture, spread evenly, cover with remaining cheddar cheese.

8. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

9. Serve with sliced fresh avocado

West Indies Banana Bread

Ingredients:


1 pound very ripe bananas, (3 to 4 medium size bananas)

1 teaspoon dark rum

2/3 cup golden raisins

2 cups all purpose flour

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon orange zest, grated

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Steps:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan

3. Mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork and add the rum.

4. In another bowl toss the raisins with 2 tablespoons of the flour.

5. Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy and light.

6. Add the egg and beat until smooth.

7. In another bowl sift the remaining flour with the baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

8. Add the grated orange rind.

9. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add half the banana mixture, blending

10. well, and then half the butter mixture.

11. Repeat the process with the rest of the bananas and the remaining butter mixture.

12. Stir in the raisins and nuts.

13. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

14. Bake for 1 hour until the loaf is golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

15. Remove the pan to a wire rack.

16. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan.

17. Remove bread from the pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack.