Cuban

Cold Mango soup with raspberry puree

Mmmmiami by Carole Kotkin and Kathy Martin (p45)

(4-5 servings)

4 medium mangos, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks, or 4 cups frozen mango puree, thawed.

1/2 cup pineapple juice

3 TB lemon juice

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 cup cold milk or half-and-half (optional)

FOR PUREE

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Combine the mangos in a blender or food processor with the pineapple juice, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Process until smooth.

Scrape the mixture into a 2-quart container and stir in the buttermilk.Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until chilled.

To make the puree, process the raspberries and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Pour into a plastic sqeeze bottle with a small tip or into a small plastic bag (cut corner later), then refrigerate.

To serve, taste the soup for seasonings and check for consistency, if you prefer it thinner, stir in up to 1 cup milk. Divide among 4-5 chilled bolws. Squeeze raspberry in decorative pattern.

Sutffed Avocado with Vinaigrette – Africa p116 (makes half of recipe with 1 extra av)

1-1/2 cup cooked miniature shrimp (or cut up large)

1 cups minced fresh pineapple

2 medium to large ripe avocados

1/2 Tb lime juice

3 lettuce leaves to serve on

Classic Vinaigrette:

3 TB red wine vinegar

1 TB balsamic

1/2 tsp Dijon

pinch of sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

9 TB olive oil

Make vinegrette: Combine all ingredients except olive oil in small glass bowl and beat well with fork or whisk. Gradually drizzle oil while mixing. DO NOT MAKE IN ADVANCE, SHRIMP TURNS TO MUSH. Mix shrimp and pineapple together in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. When ready to serve, cut avocadoes in half and remove pit. Rub a bit of lime juice on the avocado. Place the halves atop the lettuce leaves on individual saucers. Mound with the shrimp mixture, dripping over side. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Coconut Mahi-Mahi with Passion Fruit Sauce

Mmmmiami by Carole Kotkin and Kathy Martin (p191)

(4 servings)

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Kosher salt

4 6-oz mahi mahi fillets, about 1/2 inch thick

Freshly ground pepper

2 Tb veg oil

2 TB unsalted butter

SAUCE:

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 shallots

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 cup passion fruit puree

4 Tb unsalted butter

Put coconut, flour, milk and eggs in separate shallow dishes. Beat eggs well with 1 tsp salt.

Set a wire rack over a cookie sheet. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Dip them into mil, flour, egg, then coconut coating them well on both sides. Set on rack and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to help coating adhere.

Begin to make sauce: Bring wine, shallots, lime juice and passion fruit puree to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Let it cook down until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.

Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the fillets, turning once, until the coconut is golden brown and fish is opaque, about 8 minutes total.

While doing that, reheat the sauce, then take off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve immediately. Transfer to plates, drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

Ceviche (Made up from several recipes)

1 lb of combination of Tuna, salmon, red snapper, cod, halibut, flounder, bass, grouper, filets or bay scallops

1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

juice of 4 limes

1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, cored, seeded thinly sliced

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic,

2 to 3 fresh tomatoes, minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced (or to taste)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Coconut Milk (serve with)

Lay fish out and run hands over top, pressing slightly to look for any remaining bones. Cut fish in 3/4-inch strips and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl, combine the citrus juices, and pepper. Add the fish and marinate, covered, for about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Drain the fish in a strainer, pressing firmly to release as much moisture from it as possible. Add the rest of the ingredients and serve with coconut milk.

Cuban black Beans

Mmmmiami by Carole Kotkin and Kathy Martin (p245)

(6-8 Servings)

1 lb black beans

1/4 cup + 2 TB olive oil

2 large onions

2 green bell peppers

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 TB red wine vinegar

Rinse the black beans and discard any impurities. Put in a large, heavy pot with 6y cups of water and let soak for 4 hours or a long as overnight.

Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, turn to low., and let simmer, uncovered, until barely tender, about 30 minutes. As they cook, skim off any foam that forms on the surface.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute, the onions, bell peppers, and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and oregano, cook 1 more minute, and se aside off the heat.

Set a colander in a heavy bowl to catch the cooking liquid and drain the beans. Return them to the pot, along with 3 cups of the liquid. Add the onion mixture, bay leaf and sugar, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and cook, covered, until the beans are soft, about 30 minutes longer.

Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar, pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Serve hot over white rice.

Yellow Rice with Corn - Miami p239

(6 servings)

1-2 TB veg oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp ground annatto

1-1/2 cups long-grain rice

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat aned saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Ad the annatto and rice, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the rice is coated with the oil and coloring. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, and salt.

Add 3 cups of water, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Turn to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 18-20 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and dry.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the corn, and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes until the corn is heated through. Serve hot.

Key Lime Pie (Buy Bruce’s)

Mamay Shake

Milk

Mamay puree

Ice (make a few days in advance)

Blend