Black Bean Mango Salad with Shrimp

A few weeks ago, our friends John and Peg invited us over to dinner and a play down at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. John is a fabulous cook who was working on a tropical theme - this mango and black bean salad, chicken with mango, papaya, and coconut, and a dessert of chocolate ice cream balls coated in toasted coconut.

John peeled and deveined raw shrimp, marinated them in the lime juice, then grilled them before adding to the salad. We went a less expensive route with frozen precooked tiny shrimp, but if it's in your budget, I'd really recommend cooking the shrimp fresh for the best taste.

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

10-12 oz. cooked salad shrimp
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 ripe mango
2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp finely chopped mint
4 scallions, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

Stir together the shrimp ingredients and let them marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Peel the mango and cut into 1/2" pieces. Saute the shrimp for 2 minutes, then mix into the rest of the ingredients. Let set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

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Caribbean Rum Punch

Want to make a big pitcher of punch for cookout guests? This Caribbean punch is sweet and smooth and just right for hot summer days. During one of our trips to the Caribbean, we sampled a number of rum punches and asked everyone we met how they made theirs. After lots of sampling and trial and error, we formulated a luscious recipe.

Barbados, hidden beach

The secret is to use juices you'd find on Caribbean islands, like papaya and guanabana. They may be easier to find than you think! Check your grocery store's canned fruit juice aisle. The authentic touch is the fresh cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon - the native plants that give the Caribbean islands the nickname "The Spice Islands".

St. Lucia, fishing boat

Make it up a few hours before serving, and keep stirring while you serve it, as the heavier spices tend to settle on the bottom. Serve with plenty of ice. In our experience, it's better not to make it too strong, since it goes down quick and easy on a hot summer day.

There's a traditional island song that celebrates rum punch (Planter's Punch), and will help you remember how to make it without a recipe. In Barbados, they say, "One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak." The best rum punch we had, though was on a visit to Roseau, Domenica after tubing down the Layou  River. When we asked about the recipe, our host showed us the prickly green soursop fruit and sliced open a papaya so we could take some fresh slices with our drink. Tasty.

Every time the neighbors get together in the summer, we bring a couple of pitchers of this punch. Our downstairs neighbors have traveled all around the Caribbean, like us, and they say this was the best punch they ever had. Win.

Ingredients

1 cup lime juice
2 cups cold simple syrup (1 cup of sugar dissolved in one cup of hot water)
3 cups amber or dark rum
2 cups orange juice
1 cup guanabana (soursop) or pineapple juice
1 cup mango or papaya juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
Fruit slices, for garnish

Directions

Stir together all ingredients. Let it chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. Pour over ice in tall glasses and garnish with fruit slices. A pretty straw is highly recommended.

Makes about 20 4-oz servings.

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Tostones: Garlic Fried Plantains

Fried plantains are one of the most common side dishes you'll find in Puerto Rico and some other Caribbean Islands. Tostones are made with unripe green plantains, rather than the yellowish-black ripe ones that are sweet and have a peach-colored flesh.

This means that they're as starchy and firm as a potato and are used in many dishes like we'd use potatoes. The green ones don't taste like bananas at all. They're so firm that tostones are usually fried twice, which gives Joe and me an extra slap of cholesterol to the heart.

Instead of cooking these the traditional way, we boil them first in a garlicky broth and then fry them and mash them flat in a skillet. Add some fried garlic chips for extra flavor, and they're wonderful.

We lived for a couple days with friendly couple in San Juan, Marialana and Luis, who have a gorgeous penthouse with a rooftop terrace overlooking Condado Beach. Tropical birds dash in and out of the night-blooming jasmine vines that enclose the rails on the roof. Lovely.

The rooftop terrace in San Juan

We happened to be there for the festival of La Noche de San Juan Bautista, or Saint John’s Night, on June 23-24, so we walked down to the beach where an enormous (family-friendly) party was in progress. At midnight, we all walked backwards into the ocean, and dipped back into the water three times. It is said to bring the festival-goers good luck and free us of our sins. I certainly felt wonderful after a midnight dip in the Caribbean!

We're waiting for midnight at Condado Beach, San Juan

All along the coastline we could see campfires on the beaches and people singing and lighting fireworks into the sky. The ocean was warm as bathwater and the whole world seemed to be dancing on the beach. It was a beautiful night and we all went to bed sandy and smelling of the sea.

Marialana taught us this recipe, but there's really nothing to it. If you're tired of other starchy side dishes, try our lower-fat version of this Boricuan specialty.

Plaintain harvester, with a seriously sharp machete.

Ingredients

1/3 cup oil
5 garlic cloves
3 large green plantains
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Peel two cloves of garlic and slice them thinly. Place 2 tbsp of oil and the garlic slices in a large cold frying pan. Heat the pan on medium until the garlic starts to sizzle; cook for a few minutes until the garlic is golden on both sides but not brown. Brown or black garlic is very bitter, and starting with a cold frying pan will allow you to crisp up the garlic slowly.

Remove the garlic to paper towels and let it drain.

Cut the peels off the plantains and cut them into 1" thick coins. Place them in a medium saucepan and cover them with water. Add salt and pepper to taste, then mince the rest of the garlic and add it to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the plantains are almost tender.

You can also cook the plantains in the garlic water in a bowl in the microwave, if you prefer. We were in a hurry so we did it this way last time.

Drain the plantains. Add the rest of the oil to the large skillet and heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the plantains and begin frying them and pressing them with the spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. They should be flattened and a nice crispy brown on all sides when done.

Put the tostones on a serving plate and sprinkle with the garlic chips before serving. Some people like to eat these with Caribbean banana ketchup. I promise you it is worth a taste!

Serves 4 as a side dish.

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Cactus Salad (Ensalata de Nopales)

If you're looking to try something new and different this salad is definitely an interesting one to try! Nopales are the paddle-shaped leaves of the prickly pear cactus. They are often eaten in Mexico and Central America; prickly pears are sometimes called tunas and are also eaten and made into jellies.

You can buy nopales in a can, or buy fresh paddles at Hispanic stores. At our local store, there's a talented guy who cuts out the mean little spikes ahead of time, which is a big time saver and is ouch-free for the buyer. If you are preparing the cactus yourself, cut out the stickers and eyes, and slice off the tough outer edge around each paddle. If you use canned nopales, make sure you drain and rinse them first.

Nopales are eaten after they are cooked, and I think they taste like asparagus. This salad is definitely an interesting and tasty way to try new vegetables. I bet you'll be glad you did.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 large nopales paddles, cleaned and diced

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup Cotija cheese

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1 tsp oregano, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium skillet, saute the garlic and cactus in oil until the vegetables are tender and the nopales are no longer sticky, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Toss together the sauteed vegetables, jalapeno, onion, romaine, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and oregano, and drizzle over the salad. Toss well before serving.

Serves 4-6.

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Why you should try Caribbean Banana Ketchup

 Why try it?

• You get an authentic taste of the Caribbean islands, which were once called the West Indies
• You'll surprise your friends with a unique marinade for pork, poultry, or fish
• You'll have a new way to use up those bananas that are getting just a little too ripe
•  You 'll like this new condiment with plain old fries, chips, raw veggies, or burgers.

Lunch in St. Lucia

 In 2007, my family went on a week-long cruise in the Caribbean. We started in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and visited St. Thomas, St. John, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Dominica. At each stop, groups of us tried ziplining, river tubing, relaxing in hot springs, visiting open air markets, and jet skiing; over dinner, we shared our day and then went to shows or danced in one of the discos (my parents were the best dancers!). For me, one of the best parts of the trip was snorkeling with sea turtles in Barbados on my birthday!

Beach in St. John

The food in the Caribbean is fabulous and sometimes strange to the average Midwestern American. Among these foods was banana ketchup, a condiment on most restaurant tables and often for sale in shops. Baron's ketchup, made in St. Lucia, seemed to be the favored brand. I tried it on some potatoes and was intrigued by the sweet/sour combination with spices like cinnamon and cayenne. The taste and appearance is different from tomato ketchup, but once you try this sauce, you might become hooked!



Caribbean Banana Ketchup recipe

Ingredients


8 large overripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves
2/3 cup tomato paste
2 ½ cups cider vinegar
4 cups water
1/2 cup dark molasses
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup dark rum

Directions
Add the raisins, onions, garlic, tomato paste and 1/2 cup of vinegar to a blender or food processor. Puree until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a large pot.

Add the banana chunks and another 1/2 cup of vinegar to the food processor or blender. Process the mixture until very smooth. Add mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the rest of the vinegar, 3 cups of water, molasses, salt and cayenne pepper.

Bring the mixture a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered until the sauce is very thick, approximately one hour. Stir occasionally. If the sauce begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add some of the remaining water, up to one cup.

Add the corn syrup, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves. Cook the ketchup, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes longer over medium heat. Stir in the rum. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Strain the mixture well through a colander or sieve. If using the ketchup fresh, remove the ketchup from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 1 month.

If canning the sauce, ladle hot mixture into pint jars, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight. Process 20 minutes in a canner. Cool completely before checking seal and storing.

Yield: 4-5 Pints

This recipe was featured in my book The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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