Coconut Crab Dip With Plantain Chips

This recipe is a great snack to have when watching the Super Bowl Game this weekend. I know you have gone beyond the same old beer and pretzels and look how surprised and happy your friends will be when you bring this out.

 

Plantain Chips

  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder
  • Crisco Oil for frying
  • 4 green plantains (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

In a small bowl combine the salt and chili powder and set aside. Heat oil in a deep fryer or large deep pot over medium heat until 375 degrees shows on a deep fry thermometer. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

Peel the plantains and with a vegetable peeler, slice lengthwise. Fry the slices about 4 or 5 at a time, turning frequently until they become golden. (about 35-40 seconds). Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat until all are cooked.

If making ahead, store in an airtight container at room temperature for no more than 2 days.

 

Crab Dip

  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut, divided
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 1 green onion, trimmed and chopped fine
  • 1 Thai chili, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup plain cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice (fresh)
  • 3 tins Ocean’s Crabmeat (Costco has 5 in a pkg.)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 3 tbsp. chopped mango for garnish
  • lime wedges
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the coconut over a baking sheet and toast, stirring often until lightly browned and fragrant (3-4 minutes). Set aside.

In a blender add remaining 1/2 cup coconut and the hot water. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Blend on high for 2 minutes until mixture is a smooth thick puree. Add the onion and chili and blend another minute.

In a medium size bowl stir together the mayonnaise, cream cheese and lime juice until smooth. Add the coconut mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in the crabmeat and cilantro. Taste then season with salt and pepper.

To serve transfer dip to a bowl and garnish with the toasted coconut, mango and lime wedges. Serve with the plantain chips (standing up in a glass for show).

If drinking wine, a Sav. Blanc would be perfect. Ice cold Corona with lime would be excellent as well.

 

Icy Cold Melon & Tomato Salad

This is a wonderful salad on a warm Spring/Summer day. It is so simple yet so tasty. Give it a go! Just make sure all ingredients are chilled in refrigerator at least a day before making.

 

  • 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups cantaloupe cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cups of watermelon cut in 1  inch pieces
  • 1 cup papaya, cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup mango, cut in I inch pieces
  • I/2 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup torn fresh basil

Whisk together the vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl.

Add the melons and tomatoes, stirring to coat well. Stir in the basil and serve immediately.

Now, how easy is that? By the way, each 1 cup serving is only 64 calories. Gee, I like it even more now.

 

 

Terrific Salad For Valentine’s Dinner

This salad can be doubled if serving for company, but if only for two (one) it is delicious, easy and quick to make.

 

  • 4 cups of spring mix greens
  • 4 slices lean prosciutto, torn in small, bite size pieces
  • 1 ripe mango (peeled, pitted and sliced in wedges)
  • 1 ripe papaya (peeled, seeds removed, sliced)
  • 150 grams fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fig balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Arrange the greens, prosciutto and fruit on your prettiest salad plate or bowl. Top with the cheese, and sprinkle the pecans over the salad. You probably won’t need all the greens, but is there if this is going to be the main course, as in a luncheon.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and drizzle over the salad, serving immediately.

Now you know why it is so special….yummmmmm

White Chocolate And Mango Yogurt

I love mango yogurt and this is so much less ‘commercial’ and more ‘you’ in the yogurt. Watch what it takes….it’s super easy and so darn delicious.

 

  • 1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
  • 1 mango, chopped ( about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup toasted and chopped pistachios
  • 1/3 cup grated good quality white chocolate
  • 2-3 tsp. liquid honey

In a shallow dish, combine everything up to the honey, stirring until combined. Add the honey to sweeten. This can be eaten like this or added on top with granola.

This will serve 4 people.

Lobster Mango Rolls

There are times, like yesterday, when not knowing what to do, we could actually come up with a real winner. A bit ago we bought two lobster tails (on sale) for a special occasion. We also had a couple of croissants in the freezer. When the plaintive cry comes up “what’s for lunch”, we came up with this one.

 

  • 2 lobster tails (should actually be 3 to make a really good sandwich)
  • 2 croissants
  • 1 stick celery
  • mayo
  • 1 mango
  • pinch of paprika
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

Cook the tails in salted water for 10 minutes and immediately cool down with cold water to prevent further cooking. Crack shells, remove the meat and coarsely chop. Set aside.

In a bowl, slice crosshatch pattern in each half of the mango and remove small cubes to bowl. Peel and thinly slice celery. Add lots of mayo (not salad dressing), a pinch of paprika and the lobster meat. Stir to mix well.

In a frypan, melt a tablespoon (or more) of butter, place the croissants in  for about 1 minute, turn over and again, cook for a minute. (This is for the outside of croissants, not open face).

Open up the bun and fill with the lobster mixture. Pour a glass of wine or beer, take a bite and roll your eyes to heaven and say, thank you!.

These, my friends, are delightful.

 

* we also thought that halved seedless grapes would be just as awesome.

Blackberry/Mango Individual Pies

Mango and Blackberries make a super combination and , in this dessert, each person gets their own…no way you will want to share this with anyone. Serve these warm with either mango ice cream or really good quality ice cream.

 

  • 1 large mango (pitted, peeled and diced)
  • 2 cups blackberries, washed and patted dry
  • 7 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. corn starch
  • 1 tbsp. lime juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 x 1 lb. pkg. phyllo, cut into an 8 x 8 inch square
  • Butter flavoured vegetable spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees and lime a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the mango, blackberries, 1 tbsp. sugar, cornstarch and lime juice and toss well to coat the fruit.

Place one sheet of phyllo in front of you,  with a corner facing you and spray with the butter spray, sprinkle a 1/2 tsp. sugar over the surface and repeat this with three more sheets of the phyllo, laying them on top of each other.
Place 2 heaping tsp. of fruit 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the phyllo. Fold left and right points over the filling, overlapping by 1 inch. Fold the bottom corner up, enclosing the filling. Loosely roll up to form a cylindical shape about 4  1/2 – 5 inches long.

Repeat this until all the phyllo and fruit are used up- should make 8.  Spray the tops and sides of the pastry with the butter spray and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake until a deep golden colour and turn the baking sheet once during the 25 minute baking time. Slide the parchment paper and pies onto a rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm with ice cream, What a treat! Bring on the movies…..Yum!

Pistachio Pound Cake

Here is another dessert that will make you look like a real professional baker. Yum to the nth degree.

And this is the cake before I got to the garnish!

  • 1  1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
  • 1  1/4 cup dried mango, chopped
  • 2  1/2 cups flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 plus 1 tbsp. sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mango nectar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla
  • 1/4 cup mango jam
  • 1 tbsp. mango nectar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and lightly flour one 10 x 10 square tube pan or two 8 x 8 inch square baking pans.

In a small bowl, toss the nuts and the dried mangoes with 1/4 cup of the flour. Set this aside. In another bowl, mix together the remaining flour, salt, baking powder, ginger and baking soda.

In your mixing bowl, beat the butter for about 30-35 seconds. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. This should take about 10 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.

With the mixer on low speed, add the sour cream, the 1/4 cup of nectar and the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture, beating only until just blended.

By hand, mix in the nut mixture. Pour into the cake pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes. check with a wooden toothpick to ensure it is completely done.

Remove to a rack and cool completely.

Glaze

Whole pistachio nuts

fresh mango

For the glaze, snip any large fruit pieces in the jam. Combine with 1 tbsp. nectar in the microwave. Cook on high for 30-40 sec onds. Brush the warm glaze over the top of the c ake. Let stand until firm. Garnish with the whole nuts and mango pieces.

The picture is before adding the fresh fruit garnish.

 

Best ‘Ticker’ Salad

 

 This is a great salad for those looking after their heart.  It is light and lean and great tasting.  Try it!

 Serves 4

  • Bag of mixed baby greens
  • 1 papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into segments
  • 1 large mango, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup three cheese Italian dressing
  • 4 salmon fillets, bones removed
  • Or 2 fillets cut in half (portions)

Place greens in a bowl and drizzle some of the dressing over tossing to coat. Divide onto four plates. Arrange the papaya and mango on top of the greens and drizzle with more of the dressing.

Grill the fillets now and when plated, place avocado slices on top of the dish with the salad placed along side of the fillet.

This is actually a very good great for your heart recipe and is very easy to make, you will feel better for making it too.

Pink Sky Smoothie

We serve this when it is a new Bride and Groom or Anniversary celebration. It is pretty to look at and has an ilusive flavour.

 

Serves 2

  • 1/2 cup natural yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1  1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp. rose water
  • 3 tbsp. honey
  • 1 ripe mango, pitted and diced
  • 6 ice cubes
  • edible rose petals (if you can find them at a specialty store)

Pour yogurt, milk and whipping cream into food processor or blender and process until combined. Add the rose water and again, blend until combined.  Add the mango along with the ice cubes and beat until completely smooth,.

Pour into your prettiest stemware. Add a couple of rose petals and serve immediately.

Listen to the oohs and ahhs…..

 

* This is in my B & B Cookbook

 

Nectarine Melt Smoothie

This will make enough for 2 servings

Very special with the use of lemon sorbet

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups lemon sorbet
  • 1 ripe mango, pitted and diced
  • 2 ripe nectarine, pitted and diced

 

Pour milk and one half of the sorbet into blender and process GENTLY until well combined. Add remaining sorbet and process until smooth. When entirely blended, add the mango, netarines and process until smooth.

You can add a dollop of whipped cream on top after you have poured this into a tall glass. Add a short straw and serve immediately.