Tropical Recipes

Island Appetizers                      Bert’s Hot Wings

 Sanibel Shrimp Patties 

Island Soups                             Bird Key Coconut Soup

Island Salads                            Matlacha Shrimp and Fruit Salad

                                                 Cabbage Key Stuffed Avocado Salad

Island Breads                            Cayo Costa Yeast Rolls

                                                  Pine Island Spicy Carrot Bread

Island Sauces                            Marco Island Marinade

                                                 Carib Bar-b-que Sauce

Island Main Dishes                    Pine Island Beef

                                                 Mango Chicken Captiva

                                                 Barefoot Beach Ginger Chicken

                                                 Jamaican Fried Jerk Chicken

Island Side Dishes                    Bokelia Baked Papaya

                                                Gasparilla Island Fries

Island Deserts                          Captiva Caramel Custard

Lemon Bay Papaya Ice Cream

Island Drinks                            Lovers Key Cherry Drink

Siesta Key Mango Lada

Sanibel Mango Smoothie

Island Appetizers

Bert’s Hot Wings

Great for watching a Gators or Hurricanes Game on TV.

·        2 lb bag of chicken wings and drummets

• 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 3 cups Kikkoman soy sauce
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil

Mix all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil at medium heat then reduce heat medium low and continue to cook until chicken is done.

Sanibel Shrimp Patties (Great as a hot appetizer!)

• 6 eggs
• 2 cans Carnation evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 bag mixed vegetables
• 1 box of frozen shrimp
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbs. Garlic powder
• Salt, Pepper, Tabasco to taste

Mince onion finely. Mix all dry ingredients together. Chop shrimps coarsely, add onions and mixed vegetables. Add eggs and milk with dry ingredients until smooth batter. Add shrimp, onion and mix vegetables to batter. Batter should be thick enough that when it is dropped into hot oil it does not break apart (i.e. pancake batter). Heat oil for deep frying. Drop 1/3 cup of batter (about 2-3 tbs.) into hot oil and wait till golden brown and rises to the top.

Island Soups 

Bird Key Coconut Soup

An exotic taste!

• beef soup bones
• 2 carrots quartered
• 2 stalks celery quartered
• 1/2 small onion quartered
• 2 or 3 sprigs parsley
• corn flour as needed

Boil the soup bones 30 minutes in 6 cups of water. Add carrots, celery, onion and parsley and cook another 30 minutes at medium heat. Thicken with corn flour and strain. You may wish to cool and remove any fat. Mix curry powder with a small amount of cold water. Bring soup back to a boil. Remove from heat and add coconut milk and curry. Do not let soup boil after adding milk or it will curdle. Makes 6 servings.

Island Salads

Matlacha Shrimp and Fruit Salad

·        Crushed

·        a dash salt

·        a dash pepper

·        1 medium orange, peeled and sectioned

·        1/2 cup of sliced celery

·        1/2 cup lemon low-fat yogurt

·        12 ounces of fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp

·        1 tablespoon of snipped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint

·        1 15-1/4-ounce can of pineapple chunks (juice pack)

In a large saucepan cook the shrimp in boiling water about 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, drain and rinse the shrimp under cold water, drain well. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice.
Combine the pineapple chunks and orange sections, cover and chill.

For marinade, in a medium bowl combine -1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice, the mint, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked shrimp and the celery. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Drain off marinade, discard marinade. Stir pineapple chunks and orange sections into
shrimp mixture.

In small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of the remaining pineapple juice with the yogurt. Toss with the shrimp mixture. Finally, divide mixture among 4 small air-tight containers. Chill overnight. Store up to 2 days in refrigerator.

Amount Per Serving 4 * Preparation Time: 25 minutes * Marinating Time: 2 hours
Chilling Time: overnight

Cabbage Key Stuffed Avocado Salad

·        1 tomato

·        salad cream

·        2 avocado pears

·        1 medium cucumber

·        1 head of lettuce

·        2 hard boiled eggs

·        2 ounces of grated cheese

·        pepper and salt to taste

·        2 tablespoons of lime juice

·        2 tablespoons of chopped nuts

·        4 ouces of peas or cooked beans

·        2 tablespoons of sour or sweet

·        pickle

Wash the lettuce then place in a covered bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator, strain the peas from the stock. Wash and slice cucumber and add salt to taste. Cut the avocado pears length-wise and peel off skin. Place avocados in a bowl and sprinkle with lime juice. Cover. Mix together pickle, cheese, peas and the season for stuffing. Fill in hollows of avocados.

Place 2 wedges of the tomatoes in each half and Arrange on a bed of lettuce. Finally, lay cucumber slices of hard boiled eggs on dish around avocados and dot with salad cream
and then sprinkle with the chopped nuts.

Islands Breads

Cayo Costa Yeast Rolls

• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 pkts yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 6 1/2 to 7 cups flour

Mix all ingredients to form a dough. Knead then set in warm place to rise. When it doubles in size, punch down and let it double in size again. Shape into rolls and bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Or, shape into 4 small loaves and bake one hour at 300 degrees.

Pine Island Spicy Carrot Bread

·        2 eggs

·        1/2 cup of sugar

·        1/4 cup of raisin

·        1 1/2 cup of flour

·        1/8 teaspoon of salt

·        1/2 cup of salad oil

·        1 teaspoon Baking Powder

·        1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

·        1/4 cup of nuts (optional)

·        3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

·        2 tablespoon of orange rind

·        1 teaspoon of grated ginger

·        1 teaspoon of grated orange rind

·        1 cup of finely shredded raw carrot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl beat eggs add sugar. Beat until thick. Now add the oil gradually and continue beating until it’s thoroughly combined. Stir in flour and the rest of the dry ingredients including raisin and nuts. Add orange juice, rind and ginger to carrot then combine with the mixture. Next stir the mixture till well blended. Pour batter into well-greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until done.

Island Sauces

Marco Island Marinade

·        2 cups Kikkoman Soy Sauce

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• black pepper
• crushed red pepper
• 2-3 lbs beef brisket (trimmed)

Boil soy sauce, sugar and ginger until sugar is dissolved. Be careful not to let mixture boil over. Remove from heat. While mixture is cooling off, add remaining ingredients. Marinate beef brisket for at least 1-2 hours (longer is better). Beef can be substituted with chicken or pork (recommend parboiling these meats first before marinading for best results). Be careful when cooking because the sugar in the mixture will burn fast. However, beef cooks really fast!

Carib Bar-b-que Sauce

·        2 teaspoons of salt

·        3/4 cup of Red Stripe beer

·        1/2 cup of brown sugar

·        1 cup of chopped onions

·        2 teaspoons of lime juice

·        8 ounces of canned tomato sauce

·        3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·        1/4 teaspoon of fresh black pepper

In a pan combine the onions in the oil and saute very rapidly. Finally add Red Stripe beer, tomato sauce, limejuice, brown sugar with the Worcestershire sauce, use salt & black pepper to taste. Simmer Yum! Enjoy!

Island Main Dishes

Pine Island Beef

• 5# sirloin steak (sliced 3/16" thick)
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stalk green onions (chopped)
• 1 bulb garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 ginger (1"x2") (coarsely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients except sirloin. Make sure the sugar has dissolved thoroughly. Cut grizzle from meat and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Marinate meat in teriyaki sauce for 24hours (refrigerated). Put marinated teriyaki meat unto metal shish kabob sticks. 

MARINATE FOR 24 HOURS..THEN BARBECUE

Mango Chicken Captiva

Not quite a soup, this dish is delicious with steamed rice

• 1 chicken
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin light olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mango
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp. mint leaves crushed
• 5 cups water

Cut chicken into small pieces. In a stock pot combine oil, onions, salt and mint leaves. Brown chicken pieces in mixture. Add water and cook until chicken is tender. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, strain coconut and mango through a cheesecloth to make 1 cup of liquid. Add 1 cup of water and add to chicken. Reheat, but do not allow to boil. Serves 4 to 6.

Barefoot Beach Ginger Chicken

Fresh ginger makes all the difference here!

• 2 or 3 cloves pressed garlic
• 1 crushed bay leaf
• 2 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 chicken cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. shortening
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 large onion sliced
• 2 tbsp. dry sherry
• 1 cup water

Mix garlic, bay leaf, ginger, salt and pepper. Place in plastic bag and add chicken pieces, coating evenly. In a large skillet heat shortening. Add sugar, cooking until dark, stirring constantly. Add onions and chicken and brown evenly. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. To serve, pour sauce over chicken. Excellent with steamed rice. Serves 6.

Jamaican Fried Jerk Chicken

·        8 Drumsticks

·        1 cup Buttermilk

·        1/2 cup cornstarch

·        2 tablespoons salt

·        1 tablespoon Paprika

·        1 cup yellow Cornmeal

·        1 Cup all Purpose Flour

·        1/2 cup Dry Jerk Seasoning

·        2 tablespoons black pepper

·        Red Stripe Beer (use as needed)

·        Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying

Combine the Red Stripe Beer and Cup Buttermilk in a large glass bowl. Add Chicken to the bowl
and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Combine the flour together with the cornmeal, jerk seasoning, cornstarch, paprika, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix to combine. Drain off chicken and discard the marinade. Toss the Chicken lightly one at a time to coat them. You can use a zip lock bag with breading mixture to do this. Place the breaded chicken onto a large baking sheet lined with waxpaper. Be sure they do not touch each other. Place in refrigerator for 30minutes.

Pour oil in 2-3 inch deep skillet. Heat oil to 355 degrees F. (check with frying thermometer).
Add the chicken 2 at a time. Fry each for at least 4 minutes on each side or till they are golden brown Remove each piece of chicken and place on paper towel to drain oil. Transfer to an oven safe platter once the oil is drained. Put in an oven set at 200 degrees F. to keep warm. Once all of the chicken is cooked, it is best to serve immediately.

Island Side Dishes

Bokelia Baked Papaya

• 4 medium papaya, not quite ripened.
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Cut the papayas in half and remove the seeds. Place in a small baking dish, skin side down and cover the bottom of the dish with water. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 4.

Gasparilla Island Fries

·        12 medium sweet potatoes

·       1/2 Cup Olive Oil or Canola Oil

·       Package of Taco Seasoning

·        Honey Mustard Sauce for Dipping

Preheat the oven to 375*f. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice the potatoes in thick julienne slices keeping them fairly the same size. In a large bowl, place the potatoes and pour the oil and toss to coat evenly. Remove excess oil from the bowl, add the taco seasoning and toss to coat evenly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the potato sticks in a single layer/ do not stack them on top of each other, you want all the sticks to bake evenly. Bake them until brown and crisp. Remove them from the oven and if you still have some more taco seasoning, sprinkle some more over the potatoes. Serve these puppies right away while they are hot.

Island Deserts

Captiva Caramel Custard

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup water
• 5/6 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small sauce pan, combine milk and water and heat to scalding, stirring continuously to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan. In a separate bowl, slightly beat egg yolks. Add vanilla, salt and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Gradually stir in milk and water to the egg mix. Slowly melt 1/2 cup of sugar until carmelized and syrupy. Pour along sides and bottom of a custard pan. Pour custard mixture into the pan and set pan in a tray of water 1 1/2" deep. Put tray with custard pan into the oven and bake 50 minutes or until a knife can be cleanly inserted in the center.

 Lemon BayPapaya Ice Cream

·        Caramel

·        Rum raisin ice cream

·        4 tablespoons of nutmeg

·        2 small Papayas (papaws about 3 inches in diameter)

First slice Papayas (papaws) in ½ half. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. Place the 4 halves up right in the center of their own desert plates. Next add a large scope of ice cream in he center of each Papaya (papaw). Finally, pour the warm caramel over the ice cream and around the papaya
(papaw). Dust with nutmeg and serve immediately

Serves 4

Island Drinks

Lovers Key Cherry Drink

·        1 lime (lemon)

·        1/4 cup of sugar

·        2 1/2 quart of water

·        1/4 cup of red syrup

·        1 quart ripe cherries

First puree cherry in blender and pour through strainer into container. Keep the juice and discard the pulp in the strainer now Squeeze lime in juice then add the syrup and mix.

Note: based on your taste add more or less sugar taste Best served with the crushed ice.             Serves 6 to 8

Siesta Key Mango Lada

·        5 ounce of pineapple juice

·        4 ounces of pureed fresh mango

·        5 ounces of coconut milk/creme de coconut

·        1 tablespoon of condensed milk (optional)

Blend the pureed fresh mango and coconut milk with the creme de coconut and pineapple juice. Add 10 cubes of ice and blend again until its smooth. Add the condensed milk to sweeten.

Sanibel Mango Smoothie

·        8 ice cubes, crushed

·        2 or 3 mangos, peeled and cut in chunks

·        1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

·        1 cup of milk or (1/2) regular milk & half coconut milk).

Crush the ice in blender. Add the mangos, orange juice concentrate and milk to the crushed ice. Puree all of the ingredients in the blender until its smooth. Pour into glasses and serve as a smoothie.