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Conch Steaks

3 # conch
2 eggs
1 cup flour
Seasoning (complete seasoning or season all)
Garlic sauce or powder

Slice conch in half, to obtain thinly sliced conch, pound conch, dash with lime juice and seasoning. In separate bowl, scramble 2 eggs. In another bowl, mix flour and dry seasoning (to your taste). Pass conch through egg, then flour both sides. Place into hot oil in a frying pan, fry for 3 minutes on both sides. Drain on paper towel and serve with tartar sauce.

Flour Cake

6 cups flour
3 tins coconut milk
1 lrg. Can evaporated milk
4 cups sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 t salt
1 T vanilla
2 cups water
1/2 stick margarine

1. Mix together sugar, margarine, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, add flour
2. Mix together with coconut milk, evaporated milk and water, the thinner the mixture the better the cake.
3. Grease 14x10x2 in Baking pan, bake at 350 for about 4 hours

then add 3 t flour to 1 cup water and add to soup stirring constantly until flour thickens.

Minced Conch in Coconut Milk

3 or 4 large conchs
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 large sweet pepper
1/2 large onion
1 mutton pepper
2 large tomatoes
1 tsp salt (ot to taste)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp soya sauce

Process or girnd conch, sweep pepper, onion, mutton pepper, garlic, tomatoes, add salt and soya sauce to coconut milk in saucepan. Add above ground ingredients and simmer on low for about 8 minutes.

Serve over white rice, or serve with other side dish of your choice.

COCONUT CANDY

8 cups grated medium coconut meat
4 cups of water
1 tablespoon margarine
1/4 tablespoon salt
3 cups of sugar

Mix sugar and water, boil until stringy or hard ball stage. Grate coconut meat, add to stringy or hard ball stage sugar mixture, cook a little more, then add margarine just before taking off the stove, beat mixture until beginning to harden, then pour in buttered baking pan. Cool, cut and enjoy.
You can separate mixture, color one, and pour one layer on top of the other.

RIPE BANANA OR CHARTER CAKE

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cups margarine
1 1/2 tablespoon soda
5 ripe bananas or chatas mashed
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
Dash of salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Dash of vanilla

Cream together margarine, sugar and eggs, add mashed ripe bananas or chatas, flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla, mix together with milk until smooth, pour in greased and flour 10x14in baking pan, bake at 350 for 1 hour, until top is brown.

CONCH OR SHRIMP IN SEA PIE

2 # shrimp or conch
1 can coconut milk
5 cups water
1/4 sweet pepper
1/4 med. onion
1 mutton pepper
1tablespoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon notter (achiote)

For sea pie
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Water to mix dough

Prepare shrimp (peel and devein)
Prepare conch (pound and steam)
Pour coconut milk in pot, adding water, sweet pepper, garlic, onion, mutton pepper, sugar, salt to taste and notter (achiote). Bring to boil on medium heat, add conch or shrimp (or both) then seapie, cook for about 15 minutes more.

Sea pie recipe
Make a dough with flour, pinch of salt and water, so that you can roll out as thin as possible, then cut into 2 ½ x 2 ½ inch squares. Let set for an half an hour then stretch squares and add to cooking coconut mixture..

Cumin Pork Tenderloin
with Dried-Apricot Chutney

2 T. dark brown sugar
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. coarsely ground pepper
2 t. cider vinegar
Dash of salt
1 pound Pork Tenderloin
cooking spray
Dried-Apricot Chutney

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Stir well; set aside. Trim fat from pork. Add pork to dish, turning to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Remove pork from dish, discarding marinade. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees. Cut pork into thin slices. Serve with Dried-Apricot Chutney. Yield: 4 servings.

Dried-Apricot Chutney:
1 C water, divided, 1 C coarsely chopped dried apricot, 1 C. coarsely chopped onion, 1/3 C cider vinegar, 1/3 C raisins, 1 ¼ t. pumpkin-pie spice, 1 t dry mustard, 1/8 t crushed red pepper, 1 C peeled, coarsely chopped Golden Delicious Apple

Combine ½ C water, apricot, and the next 6 ingredients (apricot through red pepper) in a medium saucepan, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ½ C water and apple. Cook, covered, an additional 15 minutes or until apple is tender. Remove from heat; uncover and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 2 ½ C

Chicken and Mint Coleslaw Wraps

Make a batch of your favorite, creamy coleslaw for this flavorful recipe.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 t salt
Cooking spray
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
1 T grated fresh ginger
2 t sugar
¼ t crushed red pepper
3 C creamy coleslaw
½ C chopped fresh mint
Chopped jalapeño pepper (to taste)
8 flour tortillas

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, pound to ¼ inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Sauté chicken about 4 ½ minutes on each side or until done. Cut into thin strips.

Combine juice, ginger, sugar, and red pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken strips, coleslaw, mint and pepper, tossing well to coat. Warm tortillas and fill with chicken mixture.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs

This is a regular at Que tal Cafe holiday events!! Enjoy.

2 eggs, beaten
1 C dry bread crumbs
1/3 C minced
fresh parsley
1/3 C ketchup
2 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 pounds ground beef

In a bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer with a slotted spoon to slow cooker or chafing dish. Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over meatballs. Serve warm. Yield: about 7 dozen.

Light and Tasty Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients: 40 oz of cream cheese (to make this desert with less calories, use 32 oz of low-fat cottage cheese and 8 oz of light cream cheese, mixed in a blender until smooth.)
1 cup of sour cream
1½ cups of white sugar
¾ cup of all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2 medium-sized sweet mangos (cooked with peel in a microwave for 5 minutes; use a dish that will catch the juices. Take meat out of peel and add all juices.)

Crust:I have found that the easiest and tastiest crust can be made from cookies or graham crackers.
40 oz of Oreo cookie crumbs (if using a non-sweet cookie or cracker, add 1 cup of brown sugar.)
8 oz of melted butter.

Put cookies in food processor and zip until the appearance is similar to dust. In a bowl, add meted butter to cookie crumbs, mix together, and line the bottom of a cake pan, nice and tight. Press down with the bottom of a cup to ensure a firmly-packed crust.
In a food processor, add cream cheese and sugar. Mix until well incorporated. Then add sour cream and flour. Mix well and with the ingredients still mixing, add eggs one at a time. Wait until each egg has mixed in before adding the next one. Then add mango meat and juices. Mix. Pour mixture on top of crust and cover the top and bottom of pan with tin foil.
Place in a heated oven at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes and then turn oven to 350 degrees for 30 more minutes. Cooking times may vary depending on oven. When cake is firm with little jiggle when pushed, it is ready. Cool at room temperature with tin foil still covering. Refrigerate. Best when eaten within three days.
Important: Putting a metal tray of water in oven will add a moist heat that a cheesecake cooks much better in.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with chocolate syrup of fresh fruit compote; preferably raspberries or strawberries.

Apple Banana Bread

Cooking with fruit…..

Using recipes that involve fruit is easy and simple. Over the years, I have added a method that brings the natural sweet juices that enhances the final product. By simply cooking the fruit before adding to your recipe you will find that the end result has more flavor and moistness. The best way is too cook the fruit whole, peel still on, in a microwave for a few minutes. If there is no microwave available, then roasting in an oven will also provide you with the same result. Here are two easy recipes you can try that will definitely make people come back for more.

Part 1
1¾ cups of cake flour (all purpose if cake flour not available)
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
¼ teaspoon of salt
Part 2
8 tablespoons of soft butter
1½ cups of white sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Part 3
3 apple bananas (these bananas should be aged a little and have turned slightly brown)
Cook bananas in microwave on high power for 5 minutes. Make sure you use a dish that will catch all the juices. Take the meat out of the peel and add all the leftover juice.

Mix part 1 together. In a separate bowl, mix part 2. Add 1 and 2 together. Mix well and then add 3. Bake in bread dishes at 375F for 30 minutes then turn oven to 350 for another 15 minutes, always checking with a toothpick if done. This last part may take a little longer cooking time, depending on oven. Cool to room temperature in dish, take out and refrigerate, at its best for 3 days.

Grilled Swordfish with Zucchini Ribbons

4 swordfish steaks
4 thinly sliced zucchini strips
4 slices of proscitto ham chopped
2 small radicchio with outer leaves removed, cut in half length wise or 1
medium quartered
Olive oil

Anchovy Butter
4 anchovies chopped
4T soft butter
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2T parsley chopped
Mix all ingredients together and chill

Brush zucchini and swordfish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper then grill. The zucchini will only take about 30 seconds on each side and the fish, depending on thickness, about 3 minutes on both sides. You only want to cook this to medium rare as it will keep cooking when taken off the grill. Take zucchini and twist and fold both sides in the form of a ribbon. It is quit a nice decoration. Place radicchio, cut side up, on an oven tray, sprinkle ham and drizzle with olive oil, roast in 400 degree oven until lettuce is just wilted and ham is crisp, about 10 minutes. Place radicchio and ham in centre of a plate, swordfish and butter on top and then the ribbon. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Key Lime Coconut Snowballs

Ingredients:

5 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (regular, low-fat or fat free)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp key lime juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp grated fresh lime rind
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 pound confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Spread 2 cups of the coconut on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Toss the coconut once or twice during baking to ensure even browning. Be careful not to let it burn. Transfer the coconut to a bowl to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining coconut, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, lime juice, vanilla, lime rind and graham cracker crumbs. Beat by hand or with an electric beater until well blended. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. Place in the refrigerator until cold.

With your hands, form the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each one in toasted coconut. Make sure each ball is generously coated. Place them on a large platter in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 5 dozen.

Store the Snowballs in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

Choisin sauce lends a sweet yet slightly hot note to this chicken stir-fry, while cashews add a pleasing contrast of textures.

Ingredients:

½ cup cashews
1 red bell pepper
1 lbs boneless chicken breast
3 tbsp peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
5-6 scallions, green part only, cut into 1-inch lengths

1. Heat a wok until hot; add the cashews and dry-fry over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Cut the red bell pepper in half and remove the seeds. Slice into thin strips. Skin the chicken fillet and cut into thin finger-length strips.
3. Heat the wok again until hot, and the oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic and let it sizzle in the oil for a few seconds. Add the bell pepper and chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice wine or sherry and hoisin sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is tender and all the ingredients are evenly glazed.
5. Stir in the sesame oil, toasted cashews and scallions. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Sesame Seed Shrimp Toast

Use uncooked shrimp for this dish, as cooked ones will tend to separate from the bread during cooking.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked shrimp, shelled
1 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1tsp finely chopped scallions
½ tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp cornstarch paste
1 cup white sesame seeds
6 large slices white bread
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying salt and ground black pepper

1. Chop the shrimp with the shortening to form a smooth paste. In the bowl, mix with all the other ingredients except the sesame seeds and bread.
2. Spread the sesame seeds evenly on a large plate or baking sheet; spread the shrimp paste thickly on one side of each slice of bread, then press, spread side down, onto the seeds.
3. Heat the oil in a wok until medium-hot; fry 2-3 slices of the sesame bread at a time, spread side down, for 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain. Cut each slice into six or eight fingers (without crust).

Serves 4

Raspberry-Almond Crumb Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
¼ cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1/3 cup fat free sour cream
1 tbsp 1% low-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
1 large egg
cooking spray
1/3 cup (3 ounces) block style fat free cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp sugar
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar and salt; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve ½ cup flour mixture for topping; set aside.

Combine remaining flour mixture, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl; stir well. Add sour cream, milk, extracts and egg; beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Spoon batter into an 8" round cake pan coated with cooking spray.

Combine cream cheese, 2 tbsp sugar and egg white; beat at medium speed until blended. Spread evenly over batter; dot with preserves. Top with raspberries. Combine reserved ½ cup flour mixture and almonds; sprinkle over raspberries. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Let cool on wire rack.

Chile con Queso Dip

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 tsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 ounce) block fat free cream cheese, softened
1 tsp chili powder
6 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)
cilantro sprigs (optional)

Drain diced tomatoes and dices tomatoes with green chiles in a colander over a medium bowl, reserving 1/3 cup liquid; set tomatoes and reserved liquid aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add softened cream cheese and cook until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, reserved liquid and chili powder; bring mixture to a boil. Add processed cheese; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Garnish with cilantro prigs, if desired. Serve dip warm.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

"Will the islands patau eventually disappear? YES. "Will Spanish dominate? YES. "Are new Bland patau words taken directly from Spanish and Garifuna? YES.

From Spanish, "goma" meaning a hangover. From Garifuna "gifiti" a drive or herbs, roots and rum to invigorate everything. Punta is Spanish for Point and Garifuna for a traditional dance and music.

Are Island or Garifuna words adopted into Spanish? YES. "Suampo" Island for Swamp. "Machuca" a refried plantain but also used in references to being Carib, put it all together and you get ….

"Yo pa, I got a goma bad an' was in the suampo drinkin' gifiti and eatin' machuca -we danced the punta till first light" Oh yeah?.

The majority of the island plateau comes from a mixture of Old English, Scottish, Irish Welch and African mix-match.