Tropical Recipes

Today I'm sharing the recipes I made for my tropical dinner from a while back.


We started with a Toopua Blue Lagoon Cocktail(Bora Bora)as found on Food.com.

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

3 ounces vodka
1 1/3 ounces blue curacao
3 1/3 ounces pineapple juice
2/3 ounce lemon juice
4 teaspoons sugar
ice
2 lime wedges
Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients (except lime wedges) into a cocktail shaker, with ice, and shake.
2. Strain into two margarita glasses, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Next was Chilled Pineapple Soup which I like better when it was freshly made rather than letting it chill for a few hours. It is served on the Royal Carribean cruise ships.

Chilled Pineapple Soup

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds (905 g) chopped fresh ripe Pineapple
2 cups (280g) sour cream
1 cup (250ml) ginger ale
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1 cup (140g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (35g) unsweetened flaked coconut

1. In a nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients together, except the coconut. Transfer mixture in batches to a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour soup into a clean nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

2. Meanwhile, toast the coconut: In a dry skillet over high heat, toss or stir the coconut, taking care not to scorch it, until lightly browned. To serve, divide the cold soup among chilled soup bowls and garnish with coconut.

Then I served Tropical Baked Chicken(also from food.com) with a tropical themed salad(from allrecipes.com) and Basmati rice. The chicken is seasoned with cinnamon and baked in orange juice which gives it a unique flavour.

Tropical Baked Chicken

Makes 6 servings

3 lbs chicken pieces( I used boneless chicken breasts)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers or 1/4 cup red bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

Directions:

1. Position rack in the center of the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Mix together Dijon mustard, basil and honey.
4. Smear the chicken with this mixture.
5. Arrange chicken, skin side down, in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer.
6. Sprinkle the pieces with finely chopped onions, bell peppers, butter, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and paprika.
7. Pour orange and pineapple juice around the chicken.
8. Bake, basting once, for 30 minutes.
9. Turn the chicken skin side up, season with salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and paprika, and all of brown sugar.
10. Bake until the chicken is tender and golden, about 20 minutes longer.
11. Add more orange juice or pineapple juice if the pan seems dry.
12. Pour the juice into a small saucepan and boil over high heat until it becomes syrupy.
13. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.


Tropical Salad

Makes 6 servings

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 (10 ounce) package chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a cruet or jar with a lid, combine pineapple juice, red wine vinegar, oil, pepper and salt. Cover and shake well.
In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, pineapple, macadamia nuts, green onions and bacon. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted coconut.

And, of course, there was dessert but it will be featured in a separate post!

Hope you enjoy these recipes.