Blistering Baked Squash with Bombastic Blueberries

Blistering Baked Squash with Bombastic Blueberries

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

In this recipe, we combine not only a vegetable but also a fruit and a few well-chosen chiles. Use fresh blueberries when available, although frozen berries will work as well. From the article Blazing Blueberries.

Ingredients

4 acorn squashes, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 fresh habanero chile, seeds and stem removed, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon habanero powder
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
12 ounces fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the cut squash in a shallow baking pan (or pans) and pour 1/2 cup water into each pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet and sauté the apple, habanero chile, brown sugar, and blueberries over low heat for 1 minute.

Remove the squash from the oven and make several slices in the squash, taking care not to cut through the skin. Divide the apple mixture and add an equal amount to each squash, pressing into the slits. Cover tightly and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Blueberry-Cobbler-with-Spicy-Biscuits.jp

Blueberry Cobbler with Spicy Biscuits

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

The sweetness of the blueberries in this recipe is enhanced by the heat from the biscuits. You may use other fruit fillings, but fresh blueberries work the best. This recipe was developed by SuperSite Food Editor Emily DeWitt-Cisneros. From the article Blazing Blueberries.

Ingredients

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon flour
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups all purpose baking mix (Bisquick)
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon hot New Mexican chile powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease an 8-inch-square baking dish. In the baking dish mix blueberries, vanilla, and orange juice. Sprinkle the top with sugar and flour, then stir in the butter. Bake for 15 minutes. While the blueberries are baking, in a medium size bowl combine the baking mix, milk and chile powder and mix until soft dough forms, adding more milk if needed.

Turn onto a flat surface sprinkled with baking mix. Fold and pat 5 times. Roll dough to 1/2-inch-thick. with a biscuit cutter cut out 5 biscuits. Remove the blueberries from the oven.

Raise temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the 5 biscuits on top of the blueberries and return to oven for 8-10 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.  

Grilled Scallops with a Rocotillo Mango Relish

Grilled Scallops with a Rocotillo Mango Relish

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Chris Schlesinger, of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sent us this recipe, which was published in an early issue of Chile Pepper magazine. The sharp spiciness of the chile combines easily with mellow sweetness of the mango to create a strong by not overpowering accompaniment for the creamy taste of the scallops. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

1 cup rocotillo chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced, or substitute 1 habanero plus 5 yellow wax chiles
1 small purple onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
Juice of 3 oranges
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Juice of 4 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 pounds sea scallops
Water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the relish, in a bowl combine all the ingredients, except the scallops, water, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Blanch the scallops in boiling water in a saucepan for 2 1/2 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Thread the scallops on skewers and grill over a medium hot fire until they are golden brown on the outside and opaque throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Make a bed of the relish on each plate and place the scallops on top and serve.

Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream

Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 fresh coconuts, drained, liquid reserved, and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 onion, minced
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons curry paste (available in Asian markets)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
Garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro, reserved toasted grated coconut

Instructions

Cut the coconuts in half and cut out the coconut meat, leaving 1/4-inch of the meat attached to the nuts. Cut 2 cups of the meat into thin slivers and grate 1 cup of the remaining meat.

Preheat the broiler and sprinkle the grated coconut onto a pan and place it under the broiler. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until the coconut is golden brown.

Sauté the garlic for 1 minute in the butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute until browned. Remove and keep warm. Add the onion, Scotch bonnet, ginger, and reserved coconut slivers. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in the reserved coconut water and cilantro and return the chicken. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, curry paste, cumin, and cloves, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl. Add to the chicken mixture along with the mango and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Spoon the mixture into the coconut shells, garnish with the chopped cilantro and toasted coconut and serve.

Beef-Kebabs-Tropicale

Beef Kebabs Tropicale

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

These spicy kebabs can be found on the island of St. Croix, as well as many other islands, where fruits abound. Because of the abundance of tropical fruits, the combination of meat and fruit is not that unusual, especially with the addition of a Caribbean habanero hot sauce or the peppers themselves. Serve the kebabs with a rice dish and a cool-down salad. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled and seed removed
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 scallions, peeled and white part reserved
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 Scotch bonnet (or habanero) chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup passion fruit juice (available in most Latin American and Caribbean markets)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds sirloin steak, fat removed, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
3 small partially ripe papayas, peeled, seeded, and cut into large cubes of 1 1/2 inches
3 sweet white onions, peeled and cut into quarters and separated

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, puree the mango, garlic, scallions, brown sugar, chiles, lemon juice, lime juice, white wine, passion flower juice, and oil to make a marinade. Spread the cubed meat out evenly in a large glass or Pyrex shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the meat. Pierce the meat marinade mixture with a fork, and then cover and refrigerate the mixture 4 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat marinade from the refrigerator and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before putting the meat on the skewers to grill.

On skewers, alternate the meat, pineapple, papaya, and onion pieces. Broil the skewers in an oven broiler or on an outdoor grill, for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on how well you want the meat done). Serve hot off of the grill.