Desserts Drinks Gluten Free Vegetarian

Refreshing Mango Raspberry Smoothie.

mango raspberry smoothie (5)

Though not necessarily a “Caribbean” thing when I was a young fella’ on the islands, smoothies are making it’s way across the island chain as more and more people are looking for healthy ways to start their day, especially with the abundance of fresh tropical fruits we have available to us. Back then, you’d quicker find freshly made juices and punches with the same fruits, so I must confess that I’m not a huge fan of smoothies (it just wasn’t part of my diet). This mango raspberry smoothie only takes a couple minutes to make,  quite refreshing and a wonderful meal in a glass.

You’ll Need…

2 cups mango juice (or nectar)
2 cups ripe raspberries (freeze them if you don’t plan on using ice)
1/4 cup orange juice

* Feel free to use fresh or frozen mango instead of the mango juice I used. If using dice mango, you’ll need a bit more orange juice. For a protein kick you can always go in with some protein powder from your local health store.

This is so simple – basically all you have to do is place all the ingredients in a blender and give it a good pulse to break everything down to the consistency you like and you’re done!

mango raspberry smoothie (1)

mango raspberry smoothie (2)

mango raspberry smoothie (3)

mango raspberry smoothie (4)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. This recipe makes enough for 2 people so feel free to double up to make for a larger group. And if you’re making this during the summer months you can easily add a bit of rum, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a few drops of bitters for a more of a festive (big people) drink for your next BBQ gathering.

I know, raspberries are not native to the Caribbean.. this is just my take on a tribute to my homeland (the Caribbean) and the place I now call home (Canada)… ENJOY!

Desserts

Caribbean Coconut Mango Cookies Recipe.

If you’re looking to add a little Caribbean flavor to your baking/dessert repertoire, I’ve got a simple and delicious coconut mango cookie recipe to share with you. If I recall correctly the range of baking (desserts) in our kitchen when we were kids in the Caribbean, were cakes and in some cases pastries. Our mom never owned a cook book, so what she prepared was always something which were pass down to her from her mom and elders around her, as she was growing up. Baked desserts were limited, but she did make up for that with ‘real’ food. Dad made a killer currants roll, but the mess that man would make in the kitchen would resemble the aftermath of a hurricane.

This recipe will mimic that of a short bread cookie, but with the coconut and chopped dried mango, you’ll get a unique undertone of the Caribbean.

 

You’ll Need…

1 cup butter (soft)
2/3 cup super fine sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup dry shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup dried mango
2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 F and line your cookie sheet with parchment paper as we get the dough ready.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until you have a smooth consistency and the butter mixture goes pale. Then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour into the bowl and add the pinch of salt. Add in the chopped mango (I used dehydrated mango which I chopped into pieces) as well as the shredded coconut into the bowl and give this a good mix until everything is combined thoroughly. It will be a stiff dough and somewhat crumbly.

Scoop out tablespoon heaps and place (press down gently) on the lined cookie sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until you get some golden brown happening. Your home will have a wonderful scent and you will be tempted to dive in. Hold your horses.. let then cool for about 10 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer onto a cooling rack. The texture will be a bit crumbly, so it’s important that they cool well.

There you go… a simple yet outstanding way to enjoy coconut and mango in cookies. You can certainly freeze this dough if you want to make it in advance and thaw, then bake when you’re ready. Makes about 30 cookies.. depends on how big you make them.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Desserts

Tropical Mango Puff Pastry Turnovers.

mango-pastryBefore we get on to exploring this recipe I have to say a couple things. This recipe was submitted by Angela and I’d like to personally thank her for not only submitting her recipe, but for being the very first person to do so since I launched CaribbeanPot.com. The other thing I’d like to point out is that Angela didn’t submit a picture of the finished turnovers, so I did the next best thing and found an image online for this post.

You’ll need…

410 g can mangoes in light syrup, drained well and finely chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) flaked almonds

large pinch ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry

8 teaspoons ready­made custard

1 egg, lightly beaten

milk, to brush

Let’s get started….
Preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/ Gas 7). Lightly grease two baking trays. Pat the mango dry with paper towels and place in a bowl with the flaked almonds, cinnamon and half the sugar

Cut the pastry sheets into quarters on the diagonal to make eight triangles. Place one eighth of the mango filling in the center of each triangle, then top with 1 teaspoon custard.

Brush the edges with egg, fold in half and use a fork to seal the edges. Brush the pastry with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Place on the prepared trays and bake for 10 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Serve each person two turnovers with mango ice cream, if desired.

Note: If fresh mangoes are in season, finely chop 2 mangoes and use them instead of the canned mangoes.