Showing posts with label tropical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tropical. Show all posts
Saturday, February 14, 2015
The Weekend Gourmets Guest Post at Family Foodie Spice Rubbed Shrimp Tacos with Tropical Salsa
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| A taste of the tropics in the comfort of your home: Spice-Rubbed Shrimp Tacos with Tropical Salsa. Sweet and spicy!! |
Spicy roasted shrimp, pineapple-mango salsa, feta, and avocado will have your tastebuds doing a happy dance! I hope youll go say hello to Isabel and check out this fabulous recipe while youre at it. Ill be back here tomorrow with a fabulous burger recipe featuring Texas-raised Nolan Ryan Beef. This ones a PERFECT tie-in to my love of the Houston Texans, so you wont want to miss my Bulls On Parade Fajita Burgers!!
Friday, February 13, 2015
Tropical Dragonfruit Granita
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| Tropical Dragonfruit Granita |
Does it make me an "ingredient hoarder" if I actually do use the many and varied ingredients I can just never seem to get enough of? I mean its like Im shoe shopping or something... Oh my gosh, look at that... Oh boy, gotta have those... Geez, cannot pass that up... and so goes my visit at the market, replete with "ooooohs" and "ahhhhhs".
So Im at Gelsons the other day and what do I spy but the most fascinating and beautiful specimen in the produce section I think Ive seen in quite some time. It was a dragonfruit, imported from somewhere (perhaps Asia or South America, Im not sure), organic and...expensive. I was so not gonna go there, but once the produce guy cut it open and exposed the glowing magenta flesh, I was captivated. One taste and I was sold. My rationale? I get to photograph it, admire it, learn about it, share it with you guys, and oh yeah, I get to eat it! And it was luscious, sweet, and delicious. Think prickly pear cactus... in fact, dragonfruit is part of the cactus family.
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| they are just as vibrant in person the little black flecks are edible seeds, almost imperceptible as you eat |
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 Tropical Dragonfruit (with the magenta inside, these are the sweetest)
4 teaspoons honey
Juice of 1 lemon
scant pinch of kosher salt, optional (see Cooks note)
2 ounces rum, optional (I use 10 Cane)
Cut each dragonfruit in half, scoop out magenta-colored fruit and place it in food processor or blender. Add honey, lemon juice, scant pinch of kosher salt (optional), and rum (optional). Blend. Mixture will be quite "liquidy".
Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish and place in freezer. Mixture will be slushy/frozen in about 2-3 hours.
Using a fork, rake through the slushy/frozen mixture. Serve in glasses or bowls and garnish with mint if desired.
You can make this a day ahead and just do the raking right before serving. I realize other granita mixtures may not work this same way, but for some reason this dragonfruit was completely forgiving. I tried it with and without the rum and both versions worked equally well.
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| rake your fork through to make it slushy |
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| pretty as a picture |
Cooks note: Kosher salt...I probably should have clarified this earlier on in my posts, however, with the distinct possibility of over salting a dish like this, I feel its not a bad time to call this out. There are 2 sizes of granules for kosher salt widely sold. The course ground (larger) and the regular (smaller). I always use the regular (smaller).
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| this is the kind I use |
Friday, February 6, 2015
Wendys Tropical Escape Cocktail Inspired by Glades Seasonal Room Fragrances
For a burst of fragrance, I paired the Let Loose candle with the Playful Paradise scent from Glades line of premium room sprays. This fragrance combines fruit and floral scents, including: watermelon, peach, freesia, and a hint of vanilla. It was light and refreshing...and it combined really nicely with the scent form the candle to transport my mind to past vacations on the beach in Cancun! All I needed was a tropical drink to keep the fantasy going. I went into the kitchen, pulled out my blender and created a tropical-inspired cocktail that I call Wendys Tropical Escape. One sip of sweet, fruity cocktail -- combined with the awesome room fragrances from Glade -- and I was enjoying memories of the tropics right in my living in Texas! I love using scent to create a relaxing atmosphere, and this little experiment worked perfectly.
My original frozen cocktail creation combines two kinds of fresh fruit, a generous helping of coconut-infused rum, and POM Wonderfuls yummy POM Hula juice blend. It contains a blend of both pomegranate and pineapple juices, so it worked really nicely with the rest of the ingredients in my tropical drink. Not only does it taste good, but it packs a healthy punch as well! If you prefer a non-alcholic drink, simply substitute coconut water for the coconut-infused rum. Youll still be able to enjoy the subtle coconut background flavor thats essential for a drink thats inspired by the beach.
Wendys Tropical Escape
a Weekend Gourmet Original
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries, frozen
- 1/2 cup diced pineapple chunks, frozen
- 2 ounces coconut-infused rum
- 1 cup POM Wonderful Hula juice blend
- 1/3 cup simple syrup (I love using Not So Simple Syrups blackberry-infused simple syrup here!)
- 1 cup crushed ice
Directions:
Step 1: Add the frozen strawberries and pineapple to the container of your favorite blender. Add the rum, POM Hula juice blend, and simple syrup.
Step 2: Add the crushed ice on top. Cover and blend until the ice is thoroughly crushed and incorporated into the other ingredients. Pour into drink glass(es). Garnish with a tropical silk flower, if desired, and enjoy!
Not only is Wendys Tropical Escape fruity and delicious, its a gorgeous shade of purplish pink too! The silk flower garnish is totally optional, but its an easy and fun way to complete the tropical escape theme! I whipped up one of these cocktails one evening this weekend and breathed in the heavenly Glade scents that were wafting around my living room. It was the perfect mini-escape that I needed...and it cost a whole lot less than a plane ticket to a tropical paradise!! I hope youll try out these new Spring scents from Glad...and that youll whip up a batch of my fruity cocktail.
Disclosure: Glade provided me with a selection of candles and room sprays from their two seasonal Spring lines. POM Wonderful also provided me with complimentary bottles of their POM Juice Blends to facilitate cocktail experimentation. All opinions expressed are my own.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Gallo’s “Every Recipe Tells a Story” SundaySupper Featuring Tropical Breeze Sangria
The theme for this week’s Gallo-sponsored #SundaySupper is “Every Recipe Tells a Story.” The cocktail recipe I’m sharing today takes me back to Summers spent vacationing in Cancun with Michael. For three straight years in the mid-to-late 90s, we vacationed in Cancun with our closest couple friends. The days were full of adventures like visiting Mayan ruins, dancing the Macarena (it was the 90s…cut me some slack!), snorkeling in turquoise-blue water, and shopping. Our evenings featured lots of great seafood, hearty laughs with dear friends, and warm breezes…all paired with fruity tropical drinks. Sitting on the edge of the Caribbean under the stars, without a care in the world…those are some really great memories! It’s been a particularly chilly Winter in Texas, so I wanted to create a tropical sangria that would take us back to the beach in Cancun from the first sip. I believe I succeeded with my Tropical Breeze Sangria, made with delicious Gallo Sweet White Blend wine During our Cancun vacations, we enjoyed lots of fresh tropical fruits…including pineapple and mango…so I made sure to include both of them in my sangria. The Gallo Sweet White Blend wine was the perfect base for this refreshing sangria. During one of our trips, we bought fresh coconuts from a vendor on the side of the road and drank the sweet coconut milk inside. Inspired by this experience, I added some flavorful coconut water too. One sip of this fizzy island-inspired sangria, and you’ll be immediately transported to a tropical beach paradise – even if it’s still cold and snowy in your backyard right now! Come…let me whisk you away to the tropics…even if it’s only in your mind!
Tropical Breeze Sangria
a Weekend Gourmet Original
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle Gallo Sweet White Blend wine, well chilled
- ½ cup limoncello (lemon liqueur)
- ½ cup lemon-flavored simple syrup**
- 8 ounces coconut water, chilled
- 8 ounces pineapple-orange juice, chilled
- 8 ounces lemon-lime soda, chilled [regular or diet]
- 1 naval orange, sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 cup fresh pineapple segments
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
**NOTE: If you can’t find prepared lemon simple syrup, it’s easy to make. Add ½ cup water, ½ sugar, and the juice and zest of 1 lemon to a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve and bring to boil. Let cool and use.
Directions:
Step 1: Add the fruit to the bottom of a large pitcher. Add the simple syrup and give it a good stir. At this point, you can refrigerate the pitcher until you’re ready to serve. I like to do this part the afternoon, a few hours before I plan to serve the sangria…to let the fruit flavors mingle and combine.
Step 2: Add the Gallo Sweet White Blend wine, coconut water, juice, and lemon-lime soda to the fruit and simple syrup in the pitcher. Stir to combine and pour into glasses. Garnish with a slices of pineapple and/or citrus. I particularly like to pair this sangria with a big bowl of guacamole and warm salted tortilla chips to really take me back to the beaches of Cancun!
To find Gallo wine near you, be sure to visit the handy Store Locator on their website. Also…be sure to follow Gallo Family Vineyards’ social media channels so you can stay up-to-date with all of their latest news!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalloFamilyVineyards
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GalloFamily
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gallofamily
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/gallofamilyvineyards
I hope you’ll join us this evening at 700 EST/600CST for our weekly #SundaySupper Twitter chat! We’ll be talking about food and wine…and recipes that tell a story…so be sure to come join the fun! In the meantime, I hope you’ll click the links below to check out the other fabulous recipes featuring Gallo Merlot and Sweet White Blend that my #SundaySupper friends are sharing. They all sound absolutely fantastic!
Brunch:
- Crepes with Sweet Wine Poached Berries by Bobbis Kozy Kitchen
- Overnight Blueberry Baked French Toast by Alidas Kitchen
- Sangria Stuffed French Toast by Melanie Makes
Mains and Sides:
- Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken Spinach and White Wine Sauce by Family Foodie
- Baby, Thats a Good Merlot Onion Burger by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Beef Braciole with Parmesan and Prosciutto by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Beef Daube by The Foodie Army Wife
- Chicken and Couscous Stuffed Peppers by Cindys Recipes and Writings
- Chicken Sausage and Mushroom Skillet over Goat Cheese Grits by Neighborfood
- Giambotta an Italian Veggie Stew by Country Girl In The Village
- Grilled Pepperoni Pizza by Ruffles & Truffles
- Rosemary Garlic Chicken Thighs by Hip Foodie Mom
- Short Rib Ragu with Rigatoni by Hezzi-Ds Books and Cooks
- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff by Foxes Love Lemons
- Spaghetti AllUbriaco by kimchi MOM
- Tarragon Chicken by girlichef
- Worlds Best Turkey Meatballs by Shockingly Delicious
Beverages and Desserts:
- Tropical Breezes Sangria by The Weekend Gourmet
- Lemon on a Cloud by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Merlot Cherry Cupcakes with Sweet White Frosting by Magnolia Days
Disclosure: This is a compensated post for #SundaySupper featuring Gallo Family Vineyards wine. All opinions expressed are my own.
Celebrating Muchos Mangos at Whole Foods Market Featuring Tropical Jerk Shrimp Mango Salad
Whole Foods Market is celebrating their annual Muchos Mangos event the entire month of April, featuring amazing ataulfo (ah-tah-ul-foh) mangoes from Mexico. This variety of mango is sweet and juicy, with a thin pit and no fibrous strings. Theyre basically a little taste of spring, with a gorgeous vibrant-orange interior. This variety of mangoes is in season from March through June, so theyre perfectly suited for use in all sorts of warm-weather dishes! Because they arent fibrous, theyre easy to blend for using in smoothies and marinades. Theyre also great cubed in fruit salads and desserts. Heck, theyre great eaten by themselves out of hand!
If you click the link above, youll find a very informative video that shows how to cut and prep the ataulfo mango. Its really easy once you do it a time a couple of times! Once you cup open the mango, youll find golden-orange fruit inside. Its so soft and luscious that you can eat it right out of the shell with a spoon if want. Thats how I enjoyed a few of the mangos that I purchased. The flavor is deeply sweet and spicy...like a tropical breeze on a remote island beach! I’m teaming up with Whole Foods to celebrate Muchos Mangos and create a healthy Springtime dinner that puts these sweet, juicy mangos front and center. My Tropical Jerk Shrimp-Mango Salad is a light, yet filling, main dish salad that will transport you to your favorite tropical beach at first bite. But, you dont need a passport or an exhausting plane trip!
This salad is full of bright flavors from cubes of mango and avocado, spicy Jerk-seasoned shrimp, candied cashews, bits of dried pineapple, and tangy feta cheese. This salad was ready to eat in less than 30 minutes…and it was bursting with guilt-free flavor. Let me show you how easy this salad is to whip up for dinner this week!
Tropical Jerk Shrimp-Mango Salad
a Weekend Gourmet Original
(1) Toss 4 cups of your favorite salad organic salad greens with your favorite dressing. I used a natural raspberry vinaigrette. Divide the greens evenly between two large plates. Toss 1/2 lb. shrimp in 1 tbs. jerk seasoning and quickly sear in a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
(2) To assemble the salads, top each salad with the following ingredients: 1/4 cup dried pineapple bits, 1/3 cup chopped candied cashews, 1/3 cup feta cheese, 1/2 a small diced avocado, 1/2 cup dice ataulfo mango, and half of the shrimp.
This colorful salad is a tropical vacation on a plate! The fiery shrimp is tempered by the creamy avocado and sweet mango, the nuts and pineapple provide a bit of texture, and the feta brings a tart saltiness to round out the flavor profile. Add it all up, and you’ve got a winner of a salad on your hands. It’s as pretty to look at as it’s refreshing to eat!
Disclosure: Whole Foods provided me with a gift card to purchase atuolfo mangoes and the other ingredients to create the Springtime meal featured in this article. All opinions expressed are my own.
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