Outdoor/grilled dinner-only know I want mojitos, what to go with them?!
Outdoor/grilled dinner-only know I want mojitos, what to go with them?
Help! main, sides, desserts? know I want to grill whatever it is...
Answers:
I think a cuban or carribean menu would be great.
Caribbean Grilled Shrimp With Mango Salsa
1 to 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Marinade
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2" piece ground cinnamon stick
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 small red onion
4 green onions
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/2 tsp salt (or less)
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangos, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs chopped cilantro
Zest of one lime
Juice of two limes
1 tsp sugar
Whip up all the Marinade ingredients in a food processor. Coat the shrimp well with the marinade for at least half a day. Soak the skewers in water for half an hour. Skewer the shrimp and cook over a hot grill or hot coals for about a minute and a half on each side, then serve with the mango salsa. use up all the salsa as it doesn't keep well.
Servings: 6
Or
Island Pork Tenderloin Salad
For pork
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lb total)
2 Tbs olive oil
For glaze
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs finely chopped garlic
1 Tbs Tabasco
For vinaigrette
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 Tbs fresh orange juice
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp curry powder, toasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
For salad
3 navel oranges
5 oz baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)
4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (from 1 medium head)
1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 firm-ripe California avocados
1 Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer
2 Prepare pork:
3 Preheat oven to 350°F.
4 Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.
5 Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.
6 Make glaze and roast pork:
7 Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)
8 Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
9 Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
10 Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
11 Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
12 Assemble salad:
13 Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.
Servings: 6
Or
Jerk chicken
Rice and Beans or Cuban Black Beans
Rum cake for dessert
Golden Rum Cake
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (I only use Goslings Black Seal)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
2 In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
3 Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate.
4 Brush glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.
5 To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.
Servings: 12
Buy the mojo marinade on the Spanish foods isle. Marinate either chicken or pork for 30 minutes then grill.
Serve with black beans, saffron rice, and fried plaintains.
Delicious Cuban cuisine to go with a mighty fine Cuban cocktail....the mojito.
Shrimp is terrific on the grill. So is zuchini - slice it and lightly oil it and sprinkle it with italian seasoning, then grill it. Corn is also good on the grill, and dessert can be grilled pineapple and fruit or put it over vanilla ice cream. Have a wonderful dinner!
fajits just cook a good steak on the grill and along with ( in a grill skillet) cook onions, green peppers ,green onions,whole mushrooms) fresh salsa of tomatoes, garlic,onion, hot peppers ,lemon and celantro salt to taste all chopped fine
corn tortillas warmed over the grill ,,,,,,grilled corn on the cob , pineapple grilled drizzled with honey and served over ice cream
Well, I'm leery about actually having a mojito with my meal, I would normally have that as an aperitif but nothing goes better with mint than Lamb. you could incorporate some Jerk spices to give it that Caribbean flavor.