The Tropical Treat

Archives for July 2019

Roasted whole pineapple with vanilla and spiced rum

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Caramelised roasted pineapple with fragrant vanilla and spiced rum is the ultimate tropical treat. A beautiful desert to simply end a very hot day or something to remind you of the sunny days when its freezing cold outside.

There are lots of variations of roasted pineapple around with different flavour combinations and if ice cream isn’t your thing swap it out for creme fraiche, coconut yogurt or have it on its own.

I really love this dish. It’s simple but the flavours are so on point.

This is also a great recipe for gatherings. It doesn’t involve much prep and it’s easy enough to put on the barbecue – make sure you baste and turn it over often so it cooks evenly.

Pineapple is often just sliced and eaten as it is which is great but there’s so much more you can do with it. Roasting them is one way and it definitely enhances the natural flavour!

Make sure you get ripe pineapples – sniff the bottom of them and they should smell fragrant, look out for withered leaves or if unripe wait around a week before using them. 

I used the very tropical Red Leg Spiced Rum which is infused with Jamaican ginger and vanilla, it works a treat here. Serve up with vanilla ice cream and sprinkle over torn mint leaves!

Serves 4
Prep 15 mins
Cook 50 mins
Total 55 mins

Ingredients

1 large ripe pineapple 
125ml maple syrup
1 vanilla pod, cut lengthways and seeds scraped out 
150ml spiced rum
30g unsalted butter
A pinch of sea salt 
Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
2 tbsp mint leaves, torn (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5/375F. Using a sharp knife cut the top and bottom of the pineapple. With the pineapple sitting on a chopping board carefully remove its rough skin (try not to take too much of the fruit off). 

Using a small sharp knife remove the holes or ‘eyes’ by cutting diagonally around the pineapple, removing the flesh and creating a spiral pattern (see here).

Put maple syrup, vanilla pod and seeds, rum and butter in a small pan. Stir over a low heat and add a pinch of sea salt once the butter has melted. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it starts to bubble.

Put the pineapple on a small baking tray on its side and pour over the syrup making sure it’s completely covered. Roast for 50 minutes, basting and turning the pineapple every 10 minutes to ensure its evenly cooked.

Once the pineapple is caramelised and tender remove from the oven and leave to cool. Throw away the vanilla pod and reserve any leftover syrup to serve.

Cut the pineapple lengthways into slices, drizzle over the syrup and serve with vanilla ice cream and torn mint leaves.

Notes

*Watch the video to see how to properly cut the eyes from the pineapple. To make this vegan just omit the butter and serve with vegan ice cream.

Black eyed bean fritters (Akara) and Mexican street corn salad (Esquites)

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Flavoursome, crispy and really delicious.

Akara or black eyed bean fritters are widely eaten across West Africa and have even found their way to Brazil and the American South where they’ve been given cultural twists but the heart of the recipes have stayed the same. 

I’ve adapted this recipe to make it super quick by using cooked cartons of black eyed beans, blitzing it in the food processor, adding spice and frying. It makes the perfect starter and is completely vegan. Dip them into hot pepper sauce and serve up with Esquites.

I discovered Mexican street corn through endless posts of them on Instagram and I decided to see if they lived up to the hype. Yes, they do! Here’s the original recipe I used.

Smoky sweet corn jazzed up with creamy cheese, chilli and fresh herbs. It’s a good one!

Makes 12 little fritters
Prep 10 mins
Cook 15 mins
Total 25 mins

Ingredients

For the fritters
2 x 400g carton black eyed beans, rinsed and drained 
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp baking powder 
Sunflower oil, for frying 

For the street corn salad
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
400g corn kernels, cut from 4 medium corn cobs 
1 tbsp mayonnaise 
60g feta cheese, finely crumbled
4 spring onions, thinly sliced (green part only)
A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime 
1/2 tsp chilli flakes 

Method

Make the fritters first, drain and rinse the black eyed beans. Pour into a food processor and blitz for a few seconds (it should have a chunky consistency and you may need to add a little water)*. 

Place into a bowl and add red onion, garlic, green chilli, flour, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, baking powder and black pepper. Mix well and shape into 12 small patties (about 2 tbsp of the mixture per patty).

In a wok heat 500ml of sunflower oil (drop a tiny piece of bread in and if it bubbles it’s hot enough) and fry 3 fritters at a time until golden brown and crisp. Drain any excess oil using kitchen paper. Continue until the mixture is finished and keep warm in the oven.

Using the same wok, heat oil over a high heat. Add corn kernels and sea salt tossing a couple of times. Leave to cook for a couple of minutes on one side until the corn chars. Stir and repeat on the other side until the corn is charred all over. Toss and stir for a few minutes until cooked through.

Place the mixture into a bowl and add mayonnaise, feta, spring onions, coriander, green chilli, lime juice. Sprinkle over chilli flakes and serve up!

Notes

*You can mash the beans using a potato masher if preferred!

Watermelon, tomato and chilli salad

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A real sunshine salad – fresh, zingy and sweet. Refreshing watermelon works a treat in a salad but with juicy baby plum tomatoes, red onion, chilli and toasted peanuts it’s even better! This salad would be a great vegan starter, side dish at a summer garden party or main with some feta cheese and grilled white fish.

I’m a huge fan of plant based eating despite not being vegan or vegetarian. I also like to make food that pairs really well with meat or fish but is equally delicious by itself – this salad is definitely it.

I was inspired to make a fruity tropical salad that brings together sweet, sour and spicy flavours. Watermelon reminds everyone of the sunshine, native to West Africa (although the exact origin is widely speculated), it has spread across the world cooling us all down on the hottest of days.

Make by arranging your watermelon strips first, baby plum tomatoes/red onion/chilli next followed by toasted peanuts and coriander. You’re good to go!

Serves 2
Prep 10 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 20 mins

Ingredients

2 tbsp blanched peanuts, toasted
400g watermelon, cut into thin strips
250g baby plum tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
A handful of fresh coriander leaves, (optional)

Method

First toast the peanuts in a large dry pan over a medium heat and set aside.

Cut the watermelon into slices, de-seed and then into thin strips, carefully remove the rind. 

Put the tomatoes, red onion, chilli (keep the seeds for a really spicy salad) in a bowl. Pour over the lime juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Arrange the watermelon strips on a plate and spoon over the tomatoes, red onion and chilli. Sprinkle over toasted peanuts and fresh coriander leaves. It’s ready to serve!

Notes

* Buy pre-packaged melon slices to make this salad to speed up the process. Add some cooked quinoa and feta to make it a veggie main or grilled fish or chicken for meat eaters. 

Mango and passion fruit cake

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Mango and passion fruit, can you name a more iconic duo? A light cake with fresh mango pieces and a creamy mascarpone passion fruit topping – sharp, sweet and fruity. It’s so easy to bake with mango and it really makes the perfect tropical pudding paired up with passion fruit.

Summer days call for bright colours and big tropical flavours like passion fruit and mango. The sun is shining here in London which has inspired me to make this fruity number as well as food perfect for garden parties, barbecues or just to chill after a long hot day. I’m biased but I think ‘summer’ food should be eaten all year round!

This cake would be ideal right after a delicious barbecue especially as it’s so simple to make ( bake the cake first and make the topping later). I found the original recipe here and decided to tweak it a little to make it even more tropical. If you don’t like passion fruit just take it out, puree some mango and drizzle that over the top instead. 

Mascarpone is very Italian (not so tropical) but works amazingly well with mango and passion fruit – it really brings out the tropical goodness. Enjoy! 

Serves 12
Prep 20 mins
Cook 40 mins
Total 60 mins

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g self-raising flour, sifted
150g mango, cubed into 1 cm pieces

For the topping 

250g mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 passion fruit, seeds scooped out

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 / fan oven 160C and line a 20cm x 20cm x 5cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, slowly add one egg at a time using a spatula to scrape down the sides after each one. 

Sift the flour and fold until well combined. Using a paper towel pat the mango pieces to mop any excess juice and add into the mixture. 

Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40 mins, until golden and firm (check by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean its ready). Cover the cake with a little bit of foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled. 

Mix the mascarpone, orange juice, icing sugar and vanilla. Spread the mixture over the cooled cake using a palette knife and top with the passion fruit seeds. Serve up!