#SundaySupper: Tropical Food

Today #SundaySupper gathering together for a virtual luau of sorts and enjoying a wonderful selection of Tropical Food. Be sure to scroll past my recipe(s) for great recipes filled with coconut, pineapple, and mango. A big thank you to Marlene of Nosh My Way and Cindy of Cindy’s Recipes and Writings for hosting this bash!

Like most, my mind first traveled to Hawaii given the theme, but I wanted to do something different. As much as I enjoyed our vacation to The Big Island a couple of years ago, I took the opportunity to create a recipe from a different island in the Tropics.

The Tropics fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and create a belt around the middle of our planet.

The Dominican Republic happens to fall in this tropical region. I’ve been wanting to explore more Dominican food as my father’s family is from there. When we left Illinois when I was in 2nd grade we were also leaving his parents so I didn’t get to experience, at least in memory, a lot of Dominican cooking. The only thing my mom made were rice and beans and the closest we’d get to the cuisine would be the occasional Cuban fare at a nearby shop. When we would return to visit, my parents would always request mangu for breakfast from my grandfather. When I made Chicharrones de Pollo for my Dad’s birthday (a report from my father tells me my bites of chicken were too small) I knew I would have to try more Dominican food as we greatly enjoyed it.

That was a long story to tell you that my recipe today comes not from Hawaii but from the DR.

Majarete is a corn pudding made with lots of cinnamon. I’d never had it, and my dad hasn’t either, but it sounded fun so I thought I would give it a go. My favorite thing about this recipe is how simple it is. It can even be made with a baby in one hand. (In related news, I think my little man is getting over his fear of the blender!)

Even in all it’s simplicity, I still managed to mess it up. Never having made pudding before, I pulled the concoction off the heat too quickly and we were left with a corn drink. I probably could have returned it to the stove and let it cook and thicken some more, but I thought it’d be much more fun to turn the majarete into majarete ice cream!

Majarete Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 C corn kernels
• 2 C milk
• 1/4 C water
• 3/8 C sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Steps:

1. Put corn, milk, water, sugar, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth. Strain into a saucepan and discard the solids.
2. Add a pinch of salt and the cinnamon sticks to the corn milk and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. (If making pudding, make sure it coats the back of a wooden spoon.)
3. If making pudding: Pour into serving glasses or bowls. Allow pudding to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and allowing to chill in the fridge before serving. Optional – serve with a little grated nutmeg.
4. If making ice cream: Pour into a glass bowl. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.
5. Follow your ice cream maker instructions. Freeze ice cream. Allow ice cream to soften on the counter 5-10 minutes before serving.

*This recipe is adapted from Clara at http://www.dominicancooking.com/964-majarete-corn-pudding.html*

Tidbits and Pupus

• Chicken and Lemongrass Sugarcane Skewers by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Coconut crusted Tofu with Spicy Mango Cucumber Topping by Soni’s Food
• Larp (Laos chicken salad) by Caroline’s Cooking

Breakfast

• Midwest Style Loco Moco by Our Good Life
• Tropical Sunrise Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream by Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Companions

• Caribbean Black Beans with Rice by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Condiments and Sauces

• Mango Jam by Brunch with Joy
• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce by Magnolia Days

Coolers

• Cilantro Margarita by An Appealing Plan
• Coconut Mojito by Flour On My Face
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cocktail by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Lava Flow by Nosh My Way

Main Event

• Bali Spicy Grilled Fish – Ikan Bakar Jimbaran by Food Lust People Love
• Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Grilled Jerk Shrimp Roll with Tropical Fruit Slaw by Food Done Light
• Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa by Cooking Chat
• Kalua Pig by Palatable Pastime
• Mango Barbecued Pork Chops by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Mango Lime Fajitas by Curious Cuisiniere
• Pineapple Pork by Basic N Delicious
• Pineapple, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza by Family Foodie
• Catibias o Cativias (Dominican Yucca Empanadas) by The Petit Gourmet
• Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Tacos by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Tropical Chicken Burgers by Momma’s Meals
• Whole Roasted Bream with a Ginger-Tamarind Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Delectable Delights

• Seven Layer Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Tropical Sunshine Cake by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Double Ginger Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Majarete Ice Cream by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Mini Mango Cheesecakes by The Freshman Cook
• Pineapple Blueberry Ooey Gooey Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Pumpkin-Coconut Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
• Tropical Fruit Salad by The Redhead Baker
• Tropical Layered Poke Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
• Ube Panna Cotta by The Joyful Foodie
• Whole Wheat Mango Coconut Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Tropical Foods and Drinks Sunday Supper

• Tropical Foods and Drinks Sunday Supper

Wine Pairings

• The Best Wines to Pair with Tropical Food #SundaySupper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

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