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Well here they are - there are two sides; the bean soup or the beans and rice. There are also two alternate desserts - one a sorbet and the other much richer but really great sounding.
Caribbean Chicken Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
From “Morgan Freeman & Friends” Bath & Turtle owner Rose Giacinto
4 servings
Dressing:
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic
¼ c honey
¼ c key lime juice (can substitute reg. Lime juice)
½ c olive oil
2 Tbs distilled white vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
In a food processor, combine the peppers and garlic and process with on/off pulses until chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. You can make the dressing ahead and stor in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Salad:
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ c. jerk seasoning
8 cups mixed baby greens
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
½ red bell pepper cored, seeded, and sliced
½ green bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced
½ red onion, sliced
4 hard cooked eggs, quartered
In a resealable plastic bag combine the chicken and jerk seasoning and refrigerate for at least 1 hour – preferably overnight.
Preheat the grill to high. Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until it’s no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Arrange equal portions of the greens on 4 large salad plates, and top with equal portions of the cabbage, bell peppers, and onion. Slice the chicken into thin strips and divide equally among the plates. Top with the eggs and serve with the dressing on the side.
Tostones
From: “Morgan Freeman & Friends
Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, Executive Chef Ashley James
Vegetable oil
2 unripe plantains peeled and cut into 1” thick slices
salt
Ground cumin
Heat at least 2” of oil in a large pot over medium heat to 360. Working in batches, gently slip the plantains into the oil and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temp. Flatten with a spatula or the flat side of a chef’s knife, then return to the oil and fry in batches until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with the salt and cumin to taste.
Black Bean Soup
From: “Morgan Freeman & Friends
Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, Executive Chef Ashley James
6 cups water
1 lb dried black beans
1 tbs corn oil
½ onion chopped
6 slices bacon chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
½ chopped cilantro
1 green chile pepper chopped (jalapeno cored and seeded)
2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
10 cups chicken stock
Garnish – chopped cilantro and 2 tbs. Sour cream
In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the dried beans, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 4 to 6 hours.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, chile pepper and cumin and cook, stirring until the cumin is absorbed. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Add the beans and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
Jamaican Rice & Beans From: New York Times International Cookbook, Craig Claiborne 1971 edition.
1 Cub dried red kidney beans
1 rib celery, cut in half
1 small wedge green pepper
6 cups coconut milk or coconut milk & water to you preference
salt
½ tsp dried thyme
2 ½ cups uncooked rice
Place the beans in a large kettle and add water to cover to a depth of one inch. Add the celery and green pepper, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
Add coconut milk (and water, if being used) to the simmering beans. Cover and continue to cook until the beans are tender, about one and a half hours in all. Stir frequently to prevent the beans from burning.
Add salt to taste, thyme, and the rice. Stir once and cover. Continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed by the rice, about twenty minutes. If necessary, add a little more water or coconut milk as the rice cooks. When done the rice should be tender and all the liquid absorbed.
Melon Sorbet - Sobetto di Melone post by Chuck Love – Cooking.com
It's hard to make this without an ice cream machine but if you put this mixture into your freezer, scrape down the frozen sides from time to time, you'll get something that is more a granita instead of a sorbet.
Ingredients:
· 1 medium-sized, ripe sweet melon - about 3 lbs
· 4 1/2 oz of superfine sugar
· juice of one medium lemon
Method:
Halve the melon
Scoop out the seeds and discard
Cut the flesh away from the skins and put into the blender
Puree until completely smooth
Heat the sugar with the lemon juice to just dissolve it and remove from the heat
Add to the pureed melon and combine
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and freeze, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Store sorbet in an appropriate container in the freezer
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes prior to serving so it softens slightly.
Rum Custard Pudding
From the New York Times International Cookbook - Craig Claiborne 1971 Edition.
2 cups milk
5 eggs beaten
2 Tbs. Brown sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
¼ Cup dark rum
Whipped cream and grilled fruit of your choice
Bring the milk to a boil, stirring constantly.
Combine the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to the hot milk and cook without boiling, until the mixture is thickened, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the rum. Pour into sherbet glasses and chill until set. Serve garnished with whipped cream and grilled fruit.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
