A Taste of the Islands

After such a long and chilly winter, anything with a tropical feeling sounds wonderful.

Lawry's, the spice and marinade company, sent along a press release declaring that April is Caribbean-American Heritage Month. When we think of Caribbean food, we naturally think of jerk chicken. Caribbean cuisine is a melting pot of flavors ranging from fruits, vegetables, meats to grains and spices. European colonists introduced sugarcane, later fermented into rum. The Spanish introduced chick peas, eggplant, onions, garlic, cilantro and coconut. The West Africans brought along okra, plaintains, breadfruit and taro. The Mexicans introduced papaya, cocoa and avocado. Natives in the Caribbean combined those flavors with meat from wild pigs and cattle.

If you're feeling a need for a tropical taste, try this recipe:

Chile Lime Steak with Black Bean and Mango Salsa
Four servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes Marinate Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

3/4 cup Lawry's Mexican Chile & Lime Marinade With Lime Juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1- lb. boneless sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick
1 medium ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp. garlic salt

In small bowl, combine marinade with cilantro; set aside.
In large resealable plastic bag, pour 1/2 cup marinade mixture over steak; turn to
coat. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Reserve remaining
marinade mixture.
Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill or broil steak, turning once
and brushing with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade mixture, 10 minutes or until
desired doneness.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, toss remaining reserved marinade mixture with remaining
ingredients. Chill, if desired. To serve, top steak with salsa.

More recipes are available at www.lawrys.com throughout the month.

If you have other recipes, send them along for blog readers to enjoy.