Cooking Tropical Island Style: 7 inspired dishes for vacationing at home

1. Welcome - Class Overview: Welcome to Almond Tree Kitchen. We're coming to you from the wilds of Andalusia, and we're here to help you, to tune out to the outer world for a while and to nurture your creative calm. The focus of this class is tropical island - food to set the mood - from our series Vacation at Home, The idea is simple. Imagine your dream vacation and with the help of a few props to set the scene, some music and great food you can take a few days or hours away from your ordinary world and immerse yourself in the colors and flavors of far away lands. The recipes are authentic and adaptable to local ingredients and easy to cook. We'll be making a watermelon cocktail, a tropical island salad with avocado, mango, shredded chicken and coconut dressing, a delicious chicken pillau, quick and easy to make, cooked all in one pot. some tasty shrimp cakes with ginger and mango chutney, a sweet potato and banana salad, some colorful baked fish with lemongrass, yellow sauce and julienne vegetables and a spiced coconut cake served with tropical cream and fruit. And, of course, will be walking you through every step of the way to help you to really enjoy the culinary process. We hope you can join us 2. Watermelon Cocktail: Watermelon Cocktail You will need 1.2 kilograms, 2.5 pounds of watermelons, 1/4 of a fresh pineapple. half a fresh mango, fresh mint sprigs 1 lime, 1 inch or 2 cm length of fresh ginger some sparkling water and 4 tablespoons of lime juice. You will also need a melon baller. some straws, long skewers and a liquidizer. Using the melon baller, scoop a pile of water melon balls, about 12 of them, out of your cut wedge and set aside. for the garnish. Cut the remaining flesh using a combination of knife and scooping out with a large spoon. Put into the liquidizer in small chunks. Start with a small amount and add the rest. Liquidize until smooth. Peel the ginger, cut into small pieces and add to the liquidizer. Add the lime juice and churn. Add a handful of fresh mint leaves and churn again. Trim the pineapple. Set aside a small bowl of 12 cubed pieces for the skewered garnish. Add the rest to the liquidizer. Trim the mango. Set aside a small bowl of 12 cubed pieces for the skewered garnish. Add the rest to the liquidizer. Churn well and sieve if necessary. To serve, add a little cold sparkling water and pour into tall glasses. Thread the fruit onto the skewers and place one in each glass Top with fresh mint and a wedge of lime. Drink immediately. 3. Tropical Island Salad: Tropical Island Salad. For this recipe, you will need 300 grams, 10 ounces cooked shredded chicken, 1 ripe but still firm avocado, half a mango, around 100 grams or 3.5 ounces, 100 grams or 3.5 ounces of blanched or wilted greens, 1 scallion approximately 50 grams 1.7 ounces , 1 inch or 2cm of fresh ginger, 1 large clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 7 tablespoons or 100 ml of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar syrup, and freshly ground black pepper. To make the coconut dressing, peel the ginger and the garlic, finely grate and stir into the coconut milk. Add the lime juice and sugar syrup. Season well, combine thoroughly and set aside. Finely slice the scallion Finely slice the wilted greens. Finely dice the mango. Peel the avocado and cut into segments. In a large bowl season the shredded chicken with salt and pepper. Add the scallions and a little of the dressing and toss. Add the shredded greens, mango and avocado and with your hands, very gently mix so that you do not break up the pieces of fruit. Pour over the rest of the dressing and serve immediately. 4. Chicken Pilau: Chicken Pilau For this recipe, you will need 1.5 cups, 200 grams of long grain rice, such as basmati, 3 cups or 700 mil chicken stock, 2 chicken breasts, cut into small strips, 1/4 of a cup or 500 grams of peanuts - unsalted is preferable, 150 grams or 5 ounces of chopped onion, 1 bunch of cilantro, 1 small bunch of greens, (that's around 50 grams- 2 ounces), 1/4 of a cup, 100 grams, of sultanas, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric, 2 large cloves of garlic, some spices - 3 whole cloves, 2 cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon of pink peppercorns, salt and pepper and 30 grams, 1 ounce, of unsalted butter. Grind the whole spices until well crushed. Set aside. Lightly crush the peanuts and set aside. Peel the garlic and finely slice. Finely slice the cilantro. Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy bottom pan. Add the onions, rice and chicken. Stir continuously over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, garlic, and crushed spices. Add the turmeric. Cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes add the sultanas, uncooked greens, butter, cilantro and crushed peanuts. Season generously and stir well. Cover. Remove pan from the heat and leave to sit covered for a good five minutes. During this time, the rice finishes cooking and the greens will have wilted. Serve immediately. 5. Shrimp Cakes with Mango Chutney: Shrimp Cakes with Mango Chutney. You will need 250 grams, 12 ounces, large cooked shrimps, also known as langoustines or prawns, 100 grams (5 ounces) of swordfish or other firm fish such as monkfish, cod or salmon. 350 grams, 1 pound, of potatoes, 100 grams or 5 ounces scallions, 60 grams or 3 ounces fresh ginger root, 2 large cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cilantro seed, 1 lime, salt and pepper, 2 eggs, 200 grams of toasted manoic or fine breadcrumbs and oil for frying. Peel the potatoes, cut into small chunks and boil in water until soft. Meanwhile, trim the ginger, finely grate and put into a large mixing bowl. Peel the garlic, finely grate and add to the bowl. Finely chop the scallion. Add to the bowl. Zest and juice the lime and add to the bowl. Peel the shrimps, pinch off the heads and tails and remove the shells. Using a sharp knife, remove the waste tract. Make a slight incision along the top ridge and pull out the tract, which could be clear or black. Discard. Rinse the shrimps clean in water, dab dry and chop into small pieces. Set aside. When the potatoes are soft, drain and mash until smooth. Add the ground cilantro and season well. Saute gently the fish pieces in a small amount of oil. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Remove the pieces from the pan as you do not want any liquid in the cakes. Flake the fish with a fork or your fingers. Add the mashed potato to the mixing bowl containing the ginger, garlic, scallions and lime. Add the flaked fish. Add the chopped shrimp and thoroughly mixed to form a stiff paste. Crack the eggs into a bowl and stir well. With your hands form cakes about the size of a tennis ball. Press down lightly to produce a flat bottom. Dip each cake in the egg and then coat well with the crumbs. Set aside on a piece of grease proof paper, Shallow fry the cakes in oil until lightly golden each side Serve with fresh mango chutney. For the chutney you will need 120 grams, 6 ounces, cubed mango flesh, 120 grams, 6 ounces of white onion, finely sliced 4 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of ground cilantro seed and 30 grams or 2 ounces of fresh ginger root. Trim and finely grate the fresh ginger. Put all the ingredients into a pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has gone. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 6. Sweet Potato and Banana Salad: sweet potato and banana salad. You will need 350 grams or 12 ounces of cooked sweet potato, often called yams in the U. S. 350 grams or 12 ounces of bananas to red chilies. One scallion 85 grams or three ounces one tablespoon of mild curry powder spice two tablespoons of coconut oil two tablespoons of coconut milk one small bunch of fresh mint one tablespoon of natural thick yogurt one tablespoon of natural mayonnaise two tablespoons of lime juice two tablespoons of sugar syrup finally sliced scallions and put into a large salad bow. Finally sliced the mint after the bow. Finally slice the chili, setting aside the seeds, which can be added later, if you like extra heat and add to the boat. To make the dressing. Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, coconut milk, coconut oil and curry powder, makes well and set aside. Slice the bananas. Put into a bowl and pour over a little lime juice and sugar syrup to prevent browning. Cut the sweet potato into slices. They're the salad bowl and add since sliced banana, add some sliced sweet potato at the rest of the bananas on and the marinade at the rest of the sweet potato. Pore over the dressing and gently stir surface salad in a colorful dish or individual colorful balls scattered with some extra chopped chilies and fresh mint . If you have banana leaves, you can cut strips and fold up into cones secured with a skewer. The's could be filled with the salad alternatively, unless messi use green foliage and a woven mat to decorate the table beneath your colored balls to give that tropical feel. 7. Baked Fish with Yellow Sauce: baked fish with yellow source. For this recipe, you could cook a whole fish in the oven, steamed in a foil parcel. Or you can pan poach fillets on the stove. Both are simple to do. We don't concentrate on the preparation of vegetables, but focus on the cooking methods. None of the essential flavors should be omitted, as they are all important to the delicate frequency of the end dish. You will need one whole fish, 500 grams or 18 ounces, such as a sea bream or fillets such as monkfish or swordfish steaks. A selection of Julian vegetables for the garnish. Here we have one medium sized leak. A zucchini carrot on each are cut into very fine strips. It takes a lot of time, but the effort is worth it. Two tablespoons of fresh ginger root, finally grated one tablespoon of garlic, finally grated one stick of lemongrass. Discard the outer layer and slices Finest possible. One chili finely sliced, including the seeds for heat two tablespoons of scallions, finely sliced half a cup or 120 mil of double cream one cup of chicken or fish stock half a cup or 100 20 mil of coconut cream one tablespoon of lime juice one tablespoon of masala spice on one tablespoon of ground turmeric To make the other source. Heat the stock in the medium size pan. Add half the grated ginger, garlic, lemongrass and scallions. Simmer until reduced by 1/3 when reduced at the lime juice, masala, spice and double cream. Continue to simmer until reduced by 1/3 again finally at the ground turmeric and set aside to cook the garnish, so take the vegetables in a little coconut or olive oil. Stir fry for two minutes. Cover removed from the heat and set aside to pan. Poach fish fillets or steaks on the stove. Heat a little coke natural olive oil on medium high heat and see the fish on each side until golden. Turn. Heat down a little at the coconut milk to the pan on the rest of the scallions, chilies, lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Cover immediately and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. Too often. Bake a whole fish. Take too generous lengths of kitchen foil and overlap them. On top of this place a piece of grease proof paper. Scatter the scallion slices in the middle of the paper, along with a little of the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and chili. Place the fish on top of thes and scattered the remaining ingredients on top of the fish. Roll up the sides of the past so firmly pinching the corners to form an open tray. Pour in the coconut milk. Pinch the top closed and bake the fish in hot often for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your fish. When removed from the oven, the fish will still cook a little, so if in doubt, leave it to stand for five minutes before serving. To serve, spoon a little source onto the plate, placed the fish on top and spoon over the Julian vegetables served with rice, such as Best Marty. Decorate your table with banana leaves, a colorful bowl or a dark wooden platter if you have one. If you want to bait to fish at once at five minutes to the cooking time and for four fish at 10 minutes 8. Spiced Coconut Cake with Tropical Fruits final edit 2: spiced coconut cake with tropical fruit. For this recipe, you can decorate the cake with soft fruits such as pineapple and mango and sprigs of mint on the left. We have ingredients for the cake on on the right to the ingredients for the coconut cream. For the cake you will need 260 grams. Two cups of all purpose flour 80 grams one cup of desiccated coconut two whole eggs for egg whites 140 grams 2/3 of a cup of caster sugar three tablespoons coconut fat one teaspoon baking soda 50 grands of crystallised fruit, a mixture of ginger and empire ingredients for the coconut cream 200 mil 2/3 of a cup of coconut milk, plus extra for the batter four egg yolks two tablespoons of caster sugar one cup of double cream for whipping on a potential 20 centimeters. 10. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Combine the flour, desiccated coconut, baking soda and sugar in a large bowl. Finely chop the crystallised fruit and add to the mix. Mix the whole eggs with the coconut fat. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks at the yolk mixture to the flour and fold in the stiffened egg whites Carefully use a little of the coconut milk to loosen the batter consistency if needed. The size of eggs and differences between brands of flour can make a difference. You are looking for a stiff but not dry consistency. Spoon into a lined cape Tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until firm unlikely. Go a knife into the center should come out. Lee. When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Whilst the cake is cooking, you can make the coconut cream combined the coconut milk, egg yolks and sugar on low heat. Whisk continuously until thick, then remove from the heat. Turnout cover and leave to cool a little, then refrigerate by covering this custody in this way, it will not form a skin. Whip the cream too stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate. When the cake is cool, remove it from the 10. Cut through with a large serrated knife to make two or three thin layers. - Combine the coconut cream and whipped green. Cut the cake layers into wedges and spoon mixture over. Decorate with soft fruit and sprigs of mint. Seven Immediately any excess cake can be frozen. It freezes well. 9. Wrap Up - Tropical Island: we hope you were inspired to vacation at home. Feel free to ask any questions. We're here to help. And if you'd like to post images, you can do so in student gallery. If you've enjoyed this class, be sure to head over to our Web site, where you can download a free, fully illustrated E booklet with some bonus tropical dishes. Thanks for watching and hope to see you vacationing soon.