A Caribbean Cook Out Party Menu

A Caribbean Cook Out Party MenuSimple, Fun, Frugal, and Delicious!

This Summer Cook Out menu is simple, fun, and frugal and very delicious. It is guaranteed to be a hit!

Menu: Cuban Black Bean Dip

Jerk Chicken Kabobs on the grill

Caribbean Rice

Chopped Tropical Fruit

Beverages: Red Stripe Beer and/or

Pineapple smoothies

Cuban Black Bean Dip - One 16 oz can of black beans, 2 tbs of chopped red onion, 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar, 1 tbs fresh orange juice, 1 med clove crushed garlic.

Drain and rinse beans. In a blender or mini food processor, combine all ingredients and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with the sturdy chip or veggie of your choice.

Jerk Chicken Kabobs - Use chicken thigh meat (cheaper and more tender on the grill).

Fillet the thigh meat off of the bone into chunks that can be skewered later. Place the chicken thigh meat into a Jerk Chicken marinade and let sit for at least 3 hours or just make the day before and let marinate over night. Estimate two thighs worth of meat per person.

Marinade: To keep it simple, use Lowry's ready -in -the bottle Jerk marinade. OR buy dry jerk seasoning and add two or three TBS to half a cup of any kind of citrus juice (lemon, lime, OJ etc...)If you can't find Jerk seasoning; use 2 tbs of all spice,1 tbs of thyme, and ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper.

Skewer the marinated chicken meat with some chunks of colorful bell pepper and onion and then grill.

Caribbean Rice: Buy two packs of Uncle Ben's microwavable Southwest rice. This blend has black beans and corn in it. You just snip the tops of the bags off and microwave for 90 seconds!! When it is done, pour it into a serving dish and stir in ½ cup of some mango chutney from a jar (any brand). Walla! Fancy Caribbean rice! (Serves 4)

Tropical chopped fruit:

Instead of a green salad, serve a simple fruit salad of chopped tropical fruit. To keep it frugal, chop the fruit yourself. Buy the ripest pineapple, Mango, Papaya and or Banana you can find. Chop and serve. The only warning I would offer from experience with this menu is that if you are going to eat it outside, you might want to serve the fruit as an appetizer with tooth picks inside. The fresh cut fruit will attract stinging insects. : )

Pineapple fruit smoothies: Blend pineapple, banana, and pineapple (or orange) sherbet with sprite or any clear soda. Yum!

By Kathy Kline Danner

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