Caribbean Marinade

One of my signature marinades ~ Caribbean Marinade is packed full of intense flavor.

What I would like to share with you is my Caribbean Marinade. It is one of the group of sauces and marinades I created and had hopes to bring to the masses. It is a registered trademarked recipe. What's wonderful about this marinade is that it pairs so well with chicken, pork and any hearty fish such as swordfish. I made it in large batches by hand, using "Irradiated Spices" - McCormicks to be exact. But for this post I give you a single recipe version of the marinade.

Let me quickly explain what that [irradiated] means.  Irradiated spices go through a process that reduces the microbial counts. It destroys the potentially harmful microorganisms, bacteria or insects that would otherwise be harmful. The shelf life (kept refrigerated) is 6 months.

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup dried basil
• 2 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. hot curry powder

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Using a wire whisk, briskly incorporate all ingredients until well blended.

Yield: This recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Cost: approximately $3.34

 
Pour some over your chicken, poultry or fish and marinate for 20 minutes or longer. Any unused marinade should be refrigerated. Put in a container and make sure it is sealed with a lid.

And Caribbean Marinade is made with common spices you have in your pantry. The only one you may not have is the Hot Madras Curry Powder which is so dynamite in this marinade and readily available in the McCormick Spices at your grocery store.

One of the hot items on my menu was the Caribbean Chicken Wrap Sandwich. It's easy to make. You could use either fresh mango or frozen mango that has been thawed out.

• Boneless/skinless chicken breast
• Sliced Mango
• Monterrey Jack cheese
• Wraps - any flavor

1. After marinating the chicken, grill it over medium low heat until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can do this on an outdoor grill, a grill pan or in a non-stick skillet.
2. When the temperature is at 160 degrees, top the chicken with some Monterrey Jack cheese, cover and let it melt over the chicken. By this time the temperature should be close or at 165 degrees.
3. Slice the chicken (after resting) at a 45 degree angle. Place in a wrap with slices of mango and roll up.