The following are some of our favorite recipes gathered during our Bahamian adventure that we hope you will enjoy!

Los Escapados (Los Es) Bread

4 c. Flour
2 T Powdered Milk
1 t salt
2 T oil
1 cup water
1 1/2  t  yeast
1 T honey
3 T warm water

Mix the flour, powdered milk and salt.  Add the oil to mixture.  Combine the yeast, honey and warm water and let foam.  Combine flour mixture with yeast mixture and add 1 cup of water.  Knead dough with flour until dough is not sticky but smooth.  Let dough rise until double in size.  Punch down dough and put into greased loaf pan and let rise again until doubled.  Bake for 10 minutes in 425 degree oven then reduce heat to 400 degrees for 10 additional minutes.

Peas and Rice

Taken from The Exuma Guide

2 oz. salt pork
2 T olive oil
3 c. white or brown rice
tea kettle of hot water
large onion
16 oz. can of pigeon peas or 16 oz. hard pigeon peas
2 T tomato paste
fresh thyme
salt
2 T kitchen bouquet

Put on kettle of hot water and bring to boil.  As you are bowling water, dice onion and cut up salt pork into 1/4 inch cubes.  In large frying pan, saute onion and salt pork in olive oil until onion is fairly crisp.  Add rice.  Stir rice well until it becomes almost translucent (brown the rice).  In a separate bowl mix tomato paste, thyme (heavily season to taste) and kitchen bouquet.  Add 1/2 cup of hot water and stir.  Turn heat up on rice to high and fry for an additional minute, then add tomato paste mixture and stir.  Stir in pigeon peas  (if dry peas then peas must be soaked overnight and pre-cooked).  Pour in boiling water from the kettle until rice is just covered, bring to a boil and stir, reduce heat, cover and do not stir again.  Check water in pan every few minutes.  Take a tbs. of hot water and pour it on the rice, if it sizzles there is no water in pan and you must add just a little, no more than 1/4 cup at a time.  When rice is done to taste, uncover and simmer for five minutes.  Fluff rice with fork.  Eat heartily.

Cracked Conch

5-6 fresh cleaned conch
2 eggs
flour
oil
equal parts lime juice and water
salt, pepper

Clean fresh conch and pound with mallet until meat is flat and almost coming apart.  Soak meat in fresh lime juice and water for an hour.  Season flour with salt and pepper and beat eggs.  Dip conch meat into egg and then into flour mixture.  Drop into hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, until the conch is a golden brown.  Enjoy!

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Taken from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

One half of a 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1 13 3/4 cans artichoke hearts, drained and mashed
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drain all water from spinach.  Mix all ingredients and bake in greased casserole for 30-40 minutes.  Serve with butter crackers or bagel chips.

Shrimp with Rice

Taken from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

Two 6-ounce boxes Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice
2 lbs. shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
1 onion, diced and sauteed in 2 T. butter
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 10 3/4-ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
16 ounces grated cheddar cheese; reserve 1/2 cup for top
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/2 t dry mustard

Remove seasoning mix from rice, do not use.  Cook rice as directed on box.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix rice with remaining ingredients in a baking dish and sprinkle reserve cheese on top.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Sausage and Grits

Taken from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

1 c. uncooked grits
1 lb. ground sausage
1 onion chopped
2 4 1/2-ounce cans green chilies, chopped
8 T butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
10 dashes Tobasco
1 t paprika
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cook grits in 4 cups salted water until thick.  Saute sausage, breaking it into small pieces.  Saute onion in sausage fat; drain.  Add onion and chilies to sausage.  Add butter, eggs, cheese and Tobasco to grits.  Combine grits mixture with sausage mixture.  Pour into  a 13x9-inch casserole dish and garnish with additional small amounts of cheese, chilies, paprika, and parsley.  Bake for 1 hour.