Image via Complex Original
When it comes to the peak of summer, it’s necessary to keep cool in every way, shape, and form. And this includes what you eat. Whether it’s with a little spice or a refreshing fruit, we’re doing as the locals do and following our tropical instinct. From spicy pineapple chicken stir fry to coconut-lime tacos, we’ve compiled ten essential tropical recipes you should know. Not only will they make your taste buds sing but the number of brownie points you’ll earn is out of the park. It’s time to work some of your kitchen magic.
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Grilled Tomatillo and Pineapple Salsa
We decided to up the smokiness by grilling the tomatillos and the onion briefly, and to cut back on the heat by reducing the amount of chipotles in adobo. Get the recipe on Food52.
Scallion and Coconut Rice With Pork
A fragrant, almost one-pot meal with just the right amount of sweet and salty. Get the recipe on Food52.
Roberto Santibañez' Classic Guacamole
We crushed only enough of the avocado to warrant it consideration as a dip rather than a salad, but left the rest of the cubes intact, bathing them in the vividly flavored chile sauce. Get the recipe on Food52.
Paloma
Some cocktails are like air-conditioning, but the Paloma isn't one of them. Rather, it makes you feel like you were born and raised in the tropics: You'll still be hot, but you'll revel in the heat. Get the recipe on Food52.
Mango Rice With Mustard
This dish is vibrant and balanced, with tartness from the mango, pungency from the mustard, and heat from the Serrano chilis. If you taste it and find the mustard seed overwhelming, you can mellow it by adding another pat of butter. Get the recipe on Food52.
Coconut-Lime Pork Tacos With Black Beans and Avocado
A serious, toasted spice blend gives these tacos another dimension, and the lime and pineapple juices another still. Then everything gets tempered in a cloak of creamy coconut milk. Get the recipe on Food52.
Cambodian-Style Spring Rolls
The shrimp are poached in a flavorful broth that includes the mango peel! The cooked shrimp, as well as the fruit of the mango itself, go into a bright filling that is spooned into rice paper wrappers. Get the recipe on Food52.
Piña Colada
We found that a combination of coconut milk and cream of coconut produced the right blend of sweetness and creaminess. Get the recipe on Food52.
Avocado Toast
This is the best food, ever. We like to use thick slices of bread and smash on a fat layer of avocado, so you get contrast between the crunch of toast, the soft innards of the bread, and the creamy avocado. Get the recipe on Food52.
Spicy Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
This is as easy as a weeknight meal gets. You are basically making a one-minute marinade in the blender (of course you can use canned pineapple, why did you even ask me?) and then chopping up some chicken breast. Get the recipe on Food52.
