Bahama Mama Brunch
by Christina Meyer-Jax, Tastemaker in Residence - Cocktail images excerpted from Beach Cocktails by the Editors of Coastal Living. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
I love cooking, but Mother’s Day is the one day I gladly trade in kitchen duty to my family. In traditional fashion my husband and kids will ask, “What would like for us to make?” This loaded question has had many answers over the years. Mostly because it’s my goal as a mom and nutritionist to have my kids learn how to plan and create healthy meals (they will eventually need to feed thyself without me, right?).
Each year’s request was based on an age-appropriate theme that I was decently confident they had the skills to pull off. The first few years consisted mainly of peanut butter honey toast, clementines, and coffee. Nothing fancy, but happily delivered to me Mother’s Day morning with sticky fingers and milk moustaches.
Fast forward and I have two teenagers who are excited to execute this year’s request…a “Bahama Style Brunch”! Our family traveled to a small island in the Caribbean last year that had somewhat limited grocery selections depending on the day. One morning we pulled together what was available and created what has now become our favorite brunch menus.
The Bahamian Breakfast Burrito recipe below can be adjusted in quantity and spiciness. You can add extra veggies if you like and typically I will make extras of the rice and beans for workday lunch plan-overs.
The Goombay Smash recipe is an outer Bahamian island favorite that can be made with or without rum depending on what the rest of your Mother’s Day plans might be. I hope for sunshine, a deck chair, and a dishes free day! We deserve it Mama’s!
Look for more great tips on "How to Give Mom a day at the beach without leaving your home.”
Bahamian Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients (adjust quantities as needed)
Cooked Rice
Canned Black Beans
Jamaican or Cajun Seasoning Blend (choose which flavor profile you like best)
Scrambled Eggs
Shredded Colby Jack cheese (optional)
Tortilla (I use whole corn flour)
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions. Towards the end of cooking add black beans (rinsed and drained) to rice pot.
- Add and stir in with rice/beans seasoning mix to taste (level of flavor and spiciness that mom prefers).
- Put tortillas on a pan in the oven until slightly warm.
- Scramble eggs
- Place a tortilla on a plate. Add a scoop of rice/bean mix to center of tortilla. Add a scoop of eggs on top of rice/beans.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top (optional) and fold over into a burrito.
- Serve with a side of pineapple slices!
Goombay Smash Recipe
Excerpted from Beach Cocktails by the Editors of Coastal Living. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Nearly every drink menu in the Bahamas offers a Goombay Smash, though the drink varies from bar to bar. That’s because Miss Emily, of Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar, created the drink in the 1960s, and kept her recipe top secret. Legends say that Emily would prepare gallon-sized batches of the drink, so when customers would order it, they couldn’t glimpse the recipe being made at the bar.
Ingredients
Serves 8
2/3 cup (about 6 ounces) apricot brandy
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) coconut rum
2 1/4 cups (18 ounces) dark rum
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
Garnishes: maraschino cherries, Orange wedges
Instructions
- Combine the brandy, coconut rum, 1 1⁄4 cups of the dark rum, and pineapple juice in a 1-gallon container.
- Pour about 1 1⁄2 cups pineapple juice mixture into ice-filled Collins glasses. Top off each serving with 2 tablespoons dark rum. Garnish, if desired.
