Healthy Caribbean Recipes

Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish of meat, peppers and onions. Literally translated it means "old clothes," a reference to the colorful pieces of red and yellow peppers and tomatoes in the dish. Garnish this slow-cooker Ropa Vieja with additional fresh oregano leaves, if desired.

Chunks of hard salami add a salty-tangy edge and toothsome texture to Puerto Rican mofongo dressing. Serve this savory stuffing along with turkey and the rest of your Thanksgiving spread.

Sofrito is a flavorful cooking base for all sorts of dishes. It has countless variations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This Puerto Rican sofrito contains tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro. Make a batch to use for flavoring rice, stews and much more. Try it in Mofongo Dressing for Thanksgiving (see Associated Recipes).

These slow-cooker beans are super flavorful and tender. To save time, process the garlic cloves in a small food processor instead of mincing them by hand. You can also make this a day ahead and refrigerate overnight to give the flavors more time to mingle. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

Ground beef cooked with tomatoes and briny olives can be found all over Latin America. This is a favorite Cuban variation served over plantains, starchy vegetables that look like giant bananas. You can also serve the picadillo over rice or potatoes, so this easy dinner recipe is versatile too.

In Cuba, lechon asado (roast pork) is marinated in mojo, a citrus-herb sauce. In this Instant-Pot pork recipe, the pressure cooker infuses similar flavor into pork shoulder. No pressure cooker? Braise the meat in a large pot in a 300 degrees F oven for 4 to 5 hours.

This Cuban-inspired fish-and-tomato salsa medley makes a healthy, summer-fresh diabetic meal any time of year. The swordfish steaks are full of lime and cumin flavor and make the perfect partner for a zesty tomato, tomatillo, and avocado salsa.

This bean and pork stew recipe, spiced with peppery sweet ginger and piquant cumin, is rich in soluble fiber, which helps protect against heart disease.

Mango, bell peppers, and black beans combine with whole-wheat couscous in this Caribbean-inspired grain salad. The ginger-lime dressing has a touch of cayenne pepper and provides just the right amount of zing!

This one-pot chicken dinner, inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, comes together easily in the crock pot. The instant brown rice is added near the end, to keep it from overcooking.

Just close your eyes and let each bite of these passion fruit- and citrus-flavored grilled beef skewers transport you to the islands.

Floribbean dishes often use a lot of peppers, but their spiciness is moderated by gentle flavors such as key lime, mango, almond or honey. The ribs in this recipe are flavored with a spicy-sweet mango sauce and served up with a fresh grilled pineapple salsa that's chock-full of high-in-fiber black-eyed peas.

Unlike many black bean soups, this one is pepper-packed and leaves the beans intact for a more interesting texture. It's equally delicious served on its own or over rice.

Pickapeppa sauce is a tart-sweet, slightly hot seasoning sauce from Jamaica. Along with fruit nectar and mint, the Pickapeppa sauce does a great job of flavoring the marinade for the steak in this dinner recipe.

The chicken in this low-calorie dinner is brushed with lemon juice and sprinkled with a garlic, jerk and thyme seasoning mixture. You can save time by substituting 4 teaspoons of bottled minced garlic for the cloves in the rub. The recipe calls for an indoor electric grill but we also show instructions for broiling and outside grilling.

This easy, slow-cooker recipe will have you planning a trip to the islands. Moist, Jamaican-jerk chicken thighs, hearty black beans, tropical pineapple and a hint of jalapeño are served up over brown rice for a truly tasty and satisfying meal.

Forget burgers--for your next barbecue, consider grilling up these jerk-seasoned turkey tenderloins served with a thick honey-orange glaze.

For something different at your next barbecue, try these island-inspired ham skewers. Loaded with fruit, peppers, red onion and zucchini, and brushed with a spicy brown sugar-coffee mixture, they are a nice alternative to steak and chicken kebabs.

This isn't your typical Tiramisu--with pineapple, banana, kiwi and coconut, we've given this Italian-inspired dessert a tropical island makeover!

A delicious marinade of cilantro, orange juice and jerk seasoning provides incredible flavor to the sirloin steak in this beef skewer recipe. The kebabs are threaded with alternating pieces of onion, beef and orange wedges so there's a spicy-sweet kick in each bite.