The Recipe to a Bahamas Vacation

Conch, Mahi, Snapper and Kalik!

Although I’ve been enjoying my vegetarian winter,
I knew our recent Bahamas vacation might change that.
On our first day in Great Guana Cay- I succumbed to a Blackened Mahi sandwich, brushed with tartar sauce and a sqeeze of fresh lime, then piled high with paper thin sweet onion slices, tomato and lettuce, served with ‘Peas and Rice’. The pea looks like is a version of our black bean- called a pigeon pea, and the rice is dirty and delicious- simmered with peppers, onion, tomato, broth, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and Worstershire sauce. Every meal seemed to taste good with a Kalik-or two- the local brew!

Despite the swimming, snorkeling, beach walks and an occasional run around the island, I managed to eat (and drink!) my way through vacation. Plump and flavorful avocados with fresh lime and salt…spicy conch chowder at Nipper’s…an over the top rum punch from the Tiki Bar…coconut marinated conch and a cheesy smoked fish dip at Cracker P’s…each meal folded into the next.

Here’s the scene...

Damian, my world explorer (now dubbed travel agent husband- how lucky am I?) organized the trip from take off to landing, and everything in between. We traveled with two other couples, so we split the cost of an otherwise rather elaborate week in the Islands. Damian scouted around the internet to find Key Lime Cottage- a picture perfect house on the Island of Great Guana Cay, with access to the bay or ocean, from which we explored by boat, on foot or in our rented golf carts. Fresh air from sunrise to sunset is good for the soul, and when we were not island hopping, we were immersed in great conversation, an intriguing romance novel, a lazy nap in the sun…or a sunset bottle of wine on the dock. (confession: all 6 of us happen to be entrepreneurs and business owners, so I admit to some laptop activity)

Now, onto the food highlights of the islands!

- Conch..on every menu- fried, stewed, grilled or sautéed. Here is a recipe I garnered from a bartender at a local outdoor bar:

- Grilled Conch: tomato, onion, pepper, potato or plantain, conch, butter, salt and black pepper, fresh lime and orange juice. Wrap it all in foil, seal it well, and toss it on the grill for about 10 minutes.

- Hot Sauce…every restaurateur had their own version of the spicy sauce- self bottled and on the table for dousing whatever you were eating. I loved it on the Peas and Rice.

- Fish of the Day! - my favorite was a pan fried grouper I ordered our first night there, which was smothered in tomato sauce that was slightly sweet and spicy at the same time. Melt in your mouth amazing.

- Lobster Kabob- meaty chunks of lobster (what Damian calls Crayfish in South Africa), pineapple, peppers, onion and yellow squash grilled to perfection, and served with melted butter and fresh lime slices.

- Fish Reuben..Lavishly blackened snapper, plenty of Swiss cheese, the perfect layer of sauerkraut, thickly sliced bread toasted then grilled, and the sauce on the side paired with a huge pile of fries I doused with ketchup and lots of salt- washed down by several Kalik beers.

Almost every meal was eaten outside, by the water, with plenty of locals to flavor the scene. Our most memorable stop was Captain P’s, where carefree sun kissed travelers in beach wraps and t-shirts spent the afternoon eating and drinking the local fare- joined by 6 Michiganders! This is a vacation I would absolutely do again- now, back to Monday morning in Michigan- snow and bare trees- with a renewed attitude and a healthy glow from our Bahamas vacation!