Marinate Your Meat With Guava for Maximum Flavour

You know that traditional saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, that should actually be, “A guava a season keeps the doctor away all year”. Guava is highly rich in Vitamins A, B and C, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium that strengthen your immune system and regulate your blood pressure. Guava is not only healthy, but it’s damn right delicious, too. Farah Shaikh from Foods for Better Health describes the fruit as, “a combination of pear and strawberry”. There’s no need to feel guilty about adding this tropical fruit to your daily diet.

Guava is a round- or pear-shaped tropical fruit that is usually light green, maroon or yellow in colour. It contains many hard seeds, which are safe to eat, or can be scooped away to enjoy the flesh of the fruit alone. But all don’t look the same inside—the meat is usually pink or off-white in colour. Common types grown in Trinidad are apple guava, strawberry guava, yellow-fruit cherry guava and red apple guava.

The health benefits of guava compile together to form quite an extensive list. Guava is one of the best weight loss snacks as it has no cholesterol or fat. It’s also low in carbs but high in fiber, which keeps you full for longer. Guavas contain less raw sugars than apples and grapes. Its high source of Vitamin A helps improve vision health and can even slow down the appearance of cataracts. Guava contains up to four times the amount of Vitamin C of one orange. The raw fruit contains an astringent that helps with digestive and bowl issues such and diarrhea and constipation. These astringents are alkaline in nature and contain anti-bacterial and disinfectant properties— that’s why fresh juice made from unripe guavas can help treat colds and coughs. It is also known to improve thyroid health since it’s high in copper, which is very important for hormone production and regulation.

To make these chicken skewers, you’ll need guava paste—and what better way to make it than at home? Fresh guava paste takes minutes to prepare and it’s one of the best ways to use up ripe or overripe guavas. Add as little or as much sugar as you’d like. Any leftovers can be smeared on a slice of toast as an alternative to store-bought jams that are packed with sugars and preservatives. Save this recipe—in the future, you can switch out guava for other fruits, like apples, pears or berries, to make different flavors of jam.

GUAVA PASTE

AUTHOR: Chef Chelsae-Marie Lee Kong

CATEGORY: Condiments

DIFFICULTY: Beginner

YIELDS: 1 Serving

COOK TIME: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

•  8 guavas, ripe 
• ½ cup water 
• ¼ cup sugar (less or more, to taste) 
• ½ lime, juiced

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash guavas thoroughly and slice in half crosswise.
2. Place into a pot over medium heat with water and sugar.
3. Cook until the guavas are soft and then, place mixture into a blender and pulse until smooth.
4. Pass blended mixture through a sieve or fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.
5. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH SWEET AND SOUR GUAVA-SOY SAUCE

Choose any protein—chicken, steak, sausages, shrimp, tofu, or mushrooms, if you’re vegan— based on preference and availability. This recipe is very flexible, so go ahead and add all your favorite vegetables, or be a little adventurous and add pineapple cubes. If using bamboo skewers soak them in water for 5 minutes, so they don’t burn while grilling or baking. *Guava paste can be substituted for guava jam in both recipes. Heat the jam to melt it.

AUTHOR: Chef Chelsae-Marie Lee Kong

CATEGORY: Dinner

DIFFICULTY: Intermediate

YIELDS: 1 Serving

PREP TIME: 2 hrs

COOK TIME: 30 mins

TOTAL TIME: 2 hrs 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

•  1 pound chicken breast, skinless or boneless, or choice of protein 
• 3 large sweet peppers 
• 1 large red onion
•  8 metal or bamboo skewers 
• Salt and black pepper to taste 
• 2 limes, zested 
• 1 pound chicken wings or legs, thawed
• For the guava-soy sauce:
  •  ¼ cup light soy sauce or coconut aminos
  •  ¾ cup guava paste*  
  • 2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil 
  • ¼ cup water
  •  3 cloves garlic, grated 
  • 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
  •  1 ½ tablespoons white rice vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut chicken (or your choice of protein) and vegetables into similar-sized cubes and place in separate bowls. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce.
3. Pour a little marinade over the chicken and mix until all pieces are coated evenly.
4. Cover the chicken and place in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Evenly thread the chicken and vegetables onto the skewers. 
6. Heat grill to high, or preheat oven to 400°F.
7. Place skewers on grill, turning occasionally until protein is fully cooked, about 10 to 12 minutes. If you’re baking the skewers, cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. In a small sauce pan over high heat, bring the remaining marinade to a boil and serve as a dipping sauce for the hot skewers.
9. Garnish with sesame seeds, chives or chili flakes.