Belize Recipes

Beans & Rice

Ingredients
2 rice cooker cups of white long grain rice
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can red kidney beans with juice
1/2 can coconut milk (6 – 7 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch thyme
Water

Directions

1. Rinse and drain rice a few times.
2. Add half can of coconut milk to rice, and then add enough water so that liquid is to the #2 line for white rice.
3. Add minced bell pepper, onion, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of thyme to rice cooker bowl.
4. Stir in can of red kidney beans with the liquid. Make sure the rice is submerged.
5. Close rice cooker and start the cooking process.
6. When the time is up, taste for salt.

Source: Hangery Fork, by Shelly, http://hangryfork.com/recipes/vegetarian-belizean-kidney-beans-and-rice/

Stew Chicken

Ingredients
1 chicken, cut up, bone in
1 ball achiote paste

limes
1 small to medium onion
2 tablespoons oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pot)
4 tablespoons water, plus 4-6 cups to cover browned chicken
1 green bell pepper
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Directions

Mix the achiote paste with the vinegar and rub it all over the chicken pieces.
Put the pieces in a large bowl and add the Worchestershire.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Chop the onion, bell pepper and garlic and set aside.
Heat oil in dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add chicken pieces, brown both sides, 3-5 minutes per side.
Add water to the pot until it's just below the top of the chicken. Bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low and cover, maintaining the same gentle simmer.
Allow to simmer for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 2 hours. Be sure to check chicken periodically.

Sources:

Genius Kitchen, by GiddyUpGo, http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/stew-chicken-belize-476306

Belizenewspost.com, http://belizenewspost.com/stewed-chicken-with-recado/

Salbutes

Ingredients

Tortillas
290 g masa harina (2 cups)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp achiote paste or recado rojo, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
180 ml water (¾ cup)
1 litre cooking oil for frying

Topping
Stew chicken shredded

Picado
Red cabbage finely shredded
red onion very finely chopped
tomato finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped
Fresh lime juice
salt to taste
Red chili and jalapeño to taste

Directions

Tortillas
Place the masa harina and salt into a mixing bowl. Using your hands, rub the achiote water through the masa until it's no longer lumpy. Gradually add the water, mixing with your hand until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into either 12 or 24 pieces, then roll these into perfect balls. I've used the smaller size, as pictured. Flatten each ball between two pieces of plastic, using a tortilla press. I don't have a press so I used two plastic bags and a flat-bottomed saucepan, pressing down evenly to form 10 cm disc with a 3 mm thickness.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. When hot enough, drop 2 to 3 pastry discs into the oil and let it cook for about 2 minutes before flipping over. Drain well on kitchen towels as you cook the rest.

 

Picado
Measurements aren't all that necessary with the picado, as you can regulate the ratios as you please; depending on your tastes.
Simply toss all the pieced ingredients together and make sure the lime and salt flavour is well balanced.

To Assemble
Simply lay the fried tortillas on a plate or board, top with some of the shredded chicken, and make sure it's moistened well with the gravy. Top this with with the picado, then eat!

Source: heneedsfood.com, http://heneedsfood.com/recipe/belizean-salbutes/


Banana Daquiri
Makes 2

Ingredients
one yellow banana (sliced in half)

½ cup of coconut milk

2 ounces of white rum

¼ cup honey

the juice from half a lime

3 cups of ice

Directions

Blend until smooth.

Source: http://www.organicauthority.com/4-belize-cocktail-recipes-take-your-taste-buds-on-vacation/


Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Custard
2/3 Cups Sugar
2 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Corn Starch
3 Cups Grace Evaporated Milk
2 Egg Yolks (beaten)
1 tbsp Benjamins Vanilla Essence

Bread Mixture
1 ½ pk Sliced Bread
4 tbs Butter
1 Can Grace Condensed Milk
3 Cups Grace Evaporated Milk
1 tbsp Benjamins Vanilla Essence
1 tbsp Benjamins Nutmeg Extract
1 tbsp Benjamins Cinnamon Extract
1 egg (beaten)
2 cups Water

Topping
1½ tbs Malher Cinnamon Powder
1/3 cup Sugar

Directions

Custard

Heat pan on low. Add Sugar, stir in Flour, Corn Starch. Add Grace Evaporated Milk a cup at a time. Str continuously for 4-6 minutes until mixture thickens. Add Egg Yolk and Benjamin’s Vanilla. Stir for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

Bread Mixture

Place bread in a large bowl and break up in pieces. Add water and mix until bread is soft, add Grace Evaporated milk, Grace Condensed Milk, butter, Egg, Benjamin’s Nutmeg Extract, Benjamins Cinnamon Extract and Benjamins Vanilla Essence and stir well. 

Assembly

Layer Bread mixture into a 9” Baking Dish, put a layer of Custard, then a layer of Bread Mixture, another layer of Custard and then the remaining Bread Mixture.
Mix together Sugar and Cinnamon Powder and top off Bread Pudding
Place a Pan of Water in the bottom of the oven to prevent Custard filling from burning. Bake Bread Pudding at 375◦F for about 40 minutes or until firm and brown. 

Source: GraceKennedy (Belize) Ltd, by Sharon Gillet, https://www.gracekennedybelize.com/RECIPES/Recipe-List/Recipe-Details/ArticleId/378/Grace-Layered-Bread-Pudding