Antillean Manatees, Belize

Saturday, August 31, 2002

We are not filing daily highlights on the weekends but we thought you'd enjoy some of Katie and Carbon's favorite Bedizen recipes. We had Stew Chicken and Black Beans for dinner tonight! They were both very good.

Also, now that we are experienced enough to collect reliable data we will begin to post Katie and Carbon's data beginning Monday. Be sure to refer to the Daily Data page over the next few weeks.

If you want a different perspective on our experience here, read Chris's journal.

Stew Chicken

2 whole chickens cut into pieces
2 balls red race
cup white vinegar
cup lime juice
cup Worcestershire sauce
2 large onions, sliced thin rings
2 sweet green peppers, sliced thin rings
salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into pieces and pour boiling water over to scald. Pour water off. Salt and pepper chicken. Add vinegar. Moisten race to make paste. Rub into chicken. Add lime juice, Worcestershire, onions and peppers. Work mixture with hands until all chicken is covered. Refrigerate for several hours. Remove chicken pieces and fry in 1 inch oil to brown. Pour off oil. Add sauce back on top of chicken, cover and stew for 1+ hour or until meat "falls off the bone".

Brazilian Black Beans (or Soup)

Begin soaking beans at least four hours prior to assembling
(I learned in Belize that you really don't need to soak beans first - it just takes more water and longer to cook and NEVER add salt until beans are tender - so move salt to just before adding Group A)
5-6 Servings

2 cups dried black beans
3.5 cups water or stock
2 teaspoons salt (this is a bit salty for me)

One preparation (not including bean cooking time)

A.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large chopped carrot
1 stalk chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons oil

B.
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and seeded
_ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon dry sherry
_ teaspoon black pepper
_ teaspoon red pepper
_ teaspoon fresh lime juice

Rinse beans, soak for several hours. Pour off water. Cover with water or stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 1 _ hours. Sauté group A, beginning with onions and garlic. If necessary, add a little water to the vegetables to steam them along. When everything seems just right, add group A to the beans and simmer over the very lowest heat possible. Add group B to the soup. Give it a stir, cover and relax for 10 minutes (have a beer). Return to the soup and look at it… make sure it suits you. If too thick - add water! Want it thicker? Puree some of it in a blender and return to the pot. Add a little red pepper to make it hotter. Serve with sour cream (ceramic lain preferred).

Black Cake Recipe

4 cups flour
1 1/4 pound butter (Wood and Danny)
6 eggs
3 cups Belize brown sugar
1 pint Balkan Stout
1/2 pint Camel Coloring
1 cup rum (probably more, but less than half a quart)
3 1/2 teaspoons of ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup molasses
1/4 cup golden syrup

This is a “best estimate” of proportions. Play around with it until you get it suited to your taste. I don’t really do the same way twice ;-) Preheat oven. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, put it all together. Put it in cake pans and bake until done at 365 degrees F or less. About an hour. Or try baking at 250 for hour and a half to 3 hours, depending on pans.

Coconut Rice

2 cans coconut milk
1 can water
1 can rice
pinch salt

Put all ingredients into large pot and bring slowly to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Adjust liquid to your taste – rice tends to differ. Potato Salad or Cole Slaw is usually served with this meal.

Cole Slaw

cabbage sliced very thin
3 carrots grated

Mixture of mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, little mustard and olive oil dressing. Mix together and serve chilled.
Potato Salad has a mayonnaise/mustard dressing, peas and carrots, onions and boiled eggs.