Belize is comprised of many different cultures and cultural influences, from Mayan to African to Amish. The main culture of the region we visited is Garifuna, descendants of Carib Indians and Black Africans originally from the island of St. Vincent. This dish, pictured below, is called Hudut and is their most popular. The fish is caught fresh each day, and is simmered in a coconut “gravy” with aromatics. It is served with mashed plantains and sweet potatoes and is really delicious.

Hudut

We also spent lots of time staring at the sea and drinking tropical concoctions, like this blended pineapple drink:

On our way to visit the Mayan ruins of Xunatunich, near the Guatemalan border, we stopped in a town called St. Ignacio. This town is second in size only to Belize City, and is a mix of Creole, Mestizo, Chinese, Mennonite and more. Their most famous local dish is called beansandricechickenandsalad (said like it is one word), and we stopped at a great place called Benny’s to enjoy ours.

It came with this watermelon drink, which is simply watermelon thrown into the blender. It was perfectly refreshing, and such a welcome change from the idea of sugary sodas popular here.  We couldn’t get enough of it.

I would definitely recommend Belize if you haven’t already been. It is simply beautiful, and rich with cultural and natural beauties.  There are jungle preserves to explore, caves to spelunker, coastline to enjoy and of course the best scuba and snorkeling in the world. Or, if you are like me and want to stare into the blue sea for an entire day, that works too.  Just pack LOTS of sunscreen, and don’t trust your husband when he tells you that you can’t get burned in the shade!

Since I saw you last I have been cooking up a storm from Plenty, the latest cookbook from London chef Ottolenghi. The recipes are all vegetarian, but they are designed to be filling and hearty and attractive to carnivores as well.  This salad would be an excellent accompaniment to anything, from fish to chicken to beef and pork. Quince are my new favorite fruit, and though they require some cooking time to make them easily edible, they are such a fragrant, delightful treat that I can’t resist any recipe that contains them.

One caveat: quince are only in season through February, and may be hard to find if your grocery store doesn’t have them. We get ours from our CSA, and I just got these last week so I know there are still some out there. Many people actually have quince trees and don’t have any idea what to do with the fruit. Friend one of these people, and “help” take some off their hands.

Quince and Sweet Gorgonzola Salad
From Plenty
Serves 4

1 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 black peppercorns
4 strips orange zest
2 bay leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup red wine
2 medium quinces
1 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
4 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups mixed greens
4-5 ounces sweet gorgonzola
1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted, some whole and some roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 275. Take a medium-sized heavy pan that can go in the oven and for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Place inside the water, sugar, peppercorns, orange zest, bay leaves, lemon juice and red wine. Set on the stove and bring to a light simmer. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from heat.

Meanwhile, peel the quinces; keep the skin. Cut the fruit vertically into quarters and remove the core; keep this too. Cut each quarter into two segments. Place the quince segments, plus the skin and cores, in the sugar syrup. Cover the pan and put it into the over to cook for about two hours. After this time the quince should be completely tender. Remove from over and leave to cool, uncovered.

Whisk together until smooth the mustard, vinegar, 4tbs of the quince cooking liquid, 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper.

To finish the salad, place some salad leaves on 4 serving plates. Arrange four quince sergments per portion and some hand-broken pieces of gorgonzola on the leaves. Try to build the salad up. Place a few more leaves on top. Spoon the dressing over and scatter over the pistachios. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil. Alternatively, arrange similarly in a large central mixing bowl and bring to the table.

Sadly, I don’t have any pictures to share of the mustard (computer issue, I won’t bore you with the details). So instead I will share a photo of Robyn and I and the fun we have been having this season, and you will just have to trust me that this mustard  is really, really good. Slather it on pork or chicken and roast away. Or add it to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, or serve with crackers and an kind of cheese.  Once you see how easy it is to make your own fresh mustard, you might never want to buy the supermarket stuff again.

Whole-Grain Mustard with Roasted Garlic and Maple
From Cooking.com
Yields about 8 cups

2 1/4 cups  whole yellow mustard seeds (see Tip)
3/4 cup  whole brown mustard seeds (see Tip)
2 1/2 cups  cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups  water, plus more as needed
1 head  garlic
1 teaspoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup  pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons  salt

Combine yellow and brown mustard seeds, vinegar and 1 1/2 cups water in a large bowl; cover and let stand at room temperature until the liquid is mostly absorbed, at least 6 hours (or up to 24 hours).

About an hour before you’re ready to make mustard, preheat oven to 400°F. Rub off the excess papery skin from garlic without separating the cloves. Slice the tip off the head, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with oil and wrap into a package. Place the package directly on the oven rack and roast until the garlic is very soft, 40 minutes to 1 hour.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze half of the cloves out of their skins into a blender. Add half of the mustard seed mixture and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary and adding water by the tablespoon as needed to facilitate the blending, until some of the seeds are coarsely chopped and the mixture looks like grainy mustard. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining roasted garlic and mustard mixture and add to the bowl. Stir in maple syrup and salt.

Spoon the mustard into airtight containers and refrigerate.

This recipe suffered the same fate (there is no picture of the final product after it cooks), but at least I captured some of the journey. I have to say that this is the best pork I have ever had. Who knew pork and quince were such a perfect marriage? The fruit, which has such a lovely fragrance, perfumes the meat and so every bite is heaven. I have made this before without the quince and just used apples in their place, but I promise you the quince knocks this out of the park. I found fresh quince at my local market in Seattle, and it is really worth the trouble to find. Here is what it looks like:

When I came back from Normandy last month, all I wanted was apples and cider and things that reminded me of Norman fall. I love to use cider to braise pork, and this recipe is just a riff on one that I make every year with Washington apples when they are at their freshest. Serve with mashed potatoes and a good Norman hard cider, and this is the perfect Autumnal meal.

Slow-roasted Pork with Apple Cider and Quince
Adapted from Gourment

4-lb pork shoulder
1 large onion, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 large apple
2 medium quince
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh thyme
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups unfiltered apple cider
salt and pepper

Serves 4-6

Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat on all sides, turning occasionally. Transfer pork to plate.

Add onions to pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic,  3/4 teaspoon salt,  and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more. Add the fresh thyme.

While the onions are carmelizing, peel and slice the apples and quince into 1/2-inch slices.

Return pork to pot with sliced fruit and onions, and add enough cider to cover pork about 2/3 of the way. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and braise pork in middle of oven until very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Transfer pork to a serving dish with the aid of tongs and carving fork. Boil cooking juices with onions until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 2 to 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and serve with pork.  Can also be made in the crock pot by following the same steps and adjusting the cooking time.

My friend Robyn and I managed to visit 10 different towns during our 2 weeks, a feat accomplished by the proximity of towns in Normandy that allowed us to visit more than a few per day. We ate Camembert in the town of Camembert, drank Calvados in the shadow of gnarled apple trees, and spotted more cows (in shades of taupe, gold, and crimson) per square meter than I have ever before seen.

This was my second time in Normandy, and I absolutely fell in love again: pastoral, bucolic, peaceful. Such a change from city life! And I love that much of small-town France still closes for lunch from 12-2pm, a reminder to me to relax and enjoy the slow pace of the day. I loved taking a long leisurely lunch, resting my tired feet, enjoying a cafe at the end of each meal. We managed to squeeze so much into each day, but never felt rushed or hurried.

eI will leave you with some pictures from the trip, since they really are the best explanation of a great trip. Merci for reading!

Á bientot!

Chicken Soup, North African Style
From Martha Stewart Living Cook Book
Serves 8

3 medium carrots
2 whole chicken breasts, split, bone in, skin removed
1 leek, white and pale-green parts, quartered lengthwise, well-washed
1 celery stalk cut into 1-inch lengths
3 sprigs flat leaf parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 whole canned tomatoes, drained, seeded and quartered
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup diced butternut squash
1 cup quick-cooking couscous
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
2 small zucchini, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
2 limes, cut into wedges

Halve one carrot; place in stockpot. Add chicken, 2 quarts water, leek, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves and 1 tsp salt. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 1 hour; skim off any foam. Remove chicken. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard solids, reserving meat. Slice chicken into 1-inch strips and set aside.

Rinse pot; add stock back into pot. Set over medium-low heat; add pepper. Dice remaining carrots. Add carrots, tomatoes, cumin, ginger and squash; simmer over medium heat until tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to boil in a saucepan. Add couscous and remaining salt. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff. Stir in jalapeno and cilantro.

Add zucchini and chickpeas; cook until tender, 5 mins. Add chicken; simmer 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Place couscous in bowls; add hot soup; add cilantro sprigs and lime wedges. Serve hot.

I like this recipe because it ties together the end of summer: an abundance of herbs in the garden (literally) dying to be used, and the last of some of my favorite green  things from the farmers market.

The green veggies in their cooling water bath

The authors suggest serving this with some crumbled goat cheese which would be a nice addition, I think. The dressing is really a perfect, creamy match for the greens all on its own, though.

I’m sad to see the end of summer, but I do so love the fall. I’m heading back to France in just under 2 weeks, and fall is my favorite time to be there. Can’t wait to visit the cider makes and fromagers in Normandy, and I just love the air this time of year no matter where I am.

Green Vegetable Salad
From Home Made
Serves 4

3 cups of mixed green vegetables: fava beans, peas, snow peas, asparagus or a mixture thereof
2 ribs celery
1 cup mixed herbs like parsley, tarragon, mint, dill or any mixture of those

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbs finely chopped dill
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup hazelnut oil

Cut the long vegetables, such as asparagus or green beans, in half. Blanch all veg for 2 mins, in turn, in a pan with plenty of boiling water. Finish with the fava beans since they will color the water purple. Rinse everything immediately under cold running water. Mix the vegetables, stir in the herbs (reserve some for garnish) and toss with the dressing.

To make the dressing, thoroughly blend all ingredients except the oil. Lastly, beat in the oil in a think trickle.

Luckily for vegetarians there is protein in literally everything (it is one of the building blocks of nutrition, after all), and though I could talk about the excessive consumption of protein in this country that has helped lead to our obesity epidemic (1 in 3 Americans is now obese), I will simply say that quinoa is a quick and delish way of getting a complete plant-based protein. So goodbye tofu!

This is one of my fave quinoa recipes. You really do want to use fresh pineapple in this. You will need the juice from a fresh pineapple to use in the quinoa, and this does taste best if you make the quinoa itself a day ahead and let it sit overnight to absorb all the pineapple-y goodness. But, if you’re pressed for time and can’t wait so be it. It will still be good. And, though this dish is the bomb as-is, I also think it would be fantastic with some grilled shrimp or salmon on top. Just no tofu!

Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry
From Veganomicon
serves 4

Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 cup cold water
1/4 tsp soy sauce

Stir-Fry
4 oz unsalted cashews
3 tbs peanut oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 hot red chili, sliced into very thin rounds
1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen green peas or cooked edamame
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced  into thin shreds
2 tbs finely chopped mint
10 ounces fresh pineapple cut into bite-sized chunks
3 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs veg stock (or water)
1 tbs mirin
lime wedges for garnish

Prepare the quinoa first: Combine the quinoa ingredients in a medium pot. Cover, place over high heat, and bring to boil. Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 12-14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. After it has cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. If you’re in a hurry chill the quinoa for at least an hour. When ready to use, break up any chunks of the cold quinoa with a fork.

Prepare the stir-fry: Use the largest nonstick skillet you have or a wok. Have all of your ingredients chopped and easily within reach. Place the cashews in a dry pan and heat over low, stirring until lightly toasted  4-5 mins.

Remove the cashews from the pan, raise the heat to medium, and add the peanut oil, scallions, and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle add the sliced chile pepper and ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 mins, then add the bell pepper and peas. Cook another 3-4 mins, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil and mint, and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, veg stock and mirin. Pour over the stir-fry. Stir to incorporate completely and coat the quinoa. Continue to cook 10-14 minutes until the quinoa is very hot (note: I didn’t cook it more than another few minutes because I felt like it was done). Serve with lime wedges.

Remember how I tricked you with that amazing (raw, vegan) chocolate mousse? Well, I am back with another delish, healthy recipe that will fool your kiddos into thinking they are having a naughty treat. It’s all made in the blender, which makes this so easy it is criminal.

Ok, the secret to this amazing shake? Brazil nuts. They blend up nice and creamy, along with some good quality cocoa and some dates, and voila! Dave and I have been making this on hot days as our afternoon pick-me-up, and we still can’t get over the yum factor for something so healthy. One tip: this recipe required a really good blender (Vitamix, preferably), because this has to blend for a good long while. Make sure you get it nice and creamy, and you will be richly rewarded.

Vegan Chocolate Milkshake
From Healthy Blender Recipes

2/3 cup raw Brazil nuts
2  cups filtered water
1 cup ice
3 large frozen bananas
3 Tbsp raw cacao or carob powder
4-6 pitted dates
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch Celtic sea salt

Throw all ingredients into blender and whirl until smooth and creamy!

Where to find bamboo rice? I get it in bulk at my local market (Greenwood Market, if you are here in Seattle), but it can also be found from online purveyors and at Amazon.  I also like using different types of quinoa instead of rice in my stir-fry, or Bhutanese red rice, saffron rice, etc. There is a whole world of rice out there that you might not even know about, and it is fun trying out different kinds to see what you like.

I am giving you a basic recipe for what I made here, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. That’s the beauty of a stir-fry– you’re meant to just throw in whatever odds and ends you find languishing in your fridge. Of course you can add whatever meat or tofu you like, but I like mine with just vegetables, thank you very much.

Spicy Peanut and Coconut Vegetables with Bamboo Rice
From LaFemmeCooks
Serves 4

1 small head broccoli (or 1 bag frozen)
1 small onion
2 carrots, sliced into coins or matchsticks, whatever you like
1 container mushrooms, any variety
1 cup sliced purple cabbage
1 zucchini
1 cup celery, cut on the bias into one-inch pieces
3-4 leaves of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 red bell pepper
1 cup snow pea pods

Sauce:
1/2-1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 lime
1-2 tbs rice wine vinegar (add one, then test at the end for proper acidity and add more if needed)
1 tbs grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tbs chile sauce or sriracha (depending on how hot you like it)
1/4 cup each cilantro, mint and thai basil

Combine all ingredients for sauce in bowl. Heat vegetables over high heat, except snow peas. Cook about 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are al dente. Turn heat to medium and add snow peas and sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add more of the coconut milk if needed for desired consistency. You can serve this over rice, with a squeeze of lime, or I like to mix in the rice at this point so that it soaks up the sauce.