HAITI!

So we're going to haiti for dinner tonight...thanks to Dixie, orphanage director at GLA, for the recipe...she gave it to my mom, and i got it from mom :D


Rice and Red beans (haitian rice and beans)

12 oz can cooked kidney beans
3 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed/minced1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups long grain rice
2 whole cloves
1 green scotch bonnet pepper (opt)
1 thyme sprig
1 parsley sprig (opt)

Wash beans and drain.

Heat oil in a cast iron pot on med heat. Stir in garlic, onion, scallion, 2 tsp salt and black pepper for 2 minutes. Add and stir the cooked or canned beans and fry for 5 minutes until the beans are crisp. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cloves, stir, and boil until water evaporates. Lower heat, stir rice, and place the whole scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and parsley on top of rice. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove hot pepper, thyme, and parsley. Stir before serving.

Theres a red sauce for it, that i didn't make, but i will include the recipe in case you want to try it :)

red sauce

4 pieces of chicken
6 cups water
1 LARGE Tbsp mayo
2 cubes chicken boillion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 leek

Sauce:
1 cup broth from chix
green pepper, chopped small
onion, cut into rings
2 heaping TBSP tomato paste

cut 1 large green pepper or chop it into small pieces
slice one large onion and separate the rings.
boil 4 pieces of chicken in 6 cups of water to which you have added 1 Large TBSP mayo, 2 cubes of bouillion, 4 cloves of garlic crushed with 1 leek.

Remove chicken and cut it in bite size pieces. Save broth for the sauce.

In large pan over medium heat, add 1 cup broth, add the sliced green pepper.
Let this simmer until green pepper is starting to get soft. Then add about 2 heaping TBL spoons of tomato paste. Simmer over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Add onions and boil for 30 seconds and remove the pan from the burner. Onions will continue
to cook. Salt and pepper to taste.

sometimes i add cumin and sometimes i add a hot pepper to boil with the sauce and then remove when its finished.


I did not use a scotch bonnet pepper because i don't like the heat and there were no funds for one. I also added chicken after the rice and water boiled while it was simmering for 20 minutes.
I used long grain rice, none of this "Minute" stuff...had the "real deal" and it had to be used up.

Cloves smell wonderful, and remind me of christmas, by the way.

I use extra virgin olive oil, just to make it a tad healthier (or try...its the thought that counts, right?)

Also, i don't have a cast iron pot, so i used a stock pot and it works wonderfully :D

Almost stuffed peppers

Havent had much zest for life lately, been kinda depressed, however, i did make dinner tonight...i got the recipe from one of mom's cook books, i don't remember which...forgot to write it down. oops!

here's the recipe tho. turned out good.

1 lb ground beef
2 c water
1 14oz can diced tomatoes WITH JUICE
1 lg grn pepper, 1/4 in slices
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp italian seasoning
.5 tsp pepper
1.5 c uncooked instant rice

lg skillet, cook beef over med heat, drain, remove, set aside and keep warm. in same skillet combine water, tomatos and juice, grn pepper, onion and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until veggies are tender. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. let stand 5 min, stir in beef; return to heat and cook till heated through

next time, tho, i'll either use less onion (i only used 1/2) or i'll dice it up really small...i don't like eating onion. :D

so...

The thick-n-hearty chicken soup DIDN'T feed 6 people...it fed me and TJ. D was sick all day, he ate some soup I set out (chicken noodle) before I left for work - I put it out for him so he could find it...it was mine; didn't want him rummaging through my food supplies (hey...I like it organized). TJ asked for more "kick" in it next time, and a bit thinner. I must confess, I thought it wasn't thickening quick enough, so I added more flour :P oops. it (obviously) finally did thicken up.

Tonight I made food for just me...TJ ate leftover drip beef (see recipe from earlier this week) that we had at my folks' place on Sunday.

I made some quick rice and put butter, sugar and cinnamon on it...YUM!!!!! I'll have to go back for seconds :)

Still looking through crock-pot recipes, seeing what ingredients I have here to use, and what will have to wait till next month (the 12th) when I get to go food shopping again :D

TJ bought the meat (chicken legs) for tomorrow's dinner - he works at 5, so I have to have the food ready before then, so he can eat before work; he doesn't get off till like 2am, and doesn't have a chance to eat at work, so if I don't feed him, he gets hungry :(

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