Belizean Dinner

One of my favourite holidays ever was a two-week getaway to Belize. Just East of Guatemala with several cayes off the mainland’s coast, it offered white sandy beaches, lush rainforests and magical ruins.

The first five days, my partner and I stayed in Tobacco Caye, which is a small island on the Belize Barrier Reef 40 minutes from the Dangriga on the mainland. The island was an idyllic setting for a beach getaway, with palm trees swaying softly as a cool breeze off the tranquil waters blow in.

The caye had about 20 huts, most of which were part of lodges that offered scuba diving excursions and accommodations. We stayed at Lana’s on the Reef, a small bed and breakfast owned by Miss Lana.

Lana lived in the downstairs flat of the two-storey building with her husband, and rented out the two bedrooms upstairs and one more on the ground floor. A sprightly, energetic woman, Lana cooked us three hot meals a day for a mere $40 per day – including lodging. She served some of the best meals I have ever eaten.

Given the proximity to the ocean, we mostly ate fish – which were extremely fresh. It almost always was served up with a wonderful blend of coconut rice and beans.

I crave Lana’s fish and rice whenever I think about Belize and given that it’s still winter in NYC, it would be a nice treat to re-create this culinary treasure from the Caribbean and think of warmer days ahead. Although nothing will ever taste the same as Lana’s cooking, the recipes below come close.

If you’re looking to save, I suggest going to a neighbourhoods with a large Caribbean population. If you’re in the NYC area, take a trip to Brooklyn’s Crown Heights and take a stroll down Nostrand Ave. You will find all the ingredients you need there.

Belizean Beans and Rice (with slight alteration. For unaltered recipe go HERE)

•    1 cup red kidney beans
•    1 cup thick coconut milk
•    1 garlic clove (optional)
•    salt and pepper
•    2 cups rice
•    1 onion, sliced
•    1 piece of salt (cured) meat (cut into small pieces) – a cured hamhock works, too
•    3 ½  cups water

Soften the beans by soaking them with the garlic in about a cup and a half of water. Boil the beans in the same water they were soaking in for about 20-25 minutes. Add the cured meat, coconut milk, onion and seasonings. Add the rice and the rest of the water. Simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. (If it begins to dry out before the rice is cooked, add water in small increments as if you were cooking risotto.) When done, fluff gently with fork and serve with the dish below.

Fish Serre (a traditional Garifuna dish)

•    2 oz salt/cured meat
•    Salt and pepper (to taste)
•    1 large coconut, grated
•    1 pepper, chopped
•    2-3 fish fillets (I suggest a snapper or skipjack tuna)
•    ½ tsp thyme
•    1 small carrot, diced
•    Lime
•    1 green plantain

Boil salt beef in 2 cups water until tender. Clean fish, wash with lime juice or vinegar. Cut each fish in serving pieces and season with salt and pepper. Grate coconut. Add 2 cups water and squeeze to get thick milk; set aside. Prepare vegetables; cover and set aside. Put milk in sauce pan and stir constantly until milk reaches boiling point. Add salt meat, onion and plantain. Cook until tender. Add carrots and fish. Simmer until fish is tender. Taste for seasoning.

Eating Cheap Doesn't Have to be Bad

Before the economic downturn hit full force, I was able to satisfy my craving for exotic foods and travels by visiting different countries and indulging in their local cuisine. Now that my household income has gone down by two-thirds, getting to know a culture by eating their food first-hand with the locals is no longer an option.

Still, that doesn’t mean you or I can’t enjoy worldly cuisines merely because we can’t afford to leave the country. First off, there are various cuisines within different regions of the U.S. that are open for tasting and, if you live in a large metropolitan area in the U.S., you’ll most likely be able to find culinary delights from other countries within your city — you just have to know where to look.

As an added bonus, far-flung or ethnic neighbourhoods tend to have cheaper prices than the downtown equivalents!

Check back often to get fun (cheap!) recipes to try, restaurant deals and other tips on how to eat well on a budget.