Tag Archives: Recipes

Belize, Food

Lotus Paste Doughnuts with Custard.

Munchkin.with.BagRecently, I have been having a craving for “Dunkin’ Donuts”; It may be a nostalgic feeling from my university days when I used to choose a different flavour each time to take home and enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

We managed to get a hold of a huge packet of lotus seed paste and Gnome and I have been diligently and conscientiously working through it as hard as we can.  I did an Internet search on recipes with lotus paste and only two main things came up: mochi balls and mooncake.  Well, we have been eating mochi balls like they have been going out of fashion (and loving it).  And, I would like to make the mooncake for the Mid-Autumn Festival which is the night of the full moon between early September and Early October (celebrated by Chinese).

So, I decided to mix things around and fulfill a doughnut craving at the same time.  Today. I made Lotus Paste Doughnuts:

Lotus Paste Doughnuts.
Lotus Paste Doughnuts.

I opted to make a yeasted dough without eggs and milk.  This gives a fluffier and lighter texture.  Also, I added very little sugar to the dough because I thought that the filling was sweet enough.

And, of course, we had to have ours with custard!!

Doughnuts in Custard.
Doughnuts in Custard.

Needless to say, I am no longer thinking of shop-bought doughnuts…if you are interested in my lower calorie doughnut recipe, check out Lotus Paste Doughnuts.

Belize, Food, Plants

Cantonese Gibnut with Taro.

Munchkin.Eating.BunGood Evening Everyone.  It has been a really drizzly day today so no farm things were accomplished.

We stayed indoors and continued eating left-overs from last night’s Chinese New Year extravaganza.

As promised, here are pictures of the Cantonese Gibut:

Finished Cantonese Gibnut.
Finished Cantonese Gibnut.

For anyone interested, the Gibnut is also known as a Paca which is a member of the genus Cuniculus of ground-dwelling, herbivorous rodents in South and Central America.

We cooked Taro, a type of ground root, as an accompaniment:

Sliced Taro.
Sliced Taro.

This tasty vegetable comes in different shades of purple and some are white.  We have a nice variety with purple flecks; once cooked, it becomes a uniform lilac.  It is an extremely glutinous vegetable which goes well with fatty meals.

This is what we had for Chinese New Year last night:

Sliced Cantonese Gibnut, Taro and Seasonal Vegetables.
Sliced Cantonese Gibnut, Taro and Seasonal Vegetables.

The Gibnut had the texture of suckling pig and it was extremely delicate tasting.  The meat was so tender that it melted in your mouth.  It was well worth the preparation (6 hour marinating and 6 hours cooking time).  Gnome says that he would consider it a “prized” meat like venison or wild boar.

Check out my recipe: Cantonese Gibnut.  It is flavoured with Chinese five spices, crushed star anise and orange peel.

Belize, Food, Plants

Spicy Sapodilla Sauce.

Munchkin.Eating.BunIt is the beginning of harvest time for Sapodilla fruit here in Belize.  We planted a whole orchard of this delectable fruit so we are expecting a bountiful crop this year.

Ripe Sapodilla Fruit.
Ripe Sapodilla Fruit.

The Sapodilla tree is widely known for the gummy latex which is obtained from the bark to make chicle.  The fruit have the texture of rough peaches and have a distinctive cinnamon taste.  Since we have so much of it, I have started to experiment with it.  So far, I have found that they have a similar consistency to tomatoes, so I am using them as a substitute.  Today I made Spicy Sapodilla Sauce with Pasta:

Spicy Sapodilla Sauce with Pasta.
Spicy Sapodilla Sauce with Pasta.

I used Seed Amaranth as a garnish because I thought that the sauce was a tad pale looking.  Don’t worry if you don’t have that…it was just to add a bit of colour.

Amaranth Plant on my Doorstep.
Amaranth Plant on my Doorstep.

I spiced up the sweet sauce with chilli peppers, onion and spring onions.  The result was a thumbs up from Munchkin and Gnome!  Watch out for more Sapodilla recipes…might try pizza next!

Belize, Food

Basmati Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shiitake Mushrooms.

Munchkin.with.BagI found a 20lb bag of Basmati rice in Belize City and I grabbed it off the shelf quick-smart!  Usually you can only find Basmati rice in pathetic little 400g (not even a full lb!) packets and it is enough for one measly meal.

So, today I cooked Basmati rice with Chinese Sausages and Shiitake mushrooms…you could say that it was Chinese-style.

Chinese Sausage with Basmati Rice.
Chinese Sausage with Basmati Rice.

Basmati rice has a lovely fragrant aroma.  It is so much better than the ubiquitous long grain rice which is found in Belize; I find this rice really gummy and starchy.

I will have more Basmati rice recipes in the future since I have to work through a 20lb bag!

Belize, Food

Tropical Italian Sauce with Roselle and Star Fruit.

Munchkin.Eating.BunSince we are in the Tropics it is great idea to use exotic fruits and vegetables in an Italian sauce.  In this recipe, I have added starfruit, roselle (sorrel) and malabar spinach.

Sliced Starfruit.
Sliced Starfruit.
Sorrel Plant with Flowers.
Sorrel Plant with Flowers.

Here is the yummy Tropical Italian Sauce with Pasta…

Tropical Italian Pasta.
Tropical Italian Pasta.

It tastes great and is really easy to make.  For the full recipe click on this link: Tropical Italian Pasta.

Ok guys, have a great Monday and hope you are all eating something yummy for dinner!!

Belize, Food

Corn Cous Cous with Pastrami and Olives.

Munchkin.Eating.Bun.SmileAs a follow up from my previous post about Corn Cous Cous, I have yet another recipe for you to read about.  This one is cooked with onions, pastrami, olives and fresh tomatoes.

Corn Cous Cous Italian Style.
Corn Cous Cous Italian Style.

This delicious recipe is really simple to cook. It is gluten-free so it makes a great alternative to wheat cous cous.   For more details click on my link to Corn Cous Cous Italian Style.

Belize, Food, Medical Related

Munchkin's Continuous Cauldron of Soup!

Munchkin.Eating.BunThis is a technique I have developed which allows you to have a continuous soup over a long period of time.  There is a daily replenishment of ingredients and flavourings to vary the taste so that you can keep on enjoying the soup for longer.  Also, this continuous method frees up your time so that you always have a healthy “ready-made” meal at home.  This is a better alternative to ordering “take-out” or micro-waving processed meals.

Continuous Cauldron of Soup.
Continuous Cauldron of Soup.

I would recommend this to my patients if I felt that they needed a “Prescription of Soup.”  This can be used for de-toxification especially in getting over an acute illness or after an intense period of rich foods and alcohol.  The ingredients in the soup can provide all the daily requirements for protein and nutrients so that it can be a complete meal in itself.  Furthermore, if there is no addition of carbohydrates into the soup, it can help in weight loss and the control of Diabetes Mellitus.

Soup: A Complete Meal.

If you want to read more on Munchkin’s Soup Technique, click on the link.

Belize, Food, Saving Money

Corn Cous Cous Style.

Munchkin.Eating.BunHello there, it is bun-eating Munchkin again!

Today, I want to talk about how to cook Corn Grits in a different way.  This involves grinding whole corn and steaming it with a minimal amount of water which results in a cooked, gritty meal which behaves just like ordinary wheat cous cous.  This is great because it is gluten-free and you are not eating the usual gloopy consistency associated with cooked corn (hominy/polenta).

For those interested, corn is one of the cheapest carbohydrates which you can buy in Belize.  A 100lb bag of Mayan Corn (GMO-free, I might add) costs only $35 Belize Dollars (USD 17.50).

Corn Cous Cous.
Corn Cous Cous.

The trick is to thoroughly wash the starch out of coarsely ground corn.  If you want to know how to prepare this click on Corn Cous Cous.

Belize, Medical Related

Home-made Remedy For Eczema.

AvatarMunchkinToday, I have a Home Remedy for Eczema and other dry, irritating skin conditions.  All the ingredients can be found in your home pantry and the recipe works well to relieve the redness and itching in acute dermatitis.  If you use it on your scalp, it actually doubles up as a natural hair conditioner too.

Here are the list of ingredients:

  • Cornstarch 5 tbsp.
  • Water 500mls
  • Olive Oil 1 tbsp.
  • Glycerine 1 tbsp.
  • Optional Chamomile Teabag (one)
  • Optional Lavender Essential Oil.

If you interested in reading about the different types of Eczema and in viewing the detailed recipe, click on Home Remedy For Eczema in the Doctoring in Belize section.

Belize, Saving Money, Soap

Running Out of Laundry Soap!

Gnome.PerplexedThe Munchkin told me that we are running out of laundry and washing up soap…what better way to spend a Sunday messing around with soap!

I think most readers have gathered by now that we make soap.  Lots of different types of soap for every conceivable occasion.  Now, not every batch of soap turns out right and figuring out what to do with this soap is a combination of a Bored-In-Belize project, not wasting things and not wanting to buy washing-up soap and laundry detergent (because one of us is Scottish and both of us are cheap!).

First you get old soap…

Old Soap Chunks From Unsuccessful Soap Batches.
Old Soap Chunks From Unsuccessful Soap Batches.

…grate it like so…

Gnome Fingers Grating Soap.
Gnome Fingers Grating Soap.

…putting it in a pot with water to boil…

Boiling.Soap
Boiling Old Soap in a Big Pot (the camera lens steamed up!).

…and pouring it into the ubiquitous pigtail bucket for storage!

Old Soap Turned Into Laundry/Washing-up Soap by Gnome Magic!
Old Soap Turned Into Laundry/Washing-up Soap by Gnome Magic!

The moral of the story is:  keep all your old soap bits and you can do this too in the comfort of your own home by following the recipe in Bored-In-Belize Projects:  Make Your Own Laundry Soap!!!

May all your laundry always be clean!!