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2/23/2004

Good morning!

Today's edition of Recipe of the Week will be a two part-er. The first part will be a yummy recipe from Haiti! The second will be a not-so-authentic-but-sounds-delicious-nonetheless recipe I received from a friend this week (Malaysian Chicken Pizza! I can't wait to try this one...)
Haiti's population is approximately 8 million. Over two million Haitian-Americans live in North America. New York is the number one city where Haitian-Americans reside. The population is approximately 650,000. Florida is the second heaviest populated location where Haitian-Americans reside. The population is currently 500,000, but will continue to grow at a faster rate and eventually be home to the largest Haitian-American population.
Here are some Hatian facts!
Haitian-Americans contribute over two billion dollars to Florida's economy and over seven billion nationwide. Approximately $750,000,000 is transferred to Haiti each year.
Haitians are the second independent nation in the "New World" (the Americas and the Caribbean). We are also the first independent black nation in the world (outside and probably inside Africa). We are the first and only black colony to have fought, while enslaved, one of the world's most powerful nation at the time, and won; and thus, proclaimed ourselves an independent nation.
Republic of Haiti: History of the Name
Official Designation: République d'Haiti (Republic of Haiti)
History of Name: Haiti - (Short form name) (1804 to present)
Designation adopted by the [citizens] who modified the spelling of the original name, Ayiti, in order to symbolize a new era and to break away from the slavery period, after winning their independence from France in 1804.
Saint-Domingue (1697 to 1803) Name given by the French settlers to the western area (Haiti) of the island of Hispaniola.
Espanola (1492 to 1696) Named Espanola, meaning "Little Spain," by Christopher Columbus, in honor of the Spanish crown. Hispaniola is now internationally used to designate the island which is divided between the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Ancient names: Ayiti, Quisqueya, Bohio
Names given by the original inhabitants who occupied the island before Christopher Columbus. Ayiti means "mountainous land" in the language of the inhabitants of the island. Quisqueya, means "big land" to the natives of the islands surrounding Ayiti. Bohio means "rich in villages". AYTI (or Ayiti) is composed of three roots:
· A: meaning flower
· Y: meaning high
· TI: meaning land or region
AYTI hence means "flower of high land" or "mountainous land" or "land of high mountains".
When Christopher Columbus discovered Ayiti, it was inhabited by the Carib tribe and Tainos of the Arawak tribe. It was also divided into five kingdoms named Caciquats: Magua, Marien, Xaragua, Maguana, and Higuey.
Haiti means "land of mountains"
Haiti is about the size of Maryland.
http://grove.ufl.edu/~creole/facts.shtml

Happy Eating!
The KU Libraries Diversity Commitee

Rice & Beans (Haitian Style)
This recipe for rice and beans is so delicious! I have
adapted it from the traditional Haitian style of making rice
and beans. The scent and taste of the cloves make the
dish! Serve with avocado on the side and you'll want it
every night of the week! Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Cook
Time: approx. 2 Hours . Ready in: approx. 2 Hours 15
Minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by La La
1 (8 ounce) package dry
kidney beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bulb shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked long grain
white rice
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning (optional)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 sprigs fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet chile pepper

Directions
1 Place beans in a large pot, and cover with 3 inches of
water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours,
or until tender. Drain, reserving liquid.
2 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute
shallot and garlic until fragrant. Stir in cooked beans, and
cook for 2 minutes. Measure reserved liquid, and add water
to equal 5 cups; stir into skillet. Stir in the uncooked
rice. Season with bay leaves, adobo seasoning, salt, pepper,
and cloves. Place sprigs of parsley and thyme, and scotch
bonnet pepper on top, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat,
cover, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove thyme,
parsley, and scotch bonnet pepper to serve.
Nutrition Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 341 Total Fat: 9.9g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 956mg Total Carbohydrates: 52.2g Dietary Fiber: 6.9g Protein: 11.7g

And now onto the tasty recipe my friend sent me... She recommends it wholeheartedly!

Malaysian Chicken Pizza
From Cooking Light magazine

Sauce:
¾ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. minced, peeled, fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
½ pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup Swiss cheese
¼ cup mozzarella cheese
Prepared pizza crust (recipe below)
¼ cup chopped green onions

1. Make pizza crust. Keep oven on.
2. Meanwhile, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bow, stir well with a whisk.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Sauté chicken 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Pour rice vinegar mixture into pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan, cook 1 minute longer or until chicken is done. (Mixture will be the consistency of thick syrup.)
5. Sprinkle cheeses over prepared crust and top with chicken mixture. Bake for 12 minutes, or until done. Remove, top with green onions, and allow to cool 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition: Calories: 293; Fat: 7.3 g (sat 2.9g, mono 2.6 g, poly 1.2 g); Protein: 18.2 g; Fiber: 1.8 g; Cholesterol: 33mg; Iron: 2.4 mg; Sodium: 487 mg; Calcium 151 mg.

Easy Pizza Crust

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. oil
3 cups flour (or you can use 1 ½ c. white flour & 1 ½ c. wheat flour)

Preheat oven to 350F. Gently combine yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until yeast foams on top. Add oil. Mix in flour. Let rise 30 minutes (not necessary if you’re in a hurry). Roll out on a floured surface and place on oiled pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

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