Suriname Beans and Rice

The kids and I are studying South America this year for school, and I decided it would be fun to find traditional dishes from each country and cook as we work our way around the continent.

This is a recipe that looked easy to make and used easy to find ingredients.

For a large family, you will need:

3-4 pounds boneless chicken
16 ounces bacon
2 onions
6 garlic cloves
1 chili pepper
1 can tomato paste
4 t garam masala
10 allspice berries
6 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cups coconut milk
! lg can of pork and beans
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t nutmeg
1 T peanut oil
celery leaves for garnish

1.Cut chicken into small pieces and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

2,Mince onions, chili pepper and garlic. Set aside.

3.Cut bacon into small pieces and cook. Drain and set aside.

4. In a large pot, heat the peanut oil and a tablespoon or so of the bacon drippings and cook the chicken. Cook only halfway.

5. Add garlic, onion and chili pepper. Stir.

6. Add masala. Stir.

7. Add tomato paste. Stir.

8, Add sugar, soy and berries. Stir.

At this point, I was dying, it smelled so good! And I hadn't even added the bacon.

8. Add bacon, beans, broth and milk. Stir.

Simmer, covered, for 30-45 min. Serve over rice and garnish with celery leaves.

Wow, was this good! 5 our of 7 kids loved it and the remaining 2 ate it cautiously because it was new.

Well, they're young after all.

It wasn't too spicy, so if you want more heat, you could add another chili pepper or crushed red pepper. This meal will definitely become a regular on our menu!