One of the reasons I, and many other people, love traveling is the opportunity to savor local foods. To taste fruit ripened on the branch/vine the way it should be. To experience the bustle, sounds, and sights of an open-air marketplace. To smell a meal prepared with fresh herbs and spices. To toast a new friend with a local libation. To indulge in regional specialties and delicacies. And maybe even to find inspiration for future cooking adventures back home.
Eating a meal that incorporates tradition and geographic uniqueness provides you with immediate and intimate access to a culture, its people, and local conditions. And, for me, it is one of the things I enjoy most when visiting a new place.
Driving through Belize last month, my travel companions and I experienced the culinary diversity of its Mayan, Garifuna, Creole, and even Sri Lankan and Chinese inhabitants.
We stopped by the side of the road to purchase home-made tamales and roasted corn on the cob. We ate conch ceviche, creole-style snoek, and lime-coconut shrimp – always served on a bed of rice cooked in green coconut water. And breakfasts of johnny cakes and stuffed fry jacks kept our energy levels up through the day (I cashed in my gluten tickets here).
And, when we could, we indulged in the flavors of the local produce.
Belize is home to coconut trees sewn from the seeds of African palms that appealed to earlier British settlers. The coconut water makes its way into many local dishes; the meat into rum, oil, and other products.
Oranges and other citrus trees line many of the major highways and scent the warm air.
Their cocoa is sourced by British chocolate producer Green & Black’s, who took flavor inspiration for their Maya Gold chocolate bars from inhabitants of Southern Belize.
And, they have a very competitive habañero sauce industry, headed up by Marie Sharp’s and Hot Mama’s Belize.
The flavors of the Belizean sweet coconut, oranges and limes, cocoa, and habañeros are what I brought back to my kitchen to fight off the monotonous snow in the form of two desserts.
Sweet Inspiration
These look harmless, don’t they? Even delicious. But, beware, these rich, fudgy brownies and light, lime squares hold a spicy secret.
Just a hint of habañero complements the citrus used in each.
The key lime bars – which are based somewhat on recipes from Martha Stewart and the Baked Perfection blog and modified to be gluten and dairy-free – incorporate lime, chile, and coconut with a short-bread crust.
The brownies use a prepared GF mix for the base, but include a number of add-ins that make them taste and smell like something from out of this world – or, at least, from out of the U.S.
Spicy Key Lime Coconut Bars (DF/GF)
Quick tips: wear gloves when handling the habañero; your eyes will thank you later. ¼ tsp habañero is just enough to add a tiny, occasional bite; add more or less to taste. If you squeeze your own lime juice, strain in before adding it to the mix – it will help remove unwanted pulp and seeds.
For crust
- ½ habañero chile pepper for rubbing frying pan
- 1 cup shredded non-sweetened coconut
- 1 ½ cups rice flour (or other GF flour blend)
- ½ cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
- 10 Tbsp vegan butter, cut into small pieces
For filling
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup key lime juice (~15 medium key limes)
- 2 teaspoons grated key lime zest
- ¼ tsp finely minced habañero chile pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat sauté pan to medium high. Rub sauté pan with the inside of a habanero chile pepper. Pour in 1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds and pan toast, stirring coconut to prevent it from burning.
Prepare crust in a large mixing bowl, by first combining the flour, sugar and ½ cup of the toasted coconut. Cut the butter into the flour-coconut mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
Pour flour-coconut mixture into a lightly-greased 9-by-13-inch pan, and press it into bottom (not sides). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Prepare filling in a separate mixing bowl. Beat together eggs. Add in lime juice, zest, habañero, rice flour, corn starch and baking powder. Mix well. Pour into cooled crust and sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
Cool completely and chill until ready to serve. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mayan Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 package gluten-free brownie mix
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 eggs
- 8 Tbsp melted vegan butter or 8 Tbsp walnut oil (adds richness)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp finely minced habañero chile pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8″x8″ pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, cocoa, and cinnamon. Add eggs, butter/oil, and vanilla and mix well. Fold in habañero, walnuts, and zest.
- Pour batter into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook or edges will harden.