During fall pumpkin is very popular. So, here’s a pumpkin smoothie perfect for breakfast or a “pick me up”.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Freeze the pumpkin puree for at least 24 hours.
2. Heat the bag of pumpkin puree in the microwave on HIGH to soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Pour the milk into a blender. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin; blend until smooth.

Belizeans include coconuts in everything they cook and bake.  So, having a bread made of coconut is no exception.  Actually, coconut bread is my absolute favorite bread.  It is not only delicious but very easy to make.  In some Latin countries it is also called Pan de Coco.  Here’s a recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut
2 eggs
1 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla or coconut extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon. (Dry Ingredients)
In another bowl whisk together eggs, vanilla or coconut extract, coconut oil & coconut milk. (Wet Ingredients)
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together to combine.
Fold in flaked coconut then pour in loaf pan and bake for 50-60 mins.

Serve warm or cold 3-6 people.

If you talk to any Belizean they will tell you that their best breakfast must consist of some Fry Jacks .  A Fry Jack is a flour tortilla dough mixture that is deep fried.  It’s perfect alongside refried beans and scramble eggs.  Yum!

Here’s one of many recipes:

FRY JACKS

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 pint of cooking or coconut oil

METHOD: 1. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. 2. Add coconut milk and mix. 3. Knead dough for 1 min until smooth. Cover and set aside for 15 mins 4. Separate into balls (about 8) and roll out thinly into a round tortilla shape. (The thinner you roll them, the puffier they will be.) Cut in slits. 5. Deep fry in hot cooking or coconut oil, turning once until golden brown on both sides.

Belize fudge is made with sweetened condensed milk. Condensed milk is used a lot in Belizean desserts perhaps because of Belize’s British influence.

Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk (Carnation or Nestle)

1/3 cup white sugar or brown sugar

1/4  -1/2 tsp of butter or peanut butter

1tsp of evaporated milk or half and half

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp  nutmeg (optional)

¼ tsp of cinnamon (optional)

½ cup chopped peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecan or any nuts (optional)

½ cup raisins (optional)

½ cup grated coconut flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Butter or grease a casserole or glass dish or baking dish
2. Toast nuts in a skillet for 2-3 mins on low fire. Chop toasted nuts and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan add condensed milk, sugar, butter and evaporated milk to heat stirring continuously for 6-8 minutes until mixture is a pale peanut butter color.
4. Add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon.
5. Add nuts, raisins or coconut (optional) continue stirring until dark peanut butter color.
6. Remove from heat and spread in greased casserole dish. (Careful it’s very hot)
7.  Dip pastry knife or butter knife in warm water and cut fudge mixture into squares.
8. Let it cool and harden before eating. ( Must cool before eating it.)

What’s better than just having a plain old banana? A Banana fritter! Here’s a way to jazz  up a plain old banana:

BANANA FRITTERS

INGREDIENTS: 6 bananas juice of 2 lemons powderes sugar 1 3/4 cups flour 1/2 cup milk 2 eggs beaten, separately, 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 tbsps sugar

METHOD: 1. Slice bananas lengthwise and cut in half. 2. Squeeze the juice of lemon over bananas. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 3. Let stand for 1/2 hour, before dipping in batter. BATTER: 1. Sift flour, measure, add powder, salt and sugar. Sift 3 times then add milk and well beaten eggs. 2. Dip fruit into batter and drop into deep hot fat. Fry until golden brown.

From: Hotel Mopan