Central America: Belize: Belizean Stewed Chicken Over Coconut Rice And Beans

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and Belizean marinade and toss to coat. Let stand while you start cooking the rice and beans.

Rinse the rice.

Rinse the kidney beans.

In a small sauce pot, combine the rice, coconut milk, and ¾ cup (1 cup) water and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, cover, and cook until the beans are heated through, the rice is tender, and the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm. While the rice and beans are cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.

Peel and thinly slice enough onion to measure 1 cup (2 cups).

Remove the stem, ribs, and seeds from the bell pepper; cut the pepper into 1-inch pieces.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned but not yet cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Do not clean the pan.

In the same pan used for the chicken, if dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons oil. Warm over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables start to soften and caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomato-ginger blend and ½ cup (1 cup) water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices, nestling the chicken among the vegetables. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and season the pan sauce to taste with salt and pepper.