Under the best of conditions it is extremely difficult for a child to assimilate in a brand new environment. I remember when I first came to the United States I had a very difficult time adjusting . It was a major challenge to learn a new language, and to adjust to the cold weather in New York. I also did not like eating American foods. To help make my transition less painful my mom made me Haitian foods. I know the Americans adopting these Haitian orphans will face some monumental challenges, that is why I created this blog. Firstly, with time your adopted children will adjust, but here are some sample menus to help ease some of the anxiety that your children may face. Eating foods you are familiar with is very comforting to a child .
Rice and Beans- Eating rice and beans is one of the staples of Haitian cuisine. It is very easy to make a pot of beans and rice. Here is a simple recipe: Saute some garlic/onions/chicken bouillon cubes with some oil, add one can of red beans or black beans (be sure to drain the liquid from the beans ) next add one cup of rice and 1 3/4 cups water, lower heat and let the rice cook until all the water is gone. Voila! It is best to use uncle Ben’s converted rice, regular white rice comes out too mushy and sticky. Haitians, usually use dry beans that they cook from scratch, realistically it is time consuming so I prefer to use can beans instead.
Poulet en Sauce- Another great staple of Haitian cuisine is chicken with gravy or sauce- To make this delicious chicken saute onion/ garlic and oil in a pot. Add the chicken and some bouillon cubes. Keep stirring and add a little bit of water. You keep doing this until the chicken is completely cooked. The chicken will have a rich brown color add enough water so you can have some extra gravy , let simmer for a few minutes. Americans add flour to thicken their gravy, Haitians do not add flour. The bouillon cubes/onion/garlic will add a very rich flavor to the chicken, I promise you and your child will like it.
Feel free to post any questions you may have.
Until next time!
Posted by nancycl on January 23, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Nicole, I used to live in Louisiana and Red beans and rice was a staple there. I loved it! Thanks so muich for your recipes and delightful blog!
Posted by kathy stemke on January 23, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Hey, Nicole, my husband lived in Loisiana for many years and loves beans and rice too. He adds sausage, celery, and thyme to his recipe. I can't wait till he cooks it. He uses the dry beans and cooks it slowly. It fills the house with incredible aromas and love.
Posted by Nicole weaver on January 23, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Nancy, Kathy,thank you so much for your support it means so much to me.Blessings,Nicole
Posted by J. Aday Kennedy's A Writing Playground on January 24, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I'm from Texas. I attended college in California. Their cuisine is very different from home. They think gravy should be BROWN. That's just crazy. I grew up with fried food swimming in white gravy. Californians don't like or appreciate chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and peas.When I travelled home I ate my fill of the greasy, unhealthy goodness of my favorite Southern food. When I missed home, I cooked up all of my favorites and it soothed my homesick psche. I think you should post at least 1 Hatian recipe a week. Food does soothe the soul.J. Aday KennedyThe Differently-Abled Writerwww.jadaykennedy.com
Posted by Nicole weaver on January 24, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Jessica,Thank you for joining my blog. You so right I will be posting at least one recipe a week. Blessings,Nicole