A little taste of the Islands

At one of the Labor Day Picnics we attended this year, the food had a decidedly Caribbean flair. The meats seasoned with jerk spices were a big hit with most people at the event, which left the side dishes more plentiful for vegetarians like me. My omnivorous friends often ask how I can get enough to eat without meat on my plate. Are you kidding? You guys always leave the tastiest dishes for me.

Caribbean cuisine is often made with inexpensive ingredients, but the flavors are happy and intense. So much bang for the buck. A little rice, some beans, a handful of spices and vegetables and you have a meal fit for royalty at prices even a pauper can afford.
Island cooking has influences from all over the world. The Caribs, Arawaks and Tainos were the original inhabitants of the islands, followed by Europeans and African slaves. Each brought their own tastes and styles of cooking and adapted them to the fruits and vegetables that were fresh for the picking. The Chinese came to the Islands as well, bringing rice with them. Rice has become a staple of Caribbean cuisine.
I'll take any variation on rice and beans. Today, I've whipped up one of my favorite meals of rice and beans -one made with coconut milk. Those of you who insist on meat in your diet will be pleased to know that this makes a perfect side dish to spicy jerk chicken and pork.

Coconut Rice and Beans

1 can of coconut milk (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup of uncooked rice
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon of five spice powder or 1/8 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground anise, ground cinnamon, ground fennel seed and ground black pepper

• Put the rice and coconut milk in a pot and stir together. Cook on high until the milk starts to come to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Let it boil for a minute, then turn it down to low. Stir in the beans, the garlic and the spices.Cover and let the liquid evaportate for about 20 minutes.
• Fluff up the mixture and serve immediately.