Yummm! Gallo Pinto con.....

I am a die-hard rice eater: brown rice, yellow rice, white rice, rice and gravy, rice and peas, rice and beans. I looooooove rice and beans. When you are hungry, a nice bowl of rice and beans can be your best friend. I never thought that best friend should come by for breakfast, though! LOL

I recently found a great recipe for Gallo Pinto con Huevos Fritos (Doesn't that just roll off the tongue!?!) online and was immediately intrigued. I am not a breakfast purist...mind you.... I've eaten fried fish scrambled eggs and grits for breakfast on several occasions (It's actually one of my favorites!). I am really looking forward to trying this recipe!

Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe (beans and rice)



(Recipe Courtesy of Costa Rica Guide)

1 lb (450 gr.) Black beans. Fresh are best but most likely you’ll find them dried.
8-10 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaf) fresh or frozen, not dried!
1 small or medium onion
½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
3 cups (700 ml) chicken broth or water
2 cups (350 ml) white rice
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1-3 Tablespoon oil to fry the Gallo Pinto

If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours).

Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.

Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes). This is also the recipe for Tico rice used in other favorites like tamales.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½-1 cup 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together.

In Guanacaste they sometimes use small very hot red peppers instead of or in addition to the sweet. Some people add a tablespoon or so of salsa Lizano or Chilera to the beans while they're cooking. Our friend Mercedes always simmered the beans very slowly all-day and preheated the water or chicken broth for the rice.


This recipe would be great paired with anything! Just imagine, Gallo Pinto con..... (Get it? That's the name of this entry.. tee hee!)

Chicharrones de Pollo

(Recipe Courtesy of Dominican Foods About.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken strips (breasts, thighs or mixed)
* Marinade:
* 1 cup lime juice
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cloves garlic (minced)
* Seasoned Flour Coating:
* 2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
* 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)
* 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
* Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large plastic bowl or zipper bag. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2. Combine flour, Spanish paprika, pepper and salt in a separate plastic bowl or zipper bag.
3. Coat the marinated chicken with the seasoned flour mixture.
4. Place vegetable oil for frying into a deep frying pan, or use a deep fryer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Fry chicken in batches, until golden brown outside and completely cooked inside (about 4 minutes per side).
6. Place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb oil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:
The longer the chicken marinates, the stronger the lime taste will be.

When frying the chicken, don't overcrowd the pan. The oil will cool down and the chicken will not cook properly.

Bistec Encebollao

(Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)


Ingredients

* 2 pounds beef sirloin steak, sliced thinly across the grain
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 1 pinch dried oregano
* 1 (.18 ounce) packet sazon seasoning
* 2 large white onions, sliced into rings
* 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1 cup beef stock
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large resealable bag, combine the steak, olive oil, garlic, oregano, sazon seasoning, onions, vinegar, beef stock, and salt. Seal and shake to mix. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to a couple of days.
2. When you are ready to cook, dump the entire contents of the bag into a large deep skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beef is fork tender, about 40 minutes.

What would YOU pair Gallo Pinto with?