Gallo Pinto

When I was in college, I spent a summer in Puebla, Mexico.  We went on a trip to Costa Rica.  I ate mountains of good food the entire summer.

In Puebla, I lived near a woman who served food in the first floor of her apartment.  For 25 pesos, I would eat until I could hardly move.  The meals always came with a big jar of agua fresca and as many fresh tortillas as you wanted.

Everything was homemade, fresh, and delicious.  I'm surprised I did not eat there more often.  The woman and her mountains of fragrant and delicious Mexican food have nothing to do with this post on gallo pinto.  Gallo pinto is from Costa Rica.

I remember the beautiful beaches and  rain forest of Costa Rica, but the only dish I remember is gallo pinto.  I ate it with fried plantains.  I only ate it for breakfast, but Wikipedia says it is eaten for dinner too.

The name means spotted rooster in Spanish.  It is eaten in several Central and South American countries.  The recipe came from food.com, and I made it as directed.  

The ingredients are 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 medium onion, 2 garlic cloves, 3 cups cooked white rice, 2 cups cooked black beans, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 3 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cilantro, and green onions.

I heated the oil in a skillet and added the chopped onion.  I sauteed the onion until it had softened and started to brown.

I added the garlic and sauteed the onions and garlic for about five more minutes.  The onions became golden.

I added the cumin, coriander, ginger, and worcestershire sauce.  I stirred the ingredients together.

I added the beans and the rice.  I used canned beans.  I rinsed them well before adding them to the onion and spice mixture.

I stirred and continued to cook the dish until everything was warm.  I added salt and pepper to taste.

I garnished the dish with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions.  The fresh cilantro and green onions made the dish more appealing and bright.

This is a simple put delicious way of cooking rice and beans.  The spices, onion, and worcestershire sauce give the rice and beans many layers of flavor.

 A great thing about this dish is that many people have these ingredients in their cupboards.

It was enjoyable.  If you don't have the money, time, or inclination to go to Costa Rica, why not bring a little Costa Rica to your kitchen?