Gallo Pinto (a Costa Rican staple)

A visit to Los Suenos, Costa Rica, would not have been complete without me bringing back a cookbook.  I have discovered that Costa Rica was not a country replete with cookbooks, so I had to settle for what I found in a mega-mercado (a supermarket).  I was lucky enough to find one that included an English translation of its Spanish text.  In case you were wondering, the book is:  Costa Rica: Una aventura gastronomica by Miguel Casafont.

Surprisingly, I've never had a bad, tasteless meal while in Costa Rica.  Their food is not what I would consider gourmet-like, but it is healthy, sensible and loaded with fresh natural flavors.  They do not use lots of chilis to my dismay, but they do have awesome "Tabasco" sauces that have a little kick but not too spicy.

So tonight, as I went through the pantry to search for what I had available on this rainy stormy evening, I thought it was appropriate to make a Costa Rican staple:  Gallo Pinto (a red beans and rice staple that is always served in almost every meal in Costa Rica).  The ingredients were simple and the dish was very easy to prepare.

My husband was my "taste tester" and he gave it a rating of "9" -- he's saving up his "10" for the next batch he says.  I would give it an "8" only because it didn't have hot peppers in the recipe.  I love SPICY and certain points are reserved for hotness of the dish.  I served the dish with a dollop of creme fraiche (sour cream) and a Costa Rican salsa (shown in photo above).  I'm sure you can find the salsa in any Latin American store.  In Costa Rica, Salsa is a condiment you will find on the table with the salt and pepper shakers.  Sometimes you'll have to ask for it but it's like ketchup to them.  It is not tomato-based, but rather vegetable-based and adds a vinegary zing to a dish.  It has a greenish-brown color, not red like ketchup.

I know you are all holding your breath for the recipe, so here goes:

GALLO PINTO (Serves 4)

1/2 onion (red or white), finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Coriander leaves and stems, minced, to taste
1 medium ripe tomato, cut into cubes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of sea salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups red kidney beans (approx. 15 oz can), drained and rinsed
3 cups of cooked rice (leftover is fine)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil and saute the chopped onion, diced bell pepper, and tomato cubes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then stir-fry the beans, adding the cooked rice little by little.  If the mixture looks too dry, just add a few spoonfuls of water until it looks moist.  Simmer and let all the flavours blend.  Stir in the minced coriander just before serving.

Serve the Gallo Pinto with warm corn tortillas and a dollop of sour cream dressing on top (if desired).

Please comment and let me know what you think of the dish.  :)

Albondigas!

I know, it's been a while since my last post.  Sorry about that.  Anyhow, I thought I'd share my most recent foray into my ongoing culinary education:  Albondigas!

Say what, you ask?  Albondigas is a tomato-based meatball soup that is very popular in Mexico.  No, I'm not from Mexico; I just love Mexican cuisine.

On a beautiful Sunday last month, I've invited my good friend, Rachel, to cook with me, try something new, and give her opinion of the dish.  We have agreed beforehand that she will make whatever she wants to try and I will make the entree.

Rachel made some type of Mexican cookies (almost like wedding cookies; see photo below).  Unfortunately, one thing she and I learned from this experiment was to always check the cookies at halfway mark and not go by the recommended baking time stated on the recipe.  The cookies turned out good but got cooked about 5 minutes too long, I think.  They were excellent though and certainly the recipe is worth trying again.  (I do not have the recipe to post ~ I will ask Rachel if she is willing to share.)

Now to the ALBONDIGAS (pictured above).  I found this recipe from a very old issue of Bon Appetit magazine that I have been saving for posterity (May 2003 issue).  It was a special collector's edition entitled, The Soul of Mexico.  It was a very simple recipe so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Albondigas have a history reaching back to when the Moors crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa and for almost 800 years ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula, dominating both the culture and the cuisine.  Even the name albondigas is believed to have originated from the Arabic term al-bunduga, meaning "ball."  The Moorish influence followed the Spaniards to Mexico and these meatballs adapted well to the inclusion of tomatoes and chilies from their new home.

First, the recipe:
Albondigas con Salsa de Tomate y Chile de Serrano (6 servings)

Meatballs:
4 4x4 inch crustless squares firm white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground pork
1 cup finely chopped seeded tomatoes (about 4 medium)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Sauce:
4 medium serrano chiles, stemmed
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes in juice

1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

FOR MEATBALLS:  Combine bread, milk, onion, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper in bowl.  Mash with fork until thick paste forms.  Mix in beef, pork, tomatoes, eggs, and mint (mixture will be soft).  Using 1/4 cupful for each, form mixture into 2-inch balls.  Place on baking sheet; chill while making sauce.

FOR SAUCE:  Line heavy small skillet with foil; add chiles and garlic.  Cook over med-high heat until skins begin to blister and blacken, turning frequently, about 15 mins.  Cool garlic slightly then peel.  Working in batches, puree tomatoes with juices, whole chiles, and garlic in blender until almost smooth.  (Meatballs and puree can be prepared 6 hrs ahead.  Keep meatballs refrigerated.  Cover and refrigerate puree.)

Heat oil in pot over med-high heat.  Add tomato puree, 1 cup water, and salt; bring to boil.  Carefully add meatballs; bring to simmer.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 mins.  Uncover and boil gently until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 18 mins.

Spoon white rice into bowls.  Top rice with albondigas (meatballs and tomato-serrano sauce) and serve.

The albondigas was a success!  Thanks to Rachel who helped make the Mexican style white rice (recipe will be posted soon).  Although I personally avoid eating meat, I try to make an exception when I test recipes that contain meat products.  This is definitely one dish worth the sacrifice.  It would be great to use grass-fed beef and organic pork.

My husband, Rachel and I sampled the dish.  We all agreed that it was delectable and really something enjoyable for a casual meal or to serve to a group of friends.  It was very tasty and the addition of mint in the meatball perked up the flavors and gave it a nice zing.  I love spicy/hot foods so I would most likely add more serrano peppers or jalapeno next time I try this recipe.

It was a yummy lunch and I can't wait to try another dish soon.  Thanks again, Rachel, for your help!  Let's do this again.

 Rachel's Mexican style cookies

Toxic Compost Dirt Dessert

On Halloween, a favorite fun dessert was served to anyone brave enough to try it (hubby, friends, neighbors).  I call it "Toxic Compost Dirt."  The toxicity comes from the liqueur (the more you put in, the more toxic it becomes.) Here is the recipe:

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
1 small box (4-oz) of Jello Instant Pudding (chocolate flavored is best)
1/2 cup of liqueur of your choice (Kahlua, Frangelico, Baileys, etc.)
1/8 cup of vodka or rum
2 cups cold milk
Gummy worms (1 small bag) - I also used Willie Wonka's Sluggles
Oreo cookies (original kind), crushed but not too finely

Prepare pudding mix as instructed in the box.  Then mix in liqueur well.  Prepare clear cups (about 6 cups). Put crushed Oreo cookies at bottom of cup, then fill with pudding mix.  Finish with crushed Oreos on top then decorate with gummy worms.

[Alternatively, I also made vanilla-flavored pudding and layered the flavors in the cup.  I flavored chocolate pudding with the liqueur and vanilla with either rum or vodka.  Then alternate layers with Oreo (bottom), vanilla, chocolate, Oreo (top).  I have also made this with my own homemade chocolate mousse instead of the Jello instant pudding mix.  I used a compostable plastic cup to serve this concoction to stay with the compost theme.]

This is all the entry for now.  I will post the main dish recipe soon. 

Boo!