Weekly Recipe – Gallo Pinto w/Red Pepper

Prep time: 20 minutes
Rice Cook time: 40 minutes
Additional Cook time: 15 minutes

Last summer we spent a month in Costa Rica learning spanish, to surf, and becoming scuba certified.  On our first night in Montezuma, we ate at a little restaurant and asked our server what he recommended. Gallo Pinto or rice cooked with beans.  It is Costa Rica’s (and Nicaragua’s) national dish and traditionally eaten at breakfast; however, it can be eaten anytime.

Ours was served with fried plantains, side salad and chicken called a casado. We loved it! We were both very full and left the restaurant in a vacation love haze as we walked the dirt road back to our hotel.

Below is my take on gallo pinto. I added kidney beans, garlic, bell pepper and used brown rice.  As I normally do not cook with salt, feel free to salt and pepper to taste, in moderation of course!

 

• 1 cup brown rice or 3.75 cooked
• 2 shallots, roasted and then chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 baby bella mushrooms, diced
• 1 garlic head, roasted
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 15 oz can S&W Black Beans 50% less sodium
• 1 15 oz can S&W Kidney Beans 50% Less Sodium
• 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Preheat oven to 500.

In a medium pot or rice cooker, cook rice according to instructions.

Meanwhile, on a baking sheet roast shallots and garlic head for 5 minutes in preheated oven.

Dice bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Set aside.

Remove shallots and garlic.  When cool to touch, carefully peel shallots and garlic, slice.

When rice is done:

In a large sauce pan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and saute roasted shallots, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms and onions for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Add rice, kidney beans and black beans.  Stir constantly until the majority of the juices evaporate and mixture thickens (about 7 minutes).

I enjoyed mine served up taco style in two corn tortillas with Marie Sharp’s Habanero Pepper Sauce!