Meatless Monday - Gallo Pinto
>> Monday, January 11, 2010
I've mentioned before that I am not a bean fan, but I am slowly but surely finding ways to actually enjoy beans, much to my bean-loving husband's delight. The recipe that I'm sharing today caught me by surprise. A friend served it to me twice, and I fell in love with the dish and begged for the recipe. Turns out she got it randomly off of the internet and was happy to share it.
My friend first tried Gallo Pinto in Costa Rica, where it is the national dish. The name Gallo Pinto means "spotted or painted rooster," undoubtedly taken from the speckled coloring the beans lend to the rice. Gallo Pinto is often served as breakfast along side eggs, but we ate it as dinner along side some sweet potato fries.
An unusual feature of Gallo Pinto - Worcestershire sauce! Truly authentic Gallo Pinto uses a condiment called Salsa Linzano, but it seems that most Western adaptations of the recipe substitute Worcestershire sauce with success.
There are a zillion variations of Gallo Pinto out there on the web, but this is the version that I fell in love with. It's super easy and quick to throw together. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Gallo Pinto
2 TBSP oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2-3 TBSP Worcesteshire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
garnish:
chopped cilantro
chopped avocado
green onions
fresh tomatoes
salsa
Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add seasoning and diced tomatoes. Add beans and rice and heat through. Spoon into bowls and mix in your choice of garnish.
5 comments:
I'm a huge bean fan! This does look way east to do. Thanks for another great meal idea!
I meant "easy" instead of "east" :)
We love Gallo Pinto. My step mother lived in Costa Rica for quite a while and she makes this for us when we visit. Actually, my Dad and Step Mom have a home in Costa Rica and plan to move there in a few years.
She serves Gallo Pinto with an over medium/easy egg on top. The yolk runs down and mixes into the gallo pinto and it's fantastic!
Salsa Lizano is so different and so much better than worcestershire (in this recipe at least)!! Thanks to step mom and Dad I have a pantry full of it.
This version is quite different from hers (rice, beans, onions, garlic, peppers all pan fried together), but I'm sure it's delicious!
Mmm. It was only a few months ago that I started liking beans. When I was in Costa Rica I forced them down but hated them. Now I guess I have to go back to Costa Rica to re-introduce them to myself and appreciate them :D
I've been looking for some recipes to try and this one looks like a winner.
Out of curiosity, did you have any side dishes to go along with your Gallo Pinto?
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