Gallo Pinto
Man, this is one great dish, a Costa Rican favourite and perfect for breakfast. A little like porridge, it gives a lot and doesn't take much effort if you so happen to have leftover rice and beans from yesterday's dinner. One bowl of this and you're set til well after your regularly scheduled lunch hour.
ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 cup stock (basic vegetable or the liquid from the beans, yum!)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped (or 1 1/2 - 2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp olive oil
as much creme freche/sour cream/(soya) yoghurt as your little heart desires
method
In a deepish frying pan or shallow sauce pan heat the olive oil; lightly saute the onion and pepper until soft. Add the garlic, saute until the garlic smells sweet, but make sure it doesn't brown (bad free radicals!). Pour in the beans and most of the stock, stirring gently as you go; simmer, taking care the mixture doesn't dry up. Add a little stock to the pan if it starts looking like it needs it. Stir in the rice, but take care! Overzealous stirring can and will lead to bean mush. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper (I'd use a little more salt than you would normally: it gives the meal an unusual, bright-eyed edge). Let it simmer for a little longer, maybe five minutes; and then, just before you serve, stir in the coriander. Serve up in a lovely large bowl with a dollop of (non)dairy, eat with a spoon, tasty gorgeous!
Keep in mind black beans are extraordinarily difficult to find in this country. My friend Maria (Hi Maria!) who gave me this recipe recommends seeking out all the Brazillians you know and demanding to know where they get their groceries -- she does warn, however, that they won't tell you until you've pestered them a gazillion times. I've managed to find them in Fresh and Wild, as well as the organic whole food shop in Crouch End, but they're tempermental in their availability even then. If you can't find black beans, I suggest using aduki beans or even plain old kidney beans which are much easier to find.
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