Rwanda

 Welcome to Rwanda!  Rwanda is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills because it has many mountains.  Rwanda is Africa's second most populated country, with about 219 people per square mile.  In 1994, they had a genocide that saw around 800,000 people killed in 100 days.  Also, fascinating, since 2018, Rwanda has been using drones to deliver blood and medical supplies to remote areas.  Doctors order these materials by text!  According to Google, the population of Rwanda is 14.28 million people, and the capital is Kigali.  Their national dish is...

Brochettes!

These are goat skewers!  You would think that living in a farming area, I would be able to find goat fairly easily.  Nope.  So, we traded goat for sheep (sounds like I'm playing a game...).  To go with the brochettes, we made igisafuiya, which is a chicken-based stew.  Seemed like fairly straightforward dishes to make.  Here's what we did!

BROCHETTES

1 lb goat meat or beef cut into 1-inch cubes (I used lamb)

1 onion, quartered

5 tomatoes, quartered

1/2 small can of tomato sauce

1/2 onion diced

2 tbsp vegetable bullion 

3 jalapenos

Avocado oil

Salt, to taste

1. 1.  Put the tomatoes, 1/2 onion, jalapenos, and tomato sauce into a food processor and blend until saucy and a little bit chunky.
2. 2.  Reserve half of the sauce for dipping.
3. 3.  Put half the sauce in a bowl and add the lamb and quartered onions (separate the layers of the onion) and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. 4.  Form the brochettes by alternately threading meat and 2 to 3 pieces of onion onto a skewer.
5. 5.  Heat the grill and lay the skewer on the grill.
6. 6.  Brush the sauce on all sides of the brochettes, adding more of the sauce as you turn them. 
7. 7.  Cook until cooked through, and enjoy with extra sauce.

(Source: Brochettes)

IGISAFUIYA

4 chicken thighs

2 onions, chopped

2 leeks (white and green parts), thinly sliced

4 green bell peppers, seeded and cut

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

5 celery stalks, chopped

4 plantains, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half

10 oz. spinach

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 tbsp avocado oil

1 hot pepper

1. 1.  In a pot with hot oil, sear chicken over medium-high heat to color on all sides.
2. 2.  Remove thighs from the pot and set aside.
3. 3.  Add onion, leeks and peppers.
4. 4.  Let this cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. 5.  Add the tomatoes, celery and tomato paste and mix well. 
6. 6.  Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. 7.  Cover with water, add salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. 
8. 8.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
9. 9.  Add the plantains, cover them with the spinach and put the chicken back on top. 
10. 10.  Add water if necessary so that the plantains are fully submerged.
11. 11.  Cover, add the whole hot pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. 

(Source: Igisafuiya)

The verdict?  The brochettes were very good.  We really enjoyed the skewers. I don't think the marinade did much, but it was a great dipping sauce.  The sauce was spicy, but a good amount of spice.  I think it would be really good on chips or eggs.  The lamb was tender, but a little bit gamey (the sauce helped with the gaminess too).  The Igisafuiya was interesting.  It didn't have much flavor at all, so it needed quite a bit of salt.  However, the more you ate the stew, the more it grew on you.  As leftovers, I found myself thinking the same thing: that it was very plain, but the more I ate, the better it tasted.  All in all, a good meal, but not fantastic.

  

ME

Taste of Brochettes (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Brochettes (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

ME

Taste of Igisafuiya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Igisafuiya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

Hope you join us next time in Albania!

Costa Rica

 Welcome to Costa Rica!  This is another place we would love to visit, but are a little concerned about the humidity and the heat.  The pictures I have seen from friends who have visited are incredible, so we could probably handle the heat for a bit of time...There are 121 volcanos in Costa Rica, and 7 are active.  It has more than 500,000 species of plants and animals, which makes it one of the most biodiverse places in the world.  According to Google, the population is 5.3 million people and the capital is San Jose.  Their national dish is...

Gallo Pinto

Rice and beans.  When I could eat beans, this was one of my favorite combinations.  I miss it!  So, to go with gallo pinto, we made Casado, which is a more inclusive dish with several additional items.  This dish had several different elements, which was tricky to time so everything was completed together.  So find yourself a Spectacular Sister to help with the cooking - it really helps.  Here's what we did:

GALLO PINTO

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 C cooked black beans, liquid reserved

1/4 C Salsa Lizano

3 C cooked rice

1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

1. 1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. 
2. 2.  Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. 
3. 3.   Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. 4.  Add black beans, all reserved cooking liquid, and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. 
5. 5.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and a little bit of the liquid is evaporated. 
6. 6.  Gently stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes.
7. 7.  Stir in chopped cilantro. 
8. 8.  Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano, if desired, and serve.
9. 9.  Enjoy!

(Source: Gallo Pinto)

CASADO

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp coriander

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tbsp avocado oil

2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces

1 C avocado oil

1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 tomato, sliced

1 carrot, grated

Salad dressing

Gallo pinto

4 Eggs, Fried

1 Cup queso fresco, sliced

1. 1.  In a small bowl blend spices together. 
2. 2.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. 
3. 3.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice blend. 
4. 4.  Cook on each side for 4 minutes or until cooked through.
5. 5.  In a large skillet pour about 1" of oil. 
6. 6.  Heat oil over high heat. 
7. 7.  Place plantain sections in oil and cook until golden brown. 
8. 8.  Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
9. 9.  Prepare the salad by combining the lettuce, grated carrot and tomato slices. 
10. 10. Season with salt, pepper and dressing, set aside.
11. 11. Lastly, fry the eggs.
12. 12. When everything is ready to serve each plate will get one chicken thigh, with a serving of fried plantains to the side, followed by salad, rice, beans, one fried egg and some slices of queso fresco.
13. 13.  Enjoy!

(Source: Casado)

COSTA RICAN OATMEAL COOKIES

200 g brown sugar

250 g softened butter

2 egg whites

300 g gluten free flour

200 g oats

90 g chocolate chips

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1. 1.  Beat butter, sugar and egg whites for a couple of minutes until fluffy. 
2. 2.  Add vanilla. 
3. 3.  In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. 
4. 4.  Mix just until combined. 
5. 5.  Preheat oven to 375 F. 
6. 6.  Scoop cookie dough onto a lined baking tray. 
7. 7.  Bake for 12 minutes, take out of the oven and let cool completely before storing them.
8. 8.  Enjoy!

(Source: Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies)

The verdict?  I will have to let Handsome Husband tell you how the gallo pinto was.  I kept some rice aside for myself to eat with the casado.  Overall, the casado was delicious.  I even enjoyed the plantains!  I made some extra lizano, and it was delicious on the rice and chicken.  We haven't been disappointed by Central and South American cuisines, and this one was added to the list.  The Nifty Niece even said that this was a "must make again!".   Guess we will have to! The cookies were delicious.  The hint of cinnamon and chili powder were such an amazing addition to the flavors.  Handsome Husband declared them some of the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever had!  We will definitely make these again!

The gallo pinto was pretty standard. Not to say it wasn't good, because there is something about beans and rice that is just inherently tasty... which probably accounts for why we have seen that several times as a national dish, and I'm never disappointed to see it on the menu!

Oh, and the cookies were indeed fantastic, and a repeat has been requested for tomorrow.

    

ME

Taste of Gallo Pinto (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): NA

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): NA

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): NA

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Gallo Pinto (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

ME

Taste of Casada (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Casada (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

ME

Taste of Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

Hope you enjoyed reading about Costa Rica.  Join us next time in Rwanda!