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! 

Nicaragua

 Welcome to Nicaragua!  This is another country that is special for me.  While living in Alaska, I was one of the youth leaders at my church.  We took the youth group to Nicaragua for 10 days to Casa Bernabe with Renew the Hope - it was incredible.  That trip was one I won't forget, and I am so thankful for the time spent there.  It was such a beautiful country with some kind, genuine, amazing people.  According to Google, the population of Nicaragua is 7 million people and the capital is Managua.  Their national dish is...

 

Gallo Pinto!

Beans and rice.  How am I going to do this when my stomach revolts with beans?!  I remember eating gallo pinto every day on our trip to Nicaragua, and it was amazing.  I was sad to not be able to try it here.  I decided to make something to go with gallo pinto, so I also made Arroz a la Valenciana, which is like the Nicaraguan version of paella, and Nicaraguan Perrerreque, which is a corn cake.  We had some Nice Neighbors over for dinner too, and it was great to have this meal with them.  Here's what I did:

GALLO PINTO

1 package (14-16 oz) small dried red beans, (not kidney beans). 

    3 C cooked beans needed for recipe

2 1/2 C red bean cooking liquid

2 C uncooked long grain white rice
1/3 C avocado oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 tsp salt, divided

1. Pick through beans to remove any debris and rinse well with water
2. Place beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover by 3-4 inches, and bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to low or medium-low to keep at a slow boil
4. Boil gently, partially covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender, but firm “al dente”
5. Check after 1 hour to ensure too much water hasn’t evaporated. Add more if needed
6. Add 2 teaspoons salt during last 30 minutes of cooking time
7. Once cooked, set pot aside at room temperature and keep beans in their cooking liquid until ready to use
8. In a wide saucepan with about 2″ sides, heat oil over medium heat
9. Add chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened
10. Measure out 3 cups of cooked beans, removing from bean liquid with slotted spoon, and add to oil and onion
11. Immediately add 2 1/2 cups of bean cooking liquid, 2 cups uncooked rice, and 1 teaspoon salt
12. Bring to a quick boil and then reduce heat to low
13. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes or until rice is cooked
14. Adjust salt as needed
15. Enjoy!

(Source: Gallo Pinto)

 

ARROZ A LA VALENCIANA

1 Chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 C peas and carrots (I used the frozen mixture)

1 stick Butter

1 tsp Sugar
2 pieces Pork sausages cut in slices (I used a small package of plain "breakfast" sausage links, cut up.  Make sure NOT to get the maple-flavored ones!)

3 C ham, diced
1 onion, cut in julienne strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut in julienne strips
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 C white wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 C rice, uncooked
3 C Chicken broth
Cilantro, for garnish

1. Place a frying pan with two tbsp of butter and the sugar over medium heat for about 2 minutes
2. Once the sugar has caramelized, add the shredded chicken, the pork sausage, and the ham; stir and cook for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown, and set aside
3. Add a little bit of butter to a pot and melt over medium heat until it is hot
4. Add onion and garlic, lower the heat a little bit and wait for them to caramelize
5. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and rice
6. Stir everything for about 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth
7. Let it cook over low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the rice is soft
8. When the rice is cooked, stir in the cooked chicken, pork sausage and ham, carrots, and peas
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve

(Source: Arroz a la Valenciana) 

NICARAGUAN PERRERREQUE

1 pound fine white corn meal
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 C sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 C milk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the corn meal with the cheese and sugar. 
3. Cut/crumble in the butter.   
4. Mix the baking soda into a little of the milk and pour into the dry ingredients.   
5. Add the remaining milk until the mixture is well blended.
6. Place the cake mixture into a greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden brown. 
8. After this time, remove it from the oven, allow to cool and then cut into small pieces or squares before serving. 

(Source: Nicaraguan Perrerreque)

 

The verdict?  I couldn't have the gallo pinto, so I will let Handsome Husband tell you about that:

 Handsome Husband here. The gallo pinto was pretty much what you would expect from rice and beans -- surprisingly tasty for something so simple. Somehow it always tastes better in other countries though, I'm not sure why that is!

  The Arroz a la Valenciana was actually much better than I anticipated.  The sausage was very good in it, and I actually didn't mind the peas (I don't like peas...).  In the future, I would add more meat to the recipe, but it was very good and had good flavor.  The Nicaraguan Perrerreque was not good.  I think the concept is good, but it tasted spoiled when we ate it.  It also took way longer to bake than the recipe said.  Not sure if it is my oven or the recipe, so I didn't change the cooking time in the recipe to what I actually did.  If you make it, keep that in mind.  Overall, a decent meal, and a lot of memories!

 

    

 

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): 6

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

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

 

ME

Taste of Arroz a la Valenciana (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 Arroz a la Valenica (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

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 Nicaraguan Perrerreque (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 2

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 Nicaraguan Perrerreque (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 3

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

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

Hope you enjoyed our "visit" to Nicaragua!  Join us in Russia next time!