Gallo Pinto (Rice & Beans, Costa Rican Style)

I met some pretty fantastic people while I was in college. Heck, I married one. The friends I still keep in contact with are kindred spirits and one day, when we are very old, very gray-haired (hmmm...a milestone I've already tackled), toothless, and achy, we'll share a porch-swing at some old folks home near the everglades. Ok, probably not the everglades. Maybe New England, near the ocean. If I somehow earn a boat-load of money between now and then.

My friend Zaida will be on that porch with us (wherever it is). She'll be the one cracking jokes, making sure our lap blankets are on just right, mixing up some antacid cocktails, and zinging me about my socks not matching my panty hose.

Even though we are currently separated by many States, I know if I ever needed her, she'd be here. And she'd bring a big pot of gallo pinto to comfort me. Zaida is Costa Rican, and when it comes to cooking, she can throw. it. down. She taught me to make this dish our senior year, and I now keep the ingredients on hand at ALL TIMES. This is that go-to, I don't have time, I need comfort food-stat, type meal.

Growing up, we always cooked our rice and beans separately (beans were always frijole style). But...once they hit the plate, their marriage was inevitable. Rice and beans are just made for each other...

This rice and beans dish is one of the easiest things I now know how to make. And it's actually pretty insane that something so simple, tastes so amazing. And since I learned Zaida's trick of serving it with a fried egg on top - I can't eat it any other way. When you split the warm yolk over the rice, it adds richness and a buttery flavor to the entire dish. A nice side salad makes this meal complete!

Thanks, Zaida, for sharing this recipe with me, so I could share with others (hi, mom!), and open their eyes to the power and simplicity of rice and beans - together - how nature intended.

Gallo Pinto

1 can black beans (drained)

1 cup rice (see instructions below - also works well with left over rice)

1 med onion chopped (I also add two cloves garlic, minced. shhh...don't tell her!)

1-2 tsp cumin (I had 3 or 4 sometimes, depending on my mood)

Chopped cilantro (to taste)

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan on medium heat

2. Saute onions (and garlic) until soft, about 5 mins

3. Add beans, cumin and cilantro

4. Add cooked rice

Mix all together and let cook for a minute or two so the flavors come together.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Cooking Rice - if you don't have a rice cooker, obviously!

The ratio my mom taught me: 1 extra cup liquid to every cup of rice. So, if you are making one cup of rice, add two cups liquid. Making two cups of rice, add three cups of liquid, etc. For gallo pinto, I usually use one cup of rice (2 cups liquid), but I have been known to frequently double the recipe above, ;)

Add rice and liquid to a medium pot that has a tight fitting lid

Heat rice and liquid over high heat until boiling

The second it comes to a rolling boil (a heavy boil, not a simmering boil) lower heat to low and cover

Cook for approx 15 mins and fight the urge to peak! Do not stir!

Peak at 15 mins. When the rice is cooked through the liquid will be gone, and the rice will be tender when taste tested. If it's still hard, cover again and let cook for a few more minutes.

When cooked, turn the heat off and move to a cool burner. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Fluff with a fork before serving (I use a fork to serve it, actually.)

Cherry~Blueberry Pie

Yes. I did soften the edges on this picture just a tad. I had to make it look as angelic as this pie tasted.

Abel and I made this the other night to bring to a friends for dessert. It had only been out of the oven a little over an hour when dessert time rolled around and I was a wee bit nervous cutting into it so soon. But we couldn't wait. And I was very relieved when it actually held its shape pretty well! Then, within a few hours it had set up perfectly. Can't say that always happens with my berry pies, so that is why this recipe needed to be written down somewhere other than my brain.

A very tasty spring dessert, if you don't mind using frozen fruit for now. With fresh fruit it could easily be an ace every time. I used frozen sweet cherries and blueberries of the Wegmans- "Just Picked" variety. Danny does it again.

Cherry~Blueberry Pie

Adapted from Peter Sterk (a Foodnetwork.com recipe)

2 cups frozen or fresh cherries (tart or sweet)

2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

1 1/4 cup sugar

4-5 T cornstarch

1 T tapioca

1/8 T almond extract

Your favorite pie crust recipe doubled (mine is below)

1 1/2 T butter to dot fruit (I used honey butter)

Berry Filling

Mix all four cups of fruit in medium saucepan and cover. Place over medium heat until the fruit loses a fair amount of juices, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch, sugar, and tapioca and reduce heat to simmer and simmer until juice becomes thicker. Adjust amount of cornstarch/tapioca if it still seems very runny. Add almond extract and remove fruit from heat. Place in cold bowl and then put in fridge to cool while making the crust.

Once bottom crust is rolled out place in 9 inch pie plate and put somewhat cooled berries into pastry, dot with butter, place top crust and cut vents in top. Bake at 375 for about an hour or when top crust is golden and fruit starts bubbling through vents.

My favorite Pie Crust via Betty Crocker

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 c plus 2 T shortening

4-6 T ice cold water

Pre-heat over to 425.

Mix flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour mixture until pea sized crumbs form, Add water one T at a time and toss with a fork until mixture can shape into a ball. Cut in half for two crusts. Refrigerate for 15 mins before rolling out on floured surface.

Lentil & Sausage Soup (Stew), Two Ways

Not really sure why I don't typically pay attention to recipes on food packaging, but I'm glad I didn't ignore this one. I've been on the hunt for a great lentil recipe (ever since I read they are one of the healthiest things to eat, which explains why my mom fed them to us till they came out of our ears), and ever since we went on vacation and ate the most delicious lentils in the world.

So this recipe isn't nearly as delicious as the lentil salad that we had at Chez Panisse, but it is a hearty, flavorful and an easy way to get more nutrients into your body (and kids seem to like it).

This is pretty much the same recipe that's on the back of the Goya lentil package (found in the Goya section, of course!), I just added more veggies (quantity), more garlic (shocked?), more sausage, added tons of fresh thyme (because, what isn't better with fresh thyme?), and removed the bouillon cube. I've even made this with just water (didn't have broth or stock on hand), I just added some Goya adobo seasoning, and it was really good.

I love this soup because of its earthy, sausage-y flavor. And also because it thickens so well. You can add more stock to loosen it if you prefer, or you can leave it thick and eat it like a hearty stew. For a second dinner, you can put it over noodles, rice or Tracey even put it over perogies once. Great one pot-two dinner thing going on here.

I've made this at least 6 times in the past 2 months, and Rich hasn't asked me to take it off the list yet. That's a great sign. ;)

Mangia~

Lora

Lentil & Sausage Soup

1lb lentils (rinsed)

3 glugs of olive oil in a soup pot

1 large sweet onion, minced

4 largish stalks celery, chopped fine

4 largish carrots, chopped fine

10 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves picked

1lb sausage

3-4 largish cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

8-9 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until slightly soft (add fresh thyme immediately after all three are in the pot). Sprinkle veggies with salt and pepper. Add sausage and brown. Then add bay leaves and garlic. Saute 2-3 mins more.

Add lentils and saute for 1 min - then add the stock. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and lower to a simmer. Simmer until lentils are cooked through and soup thickens a bit. Add more hot stock if you want it looser. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with warm biscuits or crusty bread.

Our Family's Sauce (or a loose translation) + Meatballs!

I say it's some sort of translation because in my family, it changes depending on the day and what's in the pantry. Any way that you throw it together the guarantee is that if you let it simmer for a few hours your house will smell like heaven. No pictures available of the meatballs. We always eat them too fast.

Red Sauce

1-2 lbs of either pig's feet, pork ribs, or pork neck bones

1 large onion minced

5-6 cloves garlic minced

olive oil

medium can of tomato paste

1 super large can of sauce, puree, or many fresh tomatoes pureed, or 5-6 smaller cans combined (some diced if you like chunks)

salt and pepper

2 large whole carrots or splash of sugar

some red wine to taste

dried or fresh basil

rosemary (just a tiny pinch)

parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper the meat. Saute meat in olive oil, about 4-5 minutes per side... not cooked through.

Remove meat and set aside, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. After the onions & garlic are tender, throw in a can of paste and saute it for awhile. Add a little salt and pepper.

After paste has been flavored for awhile, dump in the rest of you tomato products.

Put in two whole carrots to sweeten the sauce. Then about 1 cup red wine at this point and about 1 Tablespoon dried basil, some fresh rosemary (just a little), and the meat at this point. Bring to a boil and then set on simmer. Once it has cooked down check flavor and adjust salt/pepper and add another splash of wine and parmesan.

Let simmer until cooked down... I will taste and season again at this point. After it cooks down enough for the right flavor you can cover until ready to eat.
Add more wine, and parmesan cheese to taste.

Meatballs

1 lb meat (any combo you like)
4 med cloves garlic or 2 large minced very small or pureed with back of heavy knife and some salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 c Parmesan
3 sprigs fresh thyme, de-twigged
1 c panko breadcrumbs
Salt/pepper
Canola oil

Mix garlic with beaten eggs, thyme and cheese. Mix in meat until well combined. Add a little salt and lots of pepper. Add breadcrumbs plus a little more if mixture is too wet. Form into 2 inch balls.
Heat sauté pan on med heat until hot and 3 t/l canola oil. Add meatballs and brown for 1 min on all sides then add to sauce. Allow to simmer in sauce for up to an hour.

Mangia~

Tracey

Chicken, Cheese, and Apple Chili

It's tempting to call this more of a stew but there is chili powder in it and beans, so I suppose it is an actual chili. Cheesy and dreamy chili. There is a slight kick from the mexican chili powder I used but it is well balanced by the sweetness of the apples. Great with a side of toasted tortillas.

I'm not sure what makes the bulk chili powder my mom bought for me "mexican", but the result is probably a little spicier than the traditional. I finally remembered to ask her the name of the company she gets her spices from, and then promptly forgot it. So hopefully she'll comment on here as a resource for anyone looking for some great online spice shopping. I recommend their cinnamon, cumin, and cloves, oh and the above chili powder, of course. And ginger too.

The best part of having toasted tortillas around is that any leftovers are reserved for dessert. Slathered with jam. :)

Mangia~

Tracey

Chicken, Cheese, and Apple Chili

adapted from Everyday Magazine

2 lbs chicken breasts or tenders cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 apples cut into 1/2 inch peices
1 med onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 flour
4 tablespoons butter
2 cans of white beans drained and rinsed
2 cups monterey jack cheese shredded or colby jack blend
toasted tortillas
olive oil

In a dutch oven type pot heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat, add chicken, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for a few minutes and then add chopped garlic, cook another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and transfer chicken to bowl. Salt and pepper the chicken.
In same pot add another 2 T of olive oil over medium heat and cook the apples and onions together until soft, about 6 minutes. Remove apples into bowl with cooked chicken.
In same pot melt butter and add flour. Whisk together for one minute over medium/low heat. Add milk and broth and whisk over medium heat for several minutes until thickened.
Add chicken and apple mixtures and bring to a simmer, then add beans and cheese. Stir until heated through.

Israeli Cous Cous with Dried Cranberries & Almonds

We were craving Moroccan flavors last weekend. I found this recipe for a Moroccan lamb tagine (basically, a lamb stew - pictured below) and thought that this delicious cous cous recipe from my friend Beck would be a perfect side.

The cous cous are made with Israeli cous cous, sometimes referred to as pearl cous cous. They have a more pasta-like texture than the traditional variety, and they seem to absorb more flavor while they cook.

You do have to go to the Mediterranean section of the store to find them (they can't be found with the box varieties in the rice aisle). I bought this big container because I knew once I made them again I would want them again very soon.

Thanks, Beck!

Also, I highly recommend the tagine recipe. The lamb was flavorful and moist. I added a touch of greek yogurt for some creaminess, and to balance the spicy kick (from the red pepper flakes I added).

Mangia

~Lora

Israeli Cous Cous with Dried Cranberries & Almonds

(I actually forgot to add the almonds this go around - hence the almondless pictures above. Don't make that mistake! They add so much flavor and texture.)

1 med onion minced

1 lrg carrot chopped fine

2 stalks celery chopped fine

l tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp ground tumeric (if you have it, no biggie if you don't)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (only if you add the tumeric - they work well together)

1 cup Israeli cous cous

2 cups chicken broth (brought to a boil in a separate pot)

1/2 c dried cranberries or raisins

1/2 c slivered almonds

Simmer onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until soft, about 5-7 mins. Add spices, a pinch of salt and pepper and then the dry cous cous. Saute until cous cous are toasted, about 2-4 mins. Stirring regularly. Add hot broth. Add dried cranberries. Cover and simmer on low for 7-8 mins, or until the cous cous taste tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Take off the heat and adjust seasoning to your liking if necessary. Add almonds. Serve! Would be great with some fresh parsley.

Lasagna al Forno

For me, lasagna ranks right up there with my other favorite comfort foods; pizza, arroz con pollo, spaghetti/meatballs, nachos and hot fudge sundaes. When we ventured home from college for a long weekend, that's what we'd request for dinner. Momma G's lasagna can't be beat.

This recipe hit my inbox last week and it looked like a creamy, tasty twist on an old classic. I made some tweaks to make it a bit lighter and more garlic-y. It's really easy to put together, but it does take some time. It would be a great make-ahead meal since it takes approx. 30-40 mins to cook. Vi ate a handful of black beans, a piece of toasted bread, and two steamed mussels (rich's appetizer for the eve) while waiting. She even agreed that it was worth the wait. And she's 4.

Mangia~

Lora

Lasagna al Forno

Ragu:

Heat in saute pan:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Add:

1 large carrot chopped fine

2 stalks celery chopped

1 med onion chopped fine

Simmer until very soft: 5-7 mins

Add:

3 cloves garlic minced

Saute for 2 mins and add:

1 lb ground beef (I used organic - it's far less greasy than non-organic)

When brown, add:

1/3 cup red wine (or chicken broth)

1 can diced tomatoes

pinch of dried oregano and dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook as long as you have time for (I cooked mine for about 45 mins. Could cook for up to 2 or so hours to intensify the flavor. If you cook this long though - salt after it's reduced.)

While the ragu simmers, prepare the cream sauce:

Cream Sauce

Melt in sauce pan:

4 tbsp unsalted butter

Add - 1/4 flour

Let cook for 1 min - whisking constantly - then:

Add 1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

Whisk on high heat until it comes to a boil

Lower to a simmer and add:

1 cup ricotta

1/4 cup grated parm

sprinkle of garlic powder

salt and pepper

pinch of nutmeg

Turn off heat and whisk until smooth

Build the lasagna:

Ladle some of the cream sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place three Barilla no bake lasagna noodles side-by-side. Spoon half of the ragu, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Top with more noodles, white sauce, ragu and more mozzarella. Top with noodles and the remaining white sauce, sprinkle heavily with grated parm.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 30-40 mins, until noodles are soft. Remove foil and bake 10 mins longer (throw on the broiler if not brown enough on top). Let it sit for at least 10 mins before serving.

Enjoy the rest of the wine. ;)

Mahi Mahi Tostada

So, here's the deal. Unlike my sisters and my mom, I can't cook meat. That's why I like organic chicken thighs - you basically can't dry them out. I like making pulled pork. But, it's pretty much fool-proof. Steak? ugh. I could make a filet mignon taste like a t-bone. A poorly cooked t-bone. I love pork, but I'll never make pork chops as well as Tracey. So I never try.

I think I've found an alternative protein source. Turns out, I can actually cook fish. We've been trying to eat more of it, and we are all pleasantly surprised when it turns out!

These tostadas were originally planned as tacos, but we tasted the tortillas and weren't crazy about them...so what else is there to do with food that is a bit lack-luster? Fry it of course!

I just rubbed the fish with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, oil and a little lime juice. Then cooked it in some oil for approx 4 mins per side. I topped it with this citrus vinaigrette (doubled the amount of cilantro), cabbage w/lime and cilantro, chopped tomatoes and sour cream with minced garlic.

To fry the tortillas, just heat 1/2 inch of veg oil in a shallow pan and fry until golden on each side (a minute or two per side). Drain on paper towels.

It's a tasty meal (and you don't have to stress about the main ingredient being leathery)!

Mangia~

Lora

Tortilla, Lager, and Black Bean Pie

We are celebrating one year of recipes... already!

It has been a fun year of trying to log some of the recipes we hope to remember. And sharing part of our family food history through those recipes. It's pretty amazing how a blog can motivate us to keep cooking so we have something to post on here! This coming year we hope to share more recipes from all of the great cooks in our family. *wink wink*

To commemorate this anniversary of sorts I figured we could use a bean recipe to celebrate. Since we all eat a lot of them. I am sure between us and our cousins we have eaten a virtual ton of our Grandpa's crazy-delicious refried beans. Beans are cheap, healthy, and let's face it—entertaining.

Growing up, Mama Rae also made those refried beans by the bucketful and would slather the tasty buggers between slices of thick wheat bread, topped with bean sprouts. As you can imagine, we got some bug eyed reactions from classmates in the lunchroom when we pulled one of those puppies out. Actually, friends were intrigued and I think I got more sandwich trades out of those than any others. I didn't know how good we had it.

I found this layered tortilla pie recipe several years ago in an edition of 'Everyday Food' by Martha herself. It's the type of recipe you have to hold on to for when you get a hankering for it. Thankfully, I was able to dig it up a few weeks back when we wanted it again, in all its cheesy glory.

It works well in a spring form pan, but I'm sure any pan would work; it just may not look so pretty. One nice feature of this recipe is that you can assemble it ahead of time and then bake it just before serving.

4 flour tortillas (10 inch)
1 T oil
1 large onion diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 t cumin
course salt and pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces lager beer or 1.5 cups water
1 package frozen corn or 1o ounces fresh
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream and salsa on the side if desired

Preheat oven to 400. Trim tortillas to fit a 9 inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-7 min.

Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, simmer until liquid has almost evaporated. This may take up to 15 min. Stir in corn and scallions, remove from heat. Add more salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan, layer with 1/4 beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat 3 times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20-25 min. Unmold pie and sprinkle with scallions. Slice into wedges.


Mangia~

Tracey

And the winner was...

So...I know you're losing sleep because of the suspense.

You're just dying to know who won our Christmas Soup Simmer Competition...aren't you!!?

1. Grandpa - with his smokey, creamy split-pea?

2. Lora - with her herby chowder and garlicy oyster crackers?

3. Shawnie - with her roasted root veggies and savory sausage?

4. Tracey - with her spicy chorizo and hearty greens?

5. Momma G - with her ultra comforting clams and tomatoes?

If you know anything about our family you know there is one individual who always rises above the rest. She (sorry Gramps!) is the girl who everyone looks for at a party to make sure shes there - for two reasons; everyone loves her and everyone loves her party food. When I say everyone loves her, I mean, her friends AND my family. She's the favorite.

hehe.

Think this bias played into the final decision (Gram???)?

Her soup was delicious, AND it was an original recipe. It really was no surprise that she won. She once wrote a term paper in 4 hours before it was due, and got an A (now EVERYONE knows I didn't win).

OK, one more hint. She used to complain there were always four blue eyes staring at her...

Shawnie's Savory Winter Soup was our winner! Well deserved!

Next year?

She's headed for a world of hurt. She's goin' down. I'm going in the kitchen now to practice.

Congrats, Shawnie!

She won "What's Cookin'?", a trivia style game about all things food.

I'm already looking at recipes for inspiration for my 2011 entry... let me know if you have any ideas.

Mangia~

Lora