Recipes
Easy Plantain Casarole
Tres Leches Cake
Gallo Pinto
Easy Plantain Casarole
This casarole takes advantage of ripe plantains, which are about as common in Costa Rica as grass is in the United States. Instead of a pasta base, this casarole uses plantains. If you aren´t vegetarian feel free to add meat.
ingredients:
8 plantains
refried beans
mozerella cheese, shredded
directions:
Peal the plantains, chop into three large pieces and boil until done. The plantains will be bright yellow and sweet. Take the plantains out of the water and mash them.
Put half of the plantain mixture in a casarol dish
Add a layer of refried beans
Add a layer of cheese
cover with the rest of the plantain mixture.
(if desired sprinkle a cinnamon/sugar mixture on top)
Bake in a hot oven for maybe 10 mintues. Just long enough to melt the cheese and heat up the beans.
serve hot!
Notes: This recipe is simple and delicious. But if you wanted to make it complicated and delicious you could add more layers to the casarole. I would try a layer of tempeh and tomato and red beans. But, alas, there is no tempeh within a 6 hour driving radius of my house. I would also experiment with different cheeses, but I think mozerella is a practical option.
Tres Leches Cake
Tres Leches (translates to tree milk) cake is a party staple in Chimurria. It's also about the most unhealthy desert imaginable, so proceed with caution!
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1.5 c sugar
2 c flour
1 juice box size of heavy whipping cream
small can of sweetened condensed milk
a big can of evaporated milk
1 juice box size amount of egg nog
2-3 shots of rum
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
Directions
Tres Leches is a two step process, first you have to make the cake, then you add the milk mixture after the cake is baked.
A) Make the Cake
1) separate the yolks and the whites
2) beat the whites 5-10 minutes and then slowly add yolks. Beat 2 minutes and add sugar. Its important to not stop beating while adding the ingredients.
3) add the flour and baking powder
4) pour into a well greased pan and make at 350 for 30 minutes
B) Prepare the Milk Mix
1) add all remaining ingredients into a blender and blend
C) Add the Milk
When the cake is done and has cooled slightly it is time to add the milk. Separate the cake from the pans edges, and add some slits into the top of the cake. The slits help the cake soak up the milk. SLOWLY and CAREFULLY add the milk mixture to the cake. Make sure to pour it on evenly.
D) Ice and Chill the Cake. Serve Cold.
Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto, the morning rice and beans, is by far my favorite Costa Rican version of rice and beans. Lucky for me I get to eat it almost every day. I actually normally look forward to my gallo pinto. Its lunch and dinner rice and beans that I try and avoid. Somehow, a bowl full of rice and beans feels right in the morning, and I'm sure its a dish I'll prepare for myself when I'm living in the States again.
Ingredients
garlic
onion
cilantro
cooked black beans (with some bean juice)
cooked rice
any leftovers from last night's dinner that you want to toss in (could be anything)
Lizano sauce
salt to taste
Directions
In a hot pan, toss in chopped onion and garlic. Add in beans, then rice (usually there are more rice than beans, but you can make the ratio how ever you want). Stir carefully so you don't squish the beans. Add in any leftovers you have. Toss in cilantro. Salt to taste. If you live in Costa Rica you can add some Lizano sauce. Serve alone, or with a fried egg. I like to add in avocado to mine. Lots of Costa Rican's mix in sour cream to their pinto. This dish is pretty variable, and a staple in rural Costa Rican diet. I hope you like it, too!
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