Gallo Pinto

This post goes out to my bff =)  ....Debs, you know the back-story, but the recipe's for you!

So, a few years ago my husband and I were involved in this church in Tennessee that would take a couple of mission trips to Nicaragua each year, and my husband and I went on several. Although we went to help the people, I have to admit, we always looked forward to the food!

The people of Nicaragua eat primarily rice & black beans. But with a couple of interesting additions here and there, a plate of plain old rice & beans becomes Gallo Pinto -- "Painted Rooster" -- a dish fit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And they seriously eat it for every meal. Our favorite is the breakfast version:  A pile of black beans & rice, with a boiled egg, a side of watermelon, and fried cheese (in the States, the closest cheese we can find that fries up like theirs in "Queso Fresco" - you can find it almost anywhere). But there is a lunch or dinner version, too:  Add to your pile o'Gallo Pinto ketchup and chopped hotdogs. BARF!

There is one redeeming factor to eating so much ...rice ...and ...beans is that you can add so much to it, play with the variations, and create your own! Following is my favorite way to recreate warm mornings in the tropical sun... but in the northern Midwest =)

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 pound dried black beans

3 tsp. sea salt

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups of basmati rice

1 4-cup carton of chicken juice =)

2 cloves minced garlic

Spices to taste: I really like basil in mine, +black pepper, more salt if needed

1 organic red bell pepper

1 small onion

HOW TO:

Rinse beans... Soak... Rinse... Salt and cook black beans with (large) onion in a large stock pot.

*Do not discard the water that the beans cooked in!*

Simply add rice, garlic, and carton of chicken juice.

When rice is done, add spices, bell pepper, and (small) onion.

You've got yourself a painted rooster! It's that easy =)

Like I said before, serve with freshly fried cheese... or ketchup and hotdogs... whatever...

COST: $8-9

SERVES: A boatload of people!!! Your family could eat on this for a week! Seriously! (If you want a smaller portion, halve everything. If you want to have a richer flavor, halve the rice, beans, and chicken juice, but keep the same amount of pepper and onion =)