Best Costa Rican recipes.

1-GALLO PINTO
 

Serves 6

• Ingredients

4-Cup black beans
1 Large onion, finely chopped
4-Cloves garlic
1-Red pepper, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

• Preparation

As in any regional dish, this one has many variations. Traditionally, Gallo Pinto or Rice Beans is served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. By itself, the combination of the carbohydrates and the protein in the rice and the beans forms a complete meal, equal to meat and potatoes. It is common to be served this dish with sour cream or a fried egg for breakfast, or as a sidedish with meat an d potatoes for lunch.

The beans are soaked overnight and then cooked with enough water to cover in a pressure cooker 45 min. or buy canned black beans.

Cook rice as you would in water with salt, following instructions. See variations below.

In a pot, with olive oil, cook garlic and remove, cook onion and red peppers until tender, stir in the beans and add salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of oregano and a bay leaf. Stir in the cooked rice, mix well, and serve.

Some variations are the addition of sausage, vegetables, serving cold with pasta as a salad, as stuffing for the Christmas turkey. Some people cook the rice in the resulting liquid from the beans being cooked. Overall a very tasty and simple dish.

2-HEARTS OF PALM RICE

 

• Ingredients

6 cups of cooked rice
¾ cup of chopped onions
½ cup of chopped celery
½ pound of suisse cheese (grated)
2 cans of Hearts of Palm
1 pint of table cream
0.750 1t. of milk
60 gr.of parmesan cheese
½ pound of butter
½ cup of flour
½ tsp of pepper

• Preparation

In a broad based saucepan over medium heat place butter and onion and brown lightly. Add celery, flour, table cream, and stirs well. Add milk and simmer. Add salt, pepper, and half the suisse cheese. Keep one cup of this sauce aside topping. Pour half of this mixture into the cooked rice and the other half into the hearts of palm,( previously sliced in small pieces).

On large rectangular Pyrex place one layer of rice, 1 layer of hearts of palms, 1 layer of suisse cheese, and a layer of rice. Add the cup of mixture, the parmesan cheese, and butterballs. Place it in the oven for 30 minutes just to heat it.

3-CREMA DE PEJIBAYE

Serves 8

• Ingredients:

• 12 Pejibayes
  8 cups chicken stock
  2 cups whipping cream
  ½ cup brandy or cognac
  115 grams of butter
  4 tbs. flour
  2 minced onion
  2 bay leaf
  salt and pepper

• Preparation:

Cook the onion on low heat in the melted butter, stirring from time to time until soft.
Add the flour and stir a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, the cooked pejibayes, peeled, without the seed and chopped. Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Process or pass through the blender, just before serving, add the cream and the brandy and keep in low until it is to be served.

Pejibayes are the fruit of palm tree that only grows in the highlands of Costa Rica and Colombia, in Colombia they are called chontaduros, and they can be found in jars at the Mercado Latino here in Ottawa. They come already cooked in the jar.

4-MANGO MOUSSE

Serves 12

• Ingredients

• 1Kilo ripe mangos, or substitute for concentrate
  3tbs. unflavored gelatin
  ½ cup cold water
  3 egg whites
  1 cup sugar
  3 egg yolks
  1 cup whipping cream
  mango slices to decorate

• Preparation

Mangos are peeled and cut in chunks. Put them in the food processor and process until smooth, strain. You should end up with 2 cups of mango pulp.

Dissolve the gelatin in cold water, then melt in a double boiler (bain marie). Place the mango in a saucepan, sugar and yolks, cook at medium fire for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the dissolved gelatin and cook for one more minute. Remove from the fire and let it cool a bit.

Beat the egg whites until it peaks. Beat separately the cream until it peaks. Fold in the egg whites and the whipped cream to he mango mixture.

Place in a ring mold (8 cup capacity) and let it cool until it sets, unmold and decorate with slices of mango.

5-CEVICHE DE PESCADO (MARINATED FISH)

• Ingredients

• 5 lb. firm-fleshed white fish (sea bass or red snapper)
  Juice of 15 to 20 limes or lemons.
  1 cup chopped onions
  ¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley
  ¼ cup finely chopped red pepper
  Salt, pepper, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce, to taste
  Finely chopped fresh parsley, garnish

• Preparation

Cut the fish in ½ inches squares. Marinated for six hours in the lime juice. Add the onions and marinated 1 hour.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix very carefully.
Cover and chill for about 4 hours.

Serve in small bowls, garnished with parsley, with seafood cocktail sauce or hot sauce on the side. Eat either with soda crackers or plantain chips.

Important note on the Ceviche:

Please note that ceviche is a form of cooking not with heat, but with the acid of the lemons, we usually leave it (marinating) overnight for a firmer meat. It is not, as some people refer to it as a raw fish.

6- TRES LECHES

Serves 12

• Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons flour
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 4 cups of  heavy whipping cream
• Kalúa or Irish Cream syrup ( Optional)
   
• Preparation

       Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
       Grease a 12" x 14 " Pyrex dish with butter.
       Separate the eggs.  Place whites in a mixing bowl and yolks in another
       bowl.
       Using a mixer beat the egg whites until creamy.
       Add yolks one by one
       Add sugar little by little.
       Incorporate flour and baking powder slowly
       Finally pour vanilla extract.

        Spread the mix in pyrex until even and bake for 15-20 minutes until
        brown.  

        While baking, using a blender mix condensed milk, evaporated milk and   
        and 2 cups of whipping cream.  Add some Kalua or Irish cream to taste if
       desired.

        Once the cake is baked, take out of oven and punch holes all over with a
        fork while warm and pour the milk mix. Let the cake cool down at  room
         temperature and refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving. 
   

        Whip the other 2 cups of whipping cream and refrigerate.  Put on top of
        cake when ready to serve. You may decorate with fresh fruit such as
        strawberries, mangoes, etc.

7-NO-COOK RUM CHIQUITAS

Serves 4

• Ingredients

• 2-4 ripe bananas, sliced crosswise diagonally
  ¼ cup rum
  2tbsp. sugar
  2tbsp. cinnamon
  ¼ tsp. Grated nutmeg
  fresh orange slices for garnish

• Preparation

Place the bananas in a bowl. Pour rum over them and sprinkle with the sugar and spices. Allow to marinate about one hour. Garnish with slices of fresh orange.
 

 

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