Gallo Pinto has become my breakfast staple!

GalloPinto.jpg

Gallo Pinto, a tasty, healthy breakfast. The combination of black beans and brown rice is 100% complete protein with no fat. I make it once a week and freeze individual portions in half-cup ZipLoc containers. With some eggs or a salad, fresh avocado and heated multigrain tortilla it's hard to beat. Or make a breakfast burrito.


Gallo Pinto (Rice and Beans)

Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans - cooked
1/2 cup bean cooking liquid
1 cup brown rice - cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 or 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 or 2 Tbsp Hot Sauce ( I like Melinda’s XXX Habanero or Sriracha)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
1. Fry onion and bell pepper in oil until onions are transparent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté a bit more.
3. Pour in the beans and the stock, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce, bring to a simmer.
4. Avoid the mixture drying up.
5. Fold in the rice and stir gently.
6. Don’t mash the beans!
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Optional: Right before serving stir in the coriander (fresh cilantro)

That sounds like something my daughter would like, and we're always looking for breakfast items she can walk out of the house with. A burrito with this in it ought to work nicely.

[Robin Garr]

Fred, I remember gallo pinto coming with every meal when we were in Costa Rica. Is a Tico dish specifically, or more broadly from that region?

(It wasn't made with brown rice, but otherwise seems similar.)

I also remember having a lot of that in Costa Rica. Seemed like a lot of it was pretty bland, though. This version sounds well spiced and flavorful.

"bean stock"??

Yes, a modified basic Tico recipe. Traditionally made with white rice but I think brown rice is more nutritious. Worcestershire instead of Salsa Lizano. Bean stock would be the leftover cooking liquid (stock or water) from the beans.

I love the convenience of individual frozen portions from a once a week put together. And there's enough leftover after filling 8 containers for a large portion immediately. Pura vida.