Costa Rican Beans and Rice (Gallo Pinto)

One of my favorite dishes is Gallo Pinto, a Costa Rican diet staple. My ex husband is from Costa Rica, I was lucky enough to visit Costa Rica three times and spend time with his amazing family. When you visit Costa Rica (if you haven't, it should go on your bucket list right now) you are immersed in amazing food and a beautiful culture. Costa Ricans love to feed you, and lucky for me I love to eat. 

My kids are lucky that they are half Costa Rican and they will always have family to visit whenever they go. The local experience was incredible, and the food - well there just aren't enough words for how amazing the food is. One of the dishes you will get at every meal is Gallo Pinto. Luckily for me, my mother in law taught me how to make it. There is one ingredient that you will need to make it authentic, Salsa Lizano. Salsa Lizano is a key ingredient, if you can't find it in a local Latin store you can find it on Amazon. I hope you enjoy the dish, and as they say in Costa Rica - Pura Vida! 

Ingredients: 

3 cups cooked white rice (I use jasmine rice)

2 cans of black beans (do not drain)

1 small onion diced

3 cloves of garlic diced

1 small red bell pepper or 2 mini sweet peppers

3 slices of jalapenos (I used the nacho slice jalapenos in a jar) or more depending on how much heat you like

1 small bunch of cilantro

1 tsp of salt (or more to taste)

1 tbsp of garlic powder

1 tsp of olive oil

2-3 tbsp of Salsa Lizano

Directions:

Sauté sliced onion and olive oil until onion is translucent. Add garlic and let cook until fragrant. Add the two cans of black beans with the liquid, add bell pepper, jalapeno, salt and garlic powder and Salsa Lizano. Bring it to a boil then put on low and let simmer for about 10 minutes, feel free to stir as needed. Add cilantro and let cook for about two more minutes. Add the cooked rice and stir until well blended. Taste and add salt if needed.