IVETTE'S GALLO PINTO RECIPE

And now, what you have all been waiting for, with mouth-watering enthusiasm.

Ivette's Gallo Pinto Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 gr.) dried black beans


8-10 sprigs of fresh cilantro

1 small or medium onion


1/2 small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)


3 cups of water


2 cups (350 ml) white rice


1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt


1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

Lizano Sauce!



Cover the dried black beans with water and soak overnight. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (3 hours).
Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.

Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes).
Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (1/2-1 cup, 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans, reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.
Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together and add some tasty Lizano Sauce!

Coming soon: a blog interview with Ivette!