Costa Rica

Hello Everyone

A few weeks ago I visited Costa Rica and had the opportunity to experience the rain forests of Arenal and the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. While staying in each of these areas, I met some of the Costa Rican people (Ticos), who shared not only their local culture but also some of the delicious foods that are indigenous to their beautiful country.

After a tour of the rain forest, the guides took me to an outdoor cafeteria, which I saw many of during my travels. For about three dollars they filled my plate with Escabeche, Chayote(1) Corn Hash, Gallo Pinto and Fried Plantains. This week's RecipePhile, features these typical Costa Rican recipes. Enjoy them and please let me know how they turn out.

Have a great week.

Michael
"Always remember that food is about more than eating...it is about thinking, buying, preparing, enjoying and most importantly... sharing."

Escabeche
This typical dish is delicious as a side or main dish. It takes very little time to prepare and is best when left in the refrigerator for an hour or two to marinate.

1 cauliflower, cut in to florets
1 chayote, julienne
1 1/2 lb. green beans, cut in half
1 medium onion, cut into rings
1 red bell pepper, julienne
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp GarLeo or roasted garlic
Kosher slat and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Blanche (2) the cauliflower, chayote, green beans and carrots. Heat the oil and sauté the onion, minced garlic and bell peppers for about two minutes, until transparent, but not limp. Mix both ingredients together; add the vinegar and Dijon mustard. Mix well, taste one of the veggies and then add Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper until the flavor is to your liking.

Chayote Corn Hash
This dish is very easy to prepare, holds well in the refrigerator and tastes even better the next day. Feel free to substitute the ground beef for ground pork or veal. When purchasing the meat remember ˆ the fattier, the better. This recipe usually calls for beef broth but I found while making it that the water from the vegetables was more than enough and additional broth did not need to be added. If you think it needs it, add some beef broth but cut back on the amount of salt you use.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 young chayote, peeled and cubed
2 handfuls of chopped cilantro
2 celery stalks, minced
1 lb. ground beef (or pork or veal)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Salsa Lizano (3) or Lea-Perrins, Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or canned
1 medium tomato, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the meat with the Salsa Lizano, garlic, cumin, coriander and some freshly ground black pepper (about 1 tbsp.). Set aside. Sautee the onion, celery, bell pepper and cilantro in the olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the chopped tomato and the meat mixture. Cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the cubed chayote and cook for another 20 minutes or until the chayote is tender. Stir frequently so the mixture does not dry, adding beef broth as needed (again, you may not need it at all). Add the corn and cook for another 10 minutes.

Gallo Pinto
I had this just about every morning, at lunch time and also at dinner while visiting Costa Rica. It is a typical dish consisting of rice and beans and some spices. I thought it needed a little more, so in this recipe I have added GarLeo (4), chopped cilantro and chopped tomatoes. To give this dish a little extra flavor, you can cook your rice in chicken broth.

1 1/2 cups of long grain rice
3 1/3 cups of water (or chicken broth)
1 tbsp butter
2 cans of black beans, rinsed
2 tbsp GarLeo or roasted garlic
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 handful of chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the rice according to the directions on the box or the directions provided below (5). Add all of the additional ingredients including Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve.

Fried Plantains
These are very easy to do and everyone loves them. Peel the plantain and chop into even pieces. Heat some cooking oil on the stove and fry the pieces until very golden brown. Serve with dinner or over ice cream.

FoodNoteworthies

(1) Chayote - This squash-like vegetable is indigenous to Central America and Southern Mexico and kind of tastes like a cucumber although the texture is a little more firm. You'll have to look around for this one. If you have a Latin grocery store in your town this will be the place to go. Otherwise, check out the local gourmet food store or buy online from the following source http://www.organiconline.com.sg/shopcart1.htm. For both of the above dishes, I used a younger and smaller version and peeled the skin from the vegetable. Be careful when peeling and slicing the Chayote, as the inner skin is a little slippery and can easily fly away from you. The taste of this vegetable is rather bland and most enjoyed when paired with other vegetables, meats and spices.

(2) In cooking, to blanche means to boil for about three or four minutes, remove from the boiling water and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. This process ensures crispy, not limp, vegetables.

(3) Salsa Lizano is a staple on just about every dinner and restaurant table in Costa Rica. It is used as a spice for cooking and also a condiment once the meal is completed. If you cannot find it, you can buy it online or just substitute Lea Perrins, Worcestershire Sauce.

(4) I have talked about this condiment before. Basically, this spread is roasted garlic with some additional seasonings. It is my new favorite and can be purchased in gourmet food shops. You can order it online at www.garleo.com or by calling 1-888-433-4621. If you cannot find it, just use roasted garlic. chop the tops of two whole garlic heads, pour a little bit of olive oil over the tops, loosely wrap them in foil and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool and squeeze out the delicious and nutty roasted garlic cloves.

(5) For really fluffy rice and if you have time on your hands, boil your water with 1 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp butter. Add the rice, reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Take off of the heat and let sit, covered for about an hour. The rice will come out fluffy and delicious.