Other Comments: Here are just a few dishes which Seidy will prepare for you . Please print this out and take it with you as a guide to show her what you want and as a buying guide for your purchases . She also knows many other dishes just ask her if she may prepare them!
Black Beans
Clean and check the beans for any small rocks or dirt which may have been missed in the processing. Wash several times and let soak overnice.
2 cups Black Beans Cleaned and soaked
1 large white onion minced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
FRIJOLES MOLIDOS/Fried Beans
2 cans of drained cooked black beans; 1 medium onion; 1/2 cup oil; 1 tablespoon worterceshires sauce; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves; 1 garlic finely chopped; 1 tablespoon sugar; Salt and hot peppers to taste
Fry all the ingredients except the beans until the onion is crystallized. Liquify this mixture with the beans and refry for 15 minutes until thick.
Black beans cooked this way are usually served at parties with tortilla chips. Also on party toasts with a little piece of cheese on top which is melted in the oven. Great with to accompany meats served with ripe plantains.
Costa Rica Rice
1 cup rice
2 tbs. good olive oil
1 med, white onion
1 med. bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
Wash and clean rice
In a 1 to 2 qt. covered, pot heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and pepper till transparent. Add the rice without water and stir over heat till everything is covered with the cooked mixture. Then add salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil (don't peek) and reduce heat for 15 to 20 minutes , check for doneness with a fork by parting in the middle to the bottom of the pot and checking for no water. Rice should be tender upon biting.
Gallo Pinto
This is the Costa Rica dish !
The name means Spotted Roster, because of the color mixture. Great with eggs for breakfast or any other main plate.
Take a large frying pan heat oil and sauté , onion, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro and bay leaf until onion is transparent. Then add rice and beans from the previous dishes and heat well. Cook some eggs (Al gusto) fried, scrambled or however you like them. Place Gallo Pinto on the plate next to the eggs and enjoy with tortillas and sour cream. Add hot sauce to Taste !!!
Recipe for Chilera (Pure Fire!)
12 or more Habaneras or other small hot peppers
3 large carrots sliced in thin round pieces
2 large onions sliced in thin pieces
1/2 of a cauliflower chopped in small pieces
A few string beans cut in halves (for added color)
8 ounces of your favorite fruit vinegar
1 cucumber sliced medium
Ceviche
This first dish is a great cold starter :
1 lb. good white fish ie. red snapper
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
4 or 5 sprigs of cilantro
hot sauce to taste ( Tabasco) or chilies
salt and pepper to taste and limes ( key limes)
Cabbage salad / Ensalada de repollo
1 whole cabbage
3 ripe tomatoes
vinegar or lemon
salt
add a small amount of cilantro
Dice whole cabbage very finely.
Dice tomatoes in small squares.
Combine cabbage and tomatoes, sprinkle mixture with vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Add salt to taste
Arroz con Leche
2 cups of rice.
1 big can of condensed milk.
1 big can of evaporated milk.
2 cups of milk.
1 cup of sugar.
1 small cinnamon chip.
A few small nails of scent (cloves).
1 box of raisins (optional).
1/2 bar of margarine.
Bean Dip
Take the above beans with liquid and place in blender and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and puree for a great bean dip hot or cold.
Black Bean Soup
From the freshly cooked black beans take the juice on top with just a few beans, place in a small pot and put in one to two uncooked eggs per serving. Add fresh some fresh chopped onion and cilantro cook until eggs are to the desired doneness.
PICADILLO DE CHAYOTE Y MAIZ / Chayote and Corn Picadillo
6 chayotes , 3 cans of corn in water; 1/2 ltr. of milk; 125 grms butter; 1/2 cup of chopped red sweet pepper; 1/2 cup chopped onion;salt and pepper to taste.
Peel the chayotes, cut them into slices and chop them into squares of aprox. 1/2 cmx1/2cm. Fry the peppers and the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until the onion is cookjed, but not brown. Add the chayote, the milk until the chayotes are cooked, (Aprox. 20 min. Add the corn and the rest of the ingredients.
Serves 12.
PATACONES / Green Plantain Fried
6 Green Plantains; 1/2 cup of oil; 1/2 cup of milk
Peel and cut the green plantains in pieces of about 4 cm. Fry them in oil until golden brown. Take them out and smash them once to get circle of about 2 cm. thick. Dip them in the milk an fry them again until golden brown. Add salt to taste.
Great for accompanying ceviche and fried beans.-
Platanos Fritos / Plantains Chips
1 or 2 medium size fresh ripened or green plantains; 5 tablespoons olive oil;
Preparation:
The sweet plantains should be sliced thin long ways to create about 1/4 inch strips. In about 4 -5 tablespoons of olive oil cook with medium low heat. Turning several times. Allow them to get golden brown but slowly. The longer the ripened plantains cook the sweeter they are.
The green plantains should be sliced thinly to create thin little oval chips. These should be cooked with medium high heat until they are golden, to achieve this you can dip them in milk. These should be fried and placed on top of a paper towel to drain. Then add salt.
PLATANOS MADUROS / Ripe Plantains
6 very ripe plantains (they should be black), peeled and cut in slices of about 3 cm thick; 1/2 cup of butter; 1 cup of sugar; 1 tablespoon natural vanilla; cinnamon sticks
Fry all the ingredients and add then a cup of water. Let them dry out to custard and then add again a cup of water. Repeat the process once or twice until the plantains are very soft. Serve hot with vainilla ice cream or room temperature alone.
Salsa
Makes about 4 cups.
4 (2 green /2 red) large tomatoes
2 large vidalia or spanish onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups vinegar
Desserts/Postres
Rice Pudding/Arroz con Leche
1/2 pound of uncooked rice
4 cups of milk
4 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon powder cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powder cloves or 6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 stick of butter
raisins
Directions: Cook rice with 8 cups of water for 45 minutes until rice is almost mushy (Add more water if needed or milk for smoother texture) When soft add all other ingredients Stir together and let it simmer for 1/2 hour in low heat Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold .
Some Vegetables of Costa Rica:
English/ Spanish
tomatoes - (tomates)
potatoes - (papas)
cabbages - (repollo)
lettuce - (lechuga)
squashes - many varieties (ayotes/chayotes)
sweet - potatoes or yams (camotes)
celery - (apio)
onions - (cebolla)
cilantro - (culantro)
sweet peppers, red and green - (chile dulces)
hot peppers: many varieties - (chile picante)
beets - (remolachas)
carrots - (zanahoria)
string green beans - (vainicas)
tubers: yucca, ñampí, tiquisque (spongy roots similar to the potato, each with a different texture and taste)
Some Fruits of Costa Rica:
citruses - (lemons, tangerines, limes, oranges, including a sour orange and a sweet lemon)
coconut ( coco)
papaya
watermelon ( sandia)
mango
pineapple ( piña)
bananas ( banano )
tamarind ( tamarindo )
strawberries (fresas)
grenadine passion fruit (granadilla) (delicious fresh |