Gallo Pinto is one of my clearest memories from travelling in Central America. The dish varies regionally, but the name describes the specific red bean and long-grain rice dish that people eat in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Many other countries have a similar dishes that go by different names.
Traditionally, the beans and rice are cooked together at the same time. The name means “spotted rooster” in Spanish, because of the way the rice is colored from being cooked with the beans. Well, that’s what Wikipedia says…
I made this dish using my own changes in technique and ingredients. I used pre-cooked rice and black beans, because I generally have them in the fridge at home. In some places I’ve had Gallo Pinto with coconut, so I used coconut oil to cook my vegetables. I also added fresh chopped pineapple because I was feeling especially tropical. Instead of long grain rice, I used short grain brown rice because it’s my favorite. I know, it’s a different dish now. But that’s alright. I look forward to eating it for breakfast with a poached egg on top, and bringing it to work for a easy one bowl lunch.
There are no rules of beans and rice, and I love that many countries have there own recipes. As simple as they are, beans and rice are always a meal I look forward to.
Ingredients:
2 tbs coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pineapple
3 cups cooked short grain brown rice
3 cups cooked black beans
Instructions:
Heat up coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add all the veggies and salt and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and veggies are softened. Add the chopped pineapple and cook an additional 2 minutes. Gently stir in rice and beans, and cook until heated through. I served mine with Jalapeño Hot Sauce that I made this summer.