theme: Latin America

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Home Made Salsa Lizano (Costa Rican Brown Sauce)

http://gormandizewithus.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-salsa-lizano-costa-rican.html

(This goes with my beans and rice recipe)

Home Made Salsa Lizano (Costa Rican Brown Sauce)

Salsa Lizano is ubiquitous in Costa Rica. It’s used in cooking and poured liberally over food as a condiment. So, what is it? It’s a brown sauce made from vegetables and spices. It’s also not very readily available in Australia. I could have ordered it online from America and paid an absolute packet for a jar of sauce…. but I’ve always preferred making things from scratch anyway.
A quick google on the internet revealed several forums in which people were asking how to make Salsa Lizano at home only to be told by various people that you simply can’t make it at home. Well that sounded like a challenge to me so goshdarnit I set to it! Having never tasted the real stuff I guess I’m at a disadvantage for recreating it. But I used the ingredients of the sauce from wikipedia as a starting point and went from there. The sauce I made was delicious and it’s great to use in cooking for instant ‘WOW’ flavour. I couldn’t tell you if it tastes like the real thing though – somebody else will have to make it and tell me!


Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 tsp powdered vegetable stock
1/2 green chilli
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp tumeric

To Make
1. Place the chopped onion, carrot and cauliflower in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the vegetables are cooked through and tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water.
2. Stir the vegetable stock powder through the 1/4 cup hot water that you reserved.
3. Place the cooked vegetables in a food processor or blender. Add the vegetable stock and all the other ingredients (note: if you don’t want it hot you can remove some or all of the seeds/placenta of the chilli before adding it).
4. Purée until it forms a smooth sauce and then transfer into a bottle or a jar until needed. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 medium sized bottle. Use in cooking or pour over just about anything for added ‘pow’ flavour.

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Beans and Rice)

https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto/

gallo pinto in wooden bowl

Traditionally served with breakfast alongside fried or scrambled eggs, Gallo Pinto is a hearty and delicious traditional Costa Rican dish. It’s a cinch to prepare, too!

  • Course Breakfast, Side Dish
  • Cuisine Costa Rican
  • Prep Time 10 minutes
  • Cook Time 20 minutes
  • Total Time 30 minutes
  • Servings 8 to 10 servings
  • Calories 165kcal
  • Author Amanda Biddle

Ingredients

  • 2tablespoonslight-tasting oil(vegetable, mild olive, canola)
  • 1red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2clovesgarlic, minced
  • 2cupscooked black beans , in 3/4 cup reserved cooking liquid*
  • 1/4cupSalsa Lizano**
  • 3cupscooked rice, preferably, day-old and refrigerated
  • 1/4cupchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  2. Add black beans, reserved cooking liquid, and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and little bit of the liquid is evaporated. Gently stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, but not dry, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano (we added about a tablespoon extra).

Notes

*Low-sodium canned beans in their liquid can be substituted here if time is of the essence. But, if you do have the time to soak and cook beans from dried, the flavor and texture will be a big reward!

**Salsa Lizano is essential to this dish. It’s available in some Latin markets, much to my pleasant surprise, in the International aisle at my local grocery store, and can be ordered online.

If you’re absolutely unable to locate Salsa Lizano, you can make this recipe with Worcestershire Sauce, but the flavor will not be traditional. If using Worcestershire Sauce, add ground cumin to the rice to bring some of the smokiness of the Lizano to the dish (start with 1/2 teaspoon and increase, to taste, from there).

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 22.7mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.5mg

This recipe appeared on stripedspatula.com.

 

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Cheese-Stuffed Arepas

Notes

Recipe taken from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt 
  • 2 cups pre-cooked white corn meal, such as P.A.N.
  • 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella, cut into 8 cubes
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
  2. Stir together 2 ½ cups lukewarm water and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl.
  3. Gradually add the corn meal into the water, using your fingers to stir and combine, until a soft and moist dough forms.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 golf ball-size balls and pat each into a patty about 5-inches wide and ¼-inch-thick.
  5. Put a cube of mozzarella in the center of each patty. Fold the dough over the cheese, making sure the cheese is completely covered and sealed. Pat it back down until 3-inches wide and ½-inch-thick (see Cook’s Note).
  6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook the corn patties, until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side, making sure the oil is hot for each batch (this actually took 12 minutes per side!).
  7. Transfer to a cooling rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.