A Pantry Classic: Gallo Pinto

Last night we had our favorite pantry classic, gallo pinto. The national dish of Costa Rica, it is basically just jazzed up black beans and rice. In addition to being insanely easy to make, it is packed with protein and is probably the most inexpensive meal we have ever eaten and loved - even when using the "pricey" option of canned beans and tomatoes. If you start with dried beans I think you could make this for about 10 cents a serving. I shoud rename this "Recession Rice and Beans."

We always top ours with a fried egg. It's just a fact: every dinner is better with a fried egg on top.

Here's the basic mo-jam for my version of Gallo Pinto to serve 4:

Cook 1 cup of rice. (I use white beacuse it's faster and this dinner is usually made on nights when we get in late from barn chores.)

While rice is cooking, sautee in olive oil:

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or, even better, one giant clove of elephant garlic, diced)

When onions have sweat out a bit, add:

1 can black beans, drained well, but not rinsed
1 can Ro-tel, drained

Heat that through, simmer on lowest setting until rice is done. Dump the rice into the bean mix and stir well. Done.

I highly recommend the fried egg on top. You don't need more protein, but most people need a little more fat than what the olive oil provides. I also like to put a little smoked pepper on the egg. Yum.

I totally broke the yolks on the eggs last night, so no photos of this dish today. Maybe when I heat up leftovers, I'll manage to get one.

This is my super-basic pantry version, but in season I also like to chop and add bell peppers and/or use fresh garden tomatoes and chiles. Whatever. Go nuts.