Dougherty Family Recipe Box

Category: Costa Rican

  • Fried Plantains

    Ingredients

    • 2 green plantains
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • vegetable oil

    Method

    1. Peel the plantains.
    2. Cut into 1 inch thick circular slices.
    3. Pour half an inch of oil into a heavy frying pan and heat until oil is very hot.
    4. Fry the plantain slices until golden.
    5. On a chopping board, gently flatten the plantain slices with the bottom of a bottle.
    6. Refry the flattened plantain slices until crisp and golden brown.
    7. Remove from oil and pat dry with paper towel.
    8. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with refried beans or guacamole.

    Source

  • Refried Beans

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked black beans
    • 1 cup liquid retained from cooking black beans
    • 1 teaspoon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon white sugar
    • tabasco sauce

    Method

    1. Put the beans and liquid in a blender and puree until smooth.
    2. Add all other ingredients while blending.
    3. Pour the mixture into a large nonstick pan and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly.
    4. Serve hot refried beans in a bowl topped with grated mild white cheese.

    Source

  • Gallo Pinto

    Always served with sour cream. Can be served with fried eggs, toasted baguette, and fried plantain.

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 teaspoon red bell pepper finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons onion finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 2 cups cooked black beans
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 2 cups cooked white rice

    Method

    1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
    2. Add the vegetables to the butter and cook until they soften.
    3. Stir in the beans, Worcestershire, and cumin and cook for about 2 minutes.
    4. Stir in the rice and cook for about 3 minutes.
    5. Remove from heat and serve.

    Source

  • White Rice

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
    • 1 medium onion finely chopped
    • 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
    • 5 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 cups dry white rice
    • 3 cups hot water
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Method

    1. Pour the oil into the bottom of a pot and heat over medium heat.
    2. Add vegetables to the oil and cook for a couple of minutes.
    3. Add the garlic to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute longer.
    4. Stir in the dry rice and cook until the rice is golden.
    5. Add the hot hot water and salt.
    6. Bring to a boil.
    7. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed all of the liquid (about 20 minutes).
    8. Remove from heat and serve.

    Source

  • Black Beans

    Keep some of the liquid from cooking these beans to make refried beans with leftovers.

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound dried black beans
    • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 2 onions finely finely chopped
    • 2 red bell peppers finely chopped
    • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped
    • salt

    Method

    1. Put the beans in a large stock pot and cover with water (2 inches above the beans).
    2. Leave beans to soak overnight.
    3. Drain the water and rinse the beans.
    4. Put beans and all other ingredients into the stock pot.
    5. Cover with water (4 inches above the ingredients).
    6. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a full boil over medium heat.
    7. Lower the heat and simmer until beans are tender (about 1 1/4 hours).

    Source