Recipe Time - Gallo Pinto

This is a great pantry friendly, leftover using dish. You can put practically anything you like in Gallo Pinto and it will taste good, and you'll notice that there are a lot of add-in options. It's also the ultimate in budget food, if you buy your rice and beans in bulk. I will hereby swear that my 3 cup rice cooker is the best purchase I've ever made, along with the bulk Basmati rice I buy at our food co-op. It doesn't matter if you only have a dollar to your name, you simply cannot feel sorry for yourself when feasting on a bowl of Gallo Pinto.


Gallo Pinto

2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (optional, but it adds a nice richness if you have it on hand)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked white (or Basmati!) rice
2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 -3 tablespoons vegetarian worcestershire sauce (regular can be used as well)
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh cilantro (optional)
sliced green onion (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2 Add onion and sauté until it just begins to soften and turns color.
3 Add garlic and bell pepper (if using) and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until onion is golden.
4 Add spices and Worcestershire, and stir into onion mixture.
5 Next, add the beans and then the rice.
6 Combine the rice and beans evenly and cook until mixture is heated through.
7 Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
8 Garnish with some chopped cilantro or green onions if you prefer, or sour cream.

My note - as much as I love sour cream, I did not add any to my dish of Gallo Pinto. It was fantastic without it. If you are a meat eater, you can add leftover chicken, beef, pork, etc to your Gallo Pinto. If you're not a meat eater, leave it as/is, add some seitan, some firm pan fried tofu, or whatever you fancy. The possibilities are endless!