Vegetarian Costa Rican Casado
by Sarah Villafranco, MD
After one of many many weeks I’ve spent in Costa Rica, the place monkeys howl and waves crash and the locals envelop you of their unbelievable heat, I used to be impressed to attempt making one in all their customary dishes referred to as casado. The phrase “casado” means “married particular person” in Spanish, and since I’m mainly married to this meal each time I go to Costa Rica, it truly makes a variety of sense to me!
Whereas my handmade corn tortilla approach continues to be, um, a creating ability, and the meal appeared …rustic, it was truly tremendous yummy—my entire household beloved it. By utilizing retailer purchased corn tortillas and canned black beans, prep time may drop to about quarter-hour, making it a sensible dish for working households, too. If it is a Sunday and you are feeling affected person, attempt making the tortillas by hand, whereas chanting the next mantra: ugly tortillas are individuals too.
VEGETARIAN CASADO INGREDIENTS
- One bag of masa harina
- Scorching water per masa harina directions
- 2 cans of natural black beans, rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon floor coriander
- 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (omit for a vegan meal)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked, natural brown rice or quinoa
- 3-4 plantains
- 3 T vegetable oil of selection for sautéing
- 2 avocados
- 2 limes, one halved, one quartered
HOW TO MAKE CORN TORTILLAS
Ideally, you will wish to make the dough an hour forward of time, and save the tortilla cooking for the final 20 minutes earlier than the meal so they’re served toasty and heat.
I used the gluten-free masa harina from Bob’s Purple Mill, however any masa harina flour will do when you’re not super-sensitive to gluten. Masa harina corn flour that is been handled with a lime water answer to make it extra digestible. Making the dough is absurdly straightforward: you simply add heat water. The arduous half comes with rolling it to the precise thickness and cooking for the correct quantity of time, however the one option to determine it out is to start out making them! Costa Rican girls make these by hand, however I used parchment paper, a slicing board, and a rolling pin. Here is my approach: pull off golf-ball sized piece of dough, roll it into just a little sphere, and put it between two items of parchment paper. Then, use the slicing board for the preliminary smoosh of the dough right into a disc. Pull the paper away on each side, after which use the rolling pin to roll it right into a thinner disc, peeling the paper away and flipping the disc typically, till you’ve what seems like an raw tortilla to you. Place the tortilla right into a scorching, dry forged iron skillet over medium warmth and cook dinner for 1-2 minutes per aspect, or so long as essential to make you are feeling that you just now have a cooked tortilla. Maintain heat within the oven or in a tortilla hotter whilst you end cooking the others. Like I mentioned, do not be mad if the primary one seems scary. They’re like kids—the primary one is the toughest, and then you definitely get the grasp of it.
BLACK BEANS
Really easy! Warmth black beans on low warmth with 1/4 cup of vegetable inventory, a beneficiant squeeze of lime, cumin, chili powder, and coriander. Maintain heat and put aside.
PLANTAINS
Have you ever labored with plantains earlier than? They’re like grumpy bananas. Not as candy, very fibrous, and tougher to peel. Utilizing a pointy knife, slice the pores and skin alongside the size of the plantain in two locations and peel the pores and skin. Reduce every diagonally into 1.5 inch slices. Warmth vegetable oil in a skillet and add the plantain slices, sautéing for 4-5 minutes till brown on one aspect. Flip and brown the opposite aspect, then take away and drain on paper towels.
ASSEMBLING YOUR CASADO MEAL
Placing the dish collectively is very like placing paint colours on a palette. The element elements of the meal aren’t all heaped collectively however served in little, adjoining piles so you’ll be able to customise every chew. It is so pleasing, actually.
To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup of rice or quinoa and 1/2 cup of seasoned black beans onto a plate. Add 3-4 slices of avocado, just a few tablespoons of cotija cheese, 5-6 slices of plantain, and a handful of cilantro. Place a contemporary, heat tortilla within the middle, and serve with a juicy wedge of lime.
As you take pleasure in this wholesome, vegetarian meal, contemplate these two Costa Rican phrases that permeate their tradition and infect your spirit in essentially the most constructive means. First, reasonably than saying hi there or goodbye, they are saying “pura vida,” which interprets into their life philosophy: “An actual dwelling—to reside a peaceable, easy, uncluttered life with a deep appreciation for nature, household, and pals.” Second, as an alternative of claiming “de nada” for you are welcome (“it is nothing”), they are saying “con mucho gusto,” which implies “with a lot pleasure.” These small nuances in vocabulary make a profound distinction within the tradition of the nation, simply as a small kindness can have an effect on the entire taste of somebody’s day.
With love and lumpy corn tortillas,
