Recipes

Mamatica's Famous Arroz con Leche

rumor has it, she makes it best

Ingredientes:

• milk, 
• water, 
• medium grain rice
• cinnamon sticks
• salt
• sweetened condensed milk (optional)
• raisins, soaked in warm water to soften (optional)
• vanilla
• cloves

La Preparación

Bring whole milk and water to a slow simmer in a large pot, over medium/low heat. Stir in rice, add in cinnamon sticks and barely simmer, uncovered, until rice is softened which should be about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. When rice is soft, remove cinnamon sticks and stir in condensed milk, vanilla, salt and raisins. Return to a slight simmer and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice has a pudding-like consistency. Serve hot, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon or butter.

Frijoles Molidos

my personal favorite

Ingredientes:

• black beans or small red beans
• onion
• garlic
• bell pepper (optional)
• culantro
• salt

La Preparación

Soak beans in water for at least 12 hours. Add the remaining ingredients and cook in a pot for 50 minutes. Mush the beans in a blender or food processor until it becomes like a paste, without lumps. Add the beans to the cooked spices and enjoy!

Gallo Pinto
I could have this everyday for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
In Costa Rica, it is most often eaten for breakfast.
Add Salsa Lizano and you've got Heaven.

Ingredientes:

• white rice
• black beans
• garlic
• cilantro
• olive oil
• sweet peppers (if you wish)
• chicken broth or water
• salt

La Preparación

De Mamatica: Fry in pan for 5 to 10 minutes

From a Costa Rica Guide website: 

If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours).

Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.

Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes). This is also the recipe for Tico rice used in other favorites like tamales.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½-1 cup 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together.

In Guanacaste they sometimes use small very hot red peppers instead of or in addition to the sweet. Some people add a tablespoon or so of salsa Lizano or Chilera to the beans while they're cooking. Our friend Mercedes always simmered the beans very slowly all-day and preheated the water or chicken broth for the rice. (the preparation taken from www.costa-rica-guide.com)

Real n Real Creamy Horchata

Ingredientes:

• rice
• cinnamon
• vanilla
• milk
• water
• ice

La Preparación

Pulverize the rice in a blender. Add milk, water, cinnamon and vanilla to a pitcher. Stir. Add ice! 

Mamatica's Famous Batch o Bread

Ingredientes:

• 1 package yeast
• 3 cups flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 2 T nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 T butter
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• OR
• 1 package yeast
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 2 T butter
• 3 T nonfat dry milk
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

La Preparación

Use a bread machine! haha..Sorry if this was disappointing.

Homemade Salsa

Ingredientes:

• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Jalapiño
• Lime
• Salt
• Vinegar
• Tomato Juice

Finger Food Taquitos 

Ingredientes: 

• small flour tortillas
• meat
• cheese
• beans

La Preparación

Wrap and fry.

Steamed Zucchini Boats

Ingredientes:

• zucchini
• meat
• cheese
• asparagus
• cream

La Preparación

 Cut zucchini in half length wise. Scoop out middle. Steam to make zucchini soft but careful, only for a few minutes because they need to be strong enough to hold the stuffings! Add whatever you want. Ideas: meat, cheese, asparagus, cream. 

Fresco Natural

Ingredientes: (each dot represents a different kind of fresh juice)

• orange
• lemonade
• blackberry
• papaya and milk
• guava
• guayabana
• blueberry and milk and cinnamon
• iced tea (not a fresh juice, but we have it often)

Fresh from the Market Soup

Ingredientes:

• meat
• potatoes
• yuca
• cabbage
• carrots
• zucchini
• chayote

Another: sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, yuca, spinach, bits of chicken

Peanut Butter Balls

recipe taken from another Mamatica

Ingredientes:

• semi sweet chocolate chips
• confectioner's sugar
• graham crackers
• margarine butter
• peanut butter

La Preparación

Crush graham crackers. Mix with sugar and peanut butter. Put in refrigerator for an hour. Form into small balls. Put in refrigerator while melting chocolate with margarine. Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture. Put in freezer. See how long you can wait til you eat one!