#138 Moroccan Beef Stew

Fragrant, quick cooking, delicious. I love Moroccan cuisine and I get so excited and happy every time I make it. The cinnamon and lemon blended together with all  the other spices create a wonderful aroma that fills the house with so much yumminess. This dish does not take a long time to finish, but all the flavors are there, and so satisfying from the cooking to the last bite! :)

Yield: 6 servings

MOROCCAN BEEF STEW

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3/4 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lemon peel

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add beef to pan and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.
2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, carrot, and garlic to pan. Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add spices; stir 1 minute. Add broth, olives, raisins, garbanzo beans, and cilantro; bring to boil. Simmer until juices thicken, about 5 minutes.
3. Add beef and any accumulated juices and lemon peel to pan. Stir to warm through and serve. 

Recipe adapted from here

 

We had leftovers, and it certainly tastes better after a day or two!

#136 Mung Bean and Spinach Soup

I ate a lot of Mung beans growing up in the Philippines, we call this dish  Ginisang Monggo or Munggus (Mung Bean Soup), it is cooked with vegetables like malunggay, yellow squash, bittermelon and  meat or dried fish. Here in the US, I learned how to make and  eat it with just very few vegetables and I like it better. The flavor of the Mung  bean is delicious enough, it is high in protein and so I feel that adding meat is unnecessary. I make this simple dish with just garlic, onions and spinach. Very simple yet delicious and highly nutritious! 

Yield: Serves 6 or more

MUNG BEAN and SPINACH SOUP

Ingredients: 

3 cups of Mung Beans

6 cups of water, or more

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stalk green onions, chopped

1/2 tsp ginger powder

3 cups of chopped fresh spinach leaves

2 teaspoons vegetable or chicken base

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil and then simmer 3 cups of Mung beans in six cups of water, adding more water when needed until cooked. Cooked mung beans will crack and has a soft texture. (see pic below) It should absorb most of the water when cooked, make sure you turn the heat off as soon as it is done.
2. In a separate large saucepan, heat olive oil, then add garlic until brown, add onions.
3. Add the cooked beans (undrained).  Add the vegetable base, ginger powder and let it boil at once. Reduce heat, stir in the spinach, until it is well mixed in with the beans. Turn the heat off and cover.
4. Serve warm, salt and pepper to taste.

The mung or moong bean (also known as green gram or golden gram or pesalu in Telugu) is the seed of Vigna radiata, has been grown in India since the ancient times, and mainly cultivated in India, China, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Burma, Bangladesh, Laos and Cambodia, but also in hot and dry regions of Australia, Africa and Southern America. Mung beans are commonly used in Chinese cuisine, as well as in the cuisines of Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Read more about Mung beans from Wikipedia

How healthy is Mung Bean? It is very low in fat, high in dietary fibers, protein, iron and magnesium. It also contains vitamin C, calcium and vitamin B6. This is why it is one of my favorite foods. It can be used for desserts too! Will post a sweet dish made of Mung bean soon.

This super healthy dish made of mung beans, spinach, olive oil and garlic. Delicious too!

#131 Baked Falafel

After I successfully made the pita bread, I immediately looked for falafel recipes. Falafel is a traditional Arab food, it is a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans or both, ground fresh parsley, garlic, onion and spices. Believed to have originated in Egypt, first made by the Copts as a replacement for meat during lent, it has spread all over the middle east as street food and around the world. I learned also that in some countries, McDonald's serve "McFalafel". :) I first tried this dish 3 years ago  and it was absolutely divine! And because I have that memory, my expectations were high on this one. I was getting ready to fry it but I found a good recipe for baked falafels. I decided to try the baked ones out of curiosity and to cut on the fats.

And it turned out great! At first I was a little worried because the mixture was too runny, but then it hardened perfectly in the oven.  I made the patties too thin I guess, but the flavors were all there, very very delicious!

Yield: Serves 2-4

BAKED FALAFEL
 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed

and drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Wrap onion in cheese cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Set aside. Place garbanzo beans, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and baking soda in a food processor. Process until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Mix garbanzo bean mixture and onion together in a bowl. Stir in the flour and egg. Shape mixture into four large patties and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the patties in the skillet; cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
4. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from here

 

 

Yes, I will make it again. :)

So yummy!

 

#96 Tunisia's Leb Lebi

This soup is so simple and delicious, it's healthy because it's low in fat yet high in protein. Leb Lebi is a clear soup made with onion, garlic, garbanzo beans, herbs and spices. It has a nice flavor that comes from the mix of the beans, caraway seeds and cumin. I was introduced to caraway seeds was when I first made Goulash, and I immediately noticed the seeds' pungent taste. I did not expect that the same taste can add a wonderful flavor to a clear soup. In Tunisia where this dish originated, they eat this soup for breakfast, and I did too the following morning. Healthy, inexpensive, for under $2 we made a wonderful dish.

Yield: Serves 4

LEB LEBI

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Dump the chickpeas into a colander. Rinse and drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and light brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the caraway seeds and cumin. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the chickpeas, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer until the chickpeas are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Using the back of the spoon, crush some of the chickpeas against the side of the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm in bowls.

Recipe adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge.

We learned that Tunisia is the smallest country in North Africa, it is situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Tunisian cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean,  of their neighbors' in the desert and of the influences left by their conquerors. Most of their dishes are spicy. An interesting old wives' tale made me giggle. It is said that in Tunisia, the more hot peppers the wife puts in the food, the more affection the husband feels. When the food turns bland, it means the wife does not love the husband anymore. I wonder how many hot peppers the wife puts in the food when they have a lovers' quarrel?! :)

We love Leb Lebi!

#82 Turkey Chili with Garbanzo Beans

We made Chili using a much leaner turkey meat and garbanzo beans. Before I started cooking it, I was worried that I am planning to put too much Cumin, one of my favorite spices, because I really love a chili that tastes very "cuminy" :)  But my instinct told me that it's okay...go ahead, add more! It turned out just right and delicious, just as what I had imagined. Since we started this journey, I have been increasingly comfortable in tweaking recipes that I discover every day. And I am now able to imagine what magic a teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of salt or coriander, or a teaspoon of dill weed can do to a dish in the making. This newly acquired skill resulted from my insane craving to taste unknown flavors and a kitchen habit used to satisfy it -- a strange tasting habit that never left me ever since I first became a mother. Most, if not all mothers taste every bit of food before they feed it to their children, and while most get rid of this habit when their children grow up, mine stuck with me forever. Now, not only do I have to taste prepared food before serving, I also have to taste every spice before I add it to a pot, that has either a simmering sauce or a boiling quart of broth, or even to a pan splattering with hot oil...I already know that Cayenne pepper is spicy and cumin does not taste good by itself...but I do it anyway every. single. time. Weird, I know. After months of consciously and unconsciously doing this, I discovered that when I look at recipes, I could actually develop a taste in my mind while reading the ingredients. But is it the spice tasting or  is it because I am just so obsessed with cooking nowadays. Haha! I hope this is normal? (gulp!) and that maybe this comes naturally to people who put their hearts in learning how to cook. :) When I saw a recipe for Chili last week, I thought, hmm, I can make this with turkey meat to cut the fat, and since I had some garbanzo beans sitting in the pantry  for five months now, I decided to use it this time. The garbanzo beans tastes great in it!  This cuminy  turkey garbanzo chili is appetizing, it's made with simple ingredients yet very satisfying and healthier too. I love it!

TURKEY CHILI with GARBANZOS

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups of water

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

2 chopped tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 red onion

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoon chicken base

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) (400 ml)

salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot, saute garlic until brown, then add the onion and the turkey meat, stir, and let cook.
2. Add the cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, ground black pepper. Stir. Add the tomato sauce.
3. Add the chicken base to the 2 cups water and mix well, add then pour it in the pot. Let boil.
4. Add the garbanzo beans and simmer for 30 minutes. Salt to taste.
5. Serve warm, top with light sour cream and shredded cheese.

Who first made the Chili is unknown. Here is a link where you can find interesting facts about the History of Chili.

This will make a good light Chili for Sunday's Cinco de Mayo. We also have a recipe for Guacamole . :)  Hope you enjoy it!

#64 Turkish Fresh Yogurt Sauce and Broiled Fish

Very similar to Greece's Tzatziki. The difference is the type of yogurt used, cucumbers and the fresh mint leaves that are added to the Tzatziki. It's a lovely sauce for broiled fish. I had some wild caught pacific rockfish in the fridge, which I've never tried, so I thought it was the perfect time to broil it since I was making a great sauce. I sprinkled the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper before broiling.  The sauce tastes amazing with it. I'm not a fan of the pacific rockfish after trying it without the sauce, but this fresh yogurt sauce turned an otherwise bland fish into an amazing seafood meal that I still think about until now. Yum. :)

TURKISH FRESH YOGURT SAUCE AND BROILED FISH


Ingredients:

6 tablespoons  plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped


Directions:

1. Mix everything well together and serve chilled.

Recipe adapted from Food.com


The English word Yogurt derives from the Turkish word yoğurt, which is a very important ingredient and most widely used in Turkish cuisine. You can add it in most key ingredients in their diet which are: beef, lamb, chicken, fish, eggplants, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, beans, tomatoes, herbs and spices and nuts. Sounds great. This is the first taste of Turkish delight for me, and I want to discover more. We explored a little about Turkey's geography, which is bordered by 8 countries, learned a little about their politics and history, and we enjoyed viewing pictures of the very progressive modern cities as well as the prehistoric sites and  gorgeous landscapes in the rural areas. Visiting this beautiful country with an amazing culture and history is in our bucket list. 

#44 Brazil's Feijoada

We made brown rice and Brazil's Feijoada (pronounced Fay-ZWAH-da). It is a meat and black bean stew, served with rice and orange wedges. Adapted from Julianna Grimes' recipe but I used beef instead of pork, replaced the bacon with the less fattening turkey bacon and omitted the ham. I like how the vinegar gives that slight sourness to the dish. I used sunkist navel and cara cara ( a type of navel) oranges. It's a great dinner meal. We liked it very much!

FEJIOADA


Ingredients:

2 cups dried beans
4 slices turkey bacon
1 pound beef stew meat
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3 bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
3 cups finely chopped onions
1 1/4 cups fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
4 garlic cloves,  minced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 orange wedges


Directions:

Soak beans over night. Place in a small sauce pan, cover with cold water. Bring to boil; cook for two minutes. Remove from heat; drain and cover. 

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium  heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble. Set aside. 

Sprinkle meat evenly with  1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium high , add olive oil, sauté meat, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer to electric slow cooker.

Sprinkle rib meat evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add ribs to skillet, sauté meat, turning to brown all sides. Add ribs in slow cooker. 

Add drained beans, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, onions, broth, garlic cloves and vinegar.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Stir in vinegar and crumbled turkey bacon.

Serve with rice and orange wedges on the side.

What we learned today:

• Brazil's official language is Portuguese. The country was a colony of Portugal until September 7, 1822 when they declared it's  independence and became Empire of Brazil.
• We saw lots of pictures of Rio de Janeiro's Cristo Redentor, it is amazing how massive it looks. What beautiful beaches they have. And of course, we also saw carnival pictures. 
• I already know that Brazilians are very nice, very affectionate and very happy people as I had the pleasure of spending many days with Brazilian ladies during my first few years in the United States. One lady in particular is so dear to me, and she opened my eyes to a lot of things..I just have no means of contacting her since she left with her family back to Brazil- if somehow you end up reading this blog...Adrianna, obrigada!! Um biejo! I hope to see you again. :)

#37 black bean avocado salsa

Six years ago, it was a big surprise to me that an avocado fruit can taste great as an accompaniment to meat, and amazing when drizzled with lime, lemon and salt. I usually just eat it with sugar and milk back home. It was shocking to me how expensive it is when I first saw it in a nearby grocery store. $ 1.99 each for tiny ones! Back home, I usually just pick it up from the ground, literally. I don't remember buying an avocado fruit ever in my entire life before I moved to California. My mother has big organic avocado trees in her backyard and in the farm in the Philippines, and we handpicked the fruit once it falls to the ground or early in the morning, only if, we feel like eating it. An avocado fruit falls off the branch when it is ripe and ready and it does not break :) 

I love salsa. When freshly made, it tastes so much better. I used beans as a substitute to tomatoes based on a recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook. Once I tasted it, I could not keep all the goodness to myself! I summoned my dear friend who is a salsa connoiseur to judge it. The judgment: "Excellent!"



BLACK BEAN AVOCADO SALSA

Ingredients:


2 cups coarsely chopped peeled avocado (about 2 small avocados)
1/3 cup red onion (about 2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and toss gently. 
2. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 hours. 
3. Serve with baked or light tortilla chips. 

Salsa originated in Mexico. The word salsa means sauce in Spanish. In English speaking countries, it usually refers to the tomato-based, hot dips in Mexican cuisine. There are many variations, including our nouveau salsa recipe.  I wonder where my grandmother learned how to make her version of salsa which she called "Sasa-an" :) She made it with tomatoes, green and red onions, small hot chili, vinegar and calamansi (Philippine lemon). Will dig further into this :) And will definitely make as many salsa variations as I can.

#12 Indian Lentil Soup

Many of our friends celebrated "Diwali" or "The Festival of Lights" last week. It was a happy day. My little one's classmate's mom wore a beautiful traditional dress and gave us a present at her school. As she inspected her present in the car on our way home, she asked me a lot of questions about India. I promised that we will "visit" India soon :) I am glad we did it on Monday this week. It was great! Oh, how I truly miss a good home cooked Indian meal. I am now a big lover of Indian Cuisine because of my dear friend Rekha, my former good boss, Usha and former wonderful neighbor, Ashwini. They always made good food. It's delicious and so healthy. Growing up in a home where the pantry had only the following sauces and seasoning all year: soy sauce, fish sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper and vinegar, Indian cooking can be too complicated for me. I will definitely need a lot of practice to master the art of mixing different spices, and to make a great Indian dish without using measuring cups and spoons. Thanks to recipes online!

We found this recipe by André Grisell for Food.com

INDIAN LENTIL SOUP (DAL SHROVA)

INGREDIENTS:

1- 1/2 cups red lentils

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cardamom

2-3 curry leaves or bay leaves

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 tbsps. vegetable oil

2 tsps. mustard seeds

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt & pepper

1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the lentils.

2. Bring to a boil with the stock, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, cardamom & curry/bay leaves.

3. Let simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are very soft ( 30 minutes).

4. If using bay leaves, remove them now. Curry leaves can be left in the soup.

5. Mash the beans with a laddle.

6. Sauteé the garlic and mustard seed in oil and add to soup.

7. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.

8. Add salt, pepper and squeezed lemon to taste.

9. Serve hot.

This recipe is SO good! So inexpensive to make and so filling.

 Image via travel.allwomentalk.com

We enjoyed reading about the wonderful meaning of the celebration, and we looked at so many beautiful photos of the "Diwali" and of India. Up next, we made ROTI to go with this soup. We had fun.  ^__^

#10 Italian weekend: Minestrone

I love soup. Of course I wouldn't let  the week end without making a delicious Italian soup! Sunday night was the perfect night. Lately we've been enjoying warm November nights here in the South Bay, but Sunday was so chilly! So we made the classic Minestrone to warm us up.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. extra olive Oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1/3 pound green beans, trimeed and cut into small pieces

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper

1 can crushed tomatoes

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 cup pasta

grated parmesan cheese

2 tsbps. chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and sauté onions until translucent, then add the garlic.

2. Add the celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and dried basil, salt and pepper to taste, cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth and bring it to boil. 

5. Once boiling,  reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Stir in the kidney beans and pasta until pasta is cooked.

7. Add more salt according to taste.

8. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving.

Sunday nights are very mellow for us. We loved the soup, and after dinner, we enjoyed reading more about Italy. I pointed it's location in the European continent. We read the news about the flood in Venice. She also saw many beautiful pictures of the city. I pointed at something in the picture and said, "Look at those little boats".."Gondola, Mom", she corrected. :) We read more about the remarkable architecture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and learned that during World War II, it was used by Germans as an observation post. A US Army sergeant, sent to confirm the German troop's presence, was so enamored with the beauty of the Cathedral and the tower, that he refrained giving orders to strike to spare it from destruction. :)
It was a great weekend. We enjoyed immersing ourselves in a healthy Italian diet, and most importantly, learning more about the beautiful country.

She predicted  that the Leaning Tower of Pisa will be straight when we visit someday. ^__^

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger for the Food Network Magazine.

#7 A taste from the Kingdom of Morocco

I really like the taste of Moroccan cuisine.  We skipped the couscous since we did not have it. It's a great meal for a cold thursday night.  We liked it very much!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN STEW

Ingredients:

1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

6 whole chicken legs ( drumsticks and thighs), skinned

2 tbsp (s) olive oil

carrots

1 onion, halved, cut into strips

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes in thick puree

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can organic chicken broth

2/3 c jumbo raisins

1/2 c pimiento stuffed olives

1/2 c chopped cilantro

Directions: 

1.  Mix the first seven ingredients in a baking dish. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture.

2. Coat chicken all over. 

3. Heat oil in medium heat. Brown chicken in 2 batches, 5 minutes per side until well browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

4. Add carrots, onion, garlic to drippings in a pot; sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, raisins and olives. Breaking up tomatoes with the side of the spoon.

6. Return chicken to pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is tender. 

7.  Sprinkle cilantro before serving. 

I suggested Morocco on Thursday. I showed her where it is, and she discovered that it is in North Africa, and that they have a King. We did a quick search and we found the picture of a beautiful red haired princess, the wife of King Mohammed VI: Princess Lalla Salma.

She asked, "Does she eat Moroccan food only?"; "I'm sure she likes Moroccan food but like us, she must be willing to try different tastes and flavors from everywhere", I replied. Then she stared at the Princess' photos and said, "Yes the princess and I are the same, we like to try different foods from all over the world." In my thoughts: Oh wow. Did my princess, who is an extremely picky eater  just say that? I was so happy!  :)

#6 A dish from the happiest place on Earth

I asked her to pick from a list of countries in Central America.  She chose a great one. According to the New Economics Foundation's Happy Planet Index, COSTA RICA is the happiest place on Earth. It must be paradise! It ranks as the 5th greenest country in Central America, and unlike it's neighboring countries, it has not endured civil war since 1948.  The country has no military.

Costa Rica which translates to "rich coast" has a tropical weather year round, and beautiful beaches. The citizens hate pollution, are very diplomatic, highly satisfied with their lives and their food is delicious.

Last night, we made "Gallo Pinto". The dish is mainly rice and black beans,  seasoned with three fragrant spices:  ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground ginger. She made the trio smile :)

Here's the rest of the ingredients that we used:

canola oil

onion, finely chopped

garlic, minced

cooked white rice

cooked black beans

worcestershire sauce

black pepper

organic cilantro

It's not much more expensive that the non-organic, so why not buy organic?

I soaked the black beans before boiling. 

Here's how we cooked the Gallo Pinto:

Sauteed the garlic and onions, then added the happy spices trio.

Then we added the cooked rice, the cooked beans and the worcestershire sauce.

Mixed well. Then some salt and pepper to taste.

We learned where the beautiful Costa Rica is.

We saw lots of beautiful pictures.

It's capital is San Jose. She said" "What? There are two San Joses?" :)

I told her that San Jose, Costa Rica and San Jose, California are sister cities too.

I really liked this dish. Very easy to make. It's delicious.