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 every of their customary dishes known as casado. The phrase “casado” means “married individual” in Spanish, and since I’m principally married to this meal each time I go to Costa Rica, it really makes a whole lot of sense to me!

Whereas my handmade corn tortilla approach remains to be, um, a creating talent, and the meal regarded …rustic, it was really tremendous yummy—my entire household cherished it. Through the use of retailer purchased corn tortillas and canned black beans, prep time might 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
• Sizzling 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 alternative for sautéing
• 2 avocados
• 2 limes, one halved, one quartered

HOW TO MAKE CORN TORTILLAS

Ideally, you will need 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 in case 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 laborious half comes with rolling it to the precise thickness and cooking for the correct quantity of time, however the one approach to determine it out is to begin making them! Costa Rican girls make these by hand, however I used parchment paper, a reducing board, and a rolling pin. This is my approach: pull off golf-ball sized piece of dough, roll it into a bit sphere, and put it between two items of parchment paper. Then, use the reducing 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 will have what appears like an raw tortilla to you. Place the tortilla right into a scorching, dry forged iron skillet over medium warmth and prepare dinner for 1-2 minutes per facet, or so long as essential to make you’re feeling that you just now have a cooked tortilla. Preserve heat within the oven or in a tortilla hotter whilst you end cooking the others. Like I stated, do not be mad if the primary one seems to be scary. They’re like youngsters—the primary one is the toughest, and then you definitely get the hold 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. Preserve 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 facet. Flip and brown the opposite facet, 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 part components of the meal will not be all heaped collectively however served in little, adjoining piles so you may customise every chunk. 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, a couple of tablespoons of cotija cheese, 5-6 slices of plantain, and a handful of cilantro. Place a recent, heat tortilla within the middle, and serve with a juicy wedge of lime.

As you get pleasure from this wholesome, vegetarian meal, contemplate these two Costa Rican phrases that permeate their tradition and infect your spirit in essentially the most optimistic method. First, relatively than saying whats up 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 buddies.” 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,