VeganMofo 25: Costa Rican feast
I am tied to Costa Rica in three amazing ways:
1. Costa Rica is the only country I have ever been to outside of the US or Canada. My friends and I visited Costa Rica as a graduation gift to ourselves when we finished our undergrads, and it was an amazing experience.
2. Part of my MSc research was on a Costa Rican plant :D
3. My awesome labmate is from Costa Rica and she invited me over for dinner tonight.
Costa Rican food is generally not aggressively spicy, but it does share many flavours in common with other types of Central American cuisine. Because it's milder, each ingredient shines, making dishes incredibly fresh-tasting. Most of it isn't vegan by default, but it is relatively easy to veganize. Because my friend is awesome, she made me black bean soup, which was cilantro-y and onion-y and amazing, followed by rice 'n beans, chimichurri, guacamole, and FRIED PLANTAINS. I love plantains but I never knew how to buy them. Apparently, you want to buy them when they are yellow, then allow them to turn black until they look like overripe bananas. The darker they get, the sweeter they are. If you cook them when they are just beginning to develop brown spots, they are excellent in savoury dishes.
Also her chimichurri is amazing. As opposed to other types of chimichurri, Costa Rican chimichurri is meant to be eaten more like a salsa than a meat rub; since I am always looking for an excuse to eat salsa, I can eat this stuff straight out of a bowl with a spoon, no chips necessary :)
Costa Rican Chimichurri
1 red pepper
1 tomato
1 onion
2 garlic clove
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Chop the veggies into a fine dice, then marinade in the liquid ingredients for at least 12 hours before serving. Devour.
1. Costa Rica is the only country I have ever been to outside of the US or Canada. My friends and I visited Costa Rica as a graduation gift to ourselves when we finished our undergrads, and it was an amazing experience.
2. Part of my MSc research was on a Costa Rican plant :D
3. My awesome labmate is from Costa Rica and she invited me over for dinner tonight.
Costa Rican food is generally not aggressively spicy, but it does share many flavours in common with other types of Central American cuisine. Because it's milder, each ingredient shines, making dishes incredibly fresh-tasting. Most of it isn't vegan by default, but it is relatively easy to veganize. Because my friend is awesome, she made me black bean soup, which was cilantro-y and onion-y and amazing, followed by rice 'n beans, chimichurri, guacamole, and FRIED PLANTAINS. I love plantains but I never knew how to buy them. Apparently, you want to buy them when they are yellow, then allow them to turn black until they look like overripe bananas. The darker they get, the sweeter they are. If you cook them when they are just beginning to develop brown spots, they are excellent in savoury dishes.
Also her chimichurri is amazing. As opposed to other types of chimichurri, Costa Rican chimichurri is meant to be eaten more like a salsa than a meat rub; since I am always looking for an excuse to eat salsa, I can eat this stuff straight out of a bowl with a spoon, no chips necessary :)
Costa Rican Chimichurri
1 red pepper
1 tomato
1 onion
2 garlic clove
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Chop the veggies into a fine dice, then marinade in the liquid ingredients for at least 12 hours before serving. Devour.