A Taste of Nicaragua: Gallo Pinto

One of the biggest countries in Central America surrounding the Pacific Ocean and Carribean Sea is Nicaragua. Nicaragua is both a tropical and mountainous region where you can find turtles by the beach or cocoa crops growing in the high mountains. Nicaragua has many different cultures, depending on the region. In the west, where it was colonized by Spain, the culture is similar to other Latin American countries, but in the east that was once ruled by Britain, the culture is similar to Caribbean countries. Music and religion are very important traditions in Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans are Roman Catholics that celebrate exciting parties to honor their saints. The most important religious holiday isn't Christmas, but La Purisima that honors the Virgin Mary. With music, most Nicaraguans enjoy reggaeton, marimba music, merenge, etc. In the east coast, there are more people with African descents, which has influenced their music to have more sensual and intense rhythms. Ethnically, many Nicaraguans are mestizos, which are people with European and American Indian heritages that speak Spanish and English. One thing that most Nicaraguans have in common is food. For breakfast, they eat gallo pinto, which is rice and refried beans cooked together with different spices with some eggs and coffee or tropical fruit juice. Here is a simple recipe for gallo pinto that is great for vegetarians and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner:

Ingredients

2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 cup red beans or cooked black beans
1/2 cup of finely diced white onion
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro salt sour cream (don't add if you want a low-calorie meal)

Place vegetable oil on a frying pan and heat for approximately 1 minute.
Saute onions until caramelized.
Add entire pot of cooked beans and its gravy into the sautéed onions.
Stir over low-medium heat for a minute.
Combine cooked rice to sautéed bean mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add salt to taste. Add cilantro.
Cook on high heat and quick.
Serve immediately and add the sour cream to taste.
You can enjoy gallo pinto with some eggs, toast, and some fresh coffee or juice. Enjoy!

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Nicaragua, http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=100350