VRG > Vegetarian Journal > 2014 Issue 4 > VEGAN MENUS FROM COSTA RICA

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VEGAN MENUS FROM COSTA RICA

By Priscilla Soto Vargas

With assistance from Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, Debra Wasserman,Charles Stahler, and Katya Galbis. Recipes by Martha Vargas.

Week One	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
Monday	gallo pinto* corn or flour tortillas fried plantains orange slices	bean soft tacos with onions and red and green bell peppers lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and radish salad avocado slices	lentil soup wheat roll spinach with palm hearts pineapple chunks	peanuts dried figs
Tuesday	whole wheat toast with jelly almonds strawberries and blueberries	rice and beans fried plantains cabbage, carrots and corn salad tangerine sections	potato stew with mustard greens corn or flour tortillas kiwifruit	corn chips and pico de gallo*
Wednesday	oatmeal with raisins wheat toast cantaloupe almonds	black bean soup with green plantains steamed broccoli orange	brown rice and beans corn tortillas tomato, lettuce, carrots and radish salad peach halves	almonds/seeds/raisins mixture orange juice
Thursday	toast with guava or pineapple jelly orange juice almonds apple	white bean soup with vegetables brown rice pineapple chunks apple	rice- and bean- stuffed peppers steamed broccoli corn fruit salad	crackers with hummus dried figs
Friday	gallo pinto* fried plantains orange and grapefruit sections almonds	bean and veggie burrito asparagus strawberries and blueberries	vegetable stew with potatoes, carrots, and celery Brussels sprouts mango	dried figs parsley, orange, and carrot smoothie
Saturday	oatmeal with raisins wheat toast orange sections blueberries	garbanzo (chickpea) soup wheat bread mustard greens papaya slices	arugula and broccoli salad avocado slices veggie pasta with tomatoes, basil, and mushrooms	wheat germ juice banana smoothie
Sunday	gallo pinto* corn tortillas orange juice kiwifruit	boiled yuca pieces refried beans Russian salad* steamed broccoli	vegetable and corn stew rice beans patacones* avocado slices pear	mixed nuts parsley, orange, and carrot smoothie

Gallo Pinto

(Serves 4)

This is Costa Rica's most popular dish; it's delicious, nutritious, and vegan.

• ½ medium onion
• ½ medium red bell pepper
• ½ medium green bell pepper
• ¼ bunch of cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 ½ cups cooked rice
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans

Chop up the onion, red pepper, green pepper and cilantro. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the vegetables and cilantro without burning them. Add the rice and beans and mix well. Once it's well mixed, you can add to taste some of Costa Rica's most famous sauce called "Salsa Lizano."

Note: The use of Lizano sauce is optional. Please read the labels and ingredients of the products before you purchase them to make sure the product is appropriate for your needs.

Total calories per serving: 220	Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 38 grams	Protein: 8 grams
Sodium: 2 milligrams	Fiber: 7 grams

Patacones (Green Plantain Chips)

(Serves 3)

• 1 green plantain (make sure the plantain is very green)
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste

Peel the plantain. Cut into ½-inch rounds. Heat up the oil in a big pan. Once the oil is hot, place the rounds in it. Leave them there for about a minute. Before they turn brown, place them on a cutting board. With something hard, like a cutting board, press on each plantain round. Don't smash the rounds too hard; they are supposed to be flat, but intact. Mix the water and the salt, and quickly submerge the plantain slices, or you can simply sprinkle with salt. After they are submerged in the water (or sprinkled with salt), place them back in the pan and cook until they turn golden brown and become crispy.

Note: If you would like to use less oil, use only ¼ cup, or try using an oil spray. Fat content will vary as a result; we estimate that 10% of the frying oil will be retained.

Total calories per serving: 93	Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 19 grams	Protein: 1 gram
Sodium: 2 milligrams	Fiber: 1 gram

Russian Salad

(Serves 5)

Russian salad is eaten in Costa Rica at many parties and big events. It typically includes eggs and mayonnaise, but here is a delicious vegan version.

• 1 medium beet
• 2 carrots
• 5 medium potatoes

Boil all the ingredients separately. After they are cooked, let them cool, then chop them all up. Place everything into a big bowl and mix.

Total calories per serving: 181	Fat: <1 gram
Carbohydrates: 41 grams	Protein: 5 grams
Sodium: 42 milligrams	Fiber: 6 grams

Pico de Gallo

(Makes approximately 2 ½ cups)

In the United States, Pico de Gallo is known as salsa. This version uses fresh vegetables, making it much better than the kind that comes in a jar. Pico de gallo goes great with corn chips, tacos, and burritos.

• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• ½ small green bell pepper
• ½ cup cilantro
• Black pepper, lime juice, salt, and spicy sauce or peppers (optional)

Chop up the tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, and cilantro. Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Then if you choose, you can add black pepper, lime juice, salt, and something to make it spicy like hot sauce or hot peppers.

Total calories per 2 Tbs serving: 5	Fat: <1 gram
Carbohydrates: 1 gram	Protein: <1 gram
Sodium: 1 milligram	Fiber: <1 gram

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