Gallo Pinto

Vegan, Oil-free, Nut-free, Gluten-free

If you haven't tasted Mary McDougall's Gallo Pinto, you have been missing out!

I’ve got to give credit where credit is due – thank you to Mary McDougall! I feel that all whole-food, vegan recipes were originally created by this amazing lady! This particular recipe comes from The McDougall Quick & Easy cookbook. We always at least double it.

Have you heard of Blue Zones, the five regions with the longest-living populations on the planet? Well, here they are: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, United States.

What makes them live till the ripe age of 100 and more while still being mobile, in good health, self-sufficient and living on their own? Well, they have many tricks up their sleeve and one of them is... BEANS!

Why are beans so wonderful beside being incredibly tasty, versatile and satisfying? They provide protein, fiber, folate, iron, potassium and magnesium while containing little or no total fat, trans-fat, sodium and cholesterol.

So, if you feel the need to eat more protein, here is your ticket! This Gallo Pinto is a deliciously satisfying comfort food that you will likely keep making over and over again. I know we do. ;o) And did I mention that's very easy to make?

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients

For the Beans:

• ½ cup vegetable broth

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced

• 3 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 bay leaf1 tsp dried oregano

For the Vegetables:

• ½ cup vegetable broth

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1 tomato, chopped

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4 cups long grain brown rice, cooked

• Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce, to taste

Directions

For the Beans:

1. Place the vegetable broth in a medium-large saucepan.

2. Add the onion, celery and garlic.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until vegetables are softened.

4. Add remaining ingredients – beans, bay leaf and oregano, mix well and cook over low heat for 20 min, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.

For the Vegetables:

1. Place the vegetable broth in a large non-stick frying pan.

2. Add onion and celery and cook over medium heat for 5 min, stirring frequently.

3. Add tomato and cilantro and cook for another 5 min.

4. Add the bean mixture and the rice. Mix well. Heat through and season to taste with the hot sauce.

No animals were harmed during the creation of this recipe!