Gallo Pinto

Here's a little recipe I picked up on our honeymoon in Costa Rica. It means "spotted rooster" in Spanish. We eat it with eggs and toast.

3 cups day-old cooked rice (I often use fresh)
2 cups cooked black beans
2 Tbs onion finely chopped
1 Tbs bell pepper finely chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley finely chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbed
2 Tbs oil
½ Tbs Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbs Tabasco sauce

Sauté onion and bell pepper in oil on medium heat. Add beans and cook 2 minutes longer. Add rice and mix, cook 3 minutes more. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and parsley. Mix well. Garnish with bacon crumbs. If desired, top with sour cream.

Tortellini Soup

You say tortelloni, I say tortellini. I have no idea what the difference is.

This is one of the few recipes of mine that John doesn't just love. But hey, everyone has a right to be wrong about something. The kids love it, I love it, and my guess is you will too. Don't whine about the heat and the fact that I just posted a soup recipe, OK? We all know you have air conditioning and no one's asking you to eat outside.

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cans (about 14 oz. each) beef broth
1 can (14 ½ or 16 oz) stewed tomatoes
½ cup picante sauce
1 tsp basil leaves, crushed
1 pkg (7 oz) dried cheese-filled tortellini
1 green bell pepper, diced
grated parmesan cheese

Cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper in oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven until tender, about 6 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, picante sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini; simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

Potato Salad

Whether you like mayonaisse or mustard potato salad, you'll like this. It's a little of both. Make sure to use the gold potatoes (usually from California). Sorry, Idaho.

2 lbs. gold potatoes
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
1 TBS. prepared mustard
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
½ cup dill pickle relish
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Place potatoes and enough water to cover them in a medium saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 25 minutes or just until tender. Drain well; cool. Peel and cube potatoes.

Meanwhile, for dressing, in a large bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Stir in celery, onion, and relish. Add the potatoes and eggs. Toss to coat. Cover and chill for several hours.

Brigadeiros

It's time for something chocolate. These delicious morsels are my very most favorite Brazilian confection. You have to roll them with your hands and they are a sticky mess to make but, hey, you can lick your fingers. I didn't, of course. I wouldn't do anything that unsanitary. I'm just saying you can if you want to.

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 TBS butter
3 TBS cocoa
Chocolate sprinkles

Over medium-low heat, stir vigorously the first three ingredients.
Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to show the pan bottom during stirring (it will be firm enough to stay together and not spread) Pour into a greased dish and let cool to room temperature (or chill a few minutes in the fridge) Grease your hands with butter and take small amounts of candy and form into 1 ½ inch balls.

Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles to decorate.

If the balls don't hold their shape, cook an additional 5 minutes until it thickens up more.