Life expectancy for a newborn in Costa Rica is almost 80 years, better thatn some One constant in a Costa Rican diet: Black Beans & Rice. Served with eggs & sausage for breakfast, with a piece of grilled fish for lunch, and as a side for the chicken at dinnertime, it is a dish that is made almost every day in every kitchen. This is my particular adaptation of a traditional Costa Rican recipe.

• 2C cooked black beans
• 3C cooked rice, brown or white
• 2T finely chopped onion
• 3T finely chopped bell pepper
(red is better than green)
• 4T finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2T cayenne pepper sauce or
Tabasco
• 1-2T oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

   Make sure the pot you are using is large enough to contain all the ingredients AND allow you to stir them together completely.
    Heat the pot over medium heat. Add oil, then gently sauté onion and pepper until tender, only a couple of minutes. Thoroughly mix in the beans and allow them to heat, again only a couple of minutes. Add the rice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and about 3T of the cilantro and mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, cover, and allow ingredients to warm together for 5 minutes or so. Just before serving, add salt and pepper to taste, along with the remainder of the cilantro. This last little touch will ‘brighten’ the flavor of the whole pot. As the Ticos would say: ¡Pura vida!