Known as the “three sisters,” beans, squash, and corn are a key part of the centenarians’ diets in the region of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Drawing on the sister ingredients, these breakfast bowls also nod to the Costa Rican dish gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and beans spiked with cilantro, often eaten alongside scrambled eggs. We’ve topped these bowls with a fried egg instead, but the choice is yours.
Leftover magic
This is a great dish to make use of leftover rice. You can also cook rice the night before and refrigerate it to save you time in the morning.
AdvertisementIf you have leftovers of the combined three sisters hash, you can refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat it in a skillet on low-medium heat with a drop of water and stir frequently until warmed through. Use up leftovers within two days.
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice yielding 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash
- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 13.5 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup sweetcorn kernels canned or thawed from frozen
- 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
- 4 corn tortillas warmed
- 4 organic eggs
- Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In small bowl, combine oregano, nutmeg, cumin, and salt. In large bowl, combine half this mixture with diced butternut squash and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly and then transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- In large skillet on medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for about 4 minutes, or until softened. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook for 2 minutes more. Add cooked rice and beans and continue stirring, making sure mixture is heated through. Add Worcestershire sauce along with corn and cooked butternut squash. Just before serving, add chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
- In nonstick skillet on medium, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and fry eggs.
- To serve, place a mound of the rice and three sisters mixture on each of 4 plates and top with a fried egg. Serve with warm tortillas.
