Mango Gallo Pinto with Fried Egg and Avocado (Mango Habanero Balsamic)

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Gallo Pinto is a classic staple in Nicaragua. Made with leftover rice and pinto beans, it serves as a side dish to any protein. This is a twist on the classic recipe using ingredients common to Central America, avocado and mango and adding egg as the protein making a satisfying dish for any meal.
The recipe below will produce enough for two hearty meals if you divide the rice in half and add two eggs to each serving. For a light meal, divide the rice in quarters and add one egg to each serving.

What you will need:

  • 1/2 medium sized onion - diced

  • 1/2 bell pepper any color - diced

  • salt

  • mango habanero balsamic vinegar

  • extra virgin olive oil

  • one cup cooked leftover rice (we made ours with brown rice)

  • one cup of drained canned pinto beans

  • one small bunch cilantro with large stems removed - lightly chopped.

  • one ripe Ataulfo mango - cut into chunks

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 ripe avocado sliced or a cup of guacamole

  • sour cream or queso fresco (optional)

Sauté onion and bell pepper on medium low heat in extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt until translucent and soft.
Drizzle on mango habanero balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until veggies are coated and sticky.
Add more extra virgin olive oil and the the rice and beans. Cook together until rice is slightly crispy. Remove heat and stir in mango and cilantro. 
Place rice mixture on a plate. Add sliced avocado or guacamole on the side. 
Fry eggs keeping the center soft and runny and place on the rice. Drizzle with mango habanero balsamic vinegar and serve.

And, the best part is breaking the egg and mixing in the warm yolk!
Optional Touches:
To cool it off, add a dollop of sour cream.
To richen it up, crumble on queso fresco.

Spicy Thai Mango Salad (Mango Habanero Balsamic, Persian Lime Olive Oil)

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When you can't wait for your mango to get ripe, don't! This recipe calls for ripe-ish mango, a little bit soft and sort of sweet sour.

What you will need:

  • one slightly ripe Ataulfo mango, peeled and removed from the seed.

  • one medium size red or orange bell pepper, halved with seeds and stem removed.

  • one medium size carrot, peeled and cut in half

  • two medium size Persian style cucumbers, cut in quarters long way and seeds sliced out.

  • small bunch of cilantro de-stemmed and chopped (can substitute Italian parsley or fresh spinach)

  • 8-10 cherry tomatoes cut in half

  • 1/4 cup chopped raw nuts (peanuts or cashews)

  • 3 Tablespoons mango habanero balsamic vinegar

  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (low salt preferred)

  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and juice from one lime (or 3 Tablespoons Persian Lime olive oil)

The mango, bell pepper carrot and cucumbers need to be cut julienne style (the thinner the better). Then place them in a salad bowl with the tomatoes and cilantro.

Whisk the mango habanero balsamic vinegar, soy sauce extra virgin olive oil, and lime juice together to make a dressing. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing.

Serve topped with chopped nuts. We had this salad as a side to salmon. With extra nuts and noodles on the side, it can stand alone.