Costa Rican restaurants

We had the chance to travel through Costa Rica for a week, so together with our friends from Northern Virginia bathroom remodeling, we explored restaurants all over the country.  Some foods were good, some were pretty bad, so we learned a lot from this experience. Do not order chips & salsa. You will get tortilla chips, covered in mayonnaise & ketchup.  Here are a few of the foods we enjoyed. Chicken soup Nachos ...

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Beef & Potato Empanadas

I love making a flaky dough with butter. Whether it's apple pie, chicken pot pie, empanadas or even biscuits, they are always delicious. You can use the same dough recipe for pies, as well. Or try empanadas with different fillings: roasted red pepper and chicken, smoked sausage & sauteed sauerkraut, feta and spinach, sauteed mushrooms & onions, or a veggie one with asparagus and corn. BEEF & POTATO EMPANADASMakes 12 to 14 empanadasFor the dough:1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen2 1/4 cups all purpose flour2 teaspoons salt1 large egg1/3 cup cold water1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegarFor the filling:1 tablespoon olive oil1/2 large...

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Goulash (Gulyas)

Delicious stew with beef, potatoes, carrots and dumplings. Recipe coming soon.... ...

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

These are the best pancakes I have ever had. I have tried many recipes, but this one is by far the best. I suppose it's the buttermilk that makes them very fluffy. BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES Makes 12 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries 2 cups buttermilk (well shaken before measuring) 2 large eggs grated zest from 1 lemon vegetable oil, for cooking (in the past I have used coconut oil cooking spray) unsalted butter and pure maple syrup, for serving  (If maple syrup is hard to find,...

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