This is my entry for this weeks fruitsandveggiesmonday, the wonderful competition of @lenasveganliving. As I am based at this time in Costa Rica I decided that the basis of the dish would be rice and beans, which are themselves the basic of the national dish of Costa Rica, Gallo Pinto.

This is my own recipe, inspired by some of my all time favourite flavours.

Spirit of Costa Rica - A vegan salad of fruits and vegetables.

Cooked organic brown rice
Cooked and drained red beans
Chickpeas, cooked and drained
Salad onions , diced
Celery , finely diced
Papaya, small cubes
Raisins
Apple, finely diced
Sweet red and green peppers
Carrot, grated
Sweet corn
Broccoli florets, small, blanched
Toasted Almonds
Fresh picked basil leaves.

Dressing
1 part Organic Apple vinegar
4 parts Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Himalayan pink Salt
Lots of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Four fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Fresh Thyme leaves

The brocolli florets should be blanched for just a couple of minutes so that retain plenty of crunchiness and cooled. Put the cooked rice, beans and chickpeas in a bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well. Add all the other ingredients tossing gently to mix well and distribute dressing. There is nothing fancy or radical to this recipe but a delightful mix of delicious flavours and heaps of nutritional value! Served with or without a glass of wine, depending on your preference and a slice of homemade herb bread, flavored with onion, cumin seed and thyme.

These were taken using my Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Namaste

Our lives become beautiful not because we are perfect but because we put our heart into what we do.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

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