Tuesday

cuban black beans


we had a fun weekend celebrating with fellow photographers & stylists at the big leo bbq on saturday - got to chat with some amazing artists like jim bastardo and bjorn wallander while eating great food, enjoying delicious cocktails and a even whole pig roasted by photographer hector sanchez. we contributed our gin & ginger cocktail as well as these amazing cuban black beans. julia diaz is a family friend who graciously passed on this recipe and has convinced me that dried beans really are better than the ones we get from a can. don't get me wrong, i still use canned beans in recipes, but for this one it is absolutely worth the effort to soak dried beans over night. these perfect with some fresh tortillas and a little queso fresco or scrambled eggs and sliced avocado - a delicious addition to any meal!

Julia's Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
4 tbs red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
in a large pot, soak beans overnight with quartered green bell pepper. transfer beans to the stove in the soaking water and simmer for 45 minutes. heat olive oil in a saute pan and cook garlic, onion and bell pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. add 1 cup drained beans and mash together. add to pot with oregano, cumin and bay leaves and simmer about 1 hour or until beans are tender. add vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

13 comments:

Raya Carlisle said...

Yum, that looks so good. Will have to try these very soon.

Amanda :: Grace & Gusto said...

I make Goya's black bean recipe (yes, the one of the back of the can) quite often. I can't wait to give this a try.

Veronika said...

Beautiful pictures!

Julie said...

Nice photo shot! The preparation is awesome! I like it, looks so yummy.

Elizabeth said...

Wow, such a simple dish, yet so elegant and beautiful. Gorgeous!

Jane @ Sweet Basil Kitchen said...

Trying to prepare more meatless meals. We love black beans, but usually take the easy way out with canned, but this recipe looks rich in flavor, so I bookmarked it to make! Thanks!

Larissa said...

Sounds wonderful. I just adore black beans!

Alida said...

Great recipe. I also add a tiny bit of Naranja Agria (sour orange) or regular orange juice and a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar.

Yummy!

molly said...

These black beans are haunting me. Counting down days to cooler weather...

Becky said...

I messed this up when I cooked it - I didn't make the beans tender enough - but the flavoring was just right. I just need to cook it properly next time!

Sadie said...

EXCELENT. might use goya sofrito for tomato flavor. also, lime juice at end makes it even better.

Allison Clark said...

Thank you for posting this. Trying to prepare more meatless meals. We love black beans, but usually take the easy way out with canned, but this recipe looks rich in flavor.

Six Bittersweets said...

Is that vinegar amount correct? It seems like a LOT for 1 lb.?