Cuban Black Beans

The early part of the week is busy for me.  A long day on Monday (simply meaning clinic all day) then K has ballet on Tuesday at 545.  So, one of these two days it's nice to have a quick or crock pot meal to make.  The other day, K came home from school saying that she had eaten rice and beans for lunch and liked it.  Now, the girl loves just about any food, so I wasn't surprised. 

However, David enjoys beans as well and I'm always looking for vegetarian options we'll all like.  So, I decided to try this out.  I ended up finding a Cuban black bean recipe on pinterest.  So, I set it up and turned that crock pot on.  When we got home, we had dinner waiting.  The recipe has you cook the onions and peppers first but I just threw it all in the crock pot raw.  It turned out good.  I forgot to get cilantro, which I think would have added a lot to the dish but no biggie.  You serve this over rice then top with whatever you want.  K and David enjoyed cheese on theirs.  I just enjoyed mine with salsa!  It made a lot and was perfect for topping salads and making wraps.

Cuban Black Beans

1 pound dried black beans (see soaking method below...I used slow soak)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 large onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 

 

Instructions

Soak the black beans using one of the methods below before using. 
 
Crockpot Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in crock pot (after draining the beans)
2. Cook on high 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low until beans are very soft.  Remove bay leaf. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and your choice of toppings.
   
Quick Soak Method: Sort and rinse beans. Add to a large pot with 6-8 cups cold water, bring to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 water. Drain and rinse before using.
Long Soak Method: The night before sort through the dried beans and throw away any stones. Rinse under cold water and place in a pot with 6-8 cups of water and allow to soak overnight.* Drain and rinse before using.