Black Beans Onions And Peppers Cuba Food

QUICK CUBAN BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté, stirring often, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes longer to soften the vegetables. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to toast the cumin.
• Add 1 can of beans with their liquid to the pot. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to gently mash the beans. Add the other two cans of beans with their liquid, vinegar, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Adjust taste and texture to your liking by adding additional water or broth and salt and pepper.
• Serve as a side dish with lime wedges and chopped cilantro or as a main dish scooped over steaming brown or white rice and topped with garnishes of chopped cilantro, lime wedges, grated cheese and/or sour cream.

BLACK BEANS WITH BELL PEPPERS & RICE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion and garlic; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add beans, rice, cumin and oregano; heat through., Stir in 1 cup cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro.

FIESTA BLACK BEAN BELL PEPPER SKILLET

Steps:

• In a large non stick skillet sauté onions until they soften. Add peppers and seasonings and sauté until peppers are almost tender. Add tomatoes, beans, corn and lime juice. Cover and let simmer until tomatoes are soft but not mushy.
• Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.
• As an alternative, once the peppers are tender transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish, mix in the remaining ingredients, cover with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese melts.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. Put the green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.
• Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Cut the remaining ½ green pepper into ¼-inch dice. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don't want it too spicy), oregano, cumin, black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito.
• When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 1 cup of beans to small bowl, mash them into a paste with the back of a fork and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.
• Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice.

SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE! BLACK BEANS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Melt the margarine in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
• The onion should stay crisp, not brown.
• Add the beans and cook for 3 - 4 more minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.