Sunday, September 7, 2008

Havana Black Beans


This recipe is in the regular rotation at our house. It's a must have side dish for taco night, or, any Mexican entree, served with rice. I also love eating the leftovers with eggs, making huevos rancheros, or using them as an omelet filling. I found the recipe, probably 10 years ago now & have been using it ever since. Over the years, I have adjusted it. The original recipe calls for 1 cup of water & 1 cup of coconut milk. But, I figured as long as I opened a can of it, I might as well use the whole thing! Plus, the coconut milk, along with the smoky chipotle peppers, is what really makes this dish. I also double the quantities from the original recipe...I always like to have more than I need, because the leftovers are so good! I typically use "light" coconut milk too. The taste is really not that much different...a bit less thick & creamy...but, I see no sense in using the full fat stuff. Totally up to you, of course.
I add only as much of the chipotle chiles as I see fit, depending on whom I'm serving this to. If it was just me & the DH, I would add lots! But, usually, I try to keep it pretty tame, as chipotles are hot! It also seems a waste to open up a whole can of the chiles, only to use a teaspoon of it. So, what I do is, open the can, pull out the individual peppers, along with whatever adobo sauce is clinging to them. I lay them out on a baking sheet, lined with parchment, or plastic wrap {so they don't stick} & freeze them. Once frozen, they can be tossed in a plastic bag & stored in the freezer, indefinitely.

First, you'll need to finely chop 1/2 of an onion. Then, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add in the onion & saute for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

While the onions are cooking, dice one bell pepper {any color} & mince one clove of garlic. Add them to the pot & cook for 2 minutes.

Then add the spices...1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt {or, to taste} & some chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. The quantity is up to you. One teaspoon adds a nice smokiness & just a touch of heat. I would start there & add more, to suit your taste...better to have to add more, than to go overboard! Stir to coat the veggies with the spices & cook until they become fragrant; about 1 minute.

Next, rinse & drain two {15 ounce} cans of black beans. Add them to the pot, along with one {15 ounce} can of coconut milk {regular, or light}.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer & cook for 30 minutes,

or, until the mixture has thickened & the liquid has reduced by about half. Taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary & serve.

Havana Black Beans

Adapted from The Whole Foods Cookbook
Serves 6 {as a side dish}

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, diced {any color}
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt {or, to taste}
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo {or, to taste}
2 {15 ounce} cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 {15 ounce} can coconut milk {regular, or light}

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions & saute for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the bell pepper & garlic; saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in the spices & chipotle chile; cook for another minute. Add the beans & coconut milk; stir to combine & bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer & cook for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.

5 comments:

The Texas Peach said...

What a great recipe. These are all ingredients that I keep on hand, so I could whip this up any time. Will be putting this on my to try list.

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious & I will make it this week. My question though is what if you use dry black beans? Would you just cook it longer and would you have to add more liquid?

egb said...

Beautiful pics!

Anonymous said...

Cooking this tonight! My boyfriend and I love coconut milk and black beans, so we were thrilled to find this recipe!

plainoldsarah said...

I can't count how many times I've made this. It is my husband's all time favorite. That says a lot. Thank you so much for this. I should have commented sooner.

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