July 26, 2013

The Best Black Beans

My dear friends Tanner & Kara shared an incredible recipe with us that was passed down from Tanner's mom, Kathy for black beans. Tanner recently instagrammed his step-by-step process for what he's calling "The Best Black Beans"and I couldn't agree with his nomenclature more. We tested out their recipe this week and the results were well worth the effort. I am not much of a cook, so the mere fact that I was able to pull off this recipe is a marvel & encouragement to all novice chefs out there. You can do this, and it will taste amazing! See the recipe below. Full disclosure: Daniel cooked the rice and chicken, and I only did the beans. Also, I had a lengthy conversation with Tanner and a few novel-sized text exchanges with Kara before I was prepared to try this. Daniel topped his bowl with aged jalapeños because he's a braver man than I, who went for only a few weak dashes of cilantro. Feel free to garnish any way you like!

The Best Black Beans

You shall require: 

1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper (we used two green peppers because we had them laying around)
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic (best way to peel these is by crushing with the flat edge of a silver knife, Half Blood Prince style)
1 can diced tomatoes 
4 16 oz cans black beans
3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
Spices (we used salt, black pepper, cumin, & basil to taste per Tanner's instructions)

1. Roughly chop the peppers, onion, & garlic. Toss into food processor with can of diced tomatoes and blend until puréed.

2. In a large pot, combine puréed mixture, olive oil, & spices. Cook on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.

3. Add beans, reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 15 minutes or so. 

This recipe makes a large quantity of black beans which is perfect for left-over lunches or dinners all week. Have fun experimenting with reincarnations of this versatile meal!
Sarah

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