hello, dear readers! how was thanksgiving? mine was wonderful – beginning the wednesday night before thanksgiving and lasting right up through sunday night, mike and i were lucky enough to spend time with all four of our parents, plus their significant others, plus our sisters, plus lots of friends – we couldn’t ask for a better way to celebrate the last of fall! unfortunately, i was so busy cooking and enjoying our company on thanksgiving that i barely took any pictures – except for a few of the table and all of us sitting down to eat. i hope all of your thanksgivings were full of good friends and family as well!
but now the leftovers have been consumed, dishes are all washed and put away, stomachs are enlarged from the feasting, and taste buds are tingling for more rich and hearty food. but for the sake of detoxing a little from the pounds of butter, sugar, and carbs – what can we make that will satisfy us, get us back on track with healthy eating, and most importantly, be quick to save our feet from standing up in the kitchen for many more hours? may i suggest cheater beans?
cheater beans are a hearty black bean concoction that tastes like it simmered for hours upon hours – but in reality takes less than 30 minutes. i cut a lot of corners with these beans, starting with canned (organic, rinsed and drained, of course) black beans.
it’s hard for me to even admit the other shortcut i take with these cheater beans. but i really am a cheater when it comes to garlic. mike and i stumbled across frozen, pre-minced garlic that comes packed in a mini ice-tray type container at trader joe’s, and fell in love with it. one little cube equals one clove of minced garlic, so you just pop it out and voila, you’re done. do all of you out there have shortcuts/cheats like this you use? care to share to save the rest of us some time and energy? :)
ok, so now i have my secret about garlic off my chest, i can move on to the next steps in the recipe, which include nothing more complicated than canned diced tomatoes, lotsa spices, and some water. as you let the concoction simmer down for a bit, you can decide how thick you want the beans – i like them pretty thick – by choosing how many you mash with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
while the beans simmer, i prep toppings and sides – like avocado, soy sour cream, salsa, and fresh veggies, and heat tortillas in a pan until they’re nice and warm. i love having people over for dinner, and this is my go-to dinner for friends and family – simple, delicious, tastes like it takes hours, and something that every individual can customize by piling up their own tacos. my sister loves to point out how beans are the classic emilie food, and i honestly can’t believe i’ve gone this long without posting my favorite bean recipe. so enjoy these in tacos, burritos, or even simply on top of brown rice or a potato, and i hope they help with the recovery process from your thanksgiving feast!
cheater beans
adapted from vegetarian times, sept 2006
yields 6 servings
- 2T olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1c)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (or frozen!)
- 2 x 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1T chili powder
- 1T ground cumin
- 1/8t tabasco sauce, or more to taste
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- heat oil in large pot over medium heat
- add onion and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft
- add garlic, and cook 1 minute more
- stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, 1c water, and salt & pepper to taste
- reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring
- mash beans until filling is at your desired thickness
- add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve!
