You may not know this about me…I am Brazilian! Born in the US but my entire family is Brazilian! Most of them still live there. I grew up on rice and beans as well as the typical barbequed meat. My diet has dramatically changed but I am still a rice and beans girl! NO! Not black beans from a can! Real dry black beans, soaked overnight and cooked the next day with garlic and fresh herbs to put over my rice. If you have never made it at home, do yourself a favor and try it! You will never eat them from a can again! It is my husband’s favorite…and my kids love them too!
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- 2 cups dry black beans
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. celtic sea salt
- piece of kombu 1” X 2”
- Option: 1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
Ingredients
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- Rinse the beans and place in a bowl. Cover with 3 inches of water. Soak the beans overnight. Make sure you have a large bowl because it will grow as the beans soak up the water.
- Drain the water and put the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Add in the whole piece of kombu. Bring to a boil and then cook on low for about an hour. It may need more time depending on how long they were soaked. As it is cooking, skim the foam off the top and toss it. Stir occasionally. Cook until they are soft but not falling apart. You don’t want to overcook the beans because they will be cooking once more. My beans took 50 minutes. If you like a lot of juice with your beans to pour over your rice, add in a little more water.
- In the meantime, make your other accompaniments for your meal.
- When the beans are finished cooking, turn off the stove. Grab a potato masher and mash the beans 15 times or so. This will help create a thicker consistency so that the beans are not runny. The flavor soaks in so nicely. This is my mom’s secret trick. Sorry mom, it’s out!
- Place beans in a large bowl for just a few minutes. In the same large pot, sauté garlic in olive oil until golden and toss beans back into the pot. Add in celtic sea salt. If you want to add in fresh parsley, now is the time. Bring to a boil mixing frequently.
- They are done! Serve over some fresh rice or my favorite, quinoa!
Use organic ingredients, if possible. Kombu has great benefits including making the beans easier to digest. It will not change the flavor of your food. Get creative with your beans: wrap them in tacos or burritos the next day with a fresh homemade Summertime Mango Salsa. If you made too much, freeze it! They take a lot of work so I sometimes freeze a small dinner portion for another night.
