Black Bean, Cuban Style
This simple black bean recipe is based from Cuban cuisine with a touch of sweetness and delicious over rice and staple food in Latin countries.
Like many of you I am trying to incorporate more legumes and substituting meat for other sources of protein.
Growing up in Brazil, rice and bean was a staple food in every meal…therefore I really take pleasure and a mix of nostalgia when I eat rice and bean. As you might be aware bean dishes are cooked in so many ways according to its Country tradition. In Brazil, we have the famous “feijoada” which uses black beans with all kind of meat in it, super tasty and flavorful…on the other had we have the “feijao”, meaning beans, which is serve daily for lunch and dinner over rice and much simpler flavor.
Today, I am sharing another bean stew, which I learned after searching the internet and realized why the Cuban bean dish taste so different from the Brazilian one…bell pepper and a bit of sugar. It is amazing that just by adding these two ingredients the flavor of the bean is totally altered.
The creamy bean stew over rice is so good…plain and simple and yet so satisfying. This recipe was adapted from here with some changes.
Ingredients:
1lb dried black bean 1 bay leaf 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium size onion, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, cut into small pieces 7-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper to taste Method:
Wash and soak the beans overnight, changing the water a couple of times in between.
Rinse of the water and place the beans in a pot with approximately 5 cup of water and bay leaf.
Let it boil and then simmer for approximately 60 minutes until the beans and cooked throughout. Remove the suds when the beans come to boil and add more water as needed, making sure that the beans are covered.
Alternatively you can use a thermo cooker by adding the beans, bay leaf and water. Let it boil, remove the suds and place the pot in the thermo cooker overnight or until ready to add the other ingredients.
Once the black beans are cooked, in a large pan heat the oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
Add approximately 1 cup of beans to pan. Using the back of spoon smash beans against the wall of the pan, or alternatively use an immersion hand blender. Add remaining beans, oregano, sugar, vinegar and water as needed.
Simmer until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally.
Serve over rice as side dish with chicken, meat, ham, fried egg or with anything you wish.
– For more Latin America cuisine dishes, please check these out…
Did you know that beans are an excellent source of protein, very low in fat and exceptionally high in fiber? They are also a very good source of calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium.
Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!
Don’t you love a bowl of thick and hearty soup as a meal when the weather is cold? You cannot go wrong with this black-eyed pea soup…
How could I go by this winter without sharing a soup recipe? Don’t take me wrong, I have cooked many pots of soup however did not document therefore no posts were shared.
Can you believe that this is my first time cooking black-eyed pea soup? My initial question was why is this called pea as they share similar shape as beans? This is where internet comes handy…apparently peas and beans are legumes and seeds from a pod. Some suggest that when the seeds are round they are called peas and when the seeds are elongated are called beans. Regardless of what you want to call these black-eyed seeds (avoiding conflicts…) this is the first time I had used black-eyed seed in soup. Like most of the beans or peas, the cooking time will be greatly reduced if they are soaked overnight.
In this recipe I treated the black-eyed peas as I would use any other bean when making soup. You can add whatever “meat” you want, especially from pork such as ham, bacon and sausage, but feel free to use any kind of protein, or if you prefer you can make it vegetarian as well, it is totally up to your preference. I choose to use Kitchen Accomplice Chicken Broth Reduced Sodium to add an extra flavor to the soup. Before I go on…I got many products from Kitchen Accomplice free of charge and I did not receive any compensation for this post and all the content and opinion in this post are solely mine. The squeezable bottles are very neat and super easy to use, just squeeze the amount you need and it will add lots of flavors to your soup/dish. Kitchen Accomplices carries many products to enhance your dishes just by adding a little squeeze…I yet have to try the other products, but it they are like the chicken broth I used in this soup, I will definitely be using it in my kitchen.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup dried black-eyed peas 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 carrots, diced 3 zucchinis, diced 4 cups water 2 tablespoons Kitchen Accomplice Chicken Broth Reduced Sodium ½ lb sausage of your preference Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Baby spinach leaves
Method:
Wash the black-eyed peas and cover with water, approximately 2in above the beans. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight; drain well.
In a large pot add the water and the peas, cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes until the peas are tender. Alternatively you can use thermos cooker, pressure cooker, or any other method you like.
In another pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir fry the sliced sausage, remove and set aside. In the same pan add onion and garlic, cook until they are fragrant. Add the peas, carrots and chicken broth, cook, stirring occasionally. Once boiled add zucchini and sausage. Season with salt, pepper to your taste.
Just before serving, place a desired amount of spinach in the serving bowl, scoop the hot black-eyed soup on it. Stir gently and serve hot.
Id you enjoy this hearty black-eyed pea soup you might want to try an Asian inspired soup…Kabocha with Miso.
Did you know that ½ cup of dry black- eyed peas are low in fat and provide more than 20% of the daily recommended amount of fiber?
Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week! Kabocha Soup with Miso
This is an Asian inspired pumpkin soup made with kabocha and a hint of miso. It is creamy and loaded with umami flavor. Pumpkin season…all kind of squashes…I love them all…all kind of shape and texture…every different squash has its own quality. Since my parents got a lot of Japanese influence when growing up, our table too was a reflection of it…and kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) was often seeing, either steamed or sauté…and of course I carried all my mom’s cooking tips with me…and often I call her to find out how she did this or that…and I add my “touch” into it.
I have been seeing this squash all year round in regular grocery store, even at Trader Joe’s…this squash is somehow sweeter than the other species, and the texture is somehow in between sweet potato and the flaky chestnut.
I usually scrub well the skin, cut into 1 to 1 ½ in cubes and steam or cook with a bit of water and serve as a side dish or add to salad. Because I decided to make soup, I removed the skin, so the color of the soup would look nicer, but if you do not care for it, go ahead and leave the skin.
The combination of the sweetness of the kabocha with the salty miso gives the ultimate “umami” flavor, a very unique and exquisite one.
Ingredients:
Approximately 500 g kabocha, steamed 3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 small onion, chopped 1 tablespoons olive oil 5 to 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth 2 tablespoons white miso diluted in 2 tablespoons of water Salt and pepper to taste Scallion for garnish Method:
Wash the kabocha squash and dry it before cutting. Please be careful as the squash is somehow very hardy. Remove the seeds and the pulp with a large spoon. Cut into slices of approximately 1 in wedge. You can use the seed for roasting.
Place the kabocha in a steamer with enough water. Steam the squash under high heat for approximately 10 minutes. Once cooked it can be served cold in salad or drizzled with miso sauce. For the soup continue with the following.
In the medium pot sauté onion and garlic with olive oil under medium heat until the onion is soft, be careful not to burn.
Add the broth either vegetable or chicken. Then add the steamed kabocha and the diluted miso paste.
Let it boil for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat. At this point you can either transfer the soup mixture to a blender or use a emulsion stick to puree the soup.
Pour the mixture back to the pot and continue to cook for another couple of minutes in medium-low heat.
Adjust for salt and pepper and more liquid (broth) according to your taste.
Garnish with finely chopped scallion or pumpkin seeds.
Serve hot. If you enjoy miso, the Japanese fermented soybean paste you might like Sous Vide Miso Tilapia or Miso Caramel Sauce.
Did you know that kabocha like all the squash is rich in beta carotene? Moreover, it is rich in vitamin Ciron and potassium. Kabocha is available all year round and the skin is completely edible.
Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week! White Bean Stew
This is a Brazilian inspired recipe for white bean stew. Bean and rice are present in every meal in Brazil, okay, except breakfast. In this recipe instead of the traditional pinto beans I used white beans. In Brazil, like many Latin American countries, rice and bean (arroz e feijão) is a basic in almost every meal…Brazilians eat beans for lunch and dinner, and it is mainly served with rice. The most used bean for the everyday meal is a bean very similar to pinto beans, but the Brazilian national dish called “feijoada” which is a stew made with beef, pork, it uses black beans. Since it is an everyday dish, you can imagine how many recipes for making beans is available, every person has their personal touch to the everyday “feijão”…well, I am sharing with you a very simple recipe that I have been using for ages, and again, feel free to adapt to your own taste, make it vegetarian, meaty…use black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans but please make sure to not skip the bay leaves…they give this dish an exceptional flavor…you can make it thicker or soupier, with or without garlic…
You can soak or not, use pressure cooker, slow cooker, thermos cooker or just on the stove…you just need to make sure that the beans are cooked through.
Ingredients:
2 cups dried beans, any type 5 cups cold water 1 to 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 strips of bacon, finely cut (optional, skip for vegetarian version) Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Wash the beans and soak overnight. Rinse the beans and place them in a pot with water and the bay leaves. Cook the beans according to your preference.
Once the beans are cooked, in another pot drizzle the olive oil and sauté the bacon (optional), garlic and onion until slightly golden brown and fragrant.
Add the beans together with all of the liquid. Increase the heat to medium. You can smash some beans on the side of the pan with your wooden spoon, to make a thicker bean sauce if you desire a thicker stew.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve together with rice If you enjoy this Brazilian simple white bean stew recipe, please check HERE for more Brazilian Inspired recipes.
Did you know that beans are an excellent source of protein, very low in fat and exceptionally high in fiber? They are also a very good source of calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium. Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful day!
Simple Turkey Chili
This is a simple recipe for chili using ground turkey. It is very easy and really simplified for a fast and quick meal. So comforting! I learned this recipe for turkey chili at a cooking class that I attended a while ago. It was a fun class we got to learned how to make this simple turkey chili, Caesar salad which I shared before and rice to go along with it. The recipe called for canned cannellini beans but I used the dry ones and cooked them from scratch.
Since I attended the class, I have made many times this simple chili, especially during cold season. Nothing like a hot and spicy bowl of chili to warm up the evening or day…
I know, the list of ingredients sound pretty scary, but trust me, once you have them all handy, to put together is just a piece of cake.
Ingredients:
1 cup dry navy bean, soaked overnight in water, cooked until soft with a couple of bay leaves. 2 ½ lbs ground turkey 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 jalapenos, minced 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon paprika 2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes 1 can corn 3 cup chicken broth 2 4 oz cans green chiles, chopped with liquid ¼ heavy cream or sour cream, optional 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped 3 to 4 tablespoons cornmeal or masa
Method:
Over medium heat high heat in a big saucepan, heat the oil. When hot, add the onions, garlic and jalapenos and cook about 2 minutes until tender.
Add in the ground turkey, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano and paprika mixing thoroughly making sure to break up the clumps of meat. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is cooked completely.
Add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes and green chiles. Mix in then reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook uncovered to about 45 minutes.
Add in the beans and corn and bring to boil. Add the cornmeal or masa until the desired thickness.
Serve hot by topping with heavy cream or sour cream and cilantro.
If you like this simple chili recipe, you might want to check on the other Soups Recipes.
Did you know that chili pepper contain capsaicin, a substance that stimulates secretions that help clear mucus from stuffed up nose or congested lungs? Due to its intense red color, chili peppers are rich in vitamin A.
Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!
Simple Chili
This is a very simple version for chili recipe made with ground beef. It is such a comforting dish, and great for a cold evening meal. I have been so busy lately that I had no time to make my usual “weekly” visit to you…I am sorry…I will try to stop by and see what is new with you…
This week, I am sharing a simple recipe for chili…I learned this recipe at one cooking class that I attended a while ago. The recipe called for turkey, but I made it with regular ground beef. Of course I had to make some changes to adapt our palate…I did cook the beans from scratch instead of using bean in can. Now that the weather is cooling down, nothing like a hot and spicy bowl of chili to warm up the evening…
Trust me, this is very simple to put together and it is very tasty!
Ingredients:
1 cup dry pinto bean, soaked overnight in water, cooked until soft with a couple of bay leaves. 2 ½ lbs ground beef 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 jalapenos, minced 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon paprika 2 10oz cans diced tomatoes 1 can corn 3 cup beef broth 2 4oz cans green chiles, chopped with liquid ¼ heavy cream or sour cream, optional 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped 3 to 4 tablespoons cornmeal or masa
Method:
Over medium heat high heat in a big saucepan, heat the oil. When hot, add the onions, garlic and jalapenos and cook about 2 minutes until tender.
Add in the ground meat, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano and paprika mixing thoroughly making sure to break up the clumps of meat. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is cooked completely.
Add the beef broth, canned tomatoes and green chiles. Mix in then reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook uncovered to about 45 minutes.
Add in the beans and corn and bring to boil. Add the cornmeal or masa until the desired thickness.
Serve hot by topping with heavy cream or sour cream and cilantro. If you enjoy this simple chili, you might want to try the Turkey version of this Chili recipe.
Did you know that chili pepper contain capsaicin, a substance that stimulates secretions that help clear mucus from stuffed up nose or congested lungs? Due to its intense red color, chili peppers are rich in vitamin A.
Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!
Broccoli Soup
This is a very simple recipe for a creamy and rich broccoli soup…even if you do care for broccoli you will enjoy this soup. Now that the weather is getting cooler, often I like to have soup for dinner. Not mention that it is easy and fairly fast to prepare.
This is a very simple and easy way to serve broccoli, especially for the ones that dislike broccoli. The soup is tasty and filling. I always like to serve with garlic toast…somehow the crunchy toast goes very well with the creaminess of this soup.
Ingredients
2 big heads broccoli 2 16 oz cans chicken broth or chicken bouillon (or vegetable broth) 1 small onion, chopped 1 medium size potato, cut into small cubes 1 tablespoon butter Salt and pepper to taste Greek yogurt
Method
Cut the broccoli into smaller pieces and steam until tender and set aside.
In a medium pan sauté the onion in the butter until slightly golden. Add the chicken broth and the potato. Let the potato cook until tender. Let the chicken broth cool down slightly.
Place the steamed broccoli and the chicken broth into a blender and pureed the broccoli with the chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the cream back to the pan and let it boil for approximately 2 minutes.
Garnish with Greek yogurt and serve immediately.
Creamy and nutritious… If care for more hearty soup recipes you might likeOxtail Soup or Chicken, Corn and Tofu Soup.
Did you know that if measured ounce by ounce broccoli contains more vitamin C than many citrus fruits? Moreover, broccoli is rich in dietary fiber and contains more calcium that a glass of milk.
Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week! Chicken, Corn and Tofu Soup
This is an Asian inspired chicken soup with corn and small chunks of tofu. The soup is hearty and sooth you during cold days. It sure makes a great meal.
I have been battling a very bad flu/cold for almost two weeks…after lots of soup and tea, I feel much better although still not totally recovered. So this week I am sharing a soup recipe.
This is a very simple and easy recipe…and it is great at anytime of the year, especially now that is cold, not that it is so cold here in California as compared to some places in US…
This soup is a meal by itself…each and every spoonful of this soup you will taste the soft tofu, tender chicken with the crunchy corn, all together in a flavorful chicken broth and a touch of the sesame oil…yum!
You can call this corn chowder with an Asian touch…
By the way, for all my friends out there celebrating the passage of the lunar year…HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
Ingredients:
1 chicken bread cut into small cubes ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 ½ tablespoon corn starch 1 can of corn 2 cans chicken broth of your choice 1 small block of tofu, cut into small cubes 1 carrot cut into small cubes Salt and white pepper to taste 1 egg slightly beaten 1 tablespoon sesame oil Cilantro to garnish
Method:
Is a small bowl, place the chicken in cube, salt, pepper, olive oil and half of the corn starch. Mix until all the chicken is coated with the corn starch. Set aside.
In a pan place the chicken broth and let it boil. Add the carrots, then the chicken. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, add the corn (drained) and the tofu. Let it boil. In the meantime dissolve the remaining cornstarch in ¼ cup water.
Once the soup starts to boil, gently and with constant stirring add the cornstarch diluted in water. This with slightly thicken the soup. Let it boil.
Add the beaten egg and mix gently after 30 seconds.
Drizzle sesame oil, remove from the heat.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and white pepper.
Serve hot.
I hope you enjoy this simple recipe…in case you want a more hearty soup you might want to check on Black Eyed Pea Soup recipe.
Did you know that tofu was originated in China? Tofu has high content of protein and low calorie and fat, therefore considered as healthy food.
Have a wonderful week and thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes!
Navy Bean and Barley Soup with Sausage and Kale This is a very hearty soup, especially during the cold weather that we are experiencing. Yes, even here in Southern California, as a matter of fact, this week we are expecting cold weather with possibility of rain. This soup is a complete meal and it is very comforting. I use the pressure cooker to cook the beans and barley after soaking them overnight. Therefore, the cooking time is very short, making it very simple and a great weekday dinner.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup navy bean ½ cup barley 1 bay leave ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 can low sodium, low fat chicken broth ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion chopped 3 stalks celery 3 medium carrots 2 large Kielbasa smoked sausage Kale to taste
Sal and pepper to taste Method:
Wash and soak the navy bean and barley in water overnight. Place the navy bean and barley in the pressure cooker with 3 to 4 cups of water, bay leave and ½ tablespoon olive oil. Cook in high heat until the pressure starts, then turn to low and let it cook for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, sauté the onion with ½ tablespoon olive oil, add the sausage, the carrot and then the celery.
Add the sausage with the celery and carrot to the cooked navy bean, add chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the kale and let it cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Did you know that barley has high content of fiber? The soluble fiber from barley reduces coronary heart disease and the risk of type 2 diabetes as well as colon cancer.
Thank you for visiting Simple Recipes…have a colorful week!
Oxtail Soup This oxtail soup is very simple to make, it is very hearty and comforting, especially in this cold weather. You find a complete meal in a bowl of this soup. I call it soup, but somewhat comes in between soup and stew due to its thickness. Because oxtail has high fat and high gelatin content, I usually like to cook this soup only during cold weather months. To speed up the cooking time I used the pressure cooker because oxtail is very muscular. I like to cook this soup in two steps because oxtail needs a longer time to cook and I like to visualize the pieces of potatoes, carrots and celery in my soup and not have them “pulverized”.
Ingredients:
1 ½ -2 lbs oxtail 1 medium onion cut 3-4 garlic cloves 1 can stew tomatoes ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon cooking wine Salt and pepper to taste 4 medium potatoes cut in pieces 3 medium carrots cut in pieces 4 stalks of celery
Method:
In the pressure cooker, sauté the onion and garlic with the olive oil until slightly brown, add the oxtail and braise. Add the can of stewed tomatoes, the cooking wine and cover the oxtail with water. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook in high heat until the pressure has been built up. Once the pressure is on, turn the heat to low and let it cook for approximately 40 minutes or until the oxtail are tender. Add the potato, carrot and celery to the soup and let it cook until the potato and carrot are soft, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. I hope you enjoy this simple and hearty recipe for oxtail soup.
Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!