Favorite Black Bean Skillet
I posted this as a comment on my good friends Hannah's blog. Afterwords, I noticed tons of spelling errors - who me? I am reposting here, hopefully with not so many errors. Please, check out her blog. She's awsome!
Favorite Black Bean Skillet
The Players
The Stage Directions
Set the stage with one big, deep wide frying device. I use the biggest skillet I own. Start by frying up that beautiful bacon. Please, I repeat, use the real deal - this IS NOT DIET FOOD! Pull out that brown, crispy glory and reserve for later. Originally, when I cooked this recipe, it called for 1 lb. I am too cheap to do that. I find that a little less than half a pound gives great flavor, with less $$$ and calories. (Well, just because it's not diet food doesn't mean we have to go completely crazy!) Now, leave that bacon fat right where it is. You are going to use that flavor and fat to make this dish Divine. Take your vegetation (onions, peppers & garlic), put them in that fat and listen to them sizzle. Watch and stir them them until they are translucent. Oh, the sight, oh the smell - be still my beating heart. Now that they are glorious and beautiful, pour in the already cooked beans and cover with broth. Now, it is important to taste before salting. I use a soup base with sodium; I never add extra salt. If you use the healthy, homemade stuff, it will be delightful, but you will need to salt. I like to add a good amount of pepper, but I have to remember the kids have to be able to swallow this too. Bring the dish to a boil, reduce and simmer until liquid has mostly been absorbed & evaporated. Now take those bacon bits and mix them in. While you were cooking the beans, you also needed to be fixing rice. Now that the dish is ready, ladle those babies over a steaming pile of rice. If you don't like your food touching, I know you're out there, go ahead, put the beans on the side. If you really want to go hog wild, serve with fried plantains (family favorite) and sliced pineapple, mango, or something else tropical. This meal melts my bloggy hubby's heart. As a matter of fact, melts my bloggy kiddo's hearts too. Mine is melting at the thought. Enjoy!
- 1/2 - 1/3 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces (please, no imitations - this is not diet food!)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, smashed, and diced (if you're lazy like me, powdered works)
- 6-8 cups cooked blacked beans (3-4 cans rinsed and drained, or cooked from dried beans *do not leave cooking on stove and leave the house, problems could occur)
- chicken broth to cover (whatever your fancy, use what you have - I use chicken soup base from a jar, mixed with hot water)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Set the stage with one big, deep wide frying device. I use the biggest skillet I own. Start by frying up that beautiful bacon. Please, I repeat, use the real deal - this IS NOT DIET FOOD! Pull out that brown, crispy glory and reserve for later. Originally, when I cooked this recipe, it called for 1 lb. I am too cheap to do that. I find that a little less than half a pound gives great flavor, with less $$$ and calories. (Well, just because it's not diet food doesn't mean we have to go completely crazy!) Now, leave that bacon fat right where it is. You are going to use that flavor and fat to make this dish Divine. Take your vegetation (onions, peppers & garlic), put them in that fat and listen to them sizzle. Watch and stir them them until they are translucent. Oh, the sight, oh the smell - be still my beating heart. Now that they are glorious and beautiful, pour in the already cooked beans and cover with broth. Now, it is important to taste before salting. I use a soup base with sodium; I never add extra salt. If you use the healthy, homemade stuff, it will be delightful, but you will need to salt. I like to add a good amount of pepper, but I have to remember the kids have to be able to swallow this too. Bring the dish to a boil, reduce and simmer until liquid has mostly been absorbed & evaporated. Now take those bacon bits and mix them in. While you were cooking the beans, you also needed to be fixing rice. Now that the dish is ready, ladle those babies over a steaming pile of rice. If you don't like your food touching, I know you're out there, go ahead, put the beans on the side. If you really want to go hog wild, serve with fried plantains (family favorite) and sliced pineapple, mango, or something else tropical. This meal melts my bloggy hubby's heart. As a matter of fact, melts my bloggy kiddo's hearts too. Mine is melting at the thought. Enjoy!
