Today's blog post is all about food! If you follow me on Instagram (iamadhari) you can clearly see I love to post pictures of what I am eating/cooking etc. For about 1 month now i've been eating healthier than I ever have in my entire life. I'm not considering this to be a diet but a lifestyle change. I don't deprive myself when i'm feeling my inner fat girl come out who wants a slice of pizza and a beer. However I definitely make up for it the next day by doubling my water intake and sticking to my plan.
So last week I had this craving for some Cuban Black Beans. I'm not Cuban, i'm not even hispanic but this chick KILLED IT with those beans. I completely forgot my husband HATES beans and I ended up soaking the entire package which if you've ever made beans you know that equals about 6-7 servings.
Day #1 of eating my beans I had this
Pork Chop marinated in Goya MOJO
Steamed Broccoli with Olivio
Sauteed zucchini squash with onions in Olivio
Quinoa made with chicken broth and alas my black beans on top
Here is the recipe:
Cuban Black Beans
1 package of dried black beans
1 Spanish Onion (chopped)
1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
3-5 Cloves of Garlic (sorry guys i love this stuff)
Salt, Pepper, Adobo (to taste)
6 cups of water
Step 1: Soak your beans overnight with about 1-2 inches of water sitting at the top
- Beans need to be cleaned and this helps to soften them up some
- before you cook your beans the next day drain them and rinse
Step 2: In a 5.5-7oz quart dutch oven (or a large pot if you don't have one) sprinkle about 1.5tbsp of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in the pot on Medium heat and let it get HOT!!!!
Step 3: Add your chopped onions and bell peppers until they become translucent (6-8min)
Step 4: Add your minced garlic and keep an eye on it while stirring b/c garlic burns and you don't want burnt garlicy beans (BLEH)
Step 5: Add your beans and your 6c of water and turn on LOW (low and slow is always the way to go when cooking beans it makes them so much more creamy)
Step 6: Stir every 30min to make sure the beans are not sticking to the bottom if you think you need more water GO FOR IT it's not going to kill the beans lol
Step 7: Cook them for 1.5-2hrs. TASTE THEM if they're firm they need to cook longer but the consistency should be dense and creamy in texture
Step 8. ENJOY them alone or over quinoa or white rice or in a burrito. There are so many ways to enjoy beans (mmmm even in an omelette with provolone and basil)
Tip: Since I made so much and I am the sole bean eater in my house I froze what I knew I wouldn't eat within a few days time. Take them out, let them thaw and enjoy all over again (with intensified flavor b/c they've been frozen in their own season)
The next day it was chilly and I wanted black bean soup. All I did was put some beans that were already made into a pot let them heat up and them used my Cuisinart Smart Stick blender which looks exactly like THIS (Actually this is the one I have). If you don't have one of these BUY ONE, but if that's not in the financial plan right now blend the soup until you see the consistency you like. I personally like my soup thick and creamy. This item is a GREAT investment if you enjoy soup, or even if you puree baby food it's perfect. I'm so glad I registered for one.
I used it until I had the desired consistency of a thick creamy soup, added some spinach and about 1/2c more of water and I came out with this!
Sorry about the "residue" on the inner bowl, this is what happens when you walk from the kitchen to the living room to enjoy it. It might not look perfect nor garnished but it was super duper yummy!
You can serve this with chopped avocado & crema (or sour cream) and broken tortilla chips but since I was opting for the healthier version I had it plain and it was still yummy!
Thanks for reading. Try the recipe and leave your comments below on what you think about it
