Tag: black beans

Beef Chili with Bourbon, Beer and Black Beans

Here is a great dish for a crowd. Serve with sour cream and Frito corn chips.

2 dried ancho chilis
boiling water
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped
3 fat garlic cloves
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. red chili flakes
4 lbs. beef sirloin, cut into chunks
2/3 cup bourbon
12 oz. Mexican beer
2 1/2 cups dried black beans
1 qt. cold water
2 tsp. sea salt flakes
2 tbs. maple syrup

Heat the oven to 300°F. Put the ancho chili in a measuring cup and add the boiling water to make 1 cup. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole that can go in the oven. Tip in the onions and cook until softened, 10-12 minutes. Add the jalapeño, garlic, cumin, coriander and chili flakes, then stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef, followed by the bourbon. Let it bubble a bit before adding the beer and beans.

Deseed and chop the ancho chilis and add to the pot along with their soaking liquid. Add the water, salt and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven for 4 hours. By this time the beef should be meltingly tender and the beans cooked through.

Serves 8-10

Mexican Chicken Salad with Black Bean Salsa

If you can’t find jicama for this wonderful salad, you can use sliced water chestnuts.

For the dressing:
1 ripe avocado, pitted and flesh scooped out
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbs. lime juice
1 garlic clove. peeled
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
good grinding of black pepper

For the salad:
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 scallions, sliced
1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 cups torn romaine lettuce

For the salsa:
1 x 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1/3 cup diced green chilies
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

Begin by making the dressing. Tip all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender and and mix until smooth. Check the seasoning and set aside.

Stir together the salsa ingredients and set aside.

Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and spoon over the dressing. Toss well. Spoon the salsa on the top and serve.

Serves 4-6

Cuban Cure Black Bean Soup

This winter warmer is undeniably cozy.

2 -3 chorizos
2 green onions, trimmed and sliced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1x 425g tin black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
150ml chicken stock
juice of 1 lime
chopped cilantro, to serve

Cut the chorizo into 1/4″ coins. Cook the chorizo in a saucepan for about 5 minutes, or until they give up their pink oils. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the white part of the green onions along with the cumin. Stir together for a few minutes, then tip in the black beans, tomato and stock. Simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stir in the chorizo, then ladle into two bowls. Give each a good squirt of lime and scatter over the reserved green onions and the cilantro.

Serves 2

Mexican Lasagna with Avocado Salsa

Add chicken to the filling for a heartier meal.

For the sauce:

1 tbs. garlic flavored olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chilis, chopped with seeds
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbs. finely chopped cilantro stalks
2 x 14oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 tbs. ketchup

For the filling:

2 x 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 x 15 oz. can corn, drained
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 10″ soft, flour tortillas

For the avocado salsa:

2 avocados, halved and cut into 1/4″ cubes
1 scallion, thinly sliced
3 tbs. chopped green jalapenos
salt, to taste
1 tbs. lime juice
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat the oven to 400°F. slipping in a baking sheets at the same time.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions, peppers, chilis and salt. Cook gently for 15 minutes and, once soft, add the cilantro stalks. Stir in the tomatoes, then rinse out one can with water and add this too. Add the ketchup and let everything simmer while you make the filling.

Mix the beans, corn and most of the cheese together in a bowl.

Start to assemble by spooning about one third of the sauce in an round, ovenproof dish and smearing it about, then layer on 2 tortillas so that they cover the sauce overlapping slightly, like a Venn diagram. Add a third of the bean mixture, then about a quarter of the remaining sauce and 2 more tortillas. Repeat.

Finally, add the last layer of beans, nearly all the remaining sauce and the last 2 tortillas. Spread the last bit of sauce on top and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

Place on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing it like a pizza. Serve with the avocado salsa.

For the salsa, stir together all the ingredients and check the seasoning.

Serves 8