Beans Archives - Page 4 of 4 - My Lilikoi KitchenMy Lilikoi Kitchen

Best Black Bean Chili

October 22, 2013

A while back I was checking out recipes on various food blogs and I stumbled into this really delicious black bean chili recipe on Kaylyn’s Kitchen blog. The recipe comes from Fine Cooking magazine. I liked the idea that Kaylyn used lean ground beef and simmered the chili for a few hours. I did just as she suggested and the chili turned out to be so delicious I now make it on a regular basis.

All the ingredients should be easy to find in your grocery store with one exception. I buy Hatch ground red chile powder from The Chile Shop (Santa Fe, NM) directly from their store. This particular chile is mild and earthy. It doesn’t give off any heat but adds a wonderful rich chile flavor to the dishes you use it in, such as this black bean chili and also adovada sauce. If you buy chile powder at your grocery store look for one that is pure mild chile powder without any other added ingredients. Otherwise give the folks at The Chile Shop a call. You’ll be happy you did.

We often grill burritos stuffed with black bean chili, sopa de arroz and extra sharp cheddar. If you’ve never had a grilled burrito, give it a try. It takes just a few minutes on the gas grill and is a nice change from your typical soft burrito.

Best Black Bean Chili

Adapted from Kaylyn’s Kitchen Blog & Fine Cooking Magazine

Makes 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

4 cans black beans

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

2 (or more) diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I scrape out the seeds)

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef (I use ground sirloin)

1 medium onion, finely diced

5 tablespoons Hatch mild chile powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 14.5 oz. can beef broth

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Drain 3 cans black beans into a colander and rinse well, until no more foam appears. Set aside.

In a food processor, puree 1 can of undrained black beans with the diced tomatoes and their liquid along with the chipotle peppers. Process for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fairly smooth. Taste the bean mixture and add more chipotle peppers if you want it to be a bit spicier. Set aside.

In the bottom of a heavy soup pot (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown beef, using the back of a turner to break it into small pieces. Remove beef to a bowl, add a bit more olive oil to the pot and the diced onions. Lower the heat a little and cook the onions until they are softened but not starting to brown. Add the chile powder and cumin and sauté about 30 seconds.

Add the beef broth, browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 hour on very low heat.

Add the reserved drained beans to the pot and continue to simmer for 1/2 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

The chili is delicious served with cornbread or stuffed in a flour tortilla with a bit of cheese. Here in Hawaii, we like to serve chili over a steaming bowl of hot rice.

Beans, Italian, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

A16 Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

July 28, 2013

These beans are so luxurious and creamy there must be some special magic involved in making them. They are exceptionally delicious. Many years ago on one of our trips to San Francisco we had dinner at A16, a very popular Italian restaurant which shares a name with the highway that runs from Naples to Canosa, Puglia. We ordered a side of these beans and fell in love with them.

Fragrant and aromatic, marjoram adds that “je nais sais quoi” to these beans.

I’ve always been pleased with Bob’s Red Mill products. If you can’t find his cannellini beans check the bulk food section at your local market where there are usually cannellini beans sold by the pound. The original recipe recommends soaking the beans for 2 hours or longer however I found this is not necessary. These flavorful beans go especially well with grilled pork tenderloin with herbs and pancetta.

Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

Serves 6

Adapted from A16 Restaurant

Ingredients

2 cups dried cannellini beans

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

1 small bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, chopped

Preparation

Rinse the beans well in a colander, picking out any broken beans or pebbles. Transfer to a large stock pot and add water to cover by 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Test the beans after 1 hour to check for doneness. It might be necessary to top off the beans with more water as they cook. Remove the cooked beans from the heat, stir in the salt and let the beans stand in their cooking liquid for 30 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf and oregano and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic begins to soften. Stir in the beans and the 3/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and simmer, stirring gently, for about 4 minutes or until the beans achieve a creamy consistency. They should not be as thick as mashed potatoes but should hold their shape if spooned onto a piece of bread. If the beans are too thick, stir in a little water and continue to cook. Stir in the marjoram, taste for seasoning, add salt if needed. They are now ready to serve. You may cool the beans and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Beans, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

April 4, 2013

Like most people, I look forward to weekends. There’s no pesky alarm clock to turn off and once I get out of bed a leisurely breakfast is in store which always includes crispy bacon, poached eggs and homemade toasted bread. After breakfast I head out to my favorite grocery store, Mana Foods. Although it’s not anywhere near my home (and some friends think I’m a bit loony for driving so far for groceries) all I can say is “it’s worth the drive.” They carry items no one else has on Maui.

You just can’t find fava beans at Safeway, Foodland or even Whole Foods (here on Maui). I don’t recall which restaurant it was in San Francisco that I first had fava beans, but I clearly remember how delicious they were in the salad I ordered.

Fava beans have thick, spongy pods and the ones I bought had just four or five beans in each large pod except for the one above which had six.After cooking the beans briefly, you’ll need to remove the outer skin which is quite thick (left). Once you remove the skin you end up with a lovely green bean.

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

Serves 2

Ingredients

Dressing

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad

2 oz arugula

1/2 cup cooked, shelled fava beans

1/2 cup roasted beets (to save time, buy prepared beets at your local supermarket or health food store salad bar or, alternatively, you can easily roast or steam them)

shaved Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined.

Remove the fava beans from their pods. In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil (add salt to the water) and cook fava beans for about 3 minutes. Drain and submerge beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain again and place beans on a kitchen towel.

Place arugula and fava beans in a low, wide salad bowl and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing. Scatter beets and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano over the greens and drizzle with more dressing. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serving suggestions: crusty sourdough bread, salumi, cheese, avocado, and pepperoncini.

Beans, Mexican, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cuban Style Black Beans

September 1, 2012

I adapted this recipe from one that I saw in the beautiful Saveur magazine many years ago. You make a big pot of beans, have some for dinner, leftovers the next day, and freeze the rest in containers for another time. As the article mentions, the secret of these tasty beans is the sofrito of green onions, garlic and green pepper. A sofrito consists of aromatic ingredients which have been cut into very small pieces and slowly sautéed in oil. It is used to flavor many types of dishes and the ingredients vary depending upon what country you visit.

Green onions, Anaheim pepper, garlic, olive oil and a sprig of fresh oregano. The original recipe calls for a small green pepper but I substituted an Anaheim which I prefer due to its milder flavor.

Chopped Anaheim pepper, garlic and green onions.

Cooking the sofrito.

Sofrito after 10 minutes of cooking.

Cuban Style Black Beans

Updated 5/13/16

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

4 cups dried black beans

1 sprig fresh oregano

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium Anaheim pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Sort through the beans and remove any small stones or broken beans. Rinse under cold water. Place the beans, oregano and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Cover the beans with cold water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium so that the beans are just simmering (uncovered). Stoves may vary in temperature settings, adjust the heat as needed. Set the timer for 1 hour. Check the water level and add more hot water as needed to keep the beans covered. Set the timer for another 1/2 hour.

Check the beans to see if they are done. If they need more time, check them again in 15 minutes. It typically takes about 2 hours for the beans to be the right texture. Stir in the sofrito (directions below) and adjust seasoning. Beans need to be seasoned well or they will be bland so now is the time to add additional salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Taste the beans and adjust seasoning as needed. The beans should not be dry, they should “soupy.” As the beans cool they will absorb more of the liquid. Continue to simmer the beans with the sofrito for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Make the sofrito

While the beans are cooking, make the sofrito. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin, green onions, garlic and pepper and sauté for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often. If your heat is too high, turn it down to medium-low to avoid burning the garlic. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.

For the Pressure Cooker:

Place 4 cups rinsed beans in your pressure cooker. Add 8 1/2 cups water, a sprig of oregano and a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 35 minutes. Check the beans by using the cold water release method. If the beans need more time, return to the stove and cook for another 5 minutes. Once beans are fully cooked, place the uncovered pot on the stovetop over medium heat and add the sofrito. Cook for a few minutes (or longer if you want to reduce the liquid a bit) to blend flavors.

*The beans freeze nicely and come in handy on a busy workday and they make a delicious filling for a vegetarian burrito.

Newer Posts

Beans

Best Black Bean Chili

Share this:

A16 Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

Share this:

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

Share this:

Cuban Style Black Beans

Share this:

Follow My Lilikoi Kitchen