I’m really on a rice and bean kick lately. Maybe it was my month of no grocery shopping, and I had to resort to cheap and filling food. Or maybe I’m missing my in-laws & California. At any rate, I had to stop thinking about Chipotle and come up with an alternative. These cuban beans are delicious over white rice, topped with fresh cilantro and homemade pico de gallo (my mouth is watering right now). Just pile on whatever you like: radishes, green onions, guacamole, sour cream, cojita cheese or my personal favorite, Cholula.
Trader Joes has this can of cuban beans that I really love. But like anything already prepared, it cost extra then just making it. I also like to steer clear of store-bought canned foods as much as possible, even if they are BPA free. I do grab a can or two when I go to TJ’s though, just for convenience. These beans are a copycat recipe, but so much better! They are also gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan (if you leave the sour cream and cheese off)!
The beans take a few hours to cook, but it makes a ton. You can easily freeze single serve portions with the leftovers. They’ll keep for about a week in the fridge.
A few notes:
- Soak the beans for 24 hours and they’ll cook faster, as well as break down any anti-nutrient properties. If you have any sort of digestive issues I highly encourage you to soak them. Place the beans in a bowl, and cover with enough water to come up 1″ above the beans. After 12 hours, drain and rinse. Repeat for another 12 hours.
- One of the steps calls for blending about 2 cups of the beans to create a really smooth and thick bean mixture. This step is optional if you don’t have an immersion blender. You could either skip this step altogether, and they’ll still be delicious. Or, you could cook for 1-2 hours longer when the beans really start to break down. The starch will create that pasty texture.
Enjoy!
[yumprint-recipe id=’16’]
Elizabeth Horn 