Tired of Beans Yet?

Last week I was really in the mood for beans I guess, and I have one more recipe that I want to share with you.  Because this bean recipe was spectacular in my book, it was one of those dishes where the results were way more than what I expected, given what went into it.  After playing with white beans for a few days, I was looking in the pantry debating among all the different varieties of beans, when the black beans just jumped off the shelf, so black beans it was.  I flipped open my How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, and was very pleased to find a recipe for which I had everything on hand.

I got my beans cooking early in the day while I did a few other things, and after the white beans cooking for nearly three hours, I was surprised that my black beans were done in just 90 minutes.  Note to self: Check beans every fifteen minutes during cooking, and find a place to keep track of all these beans and how long they take to cook.

The recipe for Black Beans with Orange Juice was pretty straightforward, although the orange was an unusual addition in my mind.  I followed the directions to a tee, and while the beans were simmering in their juices, I softened some onion, red bell pepper and garlic in a saute pan, and then I went to retrieve a bottle of wine from the basement.  I have a bottle of Carmenere that I just knew was going to be the perfect fit for this dish.  Except that several weeks ago, our corkscrew broke while opening a bottle of wine.  So there I was, with a bottle of wine and no opener.  I flitted with the idea of trying to open it by using tools to force the cork into the bottle.  But I really only needed half a cup for this dish, and I wasn’t planning on drinking it, so it seemed silly to waste the whole bottle of wine for half a cup.

I decided to use juice.   I  have a jug of black cherry-grape juice in the fridge which I’ve been slowly drinking, because it’s absolutely delicious.  It’s my idea of the perfect juice, but it’s a little pricey, so I’ve been drinking slowly.  I thought the acidity of the juice would mimic the red wine perfectly, so I grabbed the 1/2 cup of that and added it to the saute pan to reduce.  Oh dear, I thought I’d made a mistake, because it started to smell really sweet, and really grapey.  Like jam, actually, and I really, really debated not adding it to my beans.  I decided to just go ahead and add it, and if I ruined the beans it was only beans, after all.  So I finished it off, and then checked on the brown rice I’d been cooking, and was happy to find it done.  So I scooped brown rice into a bowl, topped it with my beans, and then added the garnishes of chopped orange and cilantro, and I dove in.

Holy cow, was this good! It was very tasty, and every part of it contributed to the flavor- right down to the garnish.  In fact, I think the orange and cilantro were absolutely essential to the dish, and would pale in comparison without.  In addition to tasting so grand, this also had some great staying power.  I had this for dinner on Friday, but then as leftovers for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and all three times, it carried me right through to the next meal.  Or in the case of Friday, I didn’t have any desire to be snacky or munchy late in the evening.  And while I didn’t even let him try it yesterday when he was home, I also suspect that my meat-loving husband would enjoy these beans thoroughly without even missing meat.  These beans will most definitely be repeated, and would multiply with little effort. In addition, I want to try the variations as well.  Adding chilies from the garden? Holy cow, that would be fantastic, and the white bean variation sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a nice piece of salmon.  Completely vegetarian and vegan, this dish is the perfect solution to bridge the “what to cook for…” dilemma because everyone will love it.  I mean, look at this picture!

Black Beans With Orange Juice

from HTCEV by Mark Bittman

3 cups cooked or canned black beans with about 1 cup of their cooking liquid

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 orange, well washed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, preferably red or yellow, peeled if desired, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup dry red wine

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Put the beans and their liquid in a pot over medium heat, add the cumin and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Halve the orange. Peel one half, and add the peel to the beans.  Then divide those sections (or chop) and set aside.  Squeeze the juice out of the other half and set aside.

3. Put the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, occasionally, until the pepper softens, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute more.  Add to the beans.

4. Turn the heat under the skillet to high and add the red wine to the skillet.  Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Add to the beans along with the reserved orange juice.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve with rice, garnished with the reserved orange sections and cilantro, or store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Black Beans and Beets with Orange Juice: Quite sweet, but acidic as well and unmistakeably not dessert; add 1 cup peeled and chopped beets in Step 1; cook until the beets are tender.

Black Beans and Chiles with Orange Juice: Terrific contrast; use fruity or smoky chile or chili powder; Add 1 or 2 fresh chiles (like New Mexico or Habenero), cleaned and chopped, or 1 or 2 dried chiles (like chile de arbol or piquin), soaked, cleaned, and chopped in Step 1.

White Beans with Lemon: A lighter version: Replace the black beans with white beans, the cumin with 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, and the red wine with white.  Eliminate the bell peppers.  In step 2, substitute about 1 tablespoon julienned or chopped lemon zest for the orange peel; set aside the juice of half the lemon.