Variety Feature: Teach Me the Cuban Way...

to prepare black beans!

A sweet friend of mine agreed to teach me how to prepare black beans, Cuban style, which she had learned from her mother before her.  I couldn't wait to add some taste to our somewhat bland black bean dishes.  And since I did an entire post on legumes I thought I should share this with you as well.

Most likely you will not be surprised, but I must warn you that there are no exact measurements. A little of this. A lot of garlic. And a little of that.

Our gracious host, Belkys

 Starting out with...

Onions
1 Bay Leaf
1 t of Oregano
Several Cloves of Garlic
Chopped red bell pepper
Salt to taste
Olive Oil
1 Packet of Sazon
Badia Complete Seasonings to taste

 First up. Saute the onion and then add garlic (Belkys used about 6 cloves)...

Already the kitchen began to smell wonderful

Next, we added the cooked onion and garlic to the pressure cooker, along with the rest of the ingredients listed above. I was surprised that in just over an hour, the beans were soft and ready to eat.

Be sure to keep your child from over feeding the dog with his bunny snacks...

Add a tasty, sweet side of plantains.  Belkys could not find a nice ripe plantain, so she purchased frozen plantains by Goya and baked them in the oven at 350. Good to know!

Not pictured is the rice that Belkys had ready to go in the rice cooker. We cannot have black beans without rice!

Lastly, share your table with friends. I thought it was so sweet that Belkys turned our teaching session into a lunch with some mutual amigas. This reminded me to be better about sharing my own table with others.

We also had a yummy salad

Thank you Belkys! Lunch was delicious and time with friends was fabulous. I can't wait to try these out at home. Since I do not have a pressure cooker I am going to attempt mine in the slow cooker. 

Do you have a family dish that you love?