I recently read an essay about eating beans in the book Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which is a collection of essays about what people like (or don’t like) to eat when they’re alone. It had me hunkering for a hearty meal of black beans. The black beans recipe is from the book, and is somewhere between a soup and a stew. I added some crushed pineapple (with its juice) and spices to give the beans a little zing.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can adobo sauce, with chipotle peppers
• 1.5 t cumin
• 2 12-oz cans of black beans, drained of liquid
• 1 12-oz can chopped tomatoes
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 red (or yellow/green) pepper, chopped finely
• the juice from one can of pineapple (about 1 cup)
• olive oil/salt/pepper as needed
• fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or medium pot over medium-high heat, and saute onion in 1 T olive oil for ~10 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add peppers and green onions and cook another 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add cumin and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, pineapple juice, tomato paste – simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes (or longer if you want more concentrated flavors and a stew-like consistency)
5. Serve with Coconut Rice and coriander.