Combination of black beans and rice

This combination of beans with rice is more classical, a Mediterranean style, than the combination of beans with manioc flour, more in the style of Brazilian cuisine.

Preparation:

• On the one hand, cook the beans with an onion, two bay leaves and salt to taste. And in another saucepan, cook the rice.

When I prepare a dish with black beans or rice, I usually prepare more than I need to make the dish; so the next day I can prepare another combination without much complication in the kitchen.

In the case of black beans, unlike white or pinto beans, I always prepare them alone because the stock from cooking will darken the color of the other ingredients. And in the case of rice, sauté in little extra virgin olive oil to heat it.

To give colorful to the dish and a different flavor: Cut a zucchini and a carrot into small dices and sauté in a little extra virgin olive oil.

 
Ingredients (Serves 4):

 

Note: 

• The quantities and ingredients are always to the taste of the one who prepares the dish. Well, just when preparing this recipe, the vegetables I had at that moment were zucchini and carrots, in addition to the usual onions and garlic bulbs.

 
200 g  black beans ;

1 small  zucchini ; 

1  carrot ; 

2 large onions;

1 coffee cup of brown rice;

  bay leaves ;

  extra virgin olive oil ;

sea salt (to taste). 

 >> see more rice recipes

                   

Combination of black beans and cassava flour (farofa)

⚫  This combination of beans and cassava, is nutritionally very complete and delicate flavor.

Preparation:               

• In a saucepan cook the beans, which we previously hydrated the night before, with an onion, two bay leaves and salt to taste.

• In a skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil to sauté a finely chopped onion and when it is softened, add some finely chopped garlic cloves; stir and let make some minutes. Then, add the manioc flour, stir and let make (over a low heat); meanwhile, dice two peeled tomatoes and add them; stir; cover with water and rectify the flavor with a little salt (to taste). Leave it to simmer. When the tomato is nearly cooked, add some peas and let simmer,

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

Note: 

• The quantities and ingredients are always to the taste of the one who prepares the dish. Well, just when preparing this recipe, the vegetables I had at that moment were tomatoes and peas, in addition to the usual onions and garlic bulbs. 

• This time I have not added a little sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomato because it is not necessary. The cassava flour, prepared like this, acquires a gelatinous texture.

200 g  black beans ;
150 g  peas  (frozen)
2 medium  tomatoes ;
2 large  onions ;
4 garlic  cloves ;
1 tea cup of  cassava flour ;
 bay leaves ;
 extra virgin olive oil ; 
sea salt (to taste)

>> see more pulses recipes 

                    
 

Lentil Stew with vegetables

Preparation:

In a 3-liter saucepan:       

• Sauté, in extra virgin olive oil, the chopped onion and garlic cloves; then, add a tablespoon of Herbes de Provence (quantity to taste), stir and sauté some minutes.
• Add the lentils, (previously, leave to soak overnight), stir and sauté for some minutes.   
• Cover with water and add a bay leaf (to taste) and sea salt as needed. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer.

Meanwhile:

• Clean the carrots, zucchini and eggplant. 
• In a little extra virgin olive oil sauté the zucchini, eggplant and carrots, cut into small dices. While they are cooking, lightly season with a selection of 5 pepper berries. 
• When lentils are mushy, add the zucchini, eggplant and carrots seasoned with the ground pepper, stir and let it heat up everything, as a whole.

Ingredients: 200 g small brown  lentils  (Pardina or Spanish brown), 1  eggplant  , 1  zucchini  , 2   carrots  , 1  onion ,  3  cloves garlic ,   Herbes de Provence  , 1  bay leaf  ,  extra virgin olive oil  , sea salt.

>> see more stew recipes

                    

Mediterranean savor: Bean stew with a marked Portuguese style.

◾  There are several recipes inside Portuguese cuisine of dishes made with a rice stock, so that inspired by that kind of dishes I created this delicious stew.

◾   It is an ideal dish to prepare not only in cold seasons, but also after the feast days, with food of “heavy” digestion; because it is a dish which “perks you up” your stomach  and makes you feel very comfortable.

Preparation:

The evening before, put the beans to soak, to hydrate them.   

The next day:

• Cook the beans with one onion, two bay leaves, one dried chili pepper and sea salt (to taste) in plenty of water. The water from cooking is used as stock for the stew.  

• Cover the bottom of a saucepan, similar to a paella pan with lid, with extra virgin olive oil and put it to heat. Meanwhile, chop an onion and when the oil is hot, sauté the onion over a low heat. Chop the cloves of garlic and add them when the onion is softened. Stir and let make some minutes.    

• Add the spices (basil and oregano; on other occasions, I have used rosemary, thyme and a dash of ground cumin; the use of the spices is always to the taste of the one who prepares the recipe). Stir and let make.      

• Dice the peeled tomatoes and add them together with a dash of sugar (to neutralize the acidity of tomato), stir. Let make everything over a low heat so that the flavors will combine and sauté in their own juice. 

• Add the brown rice, stir and then add the white beans (it doesn´t matter although they aren´t completely cooked because they finish their cooking together with the remaining ingredients, since the brown rice needs cooking almost an hour). The stock we use is the one from cooking the beans.                         

Ingredients (serves 4):

Note: The quantities and ingredients are always to taste of the one who prepares the recipe.

200 g white beans,

2 large  tomatoes ,

2 large onions,

5 large cloves of garlic,

1 coffee cup round-grain brown rice, from Calasparra D.O.  

1 tablespoon dried  basil ,

1 tablespoon dried  oregano ,

1 teaspoon  Muscovado sugar ,

1 dried  chili pepper (optional),

2  bay leaves ,

 extra virgin olive oil            

sea salt (to taste)

Approximate time: 2 hours

>> see more stew recipes

                   

Mediterranean Savor: "Judiones from La Granja" to an old-fashioned way.

Since I discovered “the Judiones" (giant butter beans) from La Granja, they are also known by the name "white of Spain", more than 3 years ago, they have been my favorites. 

I practically prepare them in the same away, cooked with an onion, some  bay leaves , a  dried chili pepper  and a dash of sea salt. 

When they start to be soft, I am mashing some of beans with the aid of a skimmer and a fork. Sometimes I leave the broth more liquid, others, as in the photograph, thicker. But I always add a garlic stir-fry with  sweet paprika  in  extra virgin olive oil   at the end. 

If you like spicier, add more chilies or hot paprika; if it is, otherwise, remove the chili but you can keep sweet paprika. A little spicy, although very light, strengthens our body against colds. And the dish accompanied by a large slice of whole wheat bread. 

The beans prepared only or with other vegetables suit very well; furthermore, they are very digestive and nutritive. Their bad reputation is due to the fact that they are combined with animal food, that´s why they are very heavy dishes and difficult to digest. 

The giant butter beans are grown in the vicinity of La Granja from San Ildefonso in the province of Segovia (Spain), a nice place worth visiting. 

The difference in size of the beans (giant bean) in respect of white or pinto beans is visible in the photo.

                                    

Mediterranean Savor: White beans stew with spinach and rice.

The small white beans are a part of several of my recipes for autumn and winter seasons.

Its savor is very smooth and its texture, once cooked, is creamy, and besides, they are easily digested. Nutritionally, they stand out by their richness in protein, their high iron content and help to keep a blood glucose level healthy.

By combining them with brown rice, we have a dish with a high protein value. And with the spinach, rich in vitamins and minerals, above all, in iron, we give it, in addition to a touch of color, a high nutritional value.

Preparation:

In a 3-liter saucepan:

• Beans, like all dried legumes, are soaked overnight to rehydrate them. Next day, in a saucepan we put the beans, one large onion, a couple of bay leaves, one dried chili pepper (or more, as desired) and fill with cold water, cover and when it comes to a boil, add a pinch of sea salt (to taste) and reduce heat. 

• When the beans are tender, with the help of a skimmer and a fork, mash some beans to give a thicker texture to the stew and stir.

• Add a coffee cup of brown rice (brown rice needs almost an hour of cooking; that´s why we add it, more or less, in the middle of cooking the stew).

• Add the spinach, previously picked over and washed, (I use sea salt and vinegar to clean) when the stew is cooked because the time it needs is very little.

Ingredients (serves 4):

200 g small dried white beans,
170 g  spinach  (once picked over and washed),
1 large onion,
2  bay leaves ,
1 dried  chili pepper  (to taste),
1 coffee cup  brown rice 
and sea salt (to taste)

 >> see more stew recipes