Tastes Like Home - Black Beans Sunday

Today I made the Black Beans with Creole Tomato Salsa. This is one of my favorite recipes, but it's definitely a weekend recipe. Taking at least two hours to cook, plus eight hours of bean soaking time, it's not exactly a quick fridge-to-table dinner. What do I love so much about it? To begin with, beans are one of my favorite foods. Growing up the child of a father who could best be described as a picky eater for health reasons - he was at times vegetarian, pescitarian, flexitarian and vegan - we ate some odd things as kids. Or at least, what other kids would consider odd. To us, they were just dinner. To this day, when I'm home sick, I don't crave fried chicken and mashed potatoes or spaghetti like my friends do. I crave pinto beans on rice cakes with salsa and mayo or my mom's "hummus" (which, according to Nick isn't hummus as it doesn't contain tahini) in pita with cucumbers, salsa and mayo. Always with the mayo - preferably homemade, but jarred will do in a pinch.

But back to the black beans. For the first hour, the beans simmer on their own with only a bay leaf, leading you to believe that they won't be very flavorful. But then it all comes together quite quickly. Once the sauteed veggies and spices are added and start to simmer with the beans, a whole 'nother dimension is added and the whole house starts to smell amazing. But let me tell you. Oh, let me tell you. The final step with the garlic is divine. Be sure to get the oil nice and hot before you add the garlic (hot but not smoking) and continuously stir the garlic to keep it from burning. You'll want to keep it cooking until it starts to turn brown and then immediately dump it into the beans. Everyone perked up when the garlic step started. It smells incredible!

A tip - it's best to start working on all getting all of your veggies cut and prepped as soon as the beans get cooking. I cut up everything needed for the salsa while prepping my other veggies and prep it simultaneously. A lot of veggies are required and the hour goes by a lot more quickly than one might think. Plus, the more time the salsa has in the fridge, the better it is.


When serving be generous with the salsa. It is yummy, cooling, spicy and refreshing all at the same time. Serve the beans atop rice. I prefer brown, but white is good too. There is something so comforting about this dish. It's truly a big bowl of home, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.