TODAY Food Club

At almost every Latin table during dinner time you will find a rice and bean dish as one of the anchors of the meal. Rice and beans together make a complete protein, and instantly take me back to my childhood in my mother and grandmothers Kitchen. This is a classic stewed red kidney beans passed down from my mother reworked slightly to include healthier versions of the ingredients she used, but preserving all the history and flavor. This taste great over brown rice or even a bean soup.

Stewed Red Kidney Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)

• Servings: ½ cup
• Yield: 6 servings
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• Red Kidney Beans - 1 Cup Soaked
• ¼ lb cubed pumpkin
• 4 cups low sodium or homemade tomato sauce.
• 2 Cups of Organic Vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp Sofrito - (Optional)
• ¼ tbsp dried oregano
• ¼ tbsp dried cumin
• ½ Yellow Onion - medium dice
• 2 Cloves Garlic - rough chopped
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 2 tbsp cilantro

Preparation

1. Soak Your Red Kidney Beans overnight (can go up to 2 days) in water.
2. Discard Soaking water. Rinse beans with fresh cool water
3. Heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Add Onions - sweat until they are translucent
5. Add Sofrito and Garlic - Sweat additional 2-3 minutes
6. Add cumin, oregano (Adding your spices now helps to bloom them and give more flavor)
7. Add Vegetable Stock and Tomato Sauce
8. Add Beans
9. Bring Liquid up to a boil
10. Turn Down to a simmer and over
11. Keep your beans at a simmer, check every 30 minutes until done. Usually 90 minutes.
12. If your liquid is being absorbed and the beans are not done yet. Add 1 cup of liquid at a time as temperatures on different stoves vary.
13. Garnish with fresh cilantro
14. Serve over or on the side of brown rice.

Recipe Tags

• Comfort Food
• Latin
• Side dish