Smashed Black Beans Recipes

MASHED BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and cook until golden, stirring often, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add beans and mash coarsely with a potato masher, mashing in onion and and garlic at the same time.
• Thin beans with enough water to give them a soft consistency that barely holds it shape in a spoon.
• Season with salt.
• Cover and keep warm until serving.

ABUELO PELáEZ'S FRIJOLES NEGROS (BLACK BEANS)

Steps:

• In a large pot, soak beans overnight in 10 cups of water.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves and bay leaf to beans, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, checking regularly and skimming the foam that forms on top.
• Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Warm remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the half onion, 1 bell pepper and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add the sofrito to beans. Stir in sherry vinegar, wine and olives, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and cooked through. Remove both bay leaves, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add sugar. Serve as soup or a side dish, or over white rice.

TOSTADAS WITH SMASHED BLACK BEANS OR VAQUEROS

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pan (I use a heavy nonstick pan for this) and add cumin. When it is sizzling, add beans with their liquid and turn up heat to medium-high. Cook beans, mashing with the back of your spoon and stirring often, until they are thick but still fairly moist, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Every so often a layer of thick broth should begin to stick to the pan. Stir that into the beans - it has a lot of flavor. The smashed beans will continue to dry even after you remove from the heat.
• Toast the tortillas. For really crisp tortillas, heat one at a time (2 if you have a large enough microwave to fit 2 without the tortillas overlapping) in a microwave for 1 minute on full power. Flip tortilla over and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute more on full power, until crisp. You can also toast them in a dry pan or directly over the flame, but this will not crisp the tortillas, it will just char them.
• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, chiles, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Stir in lime juice and the avocado. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes for the best flavor.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the refried beans over each tortilla. Top with a generous spoonful of salsa. Place a handful of shredded lettuce or cabbage on top and if desired a little more salsa on the lettuce. Sprinkle on some white cheese, and serve.

SMASHED MEXICAN BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add the beans, beer and enchilada sauce.
• Stir fry until the majority of the liquid has evaporated.
• With a potato masher, smash the beans until only about half are still whole. Take off the heat and add the lime. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

SIMPLE MASHED BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time. Add black beans. Season and cook for a further 2 mins.