ricky ricardo, eat your heart out!

Cuban Black Beans!

Just a splash of vinegar and a touch of sugar

make these a lively and festive

alternative to baked beans.

Beans are among my favorite foods of all; never met a bean that I didn't like. I especially love black beans, particularly in this Cuban Black Beans recipe. Like all beans, these are perfect with rice (I like to make a saffron and garlic rice) and I admit, I even like these served cold! Cuban Black Beans make a perfect picnic or party dish and they're so healthy, too; high in protein and fiber and low in fat.

You can start out with dried beans and perform a quick-soak to reconstitute them: boil for 10 minutes, change water and let sit for another hour; drain and use. Or you can use canned beans (which, honestly, I do a lot in the summer to avoid heating up the house with long cooking times). Either way, the beans will come out beautifully! (The "shortcut" version using canned beans is what will be featured today.)

Ingredients:

• Two 14 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (I often use yellow, orange or red peppers just for a little color pizazz)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (a little liquid is okay)
• One 2-ounce jar diced pimentos
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Lots and lots of black pepper
• Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, saute onion, bell pepper and garlic together in the olive oil, until tender. Gently stir in beans, tomatoes, pimentos, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Add a small amount of water to ensure that beans do not burn. Reduce heat and cover pan; heat gently for at least 30 minutes. Salt to taste.

(If using dried beans, prepare this recipe with 8 ounces of dried beans, reconstituted, and add 2-1/2 cups of water. Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.)

Yield depends on whether Cuban Black Beans are served as the main dish, or as a side. Generally, this serves about 6.