When I first started cooking my own beans from dried beans, I found I had a lot of trouble coming out in the end with the right amount of liquid. I would have spent a lot of time seasoning the beans prior to cooking and then end up with a pot of soupy beans. Then I tried cooking the beans just in water (see prior post) and seasoning them afterward and really like the results! One of my favorite seasonings uses a simple Mexican-style cooked red sauce that you add to the cooked beans. You can also reserve some of this sauce for huevos rancheros and tortilla casserole.
Basic Mexcian-Style Red Sauce (vegetarian)
Start with a can of tomatoes (use can use a larger can if you want to have extra sauce or are making a lot of beans), some onions, garlic, spices (I used oregano, cumin seed, chipolte chili powder and black pepper) and salt.
Red Sauce Ingredients
Peel the garlic, rough chop the onions, and then put all the ingredients in a blender, add some water to help the machine run and blend until smooth. (If you are a real stickler for tomato skins or seeds you can run the mixture through a sieve prior to cooking).
Before
After
Heat some oil in a large skillet and pour in the puree. It will look pale and frothy. Simmer until a rich red brick color.
Simmering!
Cooked!
Then add to your beans and simmer for a few minutes until it all comes together.
Black Beans Seasoned w/Mexican Style Red Sauce
RELATED COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATION
I have a small collection of Mexican cookbooks and Meatless Mexican Home Cooking by Nancy Zaslavsky is the one I use the most and like the most! She goes step by step and uses simple ingredients. And because the dishes don’t require cooking or stewing meat to make the base of the dish many of the recipes cook up quickly.
Tags: beans, Meatless Mexican Home Cooking, Nancy Zaslavsky, red sauce, vegetarian mexican black beans
