Black beans

These are cheap and easy to make. You can eat them with rice or whatever other starch you like. Keeps well in the fridge, and you can reheat in the microwave.

Ingredients:

• Two cups of dried black beans
• One onion
• Six cloves of garlic
• Salt, pepper
• A stalk of celery
• One tsp all-purpose flour
• Maybe a bit of meat (can be omitted): bacon, or stew meat, or sausage
• Olive oil or some other oil – bacon fat is nice if you have it

Directions:

1.       Soak the beans in water overnight.

2.       Dice the onion, celery, and garlic fairly small

3.       Heat three or four tablespoons of oil in a big pot over medium heat. Cook the diced vegetables in this oil for about five minutes with a tsp of flour. Add about six cups of water, and maybe a tsp of salt and another of pepper. You can substitute beef broth for some of the water if you have some on hand. 

4.       Drain the beans, then stir them into the pot of water and vegetables.

5.       Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; then lower heat and simmer for three or four hours, stirring frequently, until the beans are soft. Add water if necessary. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.

6.       When beans are soft, eat with rice or toast or cornbread. Tortillas also work.