Dry Beans
Ingredients to soften dry beans
2 cups of dry beans (pink, red, green pigeon peas, etc.)
Water
Procedure to soften dry beans:
- Rinse beans with water.
- Pour enough water inside a 4-5 quart Dutch Over (cooking pot) so that the water
reaches half the height of the pot, and turn heat to high.
- Bring water to a boil, add dry beans, turn heat to medium, and cover pot with lid.
- Cook beans for 1 hour and check if they are soft. If they are not soft, first you need
to check if there is enough water left to boil them for an additional 30 minutes.
If not, add 2 cups of water, cover with lid, and cook them for an additional
30 minutes and check again.
Ingredients to cook beans
1 tbsp of "Sofrito" (green pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, "recao", sweet pepper)
Beans with their water from previous procedure
2 cups of water (if beans are too dry)
1 cup of Butternut Squash (or potato if you wish) cut in small cubes
� can of tomato sauce (4 ounces) or 1 teaspoon of tomato paste
� cup of smoked ham steak cut in small cubes
2 tbsp of cooking oil
1 package of "Saz�n" (� tsp) (salt, garlic, cumin, coriander, annatto)
3-5 olives
Procedure to cook beans:
- Pour oil into 2 quarts cooking pot and turn heat to medium high.
- Add "sofrito" and ham, and and fry for 1 minute.
- Add tomato sauce or tomato paste and heat for 30 seconds.
- Add beans with water, "saz�n", squash, olives, and bring to a boil.
Let them boil for 5 minutes.
- Move beans mix with large cooking spoon, lower temperature to medium,
and cover pot with lid.
- Cook beans for approximately 20 minutes.