“Puerto Rican Beans - Recipe”

Here is one of my favorite recipes from Puerto Rico. Everyone here on the island has a slightly different twist on this bean recipe. But this is my personal favorite and I want to share it with everyone because these beans are delicious, very healthy, and only take minutes to make. And these beans are a wonderful addition to any vegan diet.

Ingredients:

26 - Oz of cooked organic pink beans, or any other type of similar beans will also work such as pinto beans… but pink beans are the best.
1/2 - Cup of organic cilantro - chopped
1/2 - Cup of Racao or Culantro - chopped (which is another type of local cilantro) but if Racao can’t be found add some more regular cilantro. Sometimes Latin Markets have fresh Racao.
1 - Cup of organic yellow onion - chopped
1 - Cup of organic green sweet peppers - chopped
10 - Large cloves of organic garlic - minced
1 - Teaspoon of dark chile powder - this is my personal twist
2 - Teaspoons of garlic powder - This is my personal twist - adds a little more garlic flavor
1 1/2 - Cups of organic veggie stock
1 1/2 - Tablespoons of organic olive oil— I’ve tried not using the oil and it just doesn’t taste right.
Salt and pepper to taste

(optional) Sometimes large cubes of local pumpkin are added to these beans, it adds a bit of sweetness to the beans. (Regular pumpkin will also work)

(optional) If you are like me and like beans spicy add some cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to these beans.

Take the olive oil and place it in a large pot with the heat on high, then add the chopped onions. Saute' the onions until they are complete brown and then add the minced garlic and green peppers and saute' everything until nice and tender. Next add the organic pink beans and all the rest of the greens and spices and the veggie stock, and let everything simmer on low for 30 minutes or so. The green peppers will thicken up the stock making the beans very tasty.

Most people on the island serve these beans white rice… but I use brown rice, it’s much healthier than white rice. In fact I eat these beans as a side dish with salad without rice. Experiment and personalize these beans to exactly the way you like them.

Beans are full of fiber and resistant starch which are both very important for promoting the growth of probiotic bacteria in our gut. And probiotic bacteria are vital for keeping our immune system powerful and thriving, thus keeping away disease… and for preventing depression.

Enjoy!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist