Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 shallots, diced
• 2 cloved garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (if canned) or soaked and cooked (if dried)
• Medium-grain rice, prepared as per package directions
• Cheese or sour cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a large, shallow pan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add beans and stir fry for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with cheese or sour cream.

SRrrrrSLY Scallywag Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork, cubed
• 2 parsnips, roughly chopped
• 1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and checked for stones
• 4 ounces dried cherries (unsweetened if you can find them), roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, cracked with the side of your knife
• 1 1/2 cups rum
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or ham stock (or both… or vegetable. Doesn’t really matter.)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds

Regular method: Heat your soup pot to medium high, sear your pork cubes on all sides, about a minute per side. Reduce heat to medium, and deglaze your pot with stock, whisking to get all the brown bits off the bottom. Add all your ingredients, and simmer covered 3 to 4 hours, or until the beans are done.

SRSLY method: combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag and freeze. To serve, heat in slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Served over hardtack, or barring that, biscuits will do too.

This recipe was cross-posted from our sister site, Living Behind the Curve. For more information about the “Slow Cooking Really Simplifies Life, Yo. (SRSLY)” method, click here.