This is a wonderful dish that may be used in different ways. The first night we always serve it with rice, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, shredded extra sharp cheddar, diced onion, green pepper, and tomato. It makes for a very satisfying and fun meal. Subsequent nights we use the chili for nachos. A friend of our daughter named them "the best she had ever had." We'll let you be the judge of that. For wonderful smells emanating from your kitchen, read on. Served with rice, and added condiments, this recipe easily serves six.
| 1 | lb. | Black Beans, dried |
| ½ | cup | Yellow Oniondiced 1/4 inch |
| 1 | clove | Garlicminced |
| 6 | fluid oz. | Tomato Paste |
| ½ | cup | SalsaWe use |
| 1 | tbsp | Chili PowderUse more or less as preferred. |
| 1 | tsp | Salt |
| 1 | Rinse the beans and check for any possible foreign objects, such as pebbles (of which I found three in our last experience preparing this dish). Either soak the beans overnight in water to about two inches over the top of the beans. Alternately, bring the beans to a boil in the same amount of water; let boil for two minutes; take off heat; cover and let sit for one hour. |
| 2 | Drain the beans and place in a three quart or so oven casserole with a cover (or use foil as a cover). |
| 3 | Add all the other ingredients. I'm pretty picky about getting the last drop out of the tomatoe paste container, and ditto for the salsa container, by rinsing them out with water and adding it to the beans as part of their cooking liquid. |
| 4 | Add enough water so that the beans are just covered. |
| 5 | Gently mix all the ingredients together. |
| 6 | Bake in 350 degree oven for about four hours. |
| 7 | After about three hours, I check the pot to mix and see if additional water is needed. At this point the water shouldn't be over the top of the beans, but there should be a little water peaking through so that the beans have enough moisture to continue cooking and soften to just the right consistency. You can do this to your own preference. We like the beans somewhat soft and a little sauce left to flavor the rice on which we serve the chili. |