Basic Black Beans

These beans are great for tacos, nachos, or just mixed with rice.  If you are super ambitious, you can make these using dried beans that you've soaked overnight. But for most of us, that seems like a lot of work.  So I give you (and myself) full permission to use canned beans.  

1 15oz. can black beans

oil

1/2 onion

2-3 large cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp.chile powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne 

(a pinch of salt if you decide to soak your own beans)

bell pepper  diced(red or green depending on your preference)

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat oil over medium high heat in a pot.  Saute onion and garlic until soft, then add cumin, chile and cayenne.  Drain about half of the liquid from the can of beans, but leave enough to cook your beans in.  Add beans.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add cilantro and simmer for about 5 minutes or so.  Don't overcook unless you want mushy beans.  If you want to keep your beans warm for awhile, try covering the pot and leaving the beans on the burner (with the heat off).

If using salt, add it at the end so as not to toughen your beans too much.