Cuban Slow Cooker Black Beans

Cooking time: up to two days Prep time: 15 minutes max

Day ONE

Place in the pot:

2 ¾-lb bags of dried black beans (1 ½ lbs total)

Water at least twice the volume of the beans

2 T salt

Cook on low for 24 hours or cook on high for 8 hours until beans are fairly soft. Don't open unless you can see that the water level is going below the beans, in which case you need to add more water now.

Day TWO

Use the back of a spoon to smash some of the beans (1/4 cup) against the wall of the pot. The smashed beans will eventually thicken the soup. If needed, add water.

Seasonings: add the following and then stir:

2 T cumin

1 t ground black pepper

1 t oregano

1 t vinegar

2 T sugar

Pinch dried mustard

1 can (small) tomato sauce

Add to pot:

1 chopped onion

2 chopped bell peppers

Cook on low for another half day at least, or on high for 4 hours. DO NOT TAKE THE TOP OFF.

Now open up and stir. The onions and peppers should have pretty much dissolved away. If they haven't, cook some more. If it's not thick enough, smash a few more beans, stir and cook some more. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serving suggestions:

- The Cuban way: serve over rice

- Serve in a bowl with chopped scallions and cilantro on top.

- Serve in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream.

- Puree and serve as a sauce over chicken.

Alternative ingredients:

- Use chicken broth instead of water.

- Use chicken bouillon cubes with water (eliminate the salt though).

- use a can of diced tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce

- use 2 T of barbeque sauce instead of sugar and mustard