This is a fast, easy recipe for those nights when you want something healthy and light, but satisfying. I’ve also added meat to mine, on the nights when I really do need to eat more protein (and accepting it’s a little less healthy this way.) You can easily make it with or without the polish sausage.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil or whatever oil you like.
• 1 onion. Just use as much onion as you like. I love onions.
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 1-2 Garlic cloves, minced (or use a garlic press)
• 1 tsp Cumin (honestly, I just sprinkle it on until the gods say “stop.”)
• 16 oz Black Beans (canned or otherwise – either is fine)
• 2 Bay Leaves (and get the good ones – the cheap ones break too easily and you don’t want to eat these.)
• 1 cup of water or chicken broth
• optional: Kielbasa (Polish sausage, which I think has the best flavor for this dish.)
• Rice, cooked like you do.

Directions:

• Slice onions and peppers into strips and sauté in the oil until soft (or, to taste).
• Add garlic toward the end of the time you’re sautéing the other veg so it doesn’t burn.
• Sprinkle cumin over the veg and sauté another minute.
• Add water/chicken broth, beans, bay leaves, salt & pepper to taste and let simmer. I usually use a bit less of the water/broth as I don’t like it too soupy, or you can simmer uncovered so it evaporates a bit. Also, make sure the bay leaves are fully submerged to get the full flavor out of them.
• Optional: Add sliced up sausage to the pot, and cover while simmering to make sure it’s heated through.
• Before serving, take out the bay leaves so no one eats them.

Notes: 

There are variations on this to try, including adding sliced radishes, or cilantro (noticeably absent from my food blog…) if you’re into that kind of thing.

Pro tip: To make it thicker, remove some of the food from the pot and blend in a food processor so it’s kind of paste-y, and then add it back in. That works for soups and things, too.