Smokin' black beans and heirloom tomato salsa recipes

Whoa!! I never imagined that this fall would be so crazy.  I suppose that the upside of having no time to cook or write means that I've had a chance to catch up on a lot of posts that I wrote a while back.  I also hope that working this hard will mean that I can defend my dissertation soon and will hopefully get a job (keep your fingers crossed!).  I just submitted my first application, so it's time to take a short break and return to blogging.  Ah, this feels good :)

You may remember that this month's cookbook of the month is "Vegetarian Planet".  Last week I was looking for something for dinner that was mostly hands-off so that I could "cook" while working.  I'm a sucker for anything with black beans, so I couldn't resist the smokin' black beans recipe in the book.  These beans were delicious and had a great smoky flavor from the chipotle pepper with just enough cilantro mixed in.  I've never used cilantro stems before, and I thought this was a great idea for something that will be cooked.

While I was in the Mexican mood, I couldn't let the summer end without salsa.  I love salsa on just about anything and, even though I rarely buy tortilla chips because they have a way of taunting me until the bag is gone, salsa never lasts long around here.  This batch was particularly good because I used a mix of heirloom tomatoes, and the combination of flavors is amazing. 

The first night I made tacos with the beans and salsa, and the following night I topped a pink potato (yep, it even has pink flesh!) with beans, salsa, and sauteed corn and zucchini.  Both were amazing, and the downside of writing these posts a week later is that I can't run to the refrigerator for more. 

Smokin' black beans (adapted from "Vegetarian Planet" by Didi Emmons)
(Printable version)

8 oz. dried black beans, soaked in water overnight
5 cups water
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup cilantro stems, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Combine beans, water, chipotle pepper, cumin, onion, and garlic in a medium pot.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for an hour.  Stir in the cilantro and salt and cook until beans are tender (about 30 more min), adding more water if necessary.  Serves 3.

Heirloom tomato salsa (adapted from Simply Recipes)
(Printable version)

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 jalapenos, seeded and quartered
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup cilantro
juice of one lime
pinch of salt

Put everything in your food processor or blender and process until everything is thoroughly chopped and at your desired consistency.  Makes approximately one quart.