Black Bean Bowl with Mojito Lime Seasoning
For a filling, satisfying, meatless meal with big flavors, simmer some black beans in a rich, welcoming sofrito and serve it all on a cloud of rice. Let the sofrito simmer for quite a while, adding water as needed if the pan starts to look dry, until all the vegetables are silky soft and the flavors have mingled. We accented it with some tostones—mashed, fried plantains—for an extra shot of color and flavor, and added a little pico de gallo on the side for some fresh contrast and a tart, spicy pinch.
If tomatoes are in season then by all means make this with plump, juicy, garden-fresh tomatoes but at other times in the year, most supermarket tomatoes are a bit flavorless and can be mealy. You’ll get the best taste and texture from sweet little grape tomatoes. Choose the most flavorful option since this part of the dish is no-cook and it won’t be easy to mask a bland ingredient.
For the sofrito:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large or 2 small yellow onions, diced
2 red or green bell peppers, or one of each, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
1 Tablespoon California Roasted Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Mojito Lime Seasoning, or more to taste
2 cans black beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Chile Powder, if necessary
Kosher Salt and Medium Grind Black Pepper to taste
Water, as necessary
Cooked rice
Guacamole, jalapenos, picked onions, chopped cilantro, or pepitas for garnish
For the pico de gallo:
1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
Zest and juice of one lime
1 jalapeno, diced small, seeds removed if desired
1/2 teaspoon California Roasted Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Mojito Lime Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, if necessary
For the tostones:
3 green plantains
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon Mojito Lime Seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, divided
Vegetable oil for frying
1. Put olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers and saute 5 minutes, until soft. Add tomatoes and cilantro and saute another 5 minutes.
2. Add California Roasted Minced Garlic to the pan, and let the vegetables simmer together. Add water if the pan looks dry and as needed. Stir together, then drop the heat to medium and simmer together for at least 30 minutes and up to 45. Stir every 8-10 minutes to make sure vegetables don’t dry out, and add more water as needed.
3. While the sofrito cooks, make pico de gallo. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl except for apple cider vinegar. Let sit 5 minutes, then taste the pico. Adjust salt if necessary. If the lime did not give much juice or you want it to be a bit more tart, stir in apple cider vinegar in 1/4 teaspoon increments until you reach the desired tartness.
4. Start to work on tostones. Peel plantains and cut into 1-inch slices, which will yield approximately 10 chunks per plantain.
5. Pour oil into a pan so it will go about half way up the plantain chunks. Heat over high heat until a tiny piece of plantain tossed in the oil begins to fry immediately. Add plantains to heat, cooking in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove fried plantains to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
6. When plantains are cool enough to handle, smash them down with a tostonera, a tortilla press, or the heel of your hand.
7. In a small bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon Mojito Lime Seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt into 2 cups of water. Combine remaining Mojito Lime Seasoning and Fine Sea Salt in a separate bowl.
8. Dip plantains in salted water and return to hot oil. This will splatter, so be careful. Fry a second time, until they are golden and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Return to plate lined with fresh paper towels, and toss with the Mojito Lime/Sea Salt.
9. Cook rice if necessary.
10. When sofrito is soft and fully cooked, add drained black beans and Mojito Lime Seasoning. Cook together until beans are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more Mojito Lime Seasoning, or Cayenne Chile Powder for an extra boost of heat. Add Kosher Salt and Medium Grind Black Pepper if desired.
11. In a large bowl, lay down a layer of cooked rice. Top with sofrito and black bean combination, guacamole, seasoned tostones, pico de gallo, and your other preferred garnishes.
