Slow Cooked Black Beans & Tomato Salsa

This is a continuation of my previous post on Jalapeno Corn Pancakes (see here). These black beans are an excellent dish to have in your repertoire. My traditional way of serving them is over brown rice with fresh chopped tomatoes on top. Because they are cooked slowly, they have so much flavor and a velvety texture. They are also perfect for freezing, so make a big batch, and save yourself the task of cooking dinner for a couple nights.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot diced
1 onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 bottle beer (or 1 can vegetable stock)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the carrot, onion, and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the black beans, the beer, and the seasonings. Bring to a boil, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.

Tomato Salsa

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 serrano pepper seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

When the corn pancakes are ready, cover them with a scoop of the black beans, and top with the tomato salsa. Enjoy!