Bitters: Quick Black Beans

Serves 4
These beans are good to prepare when you are hungry and don’t have a lot of time. Serve them as a side dish, over nachos or roll them up in soft tacos or burritos with some grated cheddar.

• 2 to 3 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
• _^1/3  cup chopped red or yellow onion
• 2 to 3 serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 (19-ounce) can black beans or 2 cups cooked black beans with some liquid
• ^{1/ 2} teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
• About 6 to 8 dashes Angostura bitters
• Salt, optional

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onion and peppers for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, stir and cook for another minute. Add beans, cumin and the smaller amount of bitters and stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Taste for seasoning; add a few more dashes of bitters or a little salt, if necessary.

Art Tucker, Ph.D., botanist at Delaware State University, is the co-author of The Big Book of Herbs (Interweave, 2000). Susan Belsinger is a culinary herbalist, food writer and photographer who has co-authored several cookbooks and writes for many national magazines.

Click here for the original article, Bitters: Beverages with Moxie.