# Tim's Black Beans

**Serves 4 to 6**

## Ingredients
- 1 Capsicum
- 1 Spanish onion
- 1 Ripe tomato (optional)
- 3 Can's Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
- heaped dessert soon corriander seeds
- 1 to 2 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 Home made vegetable stock cubes or 1 beer
- 1 Pasilla (stem removed and de-seeded)
- 1 Dried Chipotle (stem removed and de-seeded)
- Baby spinich (or other leafy greens)
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Maple Syrup*
- Butter**
- Grated cheese**

## Method
1. Place the pasilla and chipotle into a cup or small bowl and fill warm water
2. Make a soffrito by frying the capsicum, onion, tomato, and garlic in a generous amount of olive oil for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Dry roast the corriander and cumin seeds in a small fry pan on medium heat till fragrant. Let cool then grind with a teaspoon or two of salt.
4. Add the beans and spices (corriander, cumin, paprika) to the soffrito and fry for a couple of minutes
5. Add the soaked chile's (pasillia and chiptole) with the soaking water and bear or stock cubes to the pan
6. Simmer stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
7. Ladle out a some of the beans and liquid along with the chipotle and any chunks of pasilla that haven't borken down into a blender and blend till smooth. Then incoprporate this back into beans mix (monitor for heat and leave some out if it is to spicy for you).
8. If using add maple syrup to a desired sweetness.
9. Simmer for another five to ten minutes.
9. Add the spinich and cook till tender
10. If using add the butter and/or cheese and stir till melted.

Serve with Rice.

Notes: This is my own recipe which has evolved over time. I often add bay leaves or thyme to the sofritto or fresh oregeno with the liquid. I nromally omit the tomatoes unless they are in season. I expriement with a variety of dried chilles.