Stewed Dominican Beans ("Habichuelas Guisadas") from Alexandra C. Sanchez, MS, RD, LDN
“Habichuelas Guisadas” or “Stewed Dominican Beans” is one of the dishes Alexandra C. Sanchez, MS, RD, LDN, adapted for Root’s Community Catering Program. Alex partnered with Root this past winter to prepare culturally appropriate and nutrition-focused Latinx meal-designs for our Community Catering program.
Rice and beans is a staple dish of Dominican and Latinx culture, and a healthy one at that! Rich in dietary fiber and protein, beans make a wonderful star to a meal and may help with appetite control, promoting more regular bowel movements, as well as improving blood sugar and cholesterol-levels. This dish incorporates other typical Latinx vegetables and flavors such as pumpkin ("calabaza"), peppers, red onion, and "sofrito" to add a rainbow of colors and taste and provide additional vitamins and minerals. This can be enjoyed served on top of white rice or brown rice and with or without an additional protein source.
If you’re interested in learning more about Alexandra, you can visit her website and follow her on social media:
Website: www.Nutrition-Harmony.com
Email: acsanchezrd@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionHarmony
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_harmony/
Recipe Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
Prep Time: 4-12 hours and 20 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups (12 oz) dried Dominican red beans or red kidney beans
2 tbs olive oil or canola oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 large green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups calabaza, peeled and chopped in 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup (4 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
1 tsp iodized salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sazon mix (See "Homemade Dried Sazon Seasoning Mix" recipe)
1/4 cup sofrito (See "Homemade Green Sofrito" recipe)
bunch of cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Sort and rinse the beans. Cover with 2 inches of water and let soak overnight for 4-12 hours. Drain and rinse the beans of soaking water.
In a large stock pot, bring ¾ pot fresh water to boil. Boil beans uncovered for 45-60 minutes until beans are very soft and easily mashed.
Once cooked through, place a pot underneath a colander to conserve cooking liquid. Drain beans in colander, conserving boiled water cooking liquid in pot underneath.
Return stock pot to stovetop and heat oil over medium heat. Add red onion, peppers, garlic, calabaza, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, oregano, sazon mix. Cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the cooked beans to pot.
Pour in 8 cups of the reserved water in which the beans were boiled, completing with fresh water if necessary. Increase heat to medium-high heat and allow to reach a rolling boil. Lightly mash beans with a potato masher to create a creamy consistency.
Cook for another 10-15 minutes until a creamy consistency is reached and vegetables are cooked through and beans are soft.
Add sofrito to further season beans. Mix well to incorporate flavors.
Serve with cooked white or brown rice. Add fresh cilantro to top of beans for garnish.
