I have a bunch of bananas. My local grocery store likes to sell them for pennies when they even begin to spoil. There's a whole heath food section in the produce department for slightly overripe things to feed children that they are practically giving away! I frequently pick up apples and bananas here. Last week I made Ahi Tuna Steak w/ Tamari & Apple Quinoa and Marinated Apples along with an Apple, Banana, & Truffle Gruyere Quiche. This week I wanted something a little bit more festive, though! The holiday season is rapidly approaching. I got the first frost advisory of the season. And finally endeavored to bring in the pepper plants that I want to winter over. I've been dreaming of bananas foster decadently sweet deserts. But alas, I cannot live on pies and ice cream alone! So, I've wracked my brain thinking of savory dishes where bananas can be the star. Without added sugar or copious amounts of cheese... And then it dawned on me: bananas and black beans.
Now, bananas and black beans aren't that far fetched. It might not be bananas and peanut butter! But it's really not that much of a stretch. I started thinking of bananas like squash. After all, they're naturally sweet and almost caramelize when cooked. So, bananas could easily take the place of any recipe that I would ordinarily use pumpkins or squash for. Being the festive fall season that it is! Alas, I am all out of gourds. But I do have bananas. And I do still want the same kind of flavor profile.
I also have quite a few Thai chilis still ripening in the garden! I took in a couple of pepper plants last year and was able to get them produce fruit well into the winter season. So, with the first frost of the end of the year, I pulled in my still bountiful pepper plants. And have quite the supply of Thai chilis to use!
Gallery
Variations of Bananas Black Beans
While black beans and bananas certainly isn't something that I ordinarily make! It is quite delicious. And it really is just a variation of my Slow Cooker Black Beans w/ Calabaza Squash & Habaneros. Just with bananas, instead of squash, and Thai peppers, instead of habaneros. Although I do have various other, perhaps more traditional, bean recipes. Black beans are incredibly easy to make from home. With a slow cooker, there's no prep, no soaking, and virtually no effort! All that you really need to do is. to toss the ingredients into a crock pot and let it do it's job for 8 hours. Then, voila! You have come back home to food.
Bananas and black beans might sound like an odd combination at first. They may even be an odd combination. But the bananas give a fun creaminess to the dish. It almost looks and tastes like a vegan chocolate. Which is not exactly what I thought about going into making this, but I wouldn't turn it down, either! It's really been a delight to mix and match with other dishes. And likely going to start a trend of seeing how far I can push the boundaries with black beans.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the desired consistency is reached. I like to start the beans in the morning and then come back to then after work or before bed to wake up to freshly cooked beans.The beans should retain their shape during the cooking process (and not start to break apart), but should be soft enough to pinch between your fingers or a fork. It's much like the consistency of a baked potato, where you could theoretically turn it into mashed potatoes, but it also stands on its own.There may still be some residual water left in the crock pot after 8 hours. If the beans aren't fully cooked, simply continue to cook until the water cooks in and the beans are the right tenderness. If the beans are fully cooked, you can drain the water or quickly simmer the remainder of it out on the stove. Depending on how old your beans are, they may require slightly different amounts of water to re-hydrate. Older beans will take more water and time, while fresher beans will cook in less time with less water.
If you want to make no-fry refried beans or more of a bean dip, mash with a potato masher. You can also pulse in a food processor or purée entirely.This process might require more water. So, if you do have additional water left in the crock pot after cooking, you may want to reserve it and add back in if necessary to create a smoother no-fry refried bean consistency.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I also have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Slow Cooker Black Beans. Which has additional tips and tricks along with the rationale for not pre-soaking or rinsing beans and bean substitutions if you want to cook with pinto or other bean varieties.
Leave a Reply