Let's Eat! ¡A Comer! Recipes

Book

Let's Eat! ¡A Comer!
by Pat Mora and Maribel Suarez

Tina, Danny, grandma, mom, dad, and puppy Tico are all hungry, so they sit down and have a good meal together. They eat a big pot of black beans, cheese and chiles, warm tortillas, and a green salad. Would you like to eat Family Dinner with them?

Comen una olla llena de frijoles, queso y chiles, tortillas calientitas, y una ensalada de lechuga y tomates. ¿Quieres comer con ellos?

Cook

Family Dinner

Complexity: Simple but time consuming. We've also provided an alternative, faster recipe that's almost as good.
Time: 3 hours soaking plus 2 hours cooking and 10 minutes prep, or 5 minutes prep and 5 minutes cooking for the fast version.

Frijoles Negros

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Ten to fifteen 3-inch cilantro stems, tied in a bundle
3 bay leaves
1 onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Soak the beans with the baking soda in 10 cups of water for about 3 hours. Rinse and drain.
Add the beans to a Dutch oven and add 10 cups fresh water, along with the olive oil, cumin, oregano, sugar, vinegar, cilantro stems, bay leaves and onion. Simmer until the beans are soft, about 2 hours. Add 2 teaspoons of salt (or more to taste) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Easier Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans
1 small onion, chopped
Onions Yellow/Brown
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Easier Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.

Cheese, Chiles, Tortillas, Ensalada de Lechuga

Ingredients

Block of cheese
Fresh chiles
Corn tortillas
Lettuce
Tomato
Sugar snap peas
Olive oil

Directions

Select a package of your favorite grated cheese, such as colby-jack, sharp cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend.
Dice up chiles to your liking. For a mild flavor, poblano peppers can work well. Seed chiles before slicing thinly and placing in a bowl. Jalapaneos or serranos can be good spicier options.
Select your favorite corn tortillas from the store, and warm in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Prep the salad by chopping up lettuce and tomato, and serve in a bowl with sugar snap peas. Olive oil can work on the side.