Okay, okay, this is a cheat version of Cuban beans, they're not the real deal. This recipe uses canned beans as a short cut and comes together in 20 minutes or less. The real thing would involve hours of soaking and cooking - I just don't have the patience for that.

I could eat beans and rice every darn day! Tender beans, stewed in sauteed onion, jalapeno, and spices, and then finished off with cilantro and lime. Yum! They make a nice meatless Monday meal and are also great as leftovers.

Cuban Black Beans with Cilantro & Lime

1 Tbsp oil

1 medium red onion, diced

1-2 jalapeños, seeded + ribs removed then diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 (15 ounce cans) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

½-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional)

2-3 Tbsp cilantro

3 Tbsp lime juice

Heat the oil in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and jalapeños for 4-5 minutes or until they turn translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds.

Add the black beans, warm water, salt, cumin, and chili powder and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce the heat so that it simmers. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water evaporates leaving a thick sort of broth.

At this point, if you’d like to thicken the beans a bit more you can remove about ½ – 1 cup of beans and mash them (using a potato masher or a wooden spoon) to make a thick sort of paste but this is optional. Add the beans back into the pot and stir.

Top with fresh cilantro and lime juice stir to combine.