This is actually a dinner that I have made a lot this summer because it is cheap and I can get all of these ingredients in my neighborhood.  I made it for 40 puppeteers during the Toy Theater Festival and then decided that I wanted to eat it all the time.

CHIPOTLE BLACK BEANS

• a splash of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• garlic minced to taste
• 1 can of black beans with liquid
• sometimes I add tomato juice which I have leftover from squeezing the tomato seeds out of something else that I didn’t want to get to watery
• 1 chipotle pepper from canned chipotle adobo minced
• 2 tablespoons of the tomatoe sauce from the canned chipotle

1. Stew the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot with a lid.
2. Add the beans and tomato juice if you have it and bring to a simmer uncovered
3. add the chipotle pepper and the tomatoe sauce and mash up some of the beans with a potatoe masher until all of the liquid is thickened.

NOTE: canned beans are already salty so I do not add any salt to this recipe.  It would probably be good with some cumin

FRIED SWEET PLANTAINS

• 1 ripe plantain (yellow with black spots) per person
• 1 pat of butter per plantain

Heat the butter in a big cast iron skillet.  Slice the plantain into the pan.  Fry them on one side until they are brown and carmelized. flip and repeat

JICAMA PINEAPPLE SLAW (adapted from my cousins Gary and Constance’s recipe)

• tomatillos
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 5 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 jalepeno minced
• 1 clove garlic
• 6 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup scallions minced
• 3/4 cup seeded diced tomatoes
• about 2 and 1/2 cups peeled and shredded jicama
• 3/4 cup corn kernals
• 1 avacado diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
• about 2 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

The first five ingredients get blended into salad dressing and tossed with everything else.  This salad is very forgiving.  I can’t always find tomatillos but its still good without.  The original recipe called for cabbage and romaine instead of pineapple and that would still be good (and even cheaper).  I would not advice trying to make this with canned pineapple or with a pineapple that is not ripe.  A ripe pineapple SMELLS like pineapple and the leaves come out easily from the top when tugged.  If you want to eat some and save some for later leave the avacado and feta out until right before your going to eat each portion cause it goes funky.

This menu is good served with steamed corn tortillas, sour creme and sliced radishes.