When the larder is bare: black beans with chicken

Ragazzi, this is an object lesson to all, on the importance of a good "pantry."  Annalena is going to tell you what she made for lunch this past Saturday, when it was so wretched out that the farmers did not come to market, the Whole Foods store was nearly barren,  and the kitchen, was almost too cold to work in.

As you cook, you will learn that you have favorites, and you should always have your favorites around.  You will, too.  That's just natural.  People who love orange juice always have a carton of it in their fridge.  So, too, with ice cream eaters, and so on and so forth.  But there are things, ragazzi, that you really MUST have on hand.  Beans.  Yes, beans.  Or lentils, or both.  ALWAYS  have a few pounds of dried beans in your larder, and ALWAYS  have a few cups of them cooked.  It is SO easy to do this, and it is routine to make more than you can use at one meal.  You know how to cook beans, do you not?  ANY bean (not lentils, though, which are even easier).  Put a quantity of beans in a pot and cover them by a couple of inches of water.  Let them sit overnight.  The next day, drain off the water (there is controversy here, Annalena knows.  She does not re-use the water; however, some will cook the beans in this , with more water augmenting it, and others will do the right thing and use that water for their plants).  In any event, cover the soaked beans yet again with that 2 inches of water, over the top.  The beans may foam, so use a big pot.  Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and add a healthy teaspoon of salt to every cup of dried beans you started with (a pound of dried beans is about three cups).  You can get "fresh" dried beans from Rancho Gordo, or other places, and "fresh" dried beans will cook up faster than you remember from your childhood days:  maybe an hour and a half, at most.  Then, drain them, and cool them.  If you're not using the beans right away, but have plans for them soon, refrigerate them.  If you have no plans, freeze them.  They freeze beautifully.

Annalena had two cups of cooked black beans in her refrigerator.  She also had something else you MUST have in your freezer at all times:  boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  Ascolta, ragazzi, Annalena knows that that these are not the tastiest morsels in the world.  Yet, they cook quickly, they are nourishing, they are healthy.  So, she took two of these, and thawed them.  It did not take long, even in the cold kitchen.

An onion - yes, always have a few onions around, a couple of cloves of garlic (again, ALWAYS have garlic around), olive oil  (need she repeat herself), salt, and we are ready.  First, the chicken breasts.  In a non stick pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil until it's hot.  Pat the chicken breasts dry, and salt them.  Put them onto the hot pan, and sear them on each side, for 3-5 minutes.  They won't be cooked through.  And that's fine.

Now, add a sliced onion, and as much chopped garlic as you like. Augment the oil to bring it back up to two tablespoons, and start sauteeing.  If you like things spicy, you will have a spice element in the house, and you now add that.  Chili powder, cumin, curry, whatever you like.  This is freewheeling cooking.  When the onions are soft, toss them into a pot with the two cups of beans, and a quarter cup of some liquid, be it tomato sauce, broth, juice, or water.  Just enough to wet things.  Bring this to a simmer, and cover the pot.  While that's bubbling away, slice your chicken breast into thin strips.  It won't be cooked through, as Annalena said, but that's ok, because you're going to add it to the beans now,  cover the pot again, and cook for another ten minutes or so.

This isn't chili, but it's good.  Pile it into a bowl... BUT... another staple:  you should have bottles and jars of the condiments and salsas, etc, that you like.  Annalena has about 40 jars of different things.  For this, she used an apricot salsa, and it did in deed bring back memories of summer.  Not too spicy, but spicy enough.  You could use creme fraiche or yogurt, or you could just leave it alone.  But don't do that.

Annalena and the Guyman had a wonderful meal with some leftover brown rice (Again, ragazzi, overcook your grains and use them for stuff  when you need them).   YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!   And you should do this.  So, Annalena wants everyone to cook up some beans.  NOT canned beans - dried ones.  And then, share with us what you make with them.  Annalena thinks that there are some creative minds out there that will come up with some delicious combinations.  Go to it.