Beans

This was a dinner of Southwestern flavours with salmon, vegetables, a fresh salsa, and homemade tostadas. What really impressed the family was the black beans. I know, beans. How exciting is that? I'm posting this more as a reminder for myself.

What I did:

Cooked black beans, reserved most of the cooking liquid. In a large pot, put in about 1/4 cup of corn oil, 5 large carrots cut into matchsticks, 1 bunch scallions, chopped, a few cloves of garlic. I cooked this over medium heat until the carrots were soft, then added a spice mix of:
Chili powder
Cocoa
Cumin
Coriander
Smoked Salt
Oregano
Black Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Paprika

I cooked this until it evenly covered the vegetables, then I added the drained beans. After a minute or two, I added enough of the bean cooking liquid to cover. When that cooked down, I again added liquid to cover. Unlike refried beans, I didn't mash them, and let the pot bubble away slowly. When it was sufficiently thickened, I removed it from the heat.

Personally, I think it was the smoked salt.