Mediterranean Baked Beans

[kirra]

Mediterranean Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cups chopped tomato
2 1/4 teaspoons salt

Preparation:

Rinse and drain beans. Discard damaged beans and any foreign material. Cover beans with 6 cups water and boil for two minutes. Cover pot; soak for one to four hours. Discard soaking water.

Combine beans and crushed red pepper in pan; add water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/4 hours or until beans are tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; discard remaining cooking liquid. Return beans and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cover and cook 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, mint, paprika, and black pepper. Add onion mixture to bean mixture, stirring well to combine. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Stir in vinegar,salt, and chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Serves 10

Note: To avoid tough beans, always add acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar, and salt to beans at the end of cooking time.