Puerto Rican Style Beans

I am Puerto Rican, beans are a part of my culture and my upbringing and as a kid I used to hate them. Don’t ask me why but I just could not stand them and refused to eat them as my mother will agree to. At some point right before I became an annoying teenager:) I just started loving them. Let me tell you, my Mom’s Puerto Rican style beans are one of the best if not the best I have ever had. I don’t know everything she puts in them, but they are addictive I can eat them plain in a bowl, with rice, with meat, with chips, on bread. Whatever, I am there all day!

It’s all about memories too, the smell wafting throughout the house, it brings me back to my Abuela’s house where I used to live as a kid and all the food she used to make (don’t even get me started on that) somehow it must have been fate that I became a Food Blogger and not only love Puerto Rican food but also practically every other cuisine. So because of all this history and the memories I decided to share with you my version of these famous beans and hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do!

Puerto Rican Style Beans

Ingredients:

2 Cans Small Pink Beans

2 Tbs Tomato Paste

1 Tbs Sofrito (you can buy this in Spanish section of the supermarket, it’s a bit different than the homemade version but will do just fine!)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Can of water

1/2 Cup of Butternut Squash

1 Tsp Chicken Boullion

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, pour in the olive oil, tomato paste, sofrito and chicken Boullion. Saute this for about 3 minutes, until mixed together. Add the beans, water and butternut squash, stir and let boil. Once boiling turn down heat, cover and let stew until beans have a thick consistency. Voila!

I made Baked Sweet Plantains as a side, this is super simple. Get a ripe plantain, slice it up diagonally, pour a drizzle of Olive Oil on a baking sheet and put slices on and bake at 350 for 15 minutes each side.