Vegan Cuban Black Beans & Rice

To Make Cuban Black Beans:
1 1 lb bag dried black beans
3 cups vegetable stock
2 onions, diced
1 head garlic, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste or 1 large tomato, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons soy sauce (to taste)
2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dried bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 cups medium or long grain white rice
Optional: juice of 2 limes
Optional: juice of 1 orange
Optional: minced cilantro

Rinse beans very well in cold water and let drain. Put in large stew pot and cover with water, so that there is about 3 inches of water above beans. Let beans soak overnight or 8 hours.

Drain beans and rinse well and drain again. (For some reason, the rinsing gets rid of most of the substance that gives people indigestion).

Heat olive oil in stew pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Turn heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables have softened.

Add tomato paste, spices, vinegar and 1 teaspoon sauce sauce and cook 3 minutes.

Add beans and vegetable stock. Add water if needed, so that bean mixture is covered by at least 2 inches of liquid. Bring to a boil. Turn beans down to soft boil and cook 3-4 hours, or until they are almost soft enough to eat.

Add juices and cilantro at this point if you wish to use them.

If pouring over white rice, cook beans additional 20 minutes or until soft enough to eat, then turn off burner and remove from heat.

At the same time, add rice and 4 cups of salted water to a large pot. Bring to boil and stir 1 minute. Then turn heat down to medium low or low, and cover pot. Cook about 15-minutes, checking after 12 to see if rice is almost done. If it's almost done and there is a lot of liquid, finish cooking rice uncovered. If it is drying out add a little more water and keep covered.

You can also add water to beans (about 2-3 cups of water) and stir in rice, turning heat to low and cooking 20 minutes. Warning: if you keep checking rice and stirring it, it will break and turn mushy. Patience is a virtue (that I often lack).

Serve with pork or ropa vieja, plantains, avocado and lime wedges.