Habichuelas guisadas( Puerto Rican stew beans)

     Stewed beans is on the Puerto Rican table everyday.  We eat them with many rice recipes or with Domplines (Puerto Rican fry bread).   

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Ingredients:

2 cups dry pink beans
water to soak the beans

1/2 cup of calabaza or 1 medium potato
small dice 
                 
2 oz. cooking ham steak, small dice
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, small dice
1/2 cup carrot, small dice
1/2 cup celery,small dice

1 teaspoon of annatto oil
1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice
1/4 cup green bell pepper, small dice
                
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1 chicken bouillon 
1 can tomato sauce

Soak the beans for 3 hours. Discard the water, rinse the beans. In a large pot add the beans and fill the pot with water 3/4 up the sides of the pot. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium high and cook until tender about 45 minutes. Add water as needed to replace the water that evaporates during the cooking process.
Turn the heat to medium, add the potatoes and continue to cook. After adding the potatoes do not add more water.

In a small sauce pan at medium high heat, add the olive oil and the ham. Cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until transparent. Add the carrots and the celery and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the annatto oil, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Turn the heat to medium low, add the rest of the ingredients
mix well, cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes.



















Add the sofrito  to the beans and continue to cook until you have the consistency of a light sauce. 

Note:

When you cook the sofrito be careful. The sofrito splatters as it cooks so make sure to protect your hands with kitchen mitts.   You can also use a spoon with a long handle to mix the sofrito.