Sometimes you just want to open a can of beans and have something quick with dinner. That thought inspired this recipe. I had these with fried plantains for a complete meal.

Stewed tomatoes give you a shortcut. They already have onions, green peppers, and celery, so there’s no need to cook up some onions before starting. This also saves you any extra fat and calories from oil.

I used no salt added, but I’m not always able to find those. If the stewed tomatoes you’re using already have salt, taste the beans before adding more. You may not even need it.

This is basically a simple chili and it’s certainly hearty enough that you could eat it on its own. If you have some fresh cilantro you could substitute that for the lime juice. A tablespoon or so should do.

Quick Black Beans and Stewed Tomatoes
14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, preferably no salt added
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
bay leaf
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano, preferably Mexican
½ tsp sea salt
black pepper
½-1 tsp hot sauce, to taste
2 tsp lime juice

Chop the stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces and put them in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and serve.