Slow-Cooker Black Beans With Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Slow-Cooker
Yield: About 7 cups cooked beans; 5 mason jar lunches
Ingredients
  • For the black beans:
  • 3/4 pound dried black beans
  • 1 large yellow onion (about 12 ounces), finely chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • For the sweet potatoes:
  • 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • For each mason jar:
  • 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2/3 cup black beans, plus a few spoonfuls of the bean liquor
  • 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 2 wedges of a lime
Instructions
  1. Slow-cook the beans: Rinse the beans, discarding any shriveled or discolored ones.
  2. Add the beans, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf, cumin, and red pepper flakes to a slow cooker. Cover the beans by at least an inch with cool water (some of the onion will float, so push it down to check the water level).
  3. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (this will depend on the power of your slow cooker and how long the beans have been stored), or until tender and creamy but still toothsome. In the last hour or so of cooking, add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Once cooked, taste and add more salt, if needed.
  4. Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and salt. Add the diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat.
  5. Spread the spiced sweet potatoes out on a half-sheet pan in an even layer. Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, for 35-40 minutes, or until the cubes are deeply browned on their bottoms.
  6. Assemble the mason jars: Layer the quinoa, beans, sweet potatoes, cilantro, and lime wedges in five 1/2-liter- or pint-size mason jar (they have similar volumes)
  7. When ready to eat, set aside the lime wedges and cilantro, and then transfer the contents of the mason jar to a microwave-safe bowl; heat until hot (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Stir, then squeeze the lime over everything and top with cilantro.
Notes
This recipe yields about twice as many beans as you need for the mason jars; I like to freeze the remaining beans in an airtight freezer-safe container, for a later week of lunches (or for another use). If you prefer a bit of heat, add a generous glug (about 1 tablespoon) of runny, mild hot sauce, like Cholula to each mason jar instead of the lime wedges (do this when you add the bean layer).

Optional add-ons:
1/2 an avocado (pack in a resealable plastic bag and slice it just before adding)
2 tablespoons feta, crumbled (add between the bean and sweet potato layers)
1 tablespoon roasted and salted pepitas (pack in a resealable plastic bag)
Recipe by A Modest Feast at http://www.amodestfeast.com/2016/02/08/slow-cooker-black-beans-quinoa-sweet-potatoes/