Easy Cheesy Black Beans with Jalapeños

It’s amazing what one can come up with based purely on the ingredients already in their kitchen. On this particular occasion I had a jalapeño leftover from a chili extravaganza, a couple cloves of garlic hanging around, and there’s always some cheese and a can of beans somewhere in our apartment. This dish has multiple uses too! It can be a meatless main coarse served atop some rice, a simple side, or a great dip with tortilla chips and perhaps a little sour cream (which is how I enjoyed it).

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 jalapeño, diced (with or without seeds depending on how hot you like it)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup shredded cheese (a Mexican cheese blend works well)

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; sauté peppers 2 minutes; add garlic and continue to cook 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
2. Add beans and warm through. Stir in cheese until melted. Adjust seasoning and serve.