dont be scared about the idea of “Making dishes” the best cuisine came from putting together what you have on hand, and some preparation ahead of time.

• buy onions, learn how to chop them up, put them in a heated pan with some oil, let them get glassy and fragrant. The will add flavor to meals and have good nutrients in them.
• buy some dried beans, learn to soak them 8-24 hrs before you use them, in a pot, you already have onions chopped and pan frying, you put your soaked beans in (discard the soaking water, always use fresh water). If you’re asking “What kind of beans?” start with black beans.
• Learn about spices: trust your nose, put more than you think in, you need to taste what you’re putting in and a new cook tends to underseason. Grab Cumin, grab paprika, grab turmeric, when you add them to your food, some will work better when you add them in the beginning, some later. I dump these into the pot with the onions at the start.
• dont be scared of salt. with beans, you’ll need to wait until the cooking is done.
• for extra flavor, use a vegetable stock. eventually you will think to make your own. they add an extra punch of flavors.

To make beans, I’ll give you a fast and loose recipe, you will not be following a recipe every time you make this, that’s fine, that’s cooking.

• start with 1 cup of your beans. You will find a bowl or pot to soak them in with headroom to let the beans DOUBLE in size over the course of the soaking process. you will do this the night before, or the morning you want to make them.
• when your ready, drain the soaking water, put the beans aside, and chop an onion to what ever size you’re capable of making. knife skills will be important, take the time to learn as you continue this process, dont worry about failures, they still make good food
• follow the description of cooking the onions. If you cook over open flame, go a medium high heat. not that big a flame. If it’s not, go like 70%-80% of your max range. You dont need to crank the heat, you’ll burn the food. Instead, take the time to let the pan get hot, put your oil down, and look at how it goes. Most cooking oil act the same, the oil will easily roll around the pot or pan you’re cooking in, and look a little more glossy. If you put the onions in now you’ll hear that nice sizzle from them. Stir them around, but not too much, you’re agitating them to keep them from cooking them on one side too much, keeping them even. let them look glassy and transparent. Add the spices, mix them in, wait until you smell it coming off the pot.
• at this point you put your soaked beans in, then follow them with water or stock and you fill up past the beans. We’re working with like a soup pot here. Turn up the heat a little bit and watch the water start to boil.
• when they start to boil, turn the heat down to maintain the current temperature, and cover. Beans take like an hour to cook. Leave them alone, but do check in to make sure there’s still enough water in there. Top up if you gotta.
• After an hour, check the beans by scooping up a spoonful and blowing on them. If they’re ready the skin will peel itself off when you blow on it. Go ahead and try them, season as you wish, and to make sure that the beans are nice and soft.
• if it’s to your liking you can serve.

but not if you’re wanting to elevate them!

• the magic (in my opinion) comes now, after cooking, you want to simmer the pot some more UNCOVERED, and let the bean soup concentrate.
• you can do this while making rice on the side.
• Rice is easy
  • Wash the rice until the water is clear using tap water
  • use a separate pot with some oil and half an onion, fry the onion a little, then put the rice in
  • add water past the rice, people swear up to the second knuckle of your finger, maybe you need 1-2 inches, 5-7cm, whatever.
  • boil rice but watch it.
  • the water will boil under the level of the rice, pay attention
  • you will cover the rice while there’s water now under the level of the rice and you will reduce the heat.
  • you are now steaming the rice, you want to have it do this for like 10 mins, trust your gut, you cant uncover it until it’s over.
  • 10-12 mins, check the rice, use a spoon and fluff it a little and the oil we put earlier will likely have fried the bottom layer this helps you gauge if you used enough heat at the simmer.
  • this is delicious by the way
  • serve

that’s an easy dinner right there. Typically i want one more thing to really complete it. I think about the palate when making these things, we know Sweet, we know savory, we know fats (dont underestimate fats), we also need acid. We need some sourness, from fermented things, pickles, or limes and vinegar. Hot sauces. I was vegan for a while and making sure to hit on all these was important to completing a meal. With this black beans and rice, i would have a side of diced tomatoes and onions with cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper, and cut avocados.

I know it’s a lot but it’s not actually that intimidating.