Beans and Rice

So simple . . .so comforting . . . so healthy.   What's not to love?  Here's how I make it.

1 pound bag of dried Goya pink beans
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 -3 slices of ham, chopped (optional -- can do without for a vegetarian version)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. salt
A few shakes of tobasco sauce
water

Simply put all these ingredients in a pot, cover with water (water should be about an inch over the ingredients), bring to a boil, cover the pot, put the heat on low, and simmer for 3 hours until the beans are thoroughly tender and creamy.   After about 2 hours, make sure there's still enough water and add more if needed.  Then take an old fashioned potato masher and smash up the beans -- you still want them to have a lot of texture, but be just broken up enough that the whole mixture becomes creamy, but still lumpy.  When they're done, add a few shakes of tobasco sauce -- it won't make them too spicy -- it just wakes up the flavor.   And add more salt if needed, but don't do so until they're done, because the salt you add at the start will concentrate as it cooks.

Serve over your favorite rice -- I like whole grain brown rice best of all.