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2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1½ teaspoons salt

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Black pepper

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

DRAIN AND rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.

While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).

Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved veggie bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.

Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already using the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

BLACK BEANS IN CHIPOTLE ADOBO SAUCE

SERVES 4

TIME: ABOUT 50 MINUTES

Feeling lazy, but not so lazy that you’ll only open up that takeout menu? Then you might like transforming ordinary canned black beans into simple, savory side or main dish with just an onion and some time. A simple adobo sauce—featuring smoky chipotles—drizzled on top makes these beans special, but you can serve them without if your prefer. Pair it up with Mexican Millet (page 118) or rice and a green salad.

Beans: 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

3 cups cold water

1 large onion, peeled and halved

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Chipotle adobo sauce: 1 large onion, cut into small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the chipotles

COMBINE THE beans, onion, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let boil for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until the beans are very tender and about half of the water has evaporated. Remove the bay leaf and onion before serving.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the chipotle adobo sauce: In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is very soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, cook for 30 seconds, and remove from the heat.

Allow to cool a few minutes, empty the sauce into a food processor bowl, and briefly pulse until a chunky sauce forms. You may also use an immersion blender to do this. Serve the sauce drizzled over individual servings of beans.

CHEATER BAKED BEANS

SERVES 6

TIME: 75 MINUTES

These are “cheater” because the recipe uses canned beans—perfect for when you have some visitors from Boston drop by without any warning. We like these better than just using baked beans from a can because they aren’t cloyingly sweet.