On the Table: Wine and Citrus Black Beans

Since yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, I knew I would be making fajitas or tacos or nachos or something similar for dinner.  Based on the contents of the fridge and pantry, I decided to make beans and rice in a fajita.  I made a variation on the Spanish Rice I have made previously (I changed the spices from the last time I made it - I used chili powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika - and skipped the jalapeno), and I decided to experiment with the beans.  I was a little bit worried while the beans were cooking - I figured they were going to be either really good...or really bad.  Fortuntely, they were delicious!  To prepare:

Drain and rinse one 15.5 ounce can of black beans, and put the beans in a saucepot.  Add about a cup of red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon) to the pot, along with the zest of one small or half of a large orange.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes (I let it simmer for the same amount of time the Spanish Rice was in the oven).  A lot of the liquid should evaporate from the pan.  Since I was making fajitas, I used a slotted spoon to serve the beans, because I didn't want too much liquid in the fajitas.  The liquid would be great to serve along with the beans, however, if you were serving rice and beans as a side dish, for example, and didn't mind a little more liquid on the plate. 

With just some sour cream and salsa, the rice and beans were delicious in a fajita!

Enjoy!