Southwestern Red Bean Sauce

A very meaty chile pepper that is great to add heat to hot pepper jelly or relish. It can also be stuffed or chopped and used in fresh salsas.

In Italy these first are pickled in vinegar brine then stuffed with ingredients like provolone cheese and prosciutto ham. After being stuffed they are marinated with herbs and olive oil.

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Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups cooked or canned red beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes
2 Tbsp. diced red onion
4 fresh cherry peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
vegetable oil spray
3/4 cup diced fresh pineapple

Instructions:
Place the beans in a large bowl and set aside. Blacken the tomatoes, either in the oven at 400F on a baking sheet until the peel is blackened, or over an open flame. Peel and chop the tomatoes, then place the tomatoes, onion, chiles, garlic, orange juice concentrate, vinegar and water in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.

Spray a frying pan and heat it, then add the pineapple and saute it until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the pineapple and add the pureed mixture to the frying pan. Over high heat, stir the pureed mixture for 1 minute, then add the pineapple and pureed mixture to the beans and mix to combine. Serve hot.

Serve this colorful sauce over rice, white or black beans, cut corn, or grilled veggies. It can also be used as an ingredient in soups or in casseroles instead of tomato sauce or tomato juice.

Recipe from the Vegetarian Journal.