This dish is a traditional meal that in the Caribbean is called “paloma abajo”; it is high in protein before sharing this recipe I thought it would be a good idea to share a bit about the main ingredients.

Kidney beans are rich in fiber, high in protein and low in fat -soluble fiber- which helps eliminate cholesterol from the body and being a food high in potassium and low in sodium helps reduce blood pressure.

Coconut is a delicious fruit that grows in the hottest climates and has multiple uses, from drinking the liquid called “coconut water”, eating the young jelly, or grating the dried jelly to make coconut milk or coconut oil. Coconut milk over the past decade has become very popular for its nutritional benefits like healthy fats, protein, and calcium.

This recipe can easily be made into a vegetarian dish by simply removing the chicken.

Black-eyed beans with chicken and coconut milk

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups dried black beans soaked overnight

½ can of coconut milk plus ¼ cup of water

1 whole chicken breast cut into pieces

1 large onion finely chopped

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

A handful of fresh coriander

4 medium ripe tomatoes or 1 small can diced whole tomatoes (without juice)

1 tablespoon chili flakes (optional)

Salt to taste

Process:

• Rinse soaked beans, add 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 min. and drain excess water.
• In a separate pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the chicken, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown.
• Add precooked beans to the chicken, coconut milk, water, tomatoes and cilantro, chili flakes, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-45 minutes.

The beans should be soft and the chicken cooked to a thick consistency.

Serve hot over brown rice

Larger batches can be made and perfect for freezing.

You can also use pigeon peas in place of black-eyed peas.

Enjoy!