Crock Pot Black Beans

 Crock Pot Black Beans
Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans, picked over and rinsed.
•  water to soak

• 1 or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar of prepared salsa (use a kind you like green or red), or 2 cups home made salsa (this is optional - I do not usually add salsa unless I want to make it more into a soup)
• broth- chicken or vegetable to cover soaked beans (I just add water instead of the broth)
• garlic powder, garlic salt, cumin, pepper - seasoned to taste

All you need to do is pick over the beans for small stones or any other foreign matter, rinse them and soak in about four times the volume of water to beans for about eight hours. If you do this before you go to bed you can throw the beans in the crock pot in the morning to cook away all day. Once the beans are soaked, drain them and put them in the pot with the other ingredients. You can add a hambone if you would like added flavor.  Cover the beans  with the broth or water- I usually add liquid about 1/2 inch above the beans. If you need more liquid as they cook you can add very hot water 1/2 cup at a time. I have found that beans cook better if on the high setting. Cook until beans are tender and liquid is starting to thicken.

Serve over rice or in a bowl as a side dish. You can top with sour cream, chopped lettuce,  black olives, tomatoes, onions.  Leftovers beans can be used in other recipes.
recipe adapted from: http://www.thefeastwithin.com/2009/01/28/crock-pot-black-beans/