Black Beans for Tacos (or Burritos or just on their own)

I seem to have fallen into a "Mexican Food" theme.  Summer brings that out in me, I guess.  Margaritas...Sitting beside the pool...Easy meals eaten outside...

Getting healthy is not easily accomplished by throwing away everything in your cupboards and starting over from scratch.  THAT usually feels like depravation.  Rather, deciding to get healthier is all about making choices - sometimes as simple as it not being a matter of "Mexican food, or no Mexican food?", but "What will I put in my Mexican food?"  In this case, I am recommending substituting black beans for meat, and skipping the sour cream.  Black beans are ideal for people wanting to lose weight since they are digested slowly and can suppress your appetite for hours.  Just watch those transfats found in most taco shells!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups cooked (canned is fine) black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 bay leaf (just be sure to REMOVE it prior to serving the beans!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• In medium sized sauce pan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, allowing to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.  Add more water to keep from cooking dry, if necessary.
• Remove bay leaf and serve beans in tacos, burritos, nachos or in any Mexican-style dish in place of meat.