Meatless Meals - Cuban Black Beans

Sunday was my second attempt at a meatless meal, and I originally thought it was a dismal failure. First of all, Chris hates beans and this was my second BEAN meal in two weeks. I know there are plenty of other "meatless" options, but this was a Weight Watchers recipe I've wanted to try for awhile. I served the beans over rice, with lots of Tabasco sauce. I thought it was okay, not spectacular. Chris, on the other hand, asked me not to make it again.

I complained to my mom, hoping she would take the beans so I didn't have to throw them away. Mom thought they would make great nachos, so we tried it the next day for lunch. WINNER! (It's great having a creative vegetarian for a mother!)

I layered a serving of tortilla chips on a plate. (I used the regular ones because I think the baked tortilla chips taste like Styrofoam.) I topped them with some black beans, a couple tablespoons of Cheeze Whiz, salsa, and jalapeños. They were excellent, and I figured only about 8 Weight Watchers Points.

Cuban Black Beans
1 pound dried black beans -- sorted and rinsed
1 cup onion -- chopped (1 large)
1 1/2 cups bell pepper -- chopped (1 large)
5 cloves garlic -- finely chopped
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes -- undrained (1 can)
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil -- (or vegetable oil)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper -- finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves, whole

Combine all ingredients in a Crockpot. Cook on high for 6-8 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with diced hard boiled egg, hot sauce, and/or diced red onion.

What is going on with the fonts on this post??? It is driving me crazy.