Cuban Black Beans and Rice

This recipe makes enough for two people (or sometimes one, if you're really hungry).

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1 can of black beans
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Cilantro

Saute the garlic in oil for a few minutes, then add the onion and cook until fragrant (the onion should be translucent). Add the green pepper (for sure use green pepper, but you can also throw in corn, carrots, red pepper, whatever you have around). Dump in the can of black beans, two bay leaves, and about two teaspoons of cumin. Let that simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Taste it to see how much salt and pepper to add (also add more cumin if needed, and if you want to throw in other spices like chili powder or paprika, now is the time). Let it simmer another 5 minutes or so, then take out the bay leaves. I like to eat this over rice, with cilantro for garnish. The whole batch of beans has about 600 calories, and I usually eat about half of it. If you're counting calories, though, be sure to add however much rice you eat with it.