Cuban style black beans

I owe this recipe to several people who have requested it.  

This is largely influenced by my Cuban in-laws and some of the cookbooks they've given me.

1 cup black beans, soaked in 4 cups water  

1 yellow onion, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

sea salt to taste
pinch of ground cumin

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

4 packets concentrated chicken soup stock or 4 bouillon cubes

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup wine

This recipe comes out best in a pressure cooker although it is not essential.  You can soak the beans overnight, which will make the cooking time faster, but the pressure cooker can make them tender in an hour or so, even if you don't soak them.  

warm the olive oil (i love tibvrtini) in the pressure cooker and toss in the bay leaf and about a tablespoon of minced garlic.  When it begins to bubble a bit add the onion.  As the onion begins to brown, add 1/2 cup of red or white wine and the tomato paste.  Simmer for a minute and add the bell pepper and the beans with their soaking water along with some sea salt and the stock/bouillon cubes.  Stir to scrape the browned onion from the pot and then put the pressure cooker lid on.  After the pressure cooker starts steaming, you can reduce the heat to low and let it cook like that for about an hour, or up to two hours if you haven't soaked the beans.  In a regular pot, cover and stir occasionally.  Cooking time will be longer - just cook till the beans are tender and have burst their skins, and add water as necessary.

Serve with rice.