Name: Kidney Beans with Aji Amarillo Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: South American
Ingredients: 3 large aji amarillo chiles (dried, fresh, or canned); 1 tablespoon of crumbled cotija or feta cheese; 1 teaspoon of lemon juice; 1 pinch of sugar; 3 tablespoons of oil; 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 15-oz. can, or two cups cooked, of kidney beans; Cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Ingredients

3 large aji amarillo chiles (dried, fresh, or canned)
1 tablespoon of crumbled cotija or feta cheese
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons of oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can, or two cups cooked, of kidney beans
Cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Instructions

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1 Remove the stems, membranes, and seeds from the chiles. The membranes carry most of the heat, so leave as much or as little in as your heat tolerance likes. If you're using dried chiles, toast them till fragrant. Add them to a small pot with just enough water to cover, bring it to a boil, and let it cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until very soft.
2 Purée the chiles with just enough water to keep your blender moving. When you have a very smooth paste, push it through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of any errant fibers or seeds.
3 Return the strained paste to the blender and add the cheese, lemon juice, and sugar. Blend till smooth, then add salt to taste. The cheese is pretty salty, so add salt with care.
4 Add the oil to a pot on medium-high heat, and cook the garlic, stirring often, till lightly browned.
5 Add the sauce. Let it fry for a minute or two and then add the beans. Cover and cook the beans on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until they bind with the sauce. Toss in some roughly chopped cilantro and serve.