To the person who asked about Feijoada:
It is the Brazilian national dish, developed by plantation slaves last
century. My vegetarian version uses a lot of soy sauce to mimic the
original flavor, which changes a lot when you omit the salted pork. I
basically pressure-cook 1 lb black beans with 2-3 bay leaves. When they
are almost done I add sauteed (in any liquid) onions and lots of garlic,
choped parsley, Tabasco, black pepper, some salt and a lot of soy sauce,
and let it simmer uncovered an additional 10-15 minutes; the beans
should get very soft and have lots of thick sauce.
Traditionally, here in Brazil it is served with rice, toasted manioc
meal (in the U.S you can find in Brazilian stores, it's called "farofa")
,shredded collard greens sauteed with onion, and fresh orange sections
(this is to "clean" your palate during the meal.)
The stew becomes thicker after it has been refrigerated or frozen.
I always make a large batch and freeze the surplus. I also mash it with
extra spices (mostly ground cumin and fresh cillanto) to make a bean
spread.
Enjoy it and "bom apetite"!
------------------------------