Brazilian Black Beans and Beets

with Coconut Rice and Tropical Salsa

This is a beautiful, substantial dish of black beans and beets cooked in a thick stew made smoky with the use of pimentón (smoked paprika), which has become one of my favorite spices since I first started using it twenty or so years ago. Creaminess is achieved by puréeing some of the beans with a banana and cooking the rice with coconut milk, and all of this richness is cut by a delightful seasonal citrus salsa.