Thursday, February 25, 2010

Recipe

Refried Beans

I've heard several of you speak of fear of the dried beans. I've broken down the how-to to give you a no-fail recipe. I'm a refried bean snob and won't even think of buying that canned stuff so see if you enjoy these as much as we do.

2-lb bag of dried pinto beans
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion diced
2 jalapenos roughly chopped (seeds too)
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak dried beans in water at least 12 hours. (I soak mine on the counter not the fridge.) After soaking rinse and make sure there aren't any questionable beans (or rocks).

Pour beans into a crock pot. Cover with water until the beans are submerged by about an inch of water. Cook on low all day (8 hours?). (Do not season!!!!!) If you season now the beans will remain hard and inedible.

In the last hour season move the temp up to high then add salt, pepper and jalapenos (don't worry they will not be too spicy). Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and add to beans. I usually use habanero peppers because I like the heat and so do the girls.

After they have cooked for another hour use a submersible blender, potato masher or blender till smooth (unless you like chunky beans).

We use these for a lot of things but our favorite is have bean burritos. I use whole wheat tortillas, sprinkled with cheese, homemade pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. We freeze the leftovers in z iplock bags pressed flat.

Pico de gallo
1 large tomato diced
1/2 onion diced
1 T fresh cilantro
salt to taste
juice of 1/2 a lime

Guacamole
2 avocados
2 T fresh cilantro
juice of 2 limes
couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce
salt

Sidenote: I'm so grateful for all of you. Starting to pull myself out of the hole. I've even started (baby steps) on commenting again. *gasp*

18 comments:

GB's Mom said...

Can't wait to try them! Slow cooker, no less.

GB's Mom said...

Can't wait to try them! Slow cooker, no less.

BT said...

We do almost this exact recipe. (I came across our recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook decades ago as a poverty-stricken grad student!) I just love refried beans, and fortunately our whole family does too. And homemade are so much better than canned in so many ways! I am shocked that I have never thought to cook the beans in the slowcooker. Going to try that.

So glad you are digging yourself out, no matter how slowly.

The Accidental Mommy said...

Mmm. Sounds like you could ship me some. It is freezing out right now, they should stay good!

Diana said...

Ohh, that is sounding so delicious. I'm going to have to try this!

Glad to see you slowly starting to come back out of hiding. :-)

Lee said...

yum! I love home made refrieds. I keep a can of vegetarian refrieds on hand for emergencys (think power failures!) but make home made most times. Gonna make some this wkend methinks!

obladi oblada said...

I am going to have to try that recipe. What constitutes "all day", six hours, eight, ten? I am going to make these with your pico and guacamole recipe!

Annie said...

I'd like you to invite me over for this meal.

I will try this! My crockpot is getting dusty because most recipes require so much prep before using it, that I just can't manage in the early morning.

We eat a lot of beans and rice during Lent so this is a very timely recipe! Can't wait to try it.

I'm glad to hear you are feeling a bit better.

Jillene said...

I am a black bean lover. I wonder If I can use them instead of pinto beans. Must investigate.

Kelly said...

I don't do beans. At all! but I came over to your post and scrolled all the way to the bottom to see if you had anything other than the recipe. Even though it was short, thank you for the tiny little update. Sooooooo glad to read you are doing at least a little better. I have really missed you. Seems weird, I know, cause I don't REALLY know you but, well weird or not I still miss you. :)

Tudu said...

I am so glad you are starting to fell better. Comfort foods helps.

Linda said...

So nice to read you again. I am going to try these recipes. I would like our family to cut down on meat. Hard to do when hubby thinks you build a meal around it. I'm just so happy to see you writing. Missed you.

Torina said...

Welcome back woman! Love the recipes. I fear the dried beans but I can do the slowcooker thing. Refriedbeans this weekend baby!

matryoshka said...

yum yum yum. Just made me hungry. I am so making these.

ani said...

something about you. Different then most. I noted your blog weeks ago and am reading more tonight. You are a good mother, I think you are a good mother, if it matters.

ani

ani said...
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ani said...

I like you , you seem so real, not sure what I mean by that but I am glad you are out there. you get us,, i think,

ani

ani said...
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