Cheap Eats - Refried Beans

Blessings Darlings!

I haven't focused on cheap eats recently, and given the economy I really should.

Tonight's dinner is going to be the Taco recipe I posted before, the half beef/half bean taco mix.  A fact I forgot about last night before going to bed - I had planned to start soaking the beans then.

But I didn't.  I DID remember them when I awoke at 1 am. And hauled my sorry butt to the kitchen to sort, wash, and start soaking two cups of dry black beans.

Have I mentioned that I tend to be my own worst enemy?  Then again, in my experience, that is true of us all.

This morning I drained the soaking liquid then pressure cooked the beans.  Since I only needed one pound of cooked beans, the two cups of dry beans resulted in FAR more beans than I needed.  Which is great, it allowed me to make refried beans.

I'm sure all y'all already know that 'refried' beans aren't 'refried' at all.  Refritos, in Spanish, means 'twice cooked'.  First the cooking to make them soft and edible, then the cooking with seasoning and mashing them to make then tasty and give them a creamy texture.

This is a VERY laid-back recipe.  I don't measure a damn thing, it's all mix/taste/adjust.

REFRIED BEANS

Several cups of cooked beans. Any type, really, except garbanzos, because then you'd be making hummus. I probably used around 3 cups this time, and the water left from cooking them.
A chopped onion. You pick the size. I used a large but not huge one.
Chili powder. I probably used  about a tablespoon
Salt, I used at least a teaspoon
Minced Garlic, I used 3 cloves this time. Mince this first - it allows antioxidants to develop
Pepper, black, I dunno how much, I ground the pepper mill for a bit.
Ground coriander seed, maybe 1/3 tsp?
Ground cumin seed, maybe 1/2 tsp?
Oregano, a dash or so.
 Some oil.

So, put 1 - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a heavy pot.  Let it get shimmery over medium heat.  Add onions, cook 'till translucent.  Add minced garlic and seasonings, let them 'bloom' in the hot pan for 30 seconds.  Add beans.  Heat. Mash. Adjust seasonings, add water if needed. 

Serve with chips, or baked tortillas, or cut veggies. 

Frondly, Fern

Monday LW - The Musical Fruit

Blessings, Darlings!

Sorry for disappearing for a month - was out of town, then business-busy, then I think I had a problem with gall stones. I'll be discussing that with my doctor later.

But now back to Monday's Wellness posts!

You can tell if I'm working on either my finances or my wellness by what I cook. Transforming dried beans into wonderful dishes is one trick that works on both.

Beans are full of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. These not only keep your bowels regular but the soluble fiber helps lower your cholesterol. Apparently bile and dietary cholesterol bind to insoluble fiber in the digestive track and you poop 'em out rather than absorb them. And the fiber makes them very filling.

Beans are low on the glycemic scale, and thus great for diabetics, prediabetics, and anyone who wants their blood sugar as steady as possible.

Beans are high in protein, so help fill that dietary notch, and they have an assortment of the B-complex vitamins in them (unless you cook them with baking soda, which breaks some of the b-vitamins down. Baking soda keeps the color strong in red and black beans).

And beans are cheap. I can buy a pound of dried pinto beans for a dollar, and split peas cost even less. One pound dry cooks up to about 3 pounds, quite a lot of food for one dollar!

So last week I was lazy and just grabbed a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans off the shelf, tossed the beans into my blender, added garlic, tahini, lemon juice, hot sauce, and some olive oil then blended 'till smooth. Instant hummus. My husband even loved it! We had it with fresh broccoli florets and carrot slices as the main part of lunches.

Today I've got 2 gallons of chili on the stove. My chili is three parts tomatoes to two parts beans to one part meat and one part red peppers/onions. I also make it soupy rather than stew-like, because it's good and we can easily over eat it. This will be lunches this week.

I have a bit less than a cup of leftover pinto beans. I'm considering tossing them into the meat I'll be cooking for tacos for dinner tonight, altho' I know my husband will NOT be happy with that. Or maybe I'll make refritos out of them, which he and the spawn will more happily eat.


Frondly, Fern