Pinto Refried Beans & Cilantro Rice

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Pinto Bean Recipes For Refried Beans

2 cups pinto beans
2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 bulb of roasted garlic, approximately 6 or 7 cloves
2 - 3 tsp seasalt, depending on how much salt you like
1 bay leaf
1 finely chopped tomato, vine ripened or home grown
4 quart pot


Directions:
First pour your beans out on a table or cutting board. Sort through them and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. This shouldn't take but a couple of minutes to do.

Put the beans in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Pour the beans into a pot.

Add 8 cups of cold water and the bay leaf.

Put the stove burner on high and cover partially with a lid. As soon as the beans start to boil, lower the heat a little but still continue to boil. Cook for 2 hours and keep adding water as it cooks away.

Stir occasionally. Keep the water level at 2 inches above the beans.

A Helpful Hint

I heard this tip from a friend of mine. Her mother does this when she prepares pinto bean recipes.
Keep some water heated on the stove in a kettle or pan. Then when you need to add water to your beans, you have hot water available. Adding cold water will slow down the cooking process while you wait for the beans to boil again.

After two hours of cooking, the beans should be soft and darker brown in color. If not cook them another 20 to 30 minutes. Then add the oil, salt, tomatoe, and roasted garlic.

You can slide the roasted garlic out of it's sleeve in the bulb, right into the beans.

Important:

Do not add salt before the two hours of cooking or your beans will never soften up.

After adding the salt etc. bring the beans to a boil again and lower the heat to low. You want to cook them on a slow boil for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You will need to stir them occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

A Little Secret To Great Flavor

To get the best flavor, simmer your beans 1- 1 1/2 hour or as long as you can with all the spices and oil. The longer these pinto bean recipes simmer, the better they will taste.

After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, it seems like all the beans want to do is stick to the pot. This is the point where you turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and mash them with a potato masher.

You have just completed one of the best pinto bean recipes around. Enjoy.

Making refried beans from our pinto bean recipes will be delicous served with spanish rice, enchiladas or even by themselves topped with grated mild cheddar cheese.

Try serving refried beans topped with grated cheese and tortillas for a great after school snack for your kids. They'll love it.

Our pinto bean recipes hold up very well and will last several days in the refrigerator.

Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe serves 4

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
zest from one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.


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