Frijoles Refritos
Recently I had my first attempt at making refried beans. I've had them from the can before and while that is nice and simple, I worry about the BPA that is present in canned foods. So I decided it was time to learn to make these from scratch with dried beans. I love beans of any form and I am thinking I'm soon going to start making some up and freezing them to use rather than canned beans. Anyhow that's another post for another day, let's get back to the refried beans. These turned out really good and I have lots in the freezer now. I usually use them on a tortilla - just spread some out, top with chopped veggies and roll up. Makes a great healthy and quick lunch. You could even spread them on a leafy green of your choice and have a great vegan meal. :)
Refried Beans
2 1/2 cups of dry pinto beans
3 quarts of water
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
Directions
- Sort and rinse the beans. Soak overnight or do a quick soak
- Put beans into a pot and cover beans with at least 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about 2 1/2 hours. Strain the beans from the cooking water.
- Add the onions and oil to a wide, sturdy frying pan on medium high heat. Cook onions until translucent. Add the strained beans and about a 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan, while you are cooking them, until they are a rough purée. Add more water if necessary to keep the fried beans from getting too dried out. Add salt to taste.
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