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I don’t know if it’s daylight savings time, finally getting in the groove with work, or Tony Gonzalez coming back to the Falcons, but I’ve been feeling pretty energized this week. The result is two blog posts in two days; after this super easy recipe for refried beans, be on the lookout for some granola that I’ve been eating for breakfast lately. About the beans – I’m a huge fan of homemade dishes that are a lot better than what you get from a store or a typical restaurant. This stuff definitely fits the bill, and even though it’s a little more labor intensive than microwaving refried beans scooped out of a can, it’s extremely easy and very much worth the effort.

That’s why there is only a recipe for refried beans here, even though tacos are the theme of the post. I didn’t think there needed to be a “recipe” for tacos since anyone who can’t figure out how to make those probably doesn’t know how to use a computer or find an obscure WordPress site. If you wanted to make exactly what I did, there are pictures of the assembly in the gallery after the recipe. The only even slightly unique thing I did was toss the lettuce in some olive oil and vinegar. But the best thing about these beans is that you could put them in a burrito with scrambled eggs and have huevos rancheros, or make a 7 layer dip, or a Taco Bell-style bean burrito, etc. Or, you can just eat these refried beans with rice. They’re pretty awesome.

DSCN0505 DSCN0500Ingredients:

1 can pinto beans

1/2 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 chipotle peppers en adobo (these are really spicy, so be very careful and use less if you can’t handle spicy food)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper

Process:

  1. In a cast iron pan over medium heat, melt butter in olive oil. Dice onion and toss in pan with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 5-7 minutes until onions are softened.
  2. Mince chipotles and add to skillet. Saute for another 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent.
  3. Open beans and pour out about half of the liquid, then add to skillet along with cumin. Depending on the consistency of refried beans that you like, you use more or less liquid from the bean can. If you find your beans getting too thick, add water or your choice of chicken/vegetable stock.
  4. Using a fork (I don’t have a potato masher, which would work too), stir and smash the beans until your dish reaches your desired consistency.
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