Refried Beans

Printable version

I had eaten some really delicious refried beans at restaurants, but I have never been so thrilled about them as I was after tasting this dish!

I loved these beans.

I think the secret was going the extra mile and starting with dried beans instead of using canned.

The freshness was apparent right away, they were light and seasoned just as I wanted them to be. Preparing the beans for this took almost 4 hours – making them refried took about 15 minutes. The prep was well worth it, and I can’t wait to make them again.

This is just a basic recipe, a few spices, cheese and even a more powerful chili pepper will turn this into an amazing dip worthy of the finest occasions!

BEHIND THIS BITE

One of the first things I set out to cook when I started my food column was a black bean salsa where I started with dried beans. I used an old cast iron dutch oven to cook them. I tossed in chunks of ham in a wanna be Bobby Flay moment and let them simmer for quite a while.

I wasn’t paying attention and the water got really thick, so I turned off the heat. The beans were still tough and the liquid was a slimy mess. I chalked it up as a bust and ended up using canned black beans for a really tasty salsa.

I did this at our family camp ground.

I ended up leaving the pot on the porch and forgetting about it until the next weekend. By then it was a hideous stinking goop so I kept the lid on and set it off to the side of the camper.

The next person to discover it was my Mom a couple weeks later. I’ll never forget the look on her face when she lifted the lid. After being revolted by the contents, she then got really pissed - It was actually her pot. Every time I see dried black beans I think of Mom discovering my month old ham and bean experiment gone awry and I have to giggle because I'm crazy like that.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 8, 1/2 Cup Servings; 4 hours
1 lb Dried pinto beans
8 C water
1 Tbs Salt
1/2 C Onion, diced
1/4 C Jalapeno, seeded, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced

Prepare beans
Place beans in a large sauce pan or soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit at least one hour then drain. Return beans to pot with fresh water and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until soft, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the liquid.

Make refried beans
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat saute onion and jalapeno in a little olive oil until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the beans and mash, add some of reserved water to make a paste-like mixture (amount may vary). Adjust seasoning and simmer to a desired thickness then serve.

Pickled Jalapeños

Printable version

I’ll bet that many, if not the majority of Americans get there first taste of spicy heat with pickled jalapeños. I don’t know that for a fact, but it’s a cheap way to make things spicy and most Americans have been tempted at least once in their life to get their ballpark nachos (cheese sauce and tortilla chips) with a handful of pickled jalapeños piled on top.

They were my introduction to spicy heat and I used to put them on about everything until my late twenties. That’s when excessive amounts of hot food started become uncomfortable for me to digest. I’ve found that as long as I don’t go overboard with quantity I can handle about any kind of spicy heat without being miserable a couple hours later.

I had a plate of nachos with a few pickled jalapeños recently when I decided it was time to pickle a batch of my own for a post here.

After making the brine for these I was letting it cool. While it was sitting out I got a good whiff. A few seconds later I had a couple of hard sneezes. That’s when I got exited. I knew they would be good if a breath of the brine alone could make me sneeze. As expected, they’re a great garnish for adding some heat to a dish and they have that homemade freshness to boot.

BEHIND THIS BITE

I was happy to document and make a pickled jalapeño recipe of my own. Near the end of the summer when gardens are being harvested I’ll use this for my print column. Starting in late July, there is an abundance of fresh stuff from home gardens around. Everyone has tomatoes and cucumbers and many also have jalapeños.

This will be perfect for the paper when peppers start to get ripe.

This is the second time I have made pickled hot peppers. Years ago I made a gourmet recipe from Bobby Flay. When I was finished I had what seemed like a 30 gallon drum full of pickled serranos and jalapeños. Had I kept the jar I would still be eating them today.

Here's the irony. I made the entire batch for about two tablespoons worth of a garnish on a pork chop. I had no idea how much I was making until I was to far in to reduce the amount.

When it was all said and done I spent 8 bucks on the pork chops and $25 on the pickled pepper garnish.

You live and you learn.

Eat Well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 1 quart
2 C Cider vinegar
2 C Water
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Salt
3 Tbs Peppercorns
3 cloves Garlic
1 Bay leaf
1 lb Jalapeños sliced
1/4 C Baby carrots

Make brine; pickled peppers
In a sauce pan bring vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic and by leaf to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Place jalapeños and carrots in a bowl, pour in hot brine. Let mixture cool to room temperature, approximately 2 hours, then transfer to a resealable jar and refrigerate for one week before serving.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Printable version

A few years back I tried an enchilada recipe and it called for chicken seasoned with a chili powder-cumin mix. After tasting the results store-bought taco seasoning became a thing of the past. This recipe is a little more complex than the original enchilada spice mix, but it’s not just for making taco meat, it can also be used on steak, chicken or any other protein as a flavorful rub.

For an even simpler mixture with the same resulting flavor as meat seasoned with an Old El Paso or Ortega taco seasoning packet, eliminate everything except the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. By making the seasoning at home, all the preservatives and crazy junk that manufactures put in their mixes is eliminated and the cook, not the company, controls the amount of sodium. It is also much cheaper in the long run to have a stocked pantry with the correct spices available rather than buying a packet every time taco flavoring is desired.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Two years ago, I did a test with packets of taco seasoning and found that a 2.5 oz, bottle of chili powder and a 2 oz. bottle of cumin could make the equivalent of 13 packets of taco seasoning creating around $5 worth of savings.

The last time I had taco seasoned with a packet was a taco salad at a small gathering. I was amazed at how salty and over seasoned the meat was. The packets are cheap, between 50¢ and 75¢, so many Americans just grab them without thinking.

Well, I have thought about it, and for all the artery-clogging, saddle-bag creating meals I cook, I have a better-for-your-health tip: Make taco seasoning with chili powder and cumin. (1 Tbs chili powder and 2 tsp cumin per pound) It tastes better, you control the salt and it's cheaper in the long-run. That is all.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 1/2 C
3 Tbs Chili powder
2 Tbs Cumin
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano

Mix, store
In a bowl mix together Chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano. Place in an airtight container and store away from light.