Domestic Destination: Bean burritos – kicking the trash out of the Hot Pocket
The number one complaint I hear about cooking is doing it every day. If you are short on time it can be a hassle. So, if you despise cooking or you don’t have a lot of time to do it, take a weekend and cook in bulk. Freezing what you cook can make it easier to eat healthier things and save you from having your soul sucked out by the Hub via your wallet.
Lets start out with a fairly easy recipe, refried beans. This is a Tex-Mex recipe I learned from my sister’s ex-boyfriend. You know it’s legitimate because it is his mom’s recipe and she is a Hispanic Texan. It is one of the best refried bean recipes I know and makes delicious bean burritos.
This recipe is good because it has a lot of protein in it from both the beans and the bacon. If you are a vegetarian you can use Morning Star soy bacon instead of the real thing and it is just as good. Vegans can omit the bacon no problem.
What you will need:
1 small onion
4 strips bacon
2 cans pinto beans (or black beans)
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ cup water
Cheese (optional)
Salsa (optional)
one tomato (if you are using black beans)
Salt to taste
1 large pot
– Heat the pot over medium/high heat, toss in olive oil.
– Slice the bacon strips into small pieces, dice the onion.
– Place the bacon and onion in the pot and sauté.
– Toss in the black pepper and garlic powder.
– Cook until bacon in slightly crispy and onions are translucent.
– Drain and rinse pinto beans and put them in the pot with the bacon and onion.
– If you have any kind of mashing tool, use it for the next step. If you don’t, using a tall glass will suffice.
– Take mashing tool or bottom of tall glass and mash the beans. Add water a little bit at a time so your beans won’t be extremely dry and thick. You don’t want your beans to be runny but have a thick consistency.
– Once your beans are mashed mix them around about and allow them to simmer for five minutes. Add salt at this point to your preferred saltiness.
– If you are using black beans don’t worry about smashing them up but allow them to simmer for 30 minutes, then smash them up a little bit.
This recipe can easily be doubled and still retains a great taste.
If you are making bean burritos with these beans use whole wheat tortillas. The best brand to use is Buenatural – they have four ingredients and you can pronounce them all. You can buy them at Sweet Peas Natural Market on Center Street.
For questions or comments on how pissed you are that C. Ann will never teach you how to cook steak e-mail her at chjensen@aggiemail.usu.edu