Refried Beans (+Burritoes)

This recipe was developed by my family as we were growing up. Finding nutritious, economical dishes was always a priority, and my siblings and I liked to play around with seasonings and additions to increase the delicious factor. My brother and I still make these beans often; wrapped up in a tortilla and stuck in the freezer, they become a super easy and satisfying lunchbox staple. (Last I checked with my sister, she was giving herself a break from them since she ate them so often growing up.)

Hope you enjoy them!

Refried Beans

Nuclear Niehof family recipe

16 (½ cup) servings

8 h soak+ 1½ h cook beans+ 45 min season+mash

1 lb pinto beans

3 T vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz can tomatoes with peppers

1 c cheddar cheese, grated

cumin

chili powder

onion and garlic powder

1.     Rinse and sort the beans.  Put in large pot and cover them with three times the volume of water that they take up.  Soak overnight.

2.     Drain the beans.  Put them back in the pot and cover them with 2” of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until tender to the bite.

3.     Drain, reserving some of the liquid.

4.     In large frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic; cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.

5.     Add the pinto beans and about ½ c bean liquid to the pan.  Let it simmer for a bit if you like or if you started with cold beans.

6.     Mash the beans in the pan with a potato masher.  (You can see the one I use on the right side of the picture.)  Add more liquid if the mixture gets too dry.

7.     Add the tomatoes and cheese.  Stir.  Taste and season.  If it’s too wet, let it bubble for  a while.

Nutrition info:  153 cals., 5 g fiber, 8 g protein

Notes:  You can skip steps 1-3 and just use canned beans if you like. You can double the recipe--but make sure your pot is big enough. I learned the hard way that my pot is not big enough to triple it.  You can use salsa instead of canned tomatoes.  The amount of garlic and spices you use is entirely up to you, dependent on how hot you want them and what you plan to use them for (they’re great in enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas).  I'd start with 1 teaspoon of each spice and taste as you season. These beans freeze well on their own or wrapped in tortillas.

Tomatoes--red and green

Now that frost has officially killed nearly everything in Iowa, it's time to use up all those tomatoes! My tomatoes died back in August this year courtesy of a whitefly infestation, so these photos are from last year's bounty. Both recipes use up lots of tomatoes and can be frozen for winter enjoyment.

I've made Farmgirl Fare's Green Tomato Relish the last couple years. It has a wonderful, deep flavor, (you can can it, too) and tastes a bit like green chili salsa, which is how we use it. The recipe and lots of ideas for using it can be found here: http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html. (The relish itself is not very pretty once cooked, thus the picture of the pan full of green tomato chunks. :) )

The recipe for the roasted red and yellow tomatoes are from Joe and Lonna of Onion Creek Farm, here in central Iowa. They call them Candied Tomatoes, although there is no sugar in them. I toss them with pasta, blend them into hummus, and eat them straight. They are incredibly delicious. :) Here's the recipe:

Candied Tomatoes

from Joe and Lonna at Onion Creek Farm
4 lbs tomatoes
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if necessary)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Remove stems and any blemishes.  Halve medium/small tomatoes and quarter larger ones.  Do not remove seeds.  In a metal baking pan, lay the tomato wedges 1/2 in. apart, with cut side facing up.  Coat the tomatoes generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 30 min, turn down heat to 350 F and roast for 30 minutes longer.  Lower heat to 300 F and roast another 30 minutes.  Check to see if edges are darkened slightly.  If they have not yet turned, then lower the heat to 250 and bake 15 min before removing from the oven.  Let pan cool for 20 minutes, then pour the tomatoes along with thier oil into a shallow glass or ceramic dish.  To allow the candied tomatoes to "mellow" leave uncovered on the counter for 4-6 hours.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator covered completely in olive oil for short term preservation.  Alternately, freeze candied tomatoes in their oil for up to three months.  Bring them to room temperature before serving and use leftover infused olive oil in salad dressing.