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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Pinterest fail: "Quick" Refried Beans (from dry beans)

Ok I'm going to go ahead and start by saying...don't do this. Don't do what I did. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. 

I found this recipe for "quick" refried beans and thought I had happened upon some great secret. I read through a bunch of reviews, some good and some bad, and went along with it. I had a thought in the back of my mind that said, "I think this is too good to be true." I should have listened to that voice. 

Ingredients:

  • 1lb dry beans (I used pinto)
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6+ cups water...add more as needed
  • 1 can of tomato paste (what?!)

Directions:


Grind your beans in a wheat grinder. 


Or blender. Or both. 


Mix all of your ingredients together in a large pot. 


Taste test for about an hour while trying to convince yourself it will get better.

"Hey...the ingredients list on store-bought refried beans includes tomato paste! I'll add a can of tomato paste." Whatever you do, don't do that.

Once you've given up on it getting any tastier, or less crunchy, go ahead and dump it all into the trash can. You gave it your best, champ. Good game.

Le sigh.

Live and learn. Or live safely and learn from bloggers who tried the too-good-to-be-true stuff first. 

Anyone have a GOOD recipe for refried beans from dried beans? I promise I'll take the time to soak them.

Till next time,
Catherine

6 comments:

  1. Love it, Catherine! I don't like refried beans anyway, but this was super fun. Oh, Pinterest, you are a fickle friend.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing this post! It was...quite an adventure. My husband and I were laughing (and maybe a little crying from me) the whole time!

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  2. I have an easy, delicious recipe. I normally use canned beans, but you can easily substitute dry, soaked, cooked beans. It's good with pinto and/or black beans.

    2 cans beans, with liquid
    1 (or more depending on your taste) clove garlic, minced
    1/2 small onion, diced
    1-2 T chili powder
    salt
    pepper
    olive oil

    Put olive oil in pan and heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add chili powder, salt, and pepper and saute another minute. Add beans with their juice and simmer until most of the juice is absorbed. Mash. If it gets too dry you can add in some chicken broth to thin it out a little.

    Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. Awesome, thank you! I'll need to try that recipe next time!

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  3. My best refried beans are from my home canned beans. (Dry beans, pints 1/2 cup dry beans + spices, I just use a teaspoon of garlic powder, even a little meat but not too much as you need the water. Top with boiling water to 3/4 inch headspace, process 75 min @10lbs, QTs 1 cup for 90 mins.) I saute some onion and garlic in coconut oil and then dump a qt jar in and mash with a potato masher. Season for what you like, I add salt and pepper, a little cayenne and if it's just me I add some cumin but the family doesn't like it. Cook down till you like the consistency. I have also seen a recipe using cooked then dehydrated beans, then powdered. I haven't tried it yet so don't know if it works.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Julie! I'd love to get into canning so I'll keep this in mind!

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