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

Cook: Seasoned and Roasted Chickpeas

If you're searching for a healthy snack, look no further! 

Simply roasting chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with some olive oil and seasoning salt makes such a delicious snack! I had heard of this before but honestly was a little skeptical. But now, I wish I had made these ages ago!

For my book club meeting last weekend I wanted to make a little snack that everyone could enjoy. One lady is vegan, another eats gluten-free and everyone is pretty health conscious. I found the original recipe from Oh She Glows, a wonderful vegan lifestyle blog.  I took the basic concept but used different seasoning, while still keeping it basic. 

Overall this recipe is delicious and easy to make, but, it does take time. It's totally worth it, though.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• Seasoning salt
• Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Boil the chickpeas for a few minutes then remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes or until you can safely handle them.

Strain the chickpeas. You can run cool water over them if you're short on time. 

Get your seasonings out! You could do anything with this recipe! I using Seasoning Salt and olive oil but you could do just salt and pepper, Italian spices, cinnamon sugar...whatever your belly desires!

Lay some aluminum foil or parchment paper on your baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle your seasonings. 

 Pour the chickpeas on top.

Then sprinkle and drizzle some more! Roll them around with your hands to make sure they get evenly coated with olive oil and your seasonings. 

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, rolling them halfway through to ensure even baking.

Let cool and enjoy!

So delicious! 

If you've never had chickpeas, this is a great way to try them. I like them cold on my salad but this is the first time having them hot and it was so good! They were a hit at my book club meeting! I thought they would be a little messy because of the olive oil but they're not at all so it's no biggie to eat them by hand like popcorn! 

You can bet I'll be making more of them soon!

What seasoning(s) would you use? Do you prefer to call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans? I've always wondered, are they peas or beans? 

Till next time,
Catherine