Learn About Nutritious & Delicious Pinto Beans Recipes For A Great Meal

Learn About Nutritious & Delicious Pinto Beans Recipes For A Great Meal

Food costs are rising fast nowadays and this presents a dilemma to the housemaker who is in charge of producing meals on a daily basis. The challenge to find good, nutritious and cheap meals would be the priority and one food item that embodies all these would be the very versatile pinto bean.

Pinto beans are the staple in lots of Mexican restos and lots of Mexican homes. Beans are cheap and very tasty & also have lots of good nutrients that are good for our body. These beans have folic acid, Vit. B6, iron, fibers, proteins and starch that would be great for your heart and your digestive tract.

Dried pinto beans can be bought the whole year round. They could also be bought canned or cooked already but canned beans are double in their price rather than dried beans. Average price of pinot beans is 1.25 USD for every pound so when you’re buying in bulk then you save more.

Cooked pinto beans can actually last for around 3 days if stored properly. 1 c of dried pintos could make 3 c of cooked pintos. Pinto beans are very versatile and good paied with lots of American & Mexican style dishes like tacos and enchiladas.

You could also have these pinto beans refried with some minced steak, chopped onions, a bit of milk, cumin, powdered red chili and some cheese.

Another option would be to cook some bean soup. This dish is great during the winter months. Below are some simple recipes which you could make in your home. These recipes just serve as guidelines though; you could tweak them by adding or subtracting ingredients depending on your liking.

Chorizo & Pinto Beans Stew

1/2 lb dried pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained (1 1/2 cups)
3 c chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 lb sweet chorizo
1/4 lb hot chorizo
1/4 c Classic Sofrito
One 2-ounce piece of smoked ham
1 med tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, halved
1 small celery rib, halved
1 onion (small), quartered
1 parsley sprig
1 oregano sprig
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lime wedges, for serving

In your medium saucepan, combine pinto beans together with your stock, chorizos, Classic Sofrito, ham, tomato, carrot, celery, onion, parsley and oregano and bring them to a boil. Simmer over low heat, skimming occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the chorizos; slice them 1/4 inch thick and return to your stew. Remove the carrot, coarsely chop it and return to your stew. Discard the parsley and oregano and season stew with salt and pepper. Serve the bean stew with some lime wedges.

Traditional Frijoles

8 c water
1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and sorted
4 ozs salt pork
1 med onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 tsps salt, divided
1 Serrano chili (optional)

Bring first 8 ingredients, 1/4 tsp. salt, and, if desired, serrano chile to a rolling boil on medium high heat inside a Dutch oven. Cover then cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat 3 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. salt. Remove and discard salt pork and chile before serving.

Refritos: Cook 4 cups Traditional Frijoles in 1 Tbsp. hot vegetable oil inside a big skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat, & mash beans using your potato masher as they cook, adding water if necessary to keep moist. Simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes. Prep: 5 min., Cook: 10 min. Makes 6 to 8 servings.