Here's a favorite recipe of mine (my dear friend shared her recipe with me - it's Da Bomb!). I usually cook a batch of beans in the crock pot, put a container in the fridge to use right away and freeze the rest for later. They keep very well and taste so good, even after being frozen.
I no longer want to eat canned beans... these rock! Go ahead, give them a try!
Leonora's Pinto Beans
Ingredients:
2 lb. pinto beans (or lentils, black beans, your choice!)
2 bulbs garlic
3 jalapenos (fewer if you want less heat)
1 onion
3 Tbl. sea salt/kosher salt
1/4 cup canola oil
Directions:
Sort and rinse beans.
Place in crock pot and cover with water - about 2 inches above beans.
Add salt, peeled garlic cloves (whole or halved), chopped jalapenos, and chopped onion to the pot.
Cook on High for 6 hours.
2 hours into cooking beans, add 1/4 cup oil.
Add water as needed. It may need another cup or two half way through cooking. Just watch to be sure that there is always a couple inches of water above the beans.
When they are done, place beans in plastic containers, with plenty of room to expand as they freeze.
I always write the type of beans and the date I cooked them on
a piece of tape and stick it on each container.
Allow the beans to cool a bit before placing them in the freezer.
Ready to freeze!
Some of my favorite ways to enjoy beans:
- Breakfast tacos - I re-fry one container of beans in 2 tablespoons of butter to eat with eggs, soyrizo (soy version of chorizo), and corn tortillas. Yummm...
- A side dish for enchiladas, Tex Mex roast, or fajitas.
- A plain old bean burrito - with a little homemade salsa, sour cream and cheese of course!
Okay, I'm ready for dinner! Here are a few pics and a great kitchen tip for you!
Having fun sorting beans... oh my!
(my one-year-old now makes a "cheese" face when I pull out my camera :o)
A tip for peeling garlic
This tip is great for peeling a LOT of garlic and saving a LOT of time!
I used to peel each clove with a knife and my fingers - ouch!
Now my three-year-old can help me and we have fun :o)
Start by cutting the end off the garlic bulb.
Turn the bulb and cut a bit, turn the bulb and cut some more.
Grab a silicone pot holder and place a clove in the middle of it.
Roll the pot holder up like a taco and roll back and forth,
pressing down at the same time.
And TADA! A nice, clean piece of garlic, ready to be dropped
in your crock pot of beans!
My big helper!
Now I can reach into my freezer for some homemade, ready-to-eat beans!
I get to save money and eat well. What a deal!!!
I get to save money and eat well. What a deal!!!
I know that this is a simple recipe, but I hope that it encourages you to try your hand at beans! They taste so much better than canned beans and the nutrients found in beans is HUGE (including protein, fiber and iron!).
God bless your weekend,
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5 comments:
I love the idea of adding jalepenos to the beans!
great work! http://www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-favorite-valentines-day-ideas.html
These are a staple in our house! Thank you so much for sharing.
You don't need to soak them overnight first?
No, Kelly. When they are cooked in the crock pot this way there is no need to soak them overnight. That's one reason I like this recipe so much!
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