Taco Salad

Chili Pinto Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked
3 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 dried red chilies (whole)

2 tbsp. tomato paste (see tip below)
2-3 tsp. chili powder (may use all or part chipotle chili powder)
salt, to taste
1 green pepper, minced

Cover the beans with water and presoak them overnight; or do a quick-soak by bringing them to a boil for one minute, removing them from the heat, and allowing them to stand, covered, for one hour.

Drain the soaking liquid from the beans. Place them in the pressure cooker with the water, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and chilies. Close the pressure cooker and bring it to high pressure; cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. Remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. 

(If you’re cooking them in a regular pot or crockpot, cook until the beans are just soft enough to eat.  The time will vary depending on your beans and method of cooking, but on the stove, allow at least an hour of cooking.  Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.)

Open the cooker and remove the dried chilies (squeeze them gently to get out all the flavor, but don’t add the seeds to the beans if you don’t want them to be spicy). Add the remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your own taste. Serve hot with fresh salsa.

Tip: After you open a can of tomato paste and use what you need, freeze the rest in a freezer bag for a later use. Flatten the bag so that it’s easy to break off a chunk of tomato paste whenever you need it.

This makes about 8 servings. Try it as a filling for burritos, or mash it and “fry” it in a non-stick skillet for refried beans.

Nutrition (per serving): 215 calories, 8 calories from fat, <1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50.1mg sodium, 912.7mg potassium, 39.5g carbohydrates, 10g fiber, 2.9g sugar, 12.9g protein, 6 points.