Achiote Beans Recado | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen Recipe

Recipe courtesy of:
Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

Achiote Beans Recado

If you can't find annatto seeds, substitute regular or smoked paprika; the taste will be different, but good. You'll use only about half of the seasoning mix in this recipe, so save the rest for future experimentation.

2 tablespoons annatto seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 serrano (or other small, medium-hot) peppers, de-seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 15-ounce cans pinto beans or mixed beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar (or other sweetener)
1/2 tablespoon molasses (or other sweetener)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp. regular oregano)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 pinch cayenne (or to taste)
fresh lime juice

Put the annatto seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves into a coffee grinder or spice mill and grind to a powder. Add the allspice, mix well, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion the onion until it is beginning to brown. Add the two types of peppers and garlic and stir for another minute. Measure out 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning and add it to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds and then stir in all remaining ingredients except lime juice.

Cover, turn the heat to its lowest setting, and cook for about an hour and a half. Check and stir periodically (every 15 minutes or so), making sure that the beans are not sticking and that there is enough liquid in the pot; if not, add a little water. By the end of cooking, the beans should be moist but still thick enough to sit on a tortilla without running off.

Remove from the heat, and just before serving add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and extra salt or red pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 219 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (6% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1316mg Sodium; 10g Fiber. Weight Watchers 4 Flex Points (Core +1 Point).

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. "Gluten-free" label is strictly a cataloging tag meant to be helpful for recipe searches and does not ensure that
the recipe is completely free of gluten. Always read ingredient labels carefully and contact manufacturers to make sure that products actually are vegan and/or gluten-free.