I've got dried pinto beans...

[Kay in Cal]

in an effort to eat more frugally... now what do I do?

 

I currently don't own either a slow-cooker or a pressure-cooker. Do I need one? What are some good vegetarian recipes that use pinto beans?

 

Thanks!

[Just a Jen in Mississippi]

You can cook them like this. Pinto beans and corn bread! Yum! I'll be making some this week!

[Lisa at Home]

Is to add taco seasoning to the beans, and use them in place of meat in taco salads.

 

Otherwise, the kids just eat them by the bowl full. Maybe I should get them the blankets that Nancypants posted about!:D

 

~Lisa

[Tracy in Ky]

I like to add diced onion, country ham, dried red pepper, black pepper and garlic. Cook them til they are soft and you have a rich broth.

 

We eat loads of beans!

 

Serve with corn bread, butter, molasses, baked sweet potatoes or pumpkin pie, mac & cheese.

 

Yum.

[Mama Bear]

Do you have The Enchanted Broccoli Forest or... what's the other Moosewood cookbook? Anyway, she's got a great recipe in there for something like baked beans. If I remember correctly, it's a little involved as far as start to finish time, but most of it is hands off cooking hours.

 

What we do: Rinse beans, soak if you want, then cover in water and cook at a simmer until done to your liking. Add: something tomato-based (1T tomato paste or whatever -- to cut down on tummy difficulties), some cumin, salt, pepper, sometimes onion or garlic powder. Then they're ready for anything -- cheese, burritos, haystacks, whatever.

 

Now I'm hungry for beans. :001_smile:

[happygrrl]

Do you have The Enchanted Broccoli Forest or... what's the other Moosewood cookbook? Anyway, she's got a great recipe in there for something like baked beans. If I remember correctly, it's a little involved as far as start to finish time, but most of it is hands off cooking hours.

 

What we do: Rinse beans, soak if you want, then cover in water and cook at a simmer until done to your liking. Add: something tomato-based (1T tomato paste or whatever -- to cut down on tummy difficulties), some cumin, salt, pepper, sometimes onion or garlic powder. Then they're ready for anything -- cheese, burritos, haystacks, whatever.

 

Now I'm hungry for beans. :001_smile:

We loooooooove pintos here.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about pintos. Then I read your post! *What* are haystacks????

[Robin in Tx]

ETA: Forgot to say that you rinse the beans first!

 

First I cover the beans with water, boil for a minute or two, take off the fire and let set for about an hour. Drain. Add fresh water to cover by about an inch or so (not too much... you can always add more water while they cook), diced bacon, chopped onion and salt to taste. I do not like the taste of beans when the salt is added at the end. It's just not the same. Cover and simmer till beans are soft and juice is thick and rich. That's really all you need. I don't like them when they are done in a pressure cooker or a crockpot. And I don't like a bunch of spices, either. These are good served over brown rice or in a burrito, etc., but the real country way to serve them is to dish up a bowl and heap sauteed onions and ham on top.

 

Bean soup... do the same but add a can of petite diced tomatoes, a little extra water, a handful of fresh cilantro, and a couple of tablespoons of pinto bean flavoring (yes, there is such a thing in the spice aisle!). This is particularly good served over brown rice with chopped green onions and shredded cheese on top.

 

Mashed left over beans make an excellent sandwich spread, btw. :)

 

Good luck! We love beans.

 

 

 

Robin

 

P.S. how are our kids? Did you ever get them checked out re: lead poisoning?

[Just a Jen in Mississippi]

I agree with Tracy. Diced onion is yummy on pinto beans! I'm getting hungry.

[Kay in Cal]

Thanks for remembering! No... I found out that basically there isn't really any way to tell after the fact if the lead is out of their system. So it might have passed through them, might not, no way to know. So I decided that the amount of exposure we had going to the park, even frequently, probably wasn't going to cause ongoing problems. Of course, the park is still closed.

[Mama Bear]

*What* are haystacks????

 

Layers on a plate, bottom to top: smashed chips/fritos, any kind of beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato/salsa, sour cream, guacamole/ chopped avocado, green/diced onion, sliced olives, cilantro, hot/green sauce.

 

It's kinda whatever sounds good, all piled up like a haystack. It's great potluck-type food: It's pretty cheap and everyone brings something and everyone makes their plates the way they want to (less whining - heh).

 

It's one of my favorite ways to eat beans. :D

[happygrrl]

Layers on a plate, bottom to top: smashed chips/fritos, any kind of beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato/salsa, sour cream, guacamole/ chopped avocado, green/diced onion, sliced olives, cilantro, hot/green sauce.

 

It's kinda whatever sounds good, all piled up like a haystack. It's great potluck-type food: It's pretty cheap and everyone brings something and everyone makes their plates the way they want to (less whining - heh).

 

It's one of my favorite ways to eat beans. :D

Of course! I call it taco salad, but I am officially changing the mane to haystacks. We haven't had them in a while.... thanks for reminding me!! We'll do it Friday night!

[Marie in Oh]

after I cook them for 2-3 hours and they are soft, I add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, onion, and jelepenos to them and then put them in the mixer and beat the snot out of them til they are smooth. Then we have burrito bar- tortillas, cheese, olives, green onion, sour cream, guacamole, spanish rice, etc. We have this alot after church on Sunday. I have a huge recipe if you are interested. It makes about 10 meals to freeze-- it starts with 28 cups of dried beans. :blink: That is a lot of beans. I haven't done it yet, but I might try it so that I don't have to cook them so often.