If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I LOVE Mexican food.
Any and all of it.
I mean, obviously I love tacos, since I post a picture of a taco at LEAST once a week on my Instagram feed. But I could literally eat taco salad, enchiladas, nachos, pozole, and rice + refried beans all day err day.
Mmm...refried beans...(cue drool)
Now, the beans at a Mexican restaurant are usually made with lard (animal fat). Even the refried beans at the grocery store have soybean oil (and other added junk). No offense, but this doesn't fit with my clean-eating lifestyle, so I was determined to make my own wholesome version.
Mission: accomplished.
Verdict: successssss!
I whipped up a HUGE batch of this deliciousness and have used it in so many meals (such as these shrimp tacos) already. I also froze half of it to have on hand in the future.
"REFRIED" BLACK BEANS
Prep Time: varies (see full recipe)
Total Time: varies
Servings: A TON!
Ingredients
(1) 16 oz bag of DRIED black beans
1 C unsalted vegetable stock
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp pink salt (remember, it's a lot of beans)
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil (for cooking at the end)
Instructions
Soak beans in about 6-8 cups of water overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans well. Place into a pot with a lid with 4 cups of water and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a high simmer; cook for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add a little more liquid as needed if they start to look dry. [Note: Using a pressure cooker will DRASTICALLY reduce the cooking time. I just didn't want to wake the babies with the whistle of the pressure cooker since these cooked during their nap time.]
When the beans are tender, stir in the spices. Carefully transfer half of them into a blender, along with some of the cooking liquid. Blend on low speed until it reaches the desired consistency. (I made mine smoother than the usual "refried beans", but you could certainly leave them chunkier.) Remove from the blender (being very careful when you open the lid since blending hot substances can make them "explode") and then repeat with the second half of the beans. Once done, heat oil over medium heat and add beans back to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, allowing a little "crust" to form on some of it (it adds so much flavor!).
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the fridge for 3-4 months.
There ya go, friends! I highly recommend you try these on tacos, as a dip, inside enchiladas, in wraps, or just alongside some of my crockpot chicken and a bit of brown rice or quinoa. OR just eat it straight out of the pot with a spoon. I won't judge (because I did it, too - ha!).
Blessings,
XOXO