T H E 6 T H F L O O R

Life in 6 Land

Daily Archives: 01/13/2012

Mexican Brown Rice with Pinto Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ onion, diced fine
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
1¾ to 2 cups water
1 tablespoons tomato paste or sauce (I used diced tomatoes)
3 cups cooked pinto beans

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a 2-quart pot. Add cumin and chili powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add onion and salt and continue cooking until onion is soft. Add rice and stir well to coat. Add water and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until all of the water is absorbed (about 40 minutes). Serve warm, alongside the cooked pinto beans.

SOURCE: Culinate.com

Skillet Refried Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 small onion, finely diced
15-oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder paprika

DIRECTIONS:
Line a skillet with a thin layer of water and saute onion over high heat until translucent and most of the water has cooked off. Add cumin, chili powder and a few dashes of paprika, stirring to coat the onions. Add beans with their juices and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and mash beans well using a fork or potato masher. It will look very soupy, but don’t be alarmed. Crank the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium and simmer 10 minutes. If the beans start popping and splashing, cover for a few minutes, then uncover. Stir every minute or so, scraping along the bottom to lift the beans. After 10 minutes the liquid should have significantly reduced. It may still be a little soupy, that is alright, it will thicken as it cools. However, if its really soupy, cook longer. Add salt and pepper to taste then serve.

SOURCE: Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsey S. Nixon

Potato Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS
4 medium-large firm potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 tablespoon chili powder
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cup fresh spinach, thinly sliced
½ cup grated soy cheddar cheese (optional)
8 fat free flour tortillas
2 ½ cups enchilada sauce

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes in water to cover until almost tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the onions and garlic in about ¼ cup of the broth in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook, stirring frequently until onion softens slightly. Add jalapenos and another ¼ cup of the broth. Cook for an additional minute. Add potatoes, mix well and continue to cook and stir. Add the remaining broth, the chili powder and several twists of freshly ground pepper. Cook and stir for another minute. Add the spinach and soy cheese. Mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a lightly oiled baking dish. (To lightly oil a baking dish, place a small amount of oil on a paper towel and rub over the bottom of your baking dish.) Note: I omitted the oil altogether, as the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking pan was fine.

Take 1 tortilla at a time and spread a line of about ¼ cup of potato mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all filling is used. Pour remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with extra enchilada sauce on the side or with some fresh salsa.

SOURCE: The McDougall Newsletter November 2003