OK, so you know the old doggerel – beans, beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you, etc. etc. – well for all the bad press associated with eating dried beans, they are none-the-less extremely good for us. According to the WebMD site, and I paraphrase, “Dried beans or legumes are an inexpensive and healthy addition to your diet. A serving (1/3 cup of cooked beans) contains around 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. In addition, beans are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which help promote digestive health and relieve constipation. Eating beans may help prevent colon cancer, and reduce blood cholesterol (a leading cause of heart disease). Beans, often thought of as a side dish, make excellent meat free entrees.”

Add to this the fact that when properly prepared they are just darn right tasty. (My words, not WebMD’s.) And this recipe is just about as simple and pure as any bean recipe could be. No added fat, no meat, just a really nice combination of subtle flavors. It is actually the culmination of years of trying to make tasty, low fat, and meatless refried beans. I mean really, there is enough fat in the form of cheese in the other dishes I usually serve with refried beans to make up for any necessity to include it in the refried beans themselves. And then if truth be told, I usually serve grated cheese on the beans, so fat in the recipe is totally unnecessary. Whew – that was probably more information than you ever wanted to know about a simple dish featuring a dried bean.

So do yourself a favor, give these beans a try. They are really tasty and terribly good for you. And vegetarian and I think vegan, although I am not an expert on veganism. (A lack of knowledge I pride myself on, by-the-way. And yes, I know for some of you that firmly categorizes me as “slightly depraved”. I’m actually OK with that, if we only extend the definition of depraved as far as it applies to veganism!)

• 2 c. dried pinto beans
• 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• ½ jalapeno, rough chopped (no seeds or veins)
• 1 tsp. chili powder, divided
• 11 c. water (yes, eleven!) – will probably need even more
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the beans thoroughly; place in a large pan with the garlic cloves, jalapeno, and ½ teaspoon of the chili powder. Add water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Stir the beans often as they cook and add water as needed. After the first hour, add the remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer for another 1½ hours or until the beans are very tender and the water has reduced to the consistency of thin gravy.

When the beans are finished cooking either whirl until smooth in a food processor and return to the pan to keep warm, or use a hand blender to break down the beans to the desired consistency. (Some people like some lumps in their refries, some want their beans as smooth and lump free as possible, other want the beans left whole; merely a personal preference.)  Use as a bean dip with tortilla chips or as a side dish. Great served with freshly baked flour tortillas (you can get them unbaked at Costco) and as a side with Carne Adovada (Mexican Red Chili and Pork Stew)