Mexican food, in my opinion, should be simple, but flavorful. Since becoming mostly vegan, I have issue with using any form of animal based lard - or even vegetable shortening to add flavor. The amount of unhealthy fat is in my opinion, another example of why Americans are overweight. To bypass the unhealthy way of adding flavor using fats, I opt for intense flavor via spices that reflect the regions character, keep the calorie content low and add my own twist just for fun - and FLAVOR!
My recipe looks like the beans are refried, but they are far from it. The idea here is to provide a high quality source of vegetable based protein that has tons of flavor and is low in calories. The addition of garlic, cumin and a small canned chipotle pepper takes the flavor scale up and provides plenty of flavor.
Spread these beans on to a sprouted corn tortilla that has been steamed, add a little raw organic cheese and plenty of salsa and garnish with Cilantro - and you have the perfect Mexican style meal. It also makes a great bean dip served along side tortilla chips.
Vegan Non-Refried Beans
1 - Cup Pinto Beans
3 - Cups filtered Water
3 - Garlic Cloves - Crushed
1 - Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Chipotle Pepper (Add more or less depending on your desired heat tolerance)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Directions:
Rinse and soak beans for minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Drain beans of soaking water. Place soaked pinto beans a deep pot, add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and cook till very soft.
Scoop beans out of pot with a strainer spoon into a larger food processor, reserving bean liquid if needed. Add crushed garlic, cumin, Chipotle Pepper and a dash of olive oil. Process until smooth. If beans are too thick, add a little of the reserved bean liquid to thin them out.
I prefer my beans smooth in consistency so I process them til they are nice and smooth. Taste to see if salt is needed - add to your preference.
These beans are perfect either by themselves with Mexican Rice, steamed tortillas or as a dip for tortilla chips.
They are low in cost, but high in flavor and nutritional value.
Bon Appetito
Friday, May 22, 2009
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