Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?


No. We (ie, my wife and I) make a pot of beans about once a week from
dried. By a pot of beans, I mean 1 lb dry. We usually cook them in
the slow cooker - cooking beans is enough to justify a slow cooker in
our household. It is rarely used for anything else.

By the way, we commonly cook pinto beans, black beans, small red beans,
anasazi beans (an heirloom variety related to pintos), and black eyed
peas. The black eyed peas we normally cook on the stove, the rest in
the slow cooker. Anasazi beans are really very good - I prefer them
greatly over "regular" pinto beans, but they are more expensive. Good
quality (ie, not too old) dried beans tend to be much better than
canned.

Later,
Mark Muller

Melba's Jammin' wrote in
:

I'm thinking about some tortilla soup first. We like that a lot and
I've been making it frequently.

Recipe? I looked on Google but there seem to be dozens, all different.

TIA


--
Untie the two knots to email me

A trillion here, a trillion there,
pretty soon you're talking real money.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article .com,
"aem" wrote:
Next up for when you have
musgovian tortillas: chilaquiles! -aem

Say more. I still have at least four torts left. Pretty sure,
--

A frequent use for stale tortillas in Mexico is to cut them in strips,
fry them lightly and then combine with sauce and stuff. Often for
breakfast. This page has info and a recipe:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipe_chilaquiles.htm

The recipe is for six servings, no problem reducing it. -aem

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Dee Randall" wrote:

"Dan Abel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?


No, in fact Costco sells dried pinto beans in 25 pound sacks. When we
have time, we prefer beans made from dry instead of out of a can.
Cheaper too.

--
Dan Abel

So, Costco is still selling dried beans, heh? -- I haven't seen dried
beans
at any Costco in the Eastern region of the U.S. since I left the Seattle
area in 1991 or 1992. I can't recall, but it seemed they sold red kidney
beans and another kind. They were REALLY CHEAP!
Dee Dee



I don't shop at costco...

but our local grocery store has about 1/4 of a shelf on one isle
dedicated to nothing but beans. ;-) There must be a dozen different
varieties and a few mixes from 7 bean to 11 bean. Lentils and split peas
too.

I love beans! Unfortunately, beans are pretty high in starch so I stick
to black soy beans only.

Fortunately, they are excellent and satisfy my craving for beans. ;-d
--
Peace, Om.

I love beans, too! I eat all or any kind everyday. Funny, we are two
opposites, soy beans do NOT agree with my stomach, makes it bloated and hard
as a rock. No matter, I use tofu and all manner of beans.

Tonight Alton Brown is having a repeat of his Dried Bean show - here EST
7pm.
Dee Dee

wrote in message
oups.com...
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?


No. We (ie, my wife and I) make a pot of beans about once a week from
dried. By a pot of beans, I mean 1 lb dry. We usually cook them in
the slow cooker - cooking beans is enough to justify a slow cooker in
our household. It is rarely used for anything else.

By the way, we commonly cook pinto beans, black beans, small red beans,
anasazi beans (an heirloom variety related to pintos), and black eyed
peas. The black eyed peas we normally cook on the stove, the rest in
the slow cooker. Anasazi beans are really very good - I prefer them
greatly over "regular" pinto beans, but they are more expensive. Good
quality (ie, not too old) dried beans tend to be much better than
canned.

Later,
Mark Muller

I haven't seen any anasazi beans for years. I discovered them in Yuma where
we wintered over in 1992. I've looked for them everywhere and found them
once in a place that went out of business. But I live in Virginia.
Enviously,
Dee Dee

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:30:43 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?

Peace,
Carol


You cook every bean you eat at home from scratch and never have used
canned as a shortcut or time saver?


jim

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:13:45 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:30:43 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?

You cook every bean you eat at home from scratch and never have used
canned as a shortcut or time saver?

With the exception of kidney beans and one can of black soy beans,
yes.

Peace,
Carol

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:40:09 -0500, Goomba38
wrote:

Dan Abel wrote:

Take a half pound of beans in a saucepan. Check for rocks and dirt
clods. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Shut off heat and leave
for a minute. Drain (that's supposed to reduce gas). Add water to more
than cover. Heat to boiling again. Turn heat way down and simmer. Put
in a clove of garlic cut in half. Simmer for two hours. Add water and
crank up to boiling again as needed along the way. Taste and salt as
needed. Fish out the garlic halves and toss them. Serve with slotted
spoon.

We have to add a pinch of baking powder with the second dose of water
because our water is hard and they just won't get soft in a reasonable
time otherwise.


Ok.. now what is added to make refried beans? I know lard, but what
quantities and when and how? Anything else?
Goomba

You can use canola oil. The favor is not as rich with it. I have seen
this done in Mexican retaurants in Mexico as the word about health and
lard get out to the public. Enev had them made in the home with oil.

I really like the ones with lard and it is such a treat to encounter
tham although thee is that downside.

Like Emeril says, "it's a pork fat thing."


jim

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 07:53:37 -0500, The Cook
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:30:43 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?


No. A couple of years ago I bought about 20 pounds of the new season
pintos and canned them. Looks like they are just about gone. Guess I
will have to get more beans in September.


Why would you can them? I thought dried beans had a long shelf life.


jim

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 12:59:05 -0500, "Dee Randall"
wrote:

I haven't seen any anasazi beans for years. I discovered them in Yuma where
we wintered over in 1992. I've looked for them everywhere and found them
once in a place that went out of business. But I live in Virginia.

Here you go:

http://www.anasazibeans.com/beans.html

http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/i...&product_ID=35
should be available through any store carrying this brand

http://beanbag.net/ba2.html


Those were just the first three I selected from a google search. I
like the seetness of these beans.


jim

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:18:39 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

In article ,
ensenadajim wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

jim


Coffee, eh? Like GROUND coffee? Er-r-rm, I'll pass on that one, Jim.
I had some fried onions involved with them and they were right tasty
enough for me. I noticed that the canned refritos came in a variety of
'flavors.'


Right you are - you need instant-type coffees for this. Of course, you
could add an espresso shot or two!


jim

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:09:36 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

In article ,
ensenadajim wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:25:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:


I've cooked the meat -- used about 2/3# of 93/7 ground beef. Threw in
"some" Chili Seasoning (Penzeys stuff), "some" cumin (probably not a
half teaspoon), and "a little" oregano, crushed in my palms as I dumped
it in the pan with the meat and onions, etc.

Sounds good!

'twas, Sir. :-)
onful
of my ground beef mixture on top and tried to fold/roll it. No dice.
Drat!

Was the enchilada sauce hot? Heat makes them easier to roll. I usually
dip mine in hot oil, put the filling in and thenlay them into a pan
with a layer of sauce in the bottom. Once the layer is complete, I

It was not. I just poured some into a pie plate and dipped my torts
into in there,


There's the problem with rolling them. You need the sauce to be hot.
We heat some in a small saute pan and dip the torillas to cover both
side. I suggest tongs for handling them, but be gentle, the warm
tortilla is much softer than the dried.


jim

In article ,
Ken Knecht wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote in
:

I'm thinking about some tortilla soup first. We like that a lot and
I've been making it frequently.

Recipe? I looked on Google but there seem to be dozens, all different.

TIA

Sure.

This is what I did last night and what I will do, I believe, in the
future. I initially used the recipe that Nancy Young has posted a
couple times from one of the morning network tv shows; I've adapted it
enough that I am comfortable saying that this is my recipe now. We
loved it last night.

{ Exported from MasterCook Mac }

Tortilla Soup

Recipe By: Barb Schaller, inspired by the one Nancy Young has posted a
couple times
Serving Size: 4-6
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Soups


1 chopped medium onion (about 1 cup) and
2 minced garlic cloves (about 2 tsps) in
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 can (10 oz?) Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies (pureed with a stick
blender if you wish -- we wish)
6 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili con carne seasoning (Penzeys)
1 teaspoon ground cumin

OPTIONAL:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
Avocado chunks
Chunks of Chihuahua cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in the oil over low heat
for 5 minutes until onion is softened. Add next group of ingredients.
Simmer for 20 minutes.

If you want to use the chicken meat (I don't) add 1 pound skinless
boneless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes, turn the heat off and
let it stand for about 5 minutes to look the chicken pieces. Don't
overcook the chicken, please.

Pour the almost-boiling hot soup over about 3 chunks of cheese, some
tortilla chips (broken) and some avocado in a soup bowl and enjoy.
Correct the seasoning to your satisfaction. Hot sauce may be desired.
‹‹‹‹‹
Notes: A squeeze of lime juice might be enjoyed, too.

--
-Barb Schaller
http://jamlady.eboard.com Updated 3-30-2006 Enchiladas for Two

"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

In article ,
OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
(snippage)
marcella
reeling at the coffee idea

Don't.

I've used cold, leftover coffee in crockpots and beef stews.
By the time it's done mixing in, there is no "coffee" flavor but it adds
a richness that you would not believe!

Ah, the mysterious decaf umami. "-)
--
-Barb
http://jamlady.eboard.com Updated 3-30-2006 Enchiladas for Two

"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:13:01 -0800, ensenadajim
wrote:

for me, canned refried beans are a bit too bland. One simple way to
p8unch them up is to add a few tablespoons of dried decaffinated
coffee to them. It creates a deep smoky flavor. A shot or two of
hotsauce does wonders too.

Am I the only one who cooks pintos starting with dried beans?

Peace,
Carol

No. We do too. The tinned pinto beans are revolting.