Refried Beans

Ingredients

• Pinto beans
• Water
• Salt
• Onion
• Chile serrano
• Queso seco

Preparation

Wash beans thoroughly.

Cook in pot, preferably a pressure cooker. If you don't use a pressure cooker, soak beans overnight. Add salt before cooking.

Once beans are cooked, on a flat pan add some oil (to taste).

Chop onion and chile and saute on pan.

Add beans (without liquid).

Use a tool to mash the beans.

Mash thoroughly.

Enjoy as a side dish. Add Mexican queso fresco o queso seco,

Makes a great side dish for chilaquiles verdes

Gorditas

Ingredients

• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Eggs
• Hot water or milk 
• Sugar
• Butter or Olive oil 
• Cinnamon
• Sour cream 
• Salt 

Preparation

Mix dry ingredients: flour (start with 1 cup), sugar (start with 3/4 cup), baking soda (1/2tsp), baking powder (1 tsp) and cinnamon (to taste). Add salt if sour cream does not have salt or to taste.

Combine the liquids (eggs (2), melted butter or olive oil (4 tblsp) and start with 1/2 cup of hot water or milk, add small container of sour cream. Add dry ingredients and mix until dough is soft, but not mushy.

Make small patties and use a flat pan to cook them in.

Enjoy by themselves, or jam and accompany them with milk, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients

• Black beans
• Rice
• Onion
• Serrano chilly
• Ginger
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic
• Chilero sauce, habanero sauce or other hot sauce.

Preparation

Inspired from a trip to Costa Rica where we ate it everyday! Wash black beans thoroughly. Soak for a couple of hrs or over night. If not soaked, use a pressure cooker. Boil black beans with water and salt. Add three times as much water as beans.

Chop half an onion, one clove of garlic and one Serrano chilly and some ginger.

Brown on pot with some olive oil.

Add steamed rice. Use a rice cooker to cook rice or use a large bowl and microwave for 15 minutes at high temperature. Add twice as much water than rice when cooking regardless if using a pot, rice cooker or microwave.

Add salt and pepper.

Add cooked black beans without bean liquid.

Add bean liquid if needed to make soft (not too liquid).

Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy as a side dish with chilero sauce - must have!