PINTO BEAN SALAD

COOKING THE BEANS

1½ lb. dry pinto beans

7 cups water

Rinse the beans well, then, in a pot cover the beans with water until the following day.

Next day drain the water.  Fill up the beans with 7 cups of fresh water, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it cook until soft. Around 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add 1½ teaspoons salt, mix and let it cool off.

If you don’t use all the beans right away, keep it in the refrigerator with the liquid.

You can separate some of the beans for salad, soups, stew, braised beans with vegetables or dips. You can freeze beans and use it for another day.

PINTO BEAN SALAD

4 cups cooked beans

1 small onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

½ red pepper, diced

½ yellow pepper, diced

1 celery rib, diced

2 scallions thinly sliced

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. ground pepper

METHOD

Cook the diced carrots in a pot with boiling water until soft. Cool it in cold running water.

Same pot with boiling water, pour in for 8 seconds the red pepper, yellow pepper and celery. Cool it off with cold running water. This way the vegetables will have beautiful colors. Mix the vegetables with the beans, onions, scallions, cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place it in the refrigerator if not used immediately.

BRAISED PINTO BEANS

BRAISED PINTO BEANS

PORTIONS: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Pinto beans. Soak in water overnight

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 diced onion

2 garlic minced cloves

2 diced carrots

1 cup butternut squash

1 diced red pepper

1 diced green pepper

5 cups chicken broth or 5 cups of water with 1 cube of chicken base with no MSG

½ tsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt to taste

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 bay leave

1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano

½ cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS

Drain the water from the beans.

In a pot, place the beans and chicken broth. Cover the pot and at low flame cook beans until are soft.

In a deep pot, heat up the oil and fry the onions together with the garlic.

Add the rest of the vegetables and spices. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are sweating.

Incorporate the beans with the liquid, tomato sauce and cook for 20 minutes. Beans liquid should be a bit thick to be serving as a side dish.

BRAISED WHITE BEANS WITH SPINACH

PORTIONS: 4

HOW TO COOK WHITE BEANS

Let 1 lb. of beans soak covered in water the day before. Next day drain the water. In a deep pot with 5 cups of chicken broth cook the beans, at a moderate flame, until soft for about 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BRAISED BEANS

2½ cups of liquid cook the white beans

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ diced onion

2 minced garlic cloves

¾ cup diced red peppers

¾ cup diced celery

1 diced large carrot

2 cups chopped spinach

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

½ tbsp. chopped parsley

½ tbsp. chopped cilantro

METHOD

In a large frying pan, brown a bit the onions and garlic. Add red peppers, celery and carrots. Let the vegetables until sweat

Add beans with some of the liquid, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Cover the pan and let it cook until vegetables are soft. Add spinach and turn flame off.

BRAISED WHITE BEANS WITH SPINACH AND GRILLED CHORIZO

PORTIONS: 4

HOW TO COOK WHITE BEANS

Let 1 lb. of beans soak covered in water the day before. Next day drain the water. In a deep pot with 5 cups of chicken broth cook the beans, at a moderate flame, until soft for about 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BRAISED BEANS

2½ cups of liquid cook the white beans

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ diced onion

2 minced garlic cloves

¾ cup diced red peppers

¾ cup diced celery

1 diced large carrot

2 cups chopped spinach

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

½ tbsp. chopped parsley

½ tbsp. chopped cilantro

METHOD

In a large frying pan, brown a bit the onions and garlic. Add red peppers, celery and carrots. Let the vegetables until sweat

Add beans with some of the liquid, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Cover the pan and let it cook until vegetables are soft. Add spinach and turn flame off.

Cut a chorizo in slices and grill it. Serve on top of braised beans.

BRAISED WHITE BEANS WITH CHICKEN STUFFED RED PEPPERS

PORTIONS: 4

HOW TO COOK WHITE BEANS

Let 1 lb. of beans soak covered in water the day before. Next day drain the water. In a deep pot with 5 cups of chicken broth cook the beans, at a moderate flame, until soft for about 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BRAISED BEANS

2½ cups of liquid cook the white beans

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ diced onion

2 minced garlic cloves

¾ cup diced red peppers

¾ cup diced celery

1 diced large carrot

2 cups chopped spinach

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

½ tbsp. chopped parsley

½ tbsp. chopped cilantro

METHOD

In a large frying pan, brown a bit the onions and garlic. Add red peppers, celery and carrots. Let the vegetables until sweat

Add beans with some of the liquid, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Cover the pan and let it cook until vegetables are soft. Add spinach and turn flame off.

INGREDIENTS FOR STUFFED PEPPERS WITH CHICKEN

4 medium size red bell peppers. Sliced off the top and seeded

1 lb. ground chicken

½ diced onion

2 tbsp.  Small diced carrots

2 tbsp. Small diced celery

1 minced garlic clove

½ tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

1½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

1½ tbsp. bread crumbs

METHOD

Cut off part of the bottom of the pepper to make it stable.

In a bowl mix the chicken with the rest of the ingredients. Stuff the peppers with the chicken mix and place it in a baking dish. Preheat the oven at 375°F.  Cook until the center of the pepper reaches a minimum temperature of 165° F