Frijoles Refritos

It's becoming increasing apparent that we have become part Guatemalan. When we first arrived in Xela and were fed black beans at every breakfast, lunch & dinner, my stomach protested and I thought I just may turn into a black bean. Now, we love them! We have refined the recipe for preparing frijoles (beans still intact) and frijoles refritos, or "goo" as I like to call it (the black bean puree), that comes in both runny and paste like consistencies.

Last weekend Alejandro shared some of the fresh frijol that he has been growing at the ADU office and we whipped up our specialty. They are delicious, taste great with just about everything & are even on the list of super foods.



Frijoles Refritos
3-4 cups cooked black beans with broth (short cut with canned beans if you need to)
1/2 white onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp. canola oil (or bacon grease)
sea salt to taste
1 tsp. ground red chile (optional)

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Raise the heat and add the beans and broth 1 cup at a time, smashing the down with a potato masher or molino. This process takes about 10 minutes, but if you use a stick blender or regular blender it can really speed things up. Add salt and chile to taste. We think the beans are best served immediately with crumbled cheese sprinkled on top. If you can find it, try queso fresco. If not, feta is good too. Serve them up with rice, eggs, chips or just about anything!

Buen Provecho!