Mexican Refried Beans

We recommend serving this healthy and delicious bean side dish with Mexican tacos, enchiladas, tortilla chips, etc.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried pinto beans
8 cups water (plus more if needed)
1 onion (half sliced, half diced)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (plus more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (plus more if needed)

Directions:

1. Carefully sort and rinse the beans, removing any dirt.
2. Place the beans in a large pot. Add the water, onion slices, cumin, salt, oregano, and a few pinches of pepper. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Check the beans. If they are not yet completely tender, continue cooking, checking every 15 minutes until tender. Add more water if necessary.
3. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain the beans through the strainer. Reserve the liquid in the bowl.
4. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes (until softened and translucent). Stir in the beans and reduce heat to low. Add ½ cup of the liquid remaining from the beans and mash the beans with a potato masher until desired consistency (adding more bean liquid in batches of ½ cup if necessary). For a smoother consistency, puree the beans in a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice. Taste and add more salt and lime juice if needed.
5. Serve as a side dish. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Recipe: loveandlemons.com