Texas Pinto Beans & Rice

  Beans and rice are more than just another way to get  complete protein without eating meat.  They are downright delicious!  I've been making this dish for several years.  It's an adaptation  from a small cookbook I picked up at a Texas airport.  You can also switch out red or black beans for the pintos!

 The smell of these beans simmering on the stove makes me think I'm back in my grandmother's kitchen.  She grew up in Missouri, and she frequently cooked up a pot of beans, but not spicy ones like these!  She liked to make lima bean soup with cornbread.

Texas Pinto Beans & Rice

1.  Prepare beans:
(1)  Put  3 cups of pinto beans in a bowl with water and soak overnight.
(2)  In the morning drain the water.
(3)  Put the beans in a pot with enough water to go 2" above the beans.

2.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Chop up 1 large onion.
(2)  Mince 2 cloves of garlic

3.  Combine ingredients:
(1)  Add vegetables to the pot of beans.
(2)  Add seasonings:  1 -2 T of chili powder (to taste), 1 t of cumin (or more if you like), and 1/2 t of black pepper.
(3)  Bring the beans to a boil and then let simmer until tender about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
(4)  Taste and make any flavor adjustments.

4.  Cook rice separately.

5.  Prepare condiments:
(1)  Grate 1-2 cups of cheese
(2)  Slice 3-4 green onions
(3)  Chop up some cilantro
(4)  Put sour cream in a dish
(5)  Put salsa in a bowl; put tortilla chips into another serving bowl.

5.  Serving:  Ladle beans into a shallow soup bowl; put a scoop of rice on top.  Then top with condiments of your choice.



Other Mexican recipes on this blog:

Mexican Casseroles
Texas Style Gluten Free Stacked Enchiladas  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Acapulco Delight - A great Mexican Enchilada (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Michelle's Favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas   (From my daughter)
Kathy's Baked Chili & Chips Casserole  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole  (From an Internet search)
Fiesta Gluten Free Tamale Pie   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Authentic Chicken Enchiladas Verde  (From a church friend)
Rebecca's Favorite Chicken & Chile Enchiladas  (From a church friend)
Delores's Chicken & Tortilla Casserole (Made Gluten Free)  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Tacos, Chimichangas  & Etc.
Rachel Ray's Recipe for the Best Fish Tacos   (From Food Network)
Fantastic Baked Chimichangas  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Authentic Chicken Flautas  (My hispanic friend Abbie taught me how to make these!)

Delicious Chicken Fajitas  (A mix of many recipes)
Fabulous Vegetarian Gluten Free Fajitas   (From an Internet search)
Easy Gluten Free Baked Taquitos  (From a newspaper clip)

Beans & Rice
The Best Homemade Refried Beans  (From an Internet search)
Texas Pinto Beans & Rice  (From my Texas airport cookbook)

Mexican Chicken & Beef
Anna's Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Fantastic Gluten Free Carne Asada!  (From an Internet search--a combination of sites)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter's family)

Soups
Mexican Chicken Soup- A Great Remedy for Colds & Flu  (I got this over 25 years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (From a friend in Califiornia)
Southwest Turkey Soup   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Salads
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (My own version of something I ate in Seattle)
Mexican Salmon & Mango Salad  (Modification of a Betty Crocker recipe)