Jim, keep your Turducken! I'm going to Call into Dingo Brennan's with Susie Ann Krellingshaw for a Text-book Aussie SparrPidgeGull (so fresh the Sparrow is still Tweeting) :p



(...Either that, or I'm staying at home to make Chicken & Corn soup)

Tonight.... Sausage Vindaloo !! (don't ask...)

Last night I used the leftover ground beef/jack cheese/homemade refried bean burritos as flour enchiladas or maybe wet burritos. It was great because I used leftovers and it required very little prep or clean up. I just put them in a pan, sauced and cheesed them and baked them. I need to do that again. And making the beans in a crock pot did a great job.

Tonight is going to mini burgers with roasted potatoes and salad. The mini burgers are just tiny burgers broiled - but I put them on these great dinner rolls that I used at Thanksgiving. They are frozen and surprisingly good. And for some reason, my husband, who generally complains if I make hamburgers for dinner, loves them.

I'll probably throw in a sweet potato to roast too.

I'll have the crock pot refried bean recipe if you wouldn't mind obliging !! LOVES me some refried beans.

Seasoned potato wedges, covered in cheese and bacon, with a side of turkey kielbasa :)

Quinoa is my new favorite food!

Tonight will be quinoa salad (with herbs, bell pepper, lemon, olive oil, garlic, etc.), chicken apple sausage and steamed green veg.

I never remember to soak the beans the day before I make them. I'm not sure if that's supposed to make them cook faster or make them less gassy so keep that in mind.

I buy pinto beans from the bulk section of winco and use about 2 scoops - which is probably 2 1/2 - 3 cups. Pick through the beans and put them in a crock pot with several inches of water to cover - maybe 4"? I'm not big on measuring stuff if you haven't already noticed. Don't add salt... not yet. I cut a medium brown onion in half, peeled it and threw that in and a few twists of pepper from the grinder.

And... I then added a big spoonful of lard. This was the first time I've done that - saw some recipe online where they added it when the beans were cooking. Seems like I'd seen it before were the beans were "fried" in it and smooshed - but I'd not done that before either. Anyway, it was probably about 2 tablespoons worth. I've added bacon grease from 2 or 3 pieces of bacon before and even added the bacon too - but I prefer the lard. That sounds terrible I know. It seemed to make the beans fluffy instead of pasty.

I let it cook on high for several hours - maybe 5? - until the beans were done and creamy inside. I then strained out the beans and whirled them in the food processor adding enough of the bean liquid to make it loose. Add salt to taste - it's a lot of beans so keep that in mind. You didn't add any salt to begin with so they are fairly bland until seasoned. I've tried adding other seasoning like cumin but it doesn't taste like refried beans are supposed to taste.

Great reheated - and if you put it on a plate under the broiler with a little sprinkle of jack cheese, like you'd get at a mexican restaurant? It sort of fluffs up somehow and get that little edge to it. I don't know what the lard does - but it does something to the texture that you don't get without it. Bacon grease might do the same but the smokiness isn't the right flavor. I've tried chicken stock to loosen them up too but it's too chicken-y instead of bean-y.

I read something about cooking with lard being the new hip thing and it's not as unhealthy as they long thought it was. I have no idea how true or not that is... but the beans are really good.

Really. I may have to give it a try. I'm not sure I've ever had it.

I'll have to try that now. Good thing the supermarket still sells lard.

A Snazzy Dinner
 

Rrrrroasted butternut squash and local fromage bleu served over cheesy grits. Irresistibly adorable organic baby greens on the side.