Pinto Beans And Roasted Red Pepper Empanadas Food

PERFECT PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let soak overnight.
• Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a large pot. Cover the beans with water and add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, bacon, garlic, bay leaves, onion, bell pepper and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 1/2 hours.

PINTO BEAN SALAD WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a large pot and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, until the beans are creamy inside, but not mushy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans and transfer to a large bowl to cool. Cook shells in rapidly boiling salted water. When done, drain in a colander, then spread shells on a cookie sheet to allow steam to escape. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil. When cool, combine pasta with the pinto beans. Add peppers. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine.
• To roast chiles and peppers: Place over a gas flame or on a tray under a broiler. Keep turning so that the skin is evenly charred, without burning and drying out the flesh. Transfer charred peppers to a plastic or paper bag, tie the top closed and allow to steam until cool to the touch, about fifteen minutes. (To speed things up, place bag in a bowl of ice water.) Peel the peppers by hand, then dip the them briefly in water to remove any blackened bits.

BEST EVER PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Cover pinto beans with water in a large bowl. Soak beans for 4 hours, changing water every 30 to 45 minutes. Drain.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add pinto beans, ham hock, and kosher salt to the pot. Pour in more water if needed to cover ingredients by at least 1 inch.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are just tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Remove ham hock from beans; cut meat from the bone, chop the ham, and return to pot.
• Stir tomato sauce and brown sugar into the beans. Continue to simmer until beans are tender and flavors are blended, about 1 more hour.

EASY BUTTER BEANS, PAPRIKA, AND PIQUILLO PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a wide-based pan over a medium heat, caramelize the red onions in 5 Tbsp. of the olive oil for 15 minutes or until they turn golden and soft. Add a little fine salt, the garlic and spices and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for another minute.
• Add the beans and sherry vinegar and reduce the liquid by half over a medium heat. Turn the heat off. Add the piquillo peppers and the remaining olive oil and season with salt to serve.

ENFRIJOLADAS PINTOS

Steps:

• Make the pickled onion: Combine the onion, lemon juice, oregano, red-pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the onion to soften. The onion can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 to 5 days before serving.
• Make the enfrijoladas: Place the chipotle in a small bowl and add enough hot water to cover (see Tip). Let stand to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Once rehydrated and pliable, drain and remove the stem. To a blender or food processor, add the beans, 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth or bean cooking liquid, and the softened chipotle. Blend until completely smooth. Add more of the broth, 1/4 cup at a time as needed, to make a smooth bean sauce. Season to taste with salt.
• Heat a medium pot over medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat, then add the bean mixture. Stir to incorporate; the mixture may sizzle and spatter. Allow the mixture to come to a low simmer and reduce heat to low to keep warm. Add additional liquid as needed to thin to a cheese-sauce consistency.
• Heat a comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then add 1 to 2 tortillas and lightly fry until softened and blistered, 30 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer the fried tortillas to a plate, and continue to add more oil to the comal as needed to cook all the tortillas.
• Use tongs to slightly submerge each fried tortilla in the hot bean mixture one at a time. Flip the tortilla over to coat the second side, then fold the tortilla in half, pull out of the pot and place on a dinner plate. Continue this process until all the tortillas are coated in the enfrijolada sauce, dividing them among 4 plates. Spoon any remaining bean sauce over the top of the tortillas. Garnish with the sour cream, pickled red onion, pepitas, cilantro and avocado.