My husband loves refried beans and was a little put out with me the other day when I failed to pick some up at the foreign grocery store for taco night. In order to try to salvage my marriage, I whipped up these beans as a side dish. Benjamin wasn't too impressed, but I'd argue that these are better than the stuff in a can. Well, they ought to be--they're a lot more work! I think this dish would also be good with some red pepper flakes, but I didn't want to make it spicy on the off chance that Seth might miraculously want to try some.
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried coriander
juice from half a lemon
Cook onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. Add pinto beans and heat through. Mash mixture with a potato masher. (I did it right in the skillet; no need to dirty another dish. You can mash as much or as little as you like.) Stir in cumin, coriander, and lemon juice.
