There was a time (many years ago) when we used to restrict our homemade bean dishes to the canned variety.
However, always looking for the best in food led me to try cooking my own beans from dried beans.
I hesitated at first when I learned that beans took a long time to cook.
But then I found an alternative way to cook them.
Enter, the pressure cooker.
Yes! What a great kitchen tool.
I know that a lot of people are afraid of them, because they cook under pressure.
But you do not have to worry.
Today's pressure cookers are safe and great for fast and nutritious cooking.
Once you have cooked your own beans, you will not want to go back to canned beans, except in emergencies.
These beans come out so tasty and they look a lot more appetizing too.
8 SERVINGS - 3 cups pinto beans (washed) 1.
Cover the beans well with water in the pressure-cooker and cook them on full pressure for 10 minutes.
Quick-release the pressure according to your pressure cooker's instructions and drain out the water.
This will take most of the gas out of the beans, if you know what I mean.
- 1/2 rounded teaspoon red pepper flakes 2.
Add enough water to come to 1" above the top of the beans and then add the pepper flakes, stirring to mix things up well.
3.
Cook the beans on full pressure for 25 minutes and then release the pressure according to cooker's instructions.
4.
Remove 1-1/2 cup of beans to a small bowl or large 2-cup measuring cup and squash with a fork or back of a spoon.
Add some of the juice from the pot to the cup and stir to loosen the resulting bean paste so that it will disperse in the bean pot easily.
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 5.
Stir the squashed beans back into the pot to thicken the juice, and then add the salt and stir.
Now all you have to do is break out the tortillas, some hot sauce, sour cream and guacamole sauce and you are good to go for one delicious burrito.
Serve and enjoy.