Fiesta Beans

I love re-fried beans, the ones that take days to make, with the smell permeating your house so that you feel like you're sleeping in abuelita's kitchen. But two days is so long! This recipe manages to satisfy my desire for beans without the forever long wait and I'll be honest, I like them better...go ahead, shoot me. They take about 10 minutes to throw together and about 20 minutes to cook. They're packed with flavor and I like to stir the cheese right into them. They're gooey, rich and a flavorful addition to any Mexican meal! Also, delicious for dunking chips :-)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Lard (can substitute butter or oil, but you will sacrifice a little flavor) One jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (you can leave some seeds if you prefer lots of heat)

1 small can of green chili's

1 small Yellow Onion, finely dice 2 Cloves garlic, crushed 3, 15 ounce cans of pinto beans 2 Tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chili powder

2 Tsp fresh or dried oregano

2 Tsp Fresh or dried cilantro

1 tsp chicken bullion 2 Cups water Salt to taste Juice of one lime 1 Cup grated cheese (I prefer cheddar)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the lard until melted. Place the onions and jalapeno in the pot and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and let cook for one more minute.

Drain about half of the liquid off of the pinto beans, but not all. Place the beans in the pan along with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro and chicken bullion. You will want to add water at this point, but be cautious of adding too much. You can add more as it cooks if necessary, so go slow.

Bring the beans to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes. You main objective is to soften the pinto beans.

Once the beans have softened a bit and started to break down, you will want to adjust your seasonings to taste. Feel free to add more cumin or garlic and don't forget the salt. You will also add the lime at this point.

If you like your beans to have a more homogeneous texture, feel free to use a potato masher and smash your beans about until you have a desired consistency. I prefer mine to be pretty chunky, so I don't smash at all.

Once you have seasoned your beans to perfection, stir in the cheese and get your chips ready for dunking.

EnJoy!