This is another all day meal that costs pennies to make. Most of the time required very little attention, so you can still get your laundry done while this one is bubbling away on the stove.
Basic Beans
2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
1 Tbsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
Cover the beans with an inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Add onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cook gently, loosely covered for about 2 hours. As the water evaporated, add a little more.
When the beans are soft, wrinkled, and breaking open, add the oil, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 minutes, without adding more water. The beans should be soft, almost mushy, and there should be a good amount of bean gravy.
Refried Beans
1 recipe of basic beans
6 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloved garlic, minced
1 fresh, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (I use ones that I froze from the garden last year that were about to turn)
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the onions, saute until translucent, add the garlic for about another minute. Add the tomato, cook for 2 or 3 more minutes. Add a little of the remaining oil, then several tablespoons of the beans. Use a potato masher to mash them directly into the pan. I can usually add several spoonfuls of beans before adding more oil (in fact, sometimes I don't use all 6 tablespoons). Gradually add all of the beans, mashing and stirring as you go. This will make a thick, creamy, and somewhat dry paste.
Serve in tortillas, with avocado, chopped tomato, cheddar cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and even thinly sliced radishes.
