It is easy to get hooked into buying “kitchen gadgets.” There are so many out there making all sorts of claims. You can find them online or from your local store promising that cooking will be soooo much easier and more exciting.
Last year the big ticket item was the Instant Pot and I have noticed it seems to be the same this year with different sizes and companies and just plain more confusing when deciding!
When I add another item to my kitchen cupboard I weigh out the factor of how much am I am going to use it, will it save me time in cooking and how easy is it to clean. I made sure I could check off all three with a ‘yes’ and I went out and bought an Instant Pot. Best ever since sliced bread!
I can now make bone broth in two hours instead of eight, I can cook the black beans without soaking in 30 minutes and make a soup using leftover chicken bones in less than one hour. Amazing.
Refried Beans
The name of this recipe is pretty boring but I make it quite often because I don’t like the canned refried beans you can buy (very little flavour) and I always make a big batch that I freeze. With the Instant Pot I have cut the time down to about two hours.
The secret in great refried beans is the cooking time in the oven and the spices you can add. I use black beans because they are my favourite. Any kind will work.
3 lbs of dried black beans
1/2 cup sunflower seed oil or olive oil
3 lbs onions chopped
15 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander seed
1/2 cup soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste
Cook the beans until tender. Use the ‘soak overnight in water’ function and then cook until tender or use the Instant Pot directions. Whichever way you cook them make sure they are very tender and when you drain them save a bit of the cooked water for later.
Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until soft.
Add the dried spices and sauté for another three minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the stove.
Add the beans, soy sauce, salt and pepper to the pot. Using a potato masher or immersion blender puree the beans to your liking. If they seem really dry add a bit of the cooked water.
Tightly cover the pot with tin foil (make sure the pot has no plastic handles) and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and if the beans have too much liquid cook and stir for about another 30 minutes. If they are to dry add some of the reserved liquid.
Also add more spices if needed. I find the beans really absorb the flavour so more is better.
