I’ve been on a nachos kick lately . . .it is our go-to “we’re starving” after 1:00 church meal. It takes some planning to make it this way, but it’s just 10-15 min here and 10-15 min there and a great way to get all kinds of healthy stuff into an easy meal.
The beans take some planning, but it’s a piece of cake to make a large batch and keep them in the freezer. I whip up the cheese sauce the day before and the guacamole the morning of. Then I just make the salsa in the blender and we have a really tasty meal and leftovers. But it’s also the kind of meal you can take a lot of short cuts on, as in a can of beans and jar of salsa and diced avocado. So it works for what you need.
Adapted from: www.kitchentreaty.com She blends hers up with the cooking liquid, but I like to cook the beans first then drain off most of the cooking liquid to keep the gas as minimal as possible.
1 pound dry pinto beans
3 cups vegetable broth + a little more for thinning, if desired
4-5 medium cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 whole onion cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 fresh lime (optional)
Cover beans in water and soak overnight, discarding any odd beans
Rinse beans and cook in water for several hours with 1 tsp salt and half of the onion cut into large chunks until mostly soft (this can be done both on the stove top or in a crock pot).
Rinse beans again and return to pot/crockpot. Add remaining ingredients (including the other half of the onion) except salt. If needed, add additional water to cover beans.
Simmer for several more hours until beans are very soft and beans are flavorful.
Blend in batches, or use an immersion blender or bean masher to reach desired consistency. Add salt to taste.