Refried Bean

I used to wonder why is refried bean called refried bean. I thought they were like refried oil and got disgusted by it. Actually the word "refried" is a misnomer. It comes from refritos which actually means "well-fried". Now doesn't that sound agreeable to the taste buds than "refried"?

Since we don't have a pressure cooker, I used the regular method of cooking the dried pinto beans: boiling water. It took closed to 2 hours to get all 500gram of them soft and done (I freeze whatever amount that I'm not using for future cooking so I don't have to go through the 2 hours boiling time again). If you have a pressure cooker, it cuts down the cooking time a lot.

You can make a whole bunch of them and freeze the extra - It's easy to reheat refried beans: add water and refried beans to pan and fry them over heat.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)

• 2 cups cooked pinto beans, strained
  
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons pure sesame oil
  
• 1/4 cup water
• Salt to taste
• Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Heat pure sesame oil in a saucepan. Sautee chopped onions with a pinch of sea salt until translucent. Add cooked pinto beans and water. Season with salt. Stir in cheese until melted.