A Bowl Full of Yummy!

In my quest to eat healthier I learned that eating more fiber is a good thing.

So I went looking for some high fiber recipe's.

Did you know that dried beans have a good amount of fiber in them?

Since I like to feed my inner Mexican, I have always wanted a good Mexican rice and beans recipe.
I stumbled upon this recipe on the website, Home Sick Texan. 

This just goes to show you that sometimes it pays to read through that loooooooong list of comments at the bottom.  Because that's where I found this recipe.  Hidden down there in the comments list.  It was posted by a woman named Kelly and she credits the Houston Chronicle Newspaper.  Where it came from beyond that point, the world may never know. I'm just glad she put it on there, because it is sooooo good. 

I made the dish with bacon, but if you had smoked ham hocks, this would be a good time to use those up.  I think you could make it without the meat too and it would still be good.  I ended up serving these beans over white rice, I just thought putting them over Mexican rice would be too much.

PAPPASITO'S FRIJOLES A LA CHARRA (PINTO BEAN SOUP)
Makes about 1/2 gallon

3/4 lb. dried pinto beans
3 quarts water, divided use
3/8 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white onion
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
3 to 4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, divided use
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (cominos)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 Tbsp. salt
1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

Soak beans in 2 quarts water 8 hours.

Drain beans and set aside.

In a 1 gallon heavy pot, cook bacon until well done. Do not under cook or it will look raw in finished product.

Add onions, garlic, 1 to 2 Tbsp. and chopped cilantro to hot bacon and cook until onion is transparent, about 10 minutes.

Add the drained beans, cumin and chili powder. Stir and add remaining 1 quart water. Turn heat to medium-low. Stir in salt. Cook beans slowly until fork tender, about 1 hour. Stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom.

Stir in tomatoes and remaining cilantro and heat through.

Serve in bowls.

Beans may be cooled to below 40 degrees, then reheated when ready to serve.

Source: Houston Chronicle newspaper
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This dish was actually a hit with my kids, and my husband. I didn't even make any corn bread to complete the meal.
There was a chorus of mmm's and yum's all around the table as we filled our belly's with a bowl full of yummy.
A very satisfying feeling for a mama who wants some yummy and kinda healthy food to feed herself and her family.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try.  It has my five star (*****) recommendation.

I plan to go back to the Home Sick Texan website and try out that Mexican rice recipe.  I'll let you know how it turns out after I do.

5:09 PM