Recipe: Refried Beans

I am still working through my farmer's market ingredients and I had been wanting to try my hand at these for a while so I used the candee onion and green pepper for this recipe.  This would be awesome with any grilled meats or on the next taco night.  I will warn you that the photo isn't the best, refried beans are not the most photogenic food, but I can say they look (and taste) way better than the greyish brown beans you'll find at your favorite mexican restaurant.  Plus, I think that everyone would have the ingredients for this already in your kitchen and pantry.  I used black beans, but kidney beans would work as well if you have those.  For the onion and bell pepper, you will want to chop them into small bits but I chose to leave them big enough so that they could add some texture and visual interest.

You will need:

1 regular can black beans, washed

1 small yellow onion chopped 

1 bell pepper (your choice of color) chopped 

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Paprika, a strong dash 

2-3 Tablespoons Salsa (optional)

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until just soft, about 3-5 minutes.  During this time add the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Next, add the bell pepper and continue cooking 3-5 more minutes.  Add the black beans and another round of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Stir.  When it has heated through take a fork (or masher) and begin to mash the beans in the pan.  This is where you would add the salsa if you wish; I used a medium salsa for a little heat and tang. You can leave them as chunky or smooth as you like.  For extra smooth you could even use a food processor or blender.