Mexican Style Pinto Beans – A Great Add to Any Barbecue

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4th of July, barbecue, beans, Cooking, Food, Independance Day, July 4th, mexican beans, mexican style beans, pinto beans, recipe, recipes, slow cook, slow cooked beans, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes, summer

  

Since everyone I know will be barbecuing tomorrow in celebraton of July 4th, I thought I would share my awesome bean recipe with you! They are a perfect barbecue side dish and their make-ahead recipe clears up time for more amusing pursuits! My pinto beans are soaking as we speak, in anticipation for their date with the crockpot tomorrow morning!

These beans are really easy to make, low-fat and so very tasty! They are very flavorful as is, but feel free to spice them up by adding additional hot peppers or hot sauce. These are a great add to any barbecue, mexican feast, Super Bowl party, or just any time you want tasty beans!

What goodies are you making for the 4th of July?

Mexican Style Pinto Beans

1 pound pinto beans, sorted for any stones/bad ones and rinsed

1/2 pound turkey bacon (You can leave this out if you’re meat-free or want to cut fat and calories)

1 – 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes in puree

1 – 4 oz. can of diced green chiles

1 onion, chopped (I prefer the flavor of red onions in this dish)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin (My favorite spice IN THE WORLD!!!! It reminds me of my childhood and the wonderful, exotic aromoas that came out of our Lebanese neighbor’s kitchen. Man that woman could cook!!!)

2-3 crushed & chopped garlic cloves (I use my garlic press here. Love that tool!!!)

3/4 cup cilantro, rinsed, dried and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste (I once heard someone say, “Salt is to food, what breath is to life!” So true!)
Place your rinsed pinto beans in a large pot or bowl and cover the bean with water, enough for 3 inches over. Let them soak overnight.

Drain the beans and place into slow cooker. Pour in enough fresh water to cover the beans. Stir in all ingredients except the cilantro. Cook beans on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

About 1/2 hour before the beans are due to be done, stir in the chopped cilantro. Continue cooking beans until they are soft. Give them a taste to see if you need to add any more salt and pepper.

I hope you and your family enjoy these beans as much as we do! I make them pretty regularly and they are always a hit. 

Tip: Have a large amount left over? No sweat! These little wonders freeze beautifully!!! So you can enjoy them on a busy night when you don’t have time to cook!

White Wine Spritzer – A Refreshing, Low-cal Cocktail Choice

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cocktail, Cooking, Drink, drinks, eating, Food, low calorie, spritzer, summer, weight loss, white wine, white wine spritzer, Wine

  
I had always heard of a white wine spritzer and Weight Watchers always mentioned them as a good lower calorie drink choice, but I never tried one until recently. What on earth was I waiting for??? On a hot summer day, this is such a refreshing drink choice and it doesn’t weigh you down like straight wine can. We recently enjoyed these at my birthday picnic (see previous post). They are especially great for people that aren’t big drinkers. My inlaws don’t drink much, but they really enjoyed these!

These are a commonly made drink, so you can easily order them when you’re out on the town. They are also super easy to make, so they’re perfect for home parties or picnics. The other great thing about spritzers is that you can make them to suit your tastes and desires. Below I’ll share a suggested recipe, but if you want to lower calories or alcohol content just increase the amount of club soda to wine ratio. Club soda has zero calories so you  get the bubbly without the alcohol calories!

If you’re like me and are late to the spritzer game, I hope you’ll give this refreshing beverage a try!

White Wine Spritzer

1/3 part club soda

2/3 part white wine (I really like to use Sequin – Delicately Bubbled Pinot Grigio)

1 lime wedge – squeeze into spritzer and then drop in

Just add all ingredients to glass and gently mix. I guess you could make it by the pitcher for a party, but it might go flat over time. I also like to start with ice cold ingredients, so I don’t have to add ice, which will water it down when it melts.

Cheers!