Refried Beans & Mexican Rice

I love Mexican-style foods, and sometimes that can be hard when I am not using tomatoes or tomato products. Recently I came across some recipes for homemade refried beans and Mexican style rice and altered them to my taste and to keep the inflammatory properties down, and here's what I came up with:

Refried Beans:
2 tbsp. oil (I use Grapeseed Oil from Trader Joe's)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute with 2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed, if desired)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 c. water
1 tsp. taco seasoning
2 tsp. ground cumin
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste (I use about 1/2 - 1 tsp. of ground sea salt)
1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice

1. Saute garlic in oil over medium heat until fragrant.
2. Add beans, water, and spices (not lime juice) and bring to a simmer/small boil. Cook until heated through.
3. Smash beans with a fork. It is okay if they don't get completely smashed, some texture is good.
4. Continue to cook until you reach the desired consistency. (Once the beans are smashed, cooking will thicken the mixture).
5. Sprinkle with lime juice and mix and serve warm.

Mexican Rice:
2-3 tbsp. oil (I use Grapeseed Oil from Trader Joe's)
1 c. rice (I use brown Jasmine rice from Trader Joe's)
2 c. chicken broth
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
minced onion, if desired (I use about 1/2 tbsp. dried minced onion and mix it with a small bit of water to fluff it back up)
1/4 tsp. taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. crushed bay leaves

1. Saute rice in oil over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes (rice will start to brown).
2. Add liquid and spices & bring to a boil.
3. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve warm.


These recipes make enough for our family of four good eaters and usually we have enough for left-overs for my husband's lunch the following day. When we have burritos for dinner I saute some chopped zucchini and mushrooms (or any veggies - broccoli, carrots, etc. - if I don't have those around) and wrap them up with some of the rice and beans in a tortilla and top with a bit of shredded cheese, chopped avocado, and sour cream. I think they are delicious!