So in my crock pot at home I've got some pinto beans simmering away. It's something we love to eat and they're really, really good...

But I'm SO tired of what we have them with. My husband wants cornbread tonight and worked it into his calories for today. I'm not big on the cornbread. Had rice last night, don't want any tonight. He also wants some potatoes (hello carb heavy), and I'm not feeling that either...

Right now it looks like my dinner will consist of....beans. Lots of beans. Anyone else here eat these OTHER than in burritos, tacos, quesadillas, etc, and how do you like 'em?

I just mash up beans with a little salt and butter. and have them as a side instead of any other carb heavy food (such as a replacement for mashed potatoes). It is funny that you should post this now, because I was just thinking of putting some beans to soak for dinner tonight!

I know you said you don't really like cornbread - but I LOVE this cornbread recipe. Not very diet friendly; but anyway here it is.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmo...ad/Detail.aspx

Anyway, how do you cook pinto beans? I never make beans and really know nothing about them. But I think I would love to do some baked beans or something one night for dinner. Crockpot beans sound wonderful...

I make beans pretty simply, but the husband won this time. Usually I put beans in the crock pot, fill with chicken stock and some salt pork (that I don't eat when it's done), onion, bell pepper and garlic. Then they cook all day on low, or 'til done enough where I like them.

He doesn't like anything cooked in the crock pot with onions b/c he thinks everything cooked in a crock pot with onions tastes like nothing BUT onion. So it's just the beans, some ham chunks and seasonings...

I would have put other veggies and meat in with my beans and made a chili- yum! And you could always put only a small amount of onion- I like to sautee mine before I put them in also.

This is probably too late for tonight. But I like beans tossed with diced raw veggies. Makes a really nice salad.

I cook pintos in the crock with ham (used to use bacon or ham hocks) and salsa. I always serve the beans as a side dish. Ham, beans and green veg salad. One of my favorite ways to make a big, filling dinner for not too many calories is to use a HUGE bed of spinach, 4 oz. of lean protein, a serving of complex grain and whatever other veg I want to add on. If I'm using meat protein, then I like it in the crock pot cooked with a can of tomatoes which is a bargain on calories and keeps the meat moist an luscious!

Tonight we had 3 oz. spinach, 2 TBL green onions, 4.6 oz pork tenderloin that was cooked in the crock with those tomatoes and a lb of baby carrots, used the tomatoes and carrots on top of the spiinach, and added on top a serving of bulgur. The total for dinner was 429 calories and 7 g fat. And it made a huge plate sized serving. And I ate my veggies! You could do the same kind of thing with the pintos and ham. YUMMERS!

Barb

Here's another recipe for pintos that my daughter sent me. It isn't a crock pot recipe, but I'm sure it could be done that way:

1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked in 2 quarts water overnight or for 6 hours

Salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound winter squash, such as butternut, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly

Freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley

1. Place the beans and soaking water in a large pot. Add water if necessary to cover the beans by about 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Skim off foam, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes, or until the beans are tender but intact. Add salt to taste.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, and add the paprika. Stir together for about a minute, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until the garlic and onions are very fragrant but not brown, and stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and scrape the contents of the pan into the pot of beans.

3. Bring the beans back to a simmer, add the bay leaf and winter squash, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the squash and beans are thoroughly tender. Add the quinoa and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and displays an opaque thread. Taste and adjust salt. Add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Stir in the basil or parsley, simmer for a couple of minutes more, and serve, with cornbread or crusty country bread.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8 generously

Advance preparation: This tastes best if made a day ahead and reheated. The stew will thicken up, so you will probably want to thin out with water and adjust seasonings accordingly. Add the fresh herbs when you reheat. It will keep for at least five days in the refrigerator. It freezes well.

Barb