Beans, Lentils, Grains, Rice

love these delicious Frijoles Charros!

January 7, 2025 by Becky Spoon

Frijoles Charros is my absolute favorite! It’s a complete meal with flour tortillas, cornbread, or chicharron. This traditional Mexican recipe is known for its authenticity.

Charro beans are named after the famous and traditional Mexican cowboy horsemen, called “charros”, it’s such a comforting bean soup.

Frijoles Charros. What’s in the recipe?

Pinto Beans
oil for cooking the beans
salt
onion
tomato
jalapeno
Hot dogs or frankfurters
chorizo
cilantro

I enjoy preparing my own chorizo, which is both simple and tasty. What I appreciate most about it is its reduced greasiness compared to the store-bought chorizo in Texas, which tends to be very greasy unlike the cured chorizo. To address this, I prefer making my own. Here is the recipe for my delicious homemade chorizo: Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

I also make guacamole to go with my fajitas and here is that recipe: https://the2spoons.com/1-delicious-guacamole/.

Here’s the link for my fajitas that I served the Charro beans and guacamole with: https://the2spoons.com/easy-grilled-skirt-steak-fajitas-and-shrimp/

Fajitas, guacamole, these yummy beans, homemade flour tortillas….delicious meal.

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Frijoles Charros

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Servings: 8 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Texmex

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

1 lb pinto beans, rinsed and soaked
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp oil
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, removing the veins and seeds, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 lb bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 Frankfurter's of your choice
1/2 lb chorizo
Handful of chopped cilantro

Equipment

Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, or Slow Cooker

Method

In a large pot add about 6 cups of water and one pound of beans. Add 1 tablespoon salt and one tablespoon oil. Cook until the beans are tender.
While the beans are cooking, dice 1/2 of a small onion, one jalapeno and 2 roma tomatoes. Slice the bacon into small pieces and slice the 3 Frankfurters into small pieces.
Start with sauteing the bacon until it starts to brown. Add the frankfurters and cook until they have slightly browned. Drain the excess fat and add the chorizo, cooking until it has cooked through. Then add the onions and jalapenos. Mix and cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When your beans are tender, add your mixture and a handful of cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use vegetable broth instead of water. You don’t want to use too much water if using an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker because it does not cook down like cooking stovetop does. If you soaked your beans overnight they will take less water.

Delicious! So Easy #1 Louisiana red beans and rice.

September 19, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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I love beans of any kind, but I especially love beans that have tons of flavor like Red Beans and Rice! These beans have are cooked with ham hocks, Andouille sausage, the holy trinity, onions, peppers and celery, along with traditional spices of Louisiana creole cuisine. Add some rice and you have a complete, so inexpensive hearty meal that has so many things that are good for you.

Delicious Red Beans and Rice

I served this with hot water cornbread. Have you heard of hot water cornbread? It’s a very southern cornbread that I grew up eating. It’s so easy and basically is a fried cornbread. Here’s just a really quick recipe:

Hot Water Cornbread

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
boiling hot water
oil for frying

Method

Add enough peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil to a skillet to fry the cornbread. Heat to medium high. You don't want it hot, because the outside will brown before the inside is done.
Bring a cup of water to boil (you may not need all of it). Combine all the ingredients.
Pour the hot water a little at a time into the mixture until completely combined. Your dough will be soft enough to form a disc with your hands. Too much water and you won't be able to do that.
Take golf size balls from the dough and form into a disc or a cylinder shape. Gently add to the hot oil and fry until golden brown.

An alternative is my basic cornbread with bacon:1 of My Favorites, Easy – Basic Cornbread Recipe with Bacon

delicious! so easy Louisiana red beans and rice.

I love food from Louisiana, especially New Orleans. I’ve made these beans many times but this time I kind of followed John Besh’s recipe from his cookbook “My New Orleans”. It’s pretty much the same as I always make but because I love this book and his recipes from New Orleans, I felt I needed to try it! He doesn’t use Kielbasa and I used pork belly to render my pork fat. I think the addition of these things added to his recipe. You could use Andouille Sausage, but it’s a little harder to find.

Here’s the link for John Besh’s cookbook: https://amzn.to/2SHF6ar. This is a great cookbook but you have to follow the instructions and not improvise. I only say that because the first recipe I tried from his book, I thought I knew what I was doing and didn’t necessarily follow to a T. The result was a recipe I really didn’t like. Years later I picked the book up and tried the recipe again following his instructions completely, and I loved it!

Other methods to cook this delicious dish.

I have cooked the beans in my instant pot many times making this recipe. I have also made them in a slow cooker. I think the hint I would have about a slow cooker it doesn’t really thicken your broth much and I do like my bean broth to cook down and thicken a little. This is the Instant Pot I use for so many things: https://amzn.to/4hHQ7m3.

Simple, Delicious Red Beans and Rice

Here are a couple more recipes I’ve made from his book. this is amazing – louisiana shrimp and grits.

Ok, add this new recipe to your Louisiana cooking repertoire!

Red Beans and Rice

5 from 1 vote

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Servings: 6 servings

Course: Appetizer, dinner, easy side dish, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: cajun, creole

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the Beans

2 onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp rendered bacon fat (I used pork belly, you can use bacon or salt pork)
1 pound dried red kidney beans
2 smoked ham hocks
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 green onions, chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco
3 cups cooked Basic Louisiana White Rice (recipe follows)

For the Basic Louisiana White Rice

1 tbsp chicken fat, extra virgin olive oil or butter
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1-2 pinches salt

Method

For the Red Beans

Sweat the onions, bell peppers, and celery in the rendered bacon fat in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat.
Once the onions become translucent, add the kidney beans, ham hocks, bay leaves, and cayenne, then add water to cover by 2 inches.
Increase the heat and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and allow the beans to slowly simmer for 2 hours. Periodically stir the beans to make sure that they don't scorch on the bottom of the pot, adding water if necessary, always keeping the beans covered by an inch or more of water.
Continue cooking the beans until they are creamy and beginning to fall apart when they're stirred.
Remove the ham hock meat from the bones, roughly chop it, and add it back to the pot of beans.
Stir in the green onions and season with salt, black pepper and Tabasco. Serve with the Basic White Rice.

For the Basic Louisiana White Rice

Put the fat, oil or butter and the onions into a medium saucepan and sweat the onions over moderate heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the rice into the pan and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and salt.
Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff with a fork and serve.

Vibrant Greek Bean Salad

January 20, 2020 by Becky Spoon

If you are looking for a hearty, protein packed meal without meat, this Greek Bean Salad is for you! Absolutely delish, this dish is loaded with white beans, red onion, avocado, fresh herbs and dressed with lemon and oil.

I get a little insert every now and then from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street and this recipe was in it. Loving all of these ingredients and always up to a meatless meal, I made this and I couldn’t stop eating it! Milk Street described it as creamy, crunchy, savory, tangy, fresh and vibrant – all at once! I have to agree. Here’s a link to Milk Street: https://www.177milkstreet.com/.

Vibrant Greek Bean Salad

Milk Street’s recipe says to warm the beans for flavor and I agree! These are canned beans so warming them before adding the lemon juice and seasonings allow them to absorb all the flavors. This makes a huge difference. Just heat them in the microwave before adding the garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Toss and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Want another healthy-ish salad? This Chicken Taco Salad is the best! https://the2spoons.com/the-best-beautiful-chicken-taco-salad/

Greek Bean Salad

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Course: Appetizer, dinner, easy side dish, Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

4 15 1/2 oz cans Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring once halfway through.
To the hot beans, add the garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, 2 teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Stir the beans once again, then stir in the avocado, parsley, dill and lemon zest and juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional oil.

Delicious Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas

October 8, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I made this recipe, Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas, while I was in New Mexico a few weeks ago. The lighting was bad in the condos I was staying in, so the photo isn’t the greatest, but boy, is this dish good! It’s actually delicious!

The perfect dish for meatless Mondays, this dish has two types of mushrooms. Along with the mushrooms, there is chickpeas. I love chickpeas. They are actually good for you are loaded with nutrients. Here’s a link giving you a list of some of the benefits: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chickpeas-nutrition-benefits.

I saw this recipe on Instagram from Half Baked Harvest blog. Like all recipes, I tweaked because of available ingredients, like the burrata Tieghan used. I honestly can’t find burrata at my local grocery stores, so I substituted Bocconcini, you know, the little fresh mozzarella balls.

Besides loving all the other ingredients in this recipe, I love the polenta. Adding the basil pesto to the polenta adds another level of flavor. Here’s another recipe I have on the blog with polenta:https://the2spoons.com/chicken-agrodolce-with-creamy-polenta/.

Delicious Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Delicious Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas

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Servings: 6 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used baby bella and shitake)
1 can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlilc, smashed
salt and pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes

For the Polenta

1 1/2 cups dry instant polenta
3 tbsp butter
1/2 bunch spinach or dale, chopped
1/3 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
8 oz burrata cheese, at room temperature, or fresh mozzerella if you can't find burrata.

Method

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven.
On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the olive oil, mushrooms, chickpeas, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of salt., pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Increase the heat to 475 degrees F. Toss the mushrooms and chickpeas, then return to the oven and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until crisp on the edges. Watch closely.
Meanwhile, make the polenta. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter with olive oil, kale or spinach and 2 tablespoons pesto, stirring until the spinach or kale has wilted, about 3 minutes. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with water.
Divide the polenta between bowls and break the burrata over the polenta. Spoon the mushrooms and chickpeas over the polenta. Drizzle with additional pesto and garnish with fresh thyme.

Easy Essential Mexican Rice

October 6, 2019 by Becky Spoon

This Mexican Rice recipe is my go to for all my Mexican food dishes. Easy and delicious, and it takes 20 minutes to finish.

I use a long grain rice for this recipe. I love Basmati because it doesn’t get gummy, stays flaky. I buy the burlap bags of basmati from Sams Club. Here’s a link for it : https://www.samsclub.com/p/royal-basmati-rice-20-lbs/131053.

Want more rice recipes? Try my Rice Pilaf! https://the2spoons.com/so-easy-instant-pot-cilantro-lime-rice/.

Mexican Rice

Here’s the simple recipe! Enjoy

Mexican Rice

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Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cube Knorr Tomato Bullion with Chicken flavor
2 cups water
1 garlic clove, minced

Method

Add the oil to a saucepan. When heated add the rice and cook until the rice has browned a little.
Add the garlic and cook about a minute stirring to prevent it from burning.
Add the water and Tomato Bullion. Stir to dissolve the Bullion cube. Reduce the heat to simmer, place a lid on the saucepan and cook about 20 minutes until the water has absorbed. Toss with a fork.

So Easy, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

July 14, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice is so easy! I set the Instant Pot on the rice mode and the dish was finished in 12 minutes. I have the 6 quart Duo Instant Pot that has a rice mode: Here’s a link to that particular model: https://instantpot.com/portfolio-item/duo-6-quart

This rice is an excellent side dish to any Mexican food main course. I made it as a side dish for my Chipotle Ribeye Steaks the other night. It was the perfect side dish for the steak! Here’s the link if you want to try the steak too: https://the2spoons.com/tender-grilled-chipotle-glazed-ribeye-steak/.

So Easy, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

I think this dish would be great with a fish dish, chicken, a side dish for enchiladas, there are so many uses and it is so good. Here’s my simple recipe! Enjoy!

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

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Course: easy side dish, mexican, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

1 cup rice
canola oil
juice of one lime and the lime
handful of fresh chopped cilantro
1 cup water
couple pinches of salt

Equipment

Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker

Method

Select the sauté mode on the Instant Pot and cook the rice until it smells a little nutty and begins to slightly brown. Add the water, the lime juice and the whole lime to the pot. Set the Instant Pot on the Rice mode. I use the 12 minute, but there are less times. When complete, the steam has released, toss with a fork and add the cilantro tossing again. Check for salt. Serve immediately.