This homemade refried beans recipe results in a deliciously useful and straightforward complement to your favorite Tex-Mex meals. Enjoy it alone as a side dish, as a dip for tortilla chips, or rolled into your next burrito–and be sure to top it all off with our vegan sour cream.

Refried beans are an essential part of my diet ( 99 percent of which is more or less  Mexican food). They are so versatile, so delicious, and thankfully, so darn easy to make. So say goodbye to canned beans (and the BPA in the cans), and get cooking with this simple vegan recipe.

There are many ways to go about making refried beans, particularly through playing with the add-ins. Some recipes call for bacon fat, lard, or cheese. I keep the ingredient list as simple and pure as possible so even the pickiest of palates can indulge in these refried beans.

If you don’t want to use canned vegetable broth or don’t have the time to make your own version of the broth, simply use water in its place!

Homemade Refried Beans Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• Juice of ½ lime

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and onion. Sauté for a minute or two or until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring. Next, stir in the pinto beans, cumin, chili, and sea salt. Stir while cooking for another few minutes and then pour in the broth. Let the mixture simmer for three to five more minutes. The broth should cook off.

Use the flat edge of a fork or a potato masher to smash the beans until they resemble refried beans. You could also transfer the bean mixture to a food processor and pulse it several times, but be careful not to over process the beans, as they will lose their chunky consistency.

Transfer the refried beans to a bowl and stir in the lime juice. Store the refried beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.

Related on EcoSalon
Vegan Mexican Black Bean Stew Recipe with Amaranth
6 Vegetarian Bean Recipes for Perfect Summer Meals
10 Essential Items for a Vegan Pantry

The post Homemade Cumin-Spiced Refried Beans (Vegan) appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Only Mario Testino could pull off a photo shoot incorporating pretty much every single fashion trend from the past five years. [via Trendland]

Reading the Sunday paper has long been one of our favorite simple pleasures… until we realized that 500,000 trees are killed each week for it. [via Elephant Journal]

New to the bike revolution and clueless about your ride? The Bike-Owner’s Handbook is a good place to start. [via Cool Hunting]

A look at how tacos, tortillas, and tamales have become an intrinsic part of the American diet. [via Reason]

Two months, one backpack, and 741 miles: one hiker’s recount of his journey along the Appalachian Trail. [via Audubon Magazine] 

From the depths of nature, haunting words lit up in neon from Korean artist Lee Jung. [via Colossal]

Image: Trendland

The post Link Love: Mario Testino and Mexican Food appeared first on EcoSalon.

A closer look at Chipotle’s ode to sustainable eating.

For the past decade, Chipotle Mexican Grill has distinguished itself from fast food competitors by emphasizing Food With Integrity, a commitment to serving customers “the very best ingredients, all raised with respect for the animals, the environment, and the farmers.”

As a result, Chipotle has become that rare fast food brand that is trusted by sustainable foodies for using fresh, natural ingredients. But it’s certainly not perfect. The burrito chain has also been criticized for its approach to improving workers’ rights, as well as its unhealthily large portion sizes. 

Chipotle’s Food With Integrity commitment encompasses the use of naturally raised meat, organic produce, and dairy without added hormones, with an emphasis on local sourcing. Funny enough, though, most patrons are unaware of Food With Integrity. In a 2007 Business Week interview, founder and CEO Steve Ells estimated that only 5 percent of customers know anything about the campaign. “The rest come in because Chipotle tastes great, or they like spicy food, or they think it’s a great value, or it’s convenient, or the place looks cool.”

In fact, Chipotle only just recently started emphasizing its sustainable values in its marketing. Last year, it created a stop-motion animated short film called “Back to the Start,” which was recently broadcast as the company’s first ever national television ad during Sunday’s GRAMMY Awards. Set to a cover of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” by country star Willie Nelson, the animated short depicts the growth of a factory farm, before its owner has a change of heart and decides to operate more sustainably.

Though his green marketing budget is slim, Ells himself is an outspoken advocate for sustainable farming and ethical animal treatment, and he frequently expresses his hope that Chipotle’s efforts will spur an industry-wide revolution:

Finding sustainable sources for food in each region can be difficult. But we are committed to serving food made with the finest ingredients available. The more consumers understand the benefits of eating food from more sustainable sources, the more they’re going to expect it from everyone.

It’s evident that Ells and his Chipotle empire are mighty good at talking the talk. But do they walk the walk? Here, a look at the good, the bad, and the questionable aspects of one of the country’s quickest growing fast food restaurants.

The Good

Today, Chipotle serves more “naturally raised” meat – defined as open-range, antibiotic free, and with a vegetarian diet – than any other restaurant chain. The company sources 100 percent of its pork and “much”  (approximately 80 to 85 percent) of its beef and chicken from suppliers who adhere to these values, including the highly respected Niman Ranch in California.

In addition, 40 percent of Chipotle’s beans are organic, with a small percentage grown using conservation tilling methods. And in 2011, the company announced that it would use more than 10 million pounds of local produce from farms within 350 miles of the restaurants where the produce will ultimately be served, including bell peppers, jalapenos, oregano, red onions, and romaine lettuce.

To prove Chipotle’s freshness point, none of their restaurants have freezers, microwave ovens, or can openers. They do, however, have open kitchens for even further transparency.

The Bad

Since 2006, Chipotle has faced protest from sustainability advocates because of its refusal to join other fast food chains in a coalition to improve wages and conditions for Florida tomato pickers. In 2009, 33 individuals and groups, including Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser and Food Inc. director Robert Kenner, signed a public letter to Ells, calling on him to support the efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a grassroots farm worker organization, by signing onto the Campaign for Fair Food. The letter challenged:

Your company has shown admirable leadership in working with – and incubating – meat suppliers willing to meet your higher standards. But your failure to do that same hard work in the Florida tomato industry – together with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) – threatens to render your announcement an empty gesture aimed more at public relations damage control than an effort to make real change.

Ells responded that the CIW “doesn’t see the bigger picture” of fundamentally changing the fast food world, though CIW has made landmark progress in improving workers rights, even earning a Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery Award from the U.S. State Department in 2010.

Ultimately, Chipotle entered into an agreement with East Coast Farms, Florida’s largest tomato producer, where it agreed to pay an additional penny per pound of tomatoes picked. Despite repeated pleas from big names in the sustainability community, it still hasn’t signed onto the Campaign for Fair Food to address other workers rights.

The Questionable

Though the ingredients are fresh and more-or-less well-cultivated, the Chipotle Burrito has become an object of controversy because of its nutritional content, landing on lists of both the best foods and the worst foods.

On Chipotle’s website, nutritional facts are broken down by ingredient – helpful for build-your-own-burrito aficionados. However, this breakdown disguises the fact that a basic pork burrito with rice, vegetables, cheese, guacamole, and salsa can top out at more than 1,300 calories – more than twice that of a McDonald’s Big Mac. The burrito also contains 31 grams of fat, 105 milligrams of cholesterol, 102 grams of carbohydrates, and a whopping 2600 mg of sodium – more than your average daily allowance.

Experts remind us that even fresh, organic food must be consumed in moderation. Though Chipotle’s past efforts have made it a pioneer in sustainable fast food, the next step might be to adjust portion sizes to make them more in line with a healthy balanced diet.

SEE ALSO:

Behind the Label: H&M’s Conscious Collection

Behind the Label: McDonald’s See What We’re Made Of Campaign

Behind the Label: Levi Strauss’ E-Valuate Program

The post Behind the Label: Chipotle, Food With Integrity appeared first on EcoSalon.

My best friend got the holiday bonus gift she dreamed of from her dentist employer this year: A new food processor. It replaces the worn out one that came with her husband when she got married 20 years ago.

Susan is a great cook, but so much of what she grinds in her processor is better done without electricity.

Enter the mortar and pestle, said to date back 5,000 years when hungry people figured out grain could be separated from chaff to procure digestible food. It has since been used by apothecaries to grind medicines and by foodies everywhere to pulverize grains and herbs to fully release the oils and flavors of a substance.

The logic: The rough surface of the interior takes hold of what we need to crack and crush, allowing us the traction for the pestle to do its job of amalgamating ingredients, reducing herbs and spices, defoliating stems and turning nuts to powders and pastes.

“If you enjoy cooking, using a mortar and pestle will simply be part of your craft of food preparation, but if you just need to get the job done, reach for the food processor, ” says Gourmet Sleuth, which opines that marble is the best choice for a versatile mortar and pestle. That’s because marble won’t absorb odors from garlic and other foods and is a hard surface for grinding, as well as easy to clean and maintain.

Are you ready for more hands-on food prep? Do you want to appear as if you are well equipped in the kitchen? Either way, here are some bowls and bats (including modern renditions) you can score for your own kitchen:

The Swiss designed Kuhn Rikon Eco Mortar & Pestle is made of bamboo with a porcelain bowl. It features a teardrop shaped porcelain hole, a modern approach to an age-old staple. $50.

This classic and affordable white marble Mortar and Pestle has a smooth shape with a contemporary clean style. It holds about 6 ounces. $14 at Olive Barn.

Le Creuset Stoneware Mortar and Pestle in Caribbean Blue (comes in other delicious shades, as well) has an unglazed interior and pestle tip to create the perfect surface for efficiency. The virtually non-porous stoneware is fired at 2156 degrees F, giving it unmatched strength and durability, making it resistant to chipping, cracking and staining. The enameled surface makes it easy to clean and resists scratching. Capacity: 20 ounces. $38.

Carved out of natural volcanic stone, The RSVP Authentic Mexican Molcajete from Chef Tools is the traditional Mexican version of a mortar and tejolote, or pestle is also included. This is the tool of choice for authentic moles, salsas and fresh guacamole. Includes a booklet with steps to cure and clean your molcajete as well as recipes for authentic guacamole and salsa. The molcajete is 5″ tall and the tejolote is 4.5″ long. $57.

Helen Chen’s Asian Kitchen 4″ Bamboo Mortar and Pestle works well because of the straight-up bowl and wide pestle designed for quick, efficient grinding. Bamboo is less absorbent than wood and therefore easier to keep clean and sanitary. Dimensions: 4″ tall. $13 at Chef Tools.

Main Image: Chef Tools

The post Got Mortar? Along with the Pestle It Makes the Kitchen Grind Greener appeared first on EcoSalon.

Image: Zassle

I’ve hearted taco nights ever since hanging out at Wendy Klein’s house during those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer in the sweltering San Fernando Valley.

If Shirlee Klein announced tacos were for dinner, I’d saddle up to the bar at the kitchen table where bowls of shredded lettuce and cheese, chopped tomatoes and black olives were well within reach. I’d down about six crispy beef tacos and work ’em off playing ping-pong or night swimming in the illuminated kidney-shaped pool.

“One more taco for the road?” my hostess would inquire.

“You bet, Shirlee! I didn’t get this gut eating apples.”

My own girls also crave taco night at least once a week, so I try to vary the ingredients to keep ’em fresh – and healthy. Here are 5 ideas for nutritious, green, tasty fillers:

1. Baha Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Watching your weight? No problemo! Fish is a great, low-fat protein for taco night, an ideal alternative to free range turkey or beef. This recipe from Organic Authority calls for cod fillets, corn tortillas and green or red cabbage, along with crumbled cotija cheese – all ingredients that keep taco night light! The salsa (make a batch and use it on other dishes) includes ripe mangos, cilantro, lime, red bell pepper, onions and zingy jalapeno. It’s hard to get away from battered fried fish in fish tacos, but I find grilling or broiling is the healthier way to go. Make sure to choose a sustainable fish variety, or better yet, grow your own right in the backyard.

Image: Organic Authority

2. Ground Turkey Tacos

We gobble up turkey tacos in my house, always using free range ground turkey meat (dark is actually better for tacos and not terribly fatty). You can mix the dark and light meat if you like, and this recipe from Fine Cooking measures out the seasonings so that you don’t have to resort to the packaged mixes containing MSG. The flavor comes from the chili powder, cumin, salt and fresh cilantro, and I love the addition of fresh avocado in this simple recipe. My kids prefer flour tortillas, so I shop for brands with the least amount of lard. The new organic varieties from the La Tortilla Factory are available in many markets.

Image: Fine cooking

3. Zucchini and Corn Tacos

Here is another great soft taco alternative to beef. This  Epicurious recipe is a delightful summer entree with a pleasing presentation. It is similar to the tostada, an open face salad on a tortilla shell, which some taco enthusiasts prefer to the folded hard shell. The tomatillo (green) salsa keeps it authentic, while the onion, zucchini, black beans and garlic keep it heart-smart. You can brown your tortillas on a griddle with a bit of olive oil or other beneficial fat instead of deep frying a massive shell.

Image: Yunhee Kim

4. Spiced Lentil Tacos

More kids (and grown-ups) are becoming vegetarians, which is why tacos are a primo choice. Taco bars are largely comprised of veggies, so go that route but omit the meat. This recipe from Epicurious uses dried brown lentils as the main ingredient, which are healthy and exotic. Veggie kids who eat beans (if they aren’t eating meat, they should!) will really enjoy it. Some Epicurious followers who have made this dish say the filler is so good, they eat it with brown rice as another meal option.

Image: Plamen Petkov

5. Slow-cooker Chili Chicken Tacos

EcoSalon has long sung the praises of slow cooking and the old crock pot is a great way to go when making tacos. The chicken (free range, organic of course) falls apart after a long, gentle simmer in the slow cooker, and this naturally works well for shredding the meat into tacos.  Garnish with plain yogurt instead of sour cream for even healthier results!

Image: Martha Stewart

The post Do You Heart Tacos? Ecosalon Recipes: 5 Green Ways to Shell ‘Em and Sell ‘Em at Your Table appeared first on EcoSalon.