Quick and Easy Bean Stew

 

There are times when I value expediency over wholesomeness.  Busy season is in full swing at work leaving little time for elaborate, time-consuming dished.  I do realize that the words "quick" and "stew" don't belong together but what makes this dish quick is the use of canned pinto beans instead of dried beans which need to be soacked overnight and take much long  to cook than canned beans. Shortcuts are necessary at times and I am not afraid to use them especially when work gets busy.

There is another thing I am doing nowadays.  Instead of deciding what to cook and then going to the supermarket for ingredients, I scout around my fridge and pantry and then decide what to make. That is in part because the work schedule doesn't allow for too many trips to the supermarket.  Let me tell you, this it's an entirely new approach to cooking for me that's adventurous and a lot of fun not to mention economical.   So now I'm thinking of cooking in a new way. Find the ingredients first and the recipe next. Fun!  Do you ever cook that way? :)

 

I should also mention that the inspiration for this  is a Romanian dish called iahnie de fasole  which I hope to cook and  post in the near future.

 So here it is!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 carrot, diced
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, I use grape seed oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup strained tomatoes
fresh dill and/or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

 Method:

In a pot  heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat, add the diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the diced carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the beans, water and strained tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and let cook for about 20-30 minutes on medium heat.  Using the tasting spoon, taste the stew to adjust the seasoning and to make sure everything has cooked. Add the fresh dill dill and/or parsley.  I had dill in my fridge so that's what I used. Serve with polenta.

Serves 2.

Cooked pinto beans keep in the refrigerator for about three days if stored in a covered container.

Bon appetit! :)