Pinto Beans

Ingredients

• 3 cup dried pinto beans, cooked
• Nonstick cooking spray
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the dried beans as directed on the package, until they are soft. Set aside.
2. Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat over medium heat. Cook celery, onion, and green pepper until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, water, and seasonings to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil. Add beans, and return to a boil.
4. Cover and cook over low heat until flavors are blended and liquid is absorbed away, about 15 minutes. Stir once in a while to prevent from sticking.
5. Serve with rice that is cooked without salt.

Tip: Using dried beans instead of canned beans, and fresh instead of canned tomatoes, reduces the sodium. The recipe also uses fresh peppers, garlic, and onions to add flavor, rather than onion or garlic salt (another way to cut sodium content). Remember these tips to make other dishes lower in salt and sodium.