Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

• These beans are the BEST...no, really!!  Just try them! I got this recipe from 
  seriouseats.com
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• Ingredients
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
• 1 pound dried pinto beans, thoroughly washed and picked over for stray material (or less if your cooker can't handle that quantity)
• 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt (start with less if using fine grained iodized salt) 
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• Directions

Heat the pressure cooker pot, without the lid, to a medium high sauteing temperature. Add the oil, onion, garlic and oregano if using and cook for about 5 minutes. Don't add any salt at this point, as it could toughen the bean skins.

Add the beans and 8 cups of water (or, again, whatever your manufacturer says). Stir. Cover and seal the pot and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off and allow the pressure to release naturally. Check a bean. It should be completely tender. If not, bring back to a simmer and cook a little longer.

Carefully remove the cover. Drain the liquid from the beans, reserving a couple cups of it and return the beans to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the beans and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Using an immersion blender, puree them thoroughly. If they need more liquid, add 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the desired texture. Taste and adjust the salt, you might need another 1/2 teaspoon or so.

Serve them forth as part of a Mexican meal. Garnish with a bit of queso anejo or queso fresco. You can freeze any leftovers.

Pressure Cooker Black Beans

Fresh cooked beans are so much better. I love the pressure cooker because I don't have to think about it 24 hours ahead - only an hour! I use this recipe when we have Cafe Rio night.

Recipe by: klmncusa allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 7 cups water
• 1 pound dry black beans
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, tied together with butcher twine

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Combine water, black beans, onion, cilantro, olive oil, and salt together in a pressure cooker; cover and seal with lid. Cook on high according to manufacturer's instructions, about 40 minutes. Allow steam to release completely. Remove lid and stir balsamic vinegar into beans.