Crockpot Refried Beans

Continuing on my mission to share some ideas to have for your Cinco de Mayo dinner, today I'd like to share some side dishes you can serve up next to enchiladas or tacos.  All of these can be store-bought easily, but taste SO MUCH BETTER made from scratch!!

Crockpot Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and

chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black

pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

9 cups water (I used chicken broth instead)

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Recipe Source:  Allrecipes

Luscious Lemon Bars

Luscious Lemon Bars

Crust:  

1 c. soft butter
dash of salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour

Mix and press into a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lemon Filling:  

4 beaten eggs
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour 
6 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine flour and sugar, then mix in eggs and juice.  Pour into slightly cooled crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle on powdered sugar.

Recipe Source:  church cookbook

Avocado Egg Salad

Do you still have a few hard-boiled eggs you are trying to get rid of?  I came across this recently and thought it sounded great...and it was!!!

Avocados take this egg salad to a whole new level! This was a yummy twist on an old favorite.  

Avocado Egg Salad

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 hard boiled egg whites, chopped
2 small avocados, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (we use Chobani)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
(a couple slices of cooked bacon would also be awesome on this!)

In a medium bowl, combine the hard boiled eggs and egg whites, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, green onion, and mustard. Mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serving suggestions: Spread between two slices of bread for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich. Eat with crackers, cut up veggies, on toast, or in a wrap. This salad is best eaten the day it's made.

Recipe Source:  Two Peas and Their Pod