Using Your Food Storage: Pinto Beans

from New Mexico Preppers Network by Humble wife

Storing food that you do not know how to use is a waste of time. Storing foods that have only one use can sometimes become frustrating. For awhile now I have been playing around with recipes to create unique foods or different foods from the same old ingredients. Pinto beans are a staple in the southwest and have been in my family since I married Bill. I love refried beans, cooked pinto beans, bean burritos, bean enchiladas, bean tacos, but wondered what else can I make that may not be specifically Mexican flavored?

Here is one recipe:

Pinto Bean Bread

Ingredients:

2 packets yeast(1 packet yeast =2 1/4 tsp.)
1/2 lukewarm water
1/2 cup evap.milk(I often use goat milk or powdered milk)
1 tbsp. salt
6- 7 cups flour
1 1/4 cup water(bean juice:) from making pinto beans
1 cup mashed beans
2 tbsp. shortening
2 tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Warm bean juice on low heat take off heat- add milk, oil, salt, sugar, mashed beans and 2-3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add yeast and more flour until dough is easily handled. Knead until smooth(5-10 minutes). Place in greased bowls and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again. Shape and place in 2 greased bread pans. Let rise again.

Bake 40-45 min. at 375 F.

Pinto Bean Bread

I must confess using even the water that the beans were cooked in plays into my conservation as I love using everything and having little waste.

From the website WH Foods I found a wonderful amount of information about pinto beans and if you want to check out how great pinto beans are click here.

Another bread I make from a leftover item is rootbeer bread, as I make homemade rootbeer and always seem to have a few cups leftover. So I make rootbeer bread!

By the way, I love the way cooking affords a person to be unique. One can use round pans and create round loaves of bread, square pans or even the traditional bread pans. Living a simple life is not about less but about you and slowing down. As a prepper this will help you adapt if you do not have all the items you are comfortable with in a crises, as you are already used to baking with non traditional measures!!