Love those Frijoles Rojo!

On my first trip to Honduras in 2011 I was introduced to frijoles rojo or red beans.  I discoverd that I enjoyed eating (refried) red beans so much better than those that I buy in the States.  Our host, Eloisa, taught me how to make them, but admittedly, my first attempts were failures. 

Last year I was given a bag of red beans. They have been sitting in my pantry waiting for me to get the courage to cook them.  While in Honduras this year, I ate plenty of them and came home with the courage and desire to try them once again.  It's a great weekend project.

First, soak the beans overnight in a pot, covered with water and a lid.
Rinse the beans and return them to the pot.  Dice one onion and add to the pot along with about 1 tsp. of garlic salt.  Cover this with water and bring to a boil over a high flame.  Reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook, covered, for about 6 hours.  I kept checking the water level and added more water to  keep the beans covered while simmering.

Drain the beans.  In small batches run them through a food processor.  I used my beloved Vita-Mix.  Puree until smooth.  Add additional seasonings of choice and enjoy!

I've used them in a Taco Bake recipe, or served them as a side dish.  My favorite way to eat them in Honduras is on a fresh tortilla with some slices of quesilla (cheese).  I am searching for that cheese here in the States.  The closest I've found so far is by Cacique (?).

Store the beans in the fridge and warm by "refrying" them in a frying pan.
I have found the red beans at an import store that carries Central American food.