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Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 200 mg

Vitamin A: 4%

Vitamin C: 15%

Calcium: 8%

Iron: 15%

Refried beans aren’t actually beans that are fried twice, they’re beans that have been very well fried. These refried beans, however, are neither twice fried nor well fried; they’re completely unfried. I use tomato sauce to get that mouthwatering consistency you’ve come to expect from refried beans, without using that ½ cup of oil you’ve come to regret. This is one of those recipes I’ve been making forever; it’s completely dependable in tacos or over rice, when you get that hankering for a Mexican-inspired meal but don’t want to spend a lot of time.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed (see tip, page 220)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

1 (24-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Preheat 2-quartpot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the oil for 3 to 25 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, and salt. Saute for another minute or so. Use splashes of water if it appears dry.

Add the pinto beans and mash with a fork or a mini-potato masher (or avocado masher). Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Cook to heat through, adding splashes of water to thin, if necessary. If you like it spicy, mix in a pinch of cayenne.

Hummus & Friends

SERVES 8 (ABOUT ¼-CUP EACH) TIME: 10 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(⅛ OF RECIPE)

Calories: 60

Calories from fat: 20

Total fat: 2.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total Carb: 9 g

Fiber: 2 g

Sugars: <1 g

Protein: 4 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 260 mg

Vitamin A: 0%

Vitamin C: 4%

Calcium: 0%

Iron: 4%

The secret to great-tasting and creamy low-fat hummus is to reserve a little bit of the chickpea liquid. This oil-free hummus might not be the one I would take to a potluck to impress people, but if I’m settling in for a night of TV and wantto mindlessly munch on some carrot sticks, this dip really does the trick. It’s also wonderful over the Baked Falafel (page 121), or to top off a salad. I love that you can eat this in ¼-cup servings, or heck, have a little more if you want! I laugh at the serving size of those nutrition labels in the supermarket because really, who eats just a tablespoon of hummus?

BASIC RECIPE:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, liquid reserved

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika (optional)

When you open the can of chickpeas, pour about 23 tablespoons of the liquid into a cup and set aside. Drain the rest of the liquid and rinse the chickpeas. Pulse them in a food processor along with the garlic until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and puree for a bit. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the salt, and paprika, if using. Blend until very smooth, adding the last tablespoon of liquid if needed. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Taste for salt and lemon juice. You can serve immediately, but I like to let it chill for at least an hour.

And now for the friends!

Horseradish-Dill Hummus

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill

Puree the horseradish along with everything else. Pulse in the dill until chopped finely.

PER SERVING (⅛ OF RECIPE) Adds 1 g of sugar and 2% Vitamin C to the Hummus nutritional info in the main recipe.

Curried Green Onion Hummus

2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder

½ cup chopped green onions

Puree the curry powder along with everything else. Pulse in the green onions until chopped finely.

PER SERVING (⅛ OF RECIPE) Adds 2% calcium to the Hummus nutritional info in the main recipe.

Shabby Sheik Hummus

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne

Puree the spices along with other ingredients in the hummus.

PER SERVING (⅛ OF RECIPE) The nutritional info is the same as for the main recipe.