Beans and Molletes Recipe (Mexican baked beans & cheese bread)
- Marcela Ruppli-Juin
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
It's been a warm Summer in Tuscany, but that doesn't keep us from varying our menus with a Mexican touch here and there (difficult for Marcela to leave her roots, even if Italian food is soooo good). In the farm we have a huge amount of Tomatoes and Beans we've been harvesting, so that gave us the idea to make some delicious "Molletes". They were so well received by our visitors and WWOOFers that we promised to share the recipe. It as delicious as it is simple. Beans, tomatoes and bread is the basis. You might want to add guacamole, but that is optional, as well as any spicy chili additions.
Besides, beans are a great source of protein! Depending on the source* (see sources linked below), between 7 and 15 grams of protein per 1/2 cup of beans! So, let's get cooking.
BEANS
INGREDIENTS:
500gr of raw beans. Use your favorite kind. Original beans are black beans or "pinto" beans or kidney beans.
Water
1/5 large onion
1-2 garlic cloves
1-2 large Laurel leaves
1 Teaspoon of salt
COOKING:
We use a mix of beans we grow: Kidney beans, Cannellini beans, Taylor or Cranberry beans, Coco beans, etc.
Check the beans: If they are broken, remove them. Give them a first bath to clean them.
Hydrating: In a pot or bowl, pour the beans with enough water to cover them all and about twice the height of the beans. Let them stand for about 8-12 hours.
Change the water: One more hour in fresh water. They say it prevents gas in the intestine. 😊 Then strain them to remove the water.
In a deep pot, put the hydrated beans, and four times that amount of water.
Add 1/2 an onion per 500gr of raw beans (you don't need to chop it).
Add 1 to 2 peeled cloves of garlic and
Add one or two bay leaves for flavor.
Salt is added at the end of the cooking time.
Cook over low heat for approximately 1 hour or 1 h 30, more or less, until ready. To know if they are ready, take one and press it with your fingers. If it's soft and can be squashed
Add salt, taste and adjust
They are ready!
Frijoles Refritos / "re-fried" Beans (purée)
for 10 Molletes
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups of cooked beans (1/2 cup of beans with proportionate amount of liquid for every 2 Molletes)
3-5 Tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro per cup of beans. If you don't like cilantro, use fresh basil or parsley leaves
1 medium onion and 1/2 garlic clove per cup of beans
Oil to lightly fry. We use olive oil or coconut oil.
COOKING:
You will need about 1/2 cup of the cooked beans with some of the liquid (add as needed) per "Mollete" (we recommend to serve 2-3 Molletes per person), but of course you can make more and use for another dish or to freeze for later use.
Note: you can use canned or conserved beans, make sure you rinse them to remove the sugary liquid they are preserved in, and then add a little bit of fresh water when mixing.
Put the beans in a food processor or mixer (you can also use the stand mixer or stick) and include the onion you cooked the beans with and add (do remove the Laurel leaves).
If you are using beans from a can, just mince and fry the onion and garlic at low heat on a large pan with a little oil (not too hot, keep below 80 degrees celcius). Cook until translucid, not burned. Some 2-3 minutes should do.
Add it all in the mixer or food processor. Mix it all until you get the texture of a thick milkshake.
Add more oil to the frying pan, pour the mixture of beans and fry them for about 2-3 minutes again or until they have the consistency of a Hummus.
Ready! Serve with crumbled fresh cheese or some leafs of fresh cilantro (coriander).... or now, use them on your Molletes!
Molletes
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups of refried beans for 10 Molletes
5 small Bolillos or 3 Baguette breads
250 gr of grated Oaxaca. pull in strings or grate. In Mexico we use "Oaxaca" string-cheese, but you could also use Mozzarella cheese for pizza, Provolone cheese, or Asiago cheese. Or by a mixed grated pizza cheese
Serve with:
Salsa of your preference
Guacamole
COOKING
Pre-heat the oven at 220 degrees celcius
Bread cut in 2 halves as if to make a "torta" or sandwich In Mexico we use "Bolillo" or Baguette bread,... or similar. In a desperate case, you could even use pizza bread base.
Spread beans onto the bread halves
Place of a baking sheet (use baking paper or similar!)
Add cheese on top as if you were making pizza
Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until melted. Keep a bit longer if you like it a bit brown. I do!
Serve on a platter
Serve with fresh Salsa (chopped tomatoes, onions, and fresh cilantro, and chile of your preference), and / or Guacamole (mashed avocado, with chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro, and a bit of lime juice)
NOW ENJOY!
SOURCES AND REFERENCES:
Some images from Unsplash.com
Articles on Nutritional facts:
According to the Rochester University - Research Medical Center
Nutrition Facts
Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt, 1 cup
Protein (g) | 15.24 | |
Total lipid (fat) (g) | 0.93 | |
Carbohydrate, by difference (g) | 40.78 | |
Energy (kcal) | 227.04 | |
Fiber, total dietary (g) | 14.96 | |
Calcium, Ca (mg) | 46.44 | |
Iron, Fe (mg) | 3.61 | |
Magnesium, Mg (mg) | 120.4 | |
Phosphorus, P (mg) | 240.8 | |
Potassium, K (mg) | 610.6 | |
Sodium, Na (mg) | 1.72 | |
Zinc, Zn (mg) | 1.93 | |
Copper, Cu (mg) | 0.36 | |
Manganese, Mn (mg) | 0.76 | |
Selenium, Se (mcg) | 2.06 | |
Vitamin A, IU (IU) | 10.32 | |
Retinol (mcg) | 0 | |
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid (mg) | 0 | |
Thiamin (mg) | 0.42 | |
Riboflavin (mg) | 0.1 | |
Niacin (mg) | 0.87 | |
Pantothenic acid (mg) | 0.42 | |
Vitamin B-6 (mg) | 0.12 | |
Folate, total (mcg) | 256.28 | |
Vitamin B-12 (mcg) | 0 | |
Folic acid (mcg) | 0 | |
Folate, DFE (mcg_DFE) | 256.28 | |
Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | |
Fatty acids, total saturated (g) | 0.24 | |
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated (g) | 0.08 | |
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated (g) | 0.4 |