The Perfect Refried Bean Recipe for Taco Tuesday!

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refried beans fro breakfast
The Refried Beans is a recipe from Dr. Ritamarie’s A Taste of Mexico in the Body FREEDOM Nutrition Lab recipe collection. 

You can have a healthy fiesta for Cinco De Mayo with this energizing Mexican side dish. This dish is flavored with anti-inflammatory spices and other healthful ingredients. Relax and savor this dish on a taco salad or in a collard wrap with salsa and guacamole.

What is Refried Beans made of?

These Refied “Beans” are made from sunflower seeds.  Combined with sundried tomatoes and Mexican spices, this makes for a party in your mouth. 

A few ingredients are added to meet all of the flavor profiles, but you can adapt this recipe to meet your needs.  

The chickpea miso gives this dish an umami flavor, which deepens the flavor profile.  

The dates adds a touch of sweetness, but you can leave it out or replace it with a pinch of stevia.  

and the jalapeno or cayenne give it a nice kick.  You can swap out any peppers or leave them out if hot and spicy aren’t your thing.

How to Make Refried Beans

 Start this recipe early. It doesn’t take much hands-on time, but you do want to soak the sunflower seeds for 6-12 hours, and if you like your “beans” warm, you will want time to leave the finished dish in the dehydrator. 

 Soaking nuts and seeds activates them and makes them more nutritious. When you cover them in water and let them soak, the germination process begins. 

The enzyme inhibitors, which keep the nut or seed from sprouting, are deactivated, and the proteins and fats begin to break down into smaller molecules for easier digestion.

refried beans

How do These Ingredients Help with Hormone Balancing?

Sunflower seeds support healthy adrenal gland function due to their high content of magnesium and vitamin E. 

Magnesium is essential for the production of many hormones including the thyroid hormones, insulin, and all of the sex hormones.  It also helps with regulating the body’s stress response.  

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that aids in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation which can impair the adrenals. Vitamin E is involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

 Sundried tomatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, and iron. These minerals are important in the production and regulation of hormones. 

Vitamin C is vital for all of the adrenal hormones.  The adrenals use more vitamin C per body weight than any other organ.

Chickpea miso is a fermented food that is rich in probiotics to aid in gut health.  For optimal hormone balance, the gut microbiota must be balanced, and fermented foods like miso can help. 

Onions contain allicin,  other sulfur-compounds, and quercetin which have hormone-regulating properties. 

Quercetin helps regulate estrogen levels, while allicin is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and supports the liver's detoxification processes. 

Cumin is very high in different phytochemicals.  These are very anti-inflammatory and also help with liver function. The liver must be healthy to produce, process, and eliminate various hormones.  

This recipe uses all of the coriander plant. Here in the U.S., we call the seeds coriander and the leaves and stem cilantro.  The whole plant is high in vitamins A and C. It contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These compounds are anti-inflammatory which aids in hormone balance.. 

Additionally, coriander supports liver function and detoxification. The leaves of the coriander plant are very high in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium which are important for the adrenals in regulating fluid balance and hormone production. 

Garlic has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties which make it wonderful in aiding in hormone-balance. Oftentimes, there can be an underlying infection that triggered stress which led to hormone imbalance, and garlic is an antibiotic and antifungal. 

The adrenals require a great deal of antioxidants to manage thecoxidation that’s created from stress. Garlic is wonderful in these situations.

The adrenals secrete hormones to help to regulate salt and fluid balance in the body. In adrenal insufficiency, the adrenals may not be producing enough hormones to keep these in balance. 

Adding a little salt can actually help the adrenals, but too much salt can cause stress. We added a little salt in this recipe for taste and for the adrenals.

Chili powder comes from a blend of chiles and other spices.  The capsaicin in chiles and jalapeno is very anti-inflammatory and also wonderful for the cardiovascular system.  Chili powder is also high in vitamin C, and the red color displays the carotenoids.  Vitamin C and these phytonutrients help protect the body from oxidative damage caused from stress and inflammation which can help bring the body back into balance.

Medjool dates are very high in fiber. They are also an excellent source of minerals like selenium which is needed for thyroid hormones and magnesium which is needed to calm the system.  

Dates are also high in vitamin C and many of the B vitamins like vitamin B1 which is important for brain hormones, thyroid hormones, and IGF-1, vitamin B2 which is important for metabolizing estrogen and cortisol and in regulating the stress response, and vitamin B3 which is needed to produce most of the sex hormones and helps with insulin regulation. If your blood sugar tends  to be sensitive to sweets you can leave out the date and add stevia or monk fruit for sweetness. 

Scallions are a part of the allium family which is rich in sulfur. The alliums are high in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. They have also been shown to regulate estrogen and balance sex hormones.  

refried beans fro breakfast

Refried Bean Recipe

This zesty Mexican (refried bean recipe) side dish, filled with anti-inflammatory spices and other nutritious ingredients, can be served as a healthy fiesta for Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy it on its own as a taco salad or as a wrap with salsa and guacamole.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Dehydrate (optional) 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 3
Calories 321 kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • dehydrator optional

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup sunflower seeds soaked 6 – 12 hrs.
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked for 1 hour or more
  • 1/2 tablespoon chickpea miso optional
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garlic granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or as needed for flavor
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 medjool date soaked in 1/2 cup water retain water for use in recipe (optional)
  • 1/2 jalapeno seeded & chopped or a pinch of cayenne
  • 1 to 2 scallions chopped
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions
 

  • Process all ingredients including the date soak water, except scallions and cilantro, in a food processor until combined.
  • If you want your beans to be warm, spread on a plate and dehydrate at 105 for 30 minutes. Stir and spread again and dehydrate for 15 minutes longer.
  • Stir in the scallions and the cilantro.

Notes

These are also good without dehydrating. 

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 12gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 420mgPotassium: 979mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 5mg
Keyword anti-inflamatory, beans, energy boosting, gluten free, plant-based, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Make this recipe and enjoy. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and post your comments below. 

This recipe is from The Body FREEDOM Nutrition Lab for more easy-to-make and nutritious recipes like this…

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