First Meal from Viva Vegan- Vegan Mofo Day 22

A mishap from book depository meant that my viva vegan book didn't arrive on time, so I cancelled the order got a refund and raced out to dymocks and got the last copy. I couldn't wait any longer after hearing how fabulous it was from so many bloggers including Cupcake Kitteh who has written six posts on it and Zbvegan who has two massive glowing reviews. The first recipe that we tried from Viva Vegan was the refried beans and the lime coconut rice. Like Cindy, we also used canned red beans which made this dish much simpler but I am going to remake it with dried black beans just to compare.  As for the lime coconut rice, we skipped the coconut but it was still delicious and served it with some quacamole (also from the book) and some cheddar cheezly. Toby and I both thought that the beans were superior than other refried bean recipes that we have made but I can't pinpoint exactly how. Overall we loved our first meal from Viva vegan recipes and look forward to trying many more.

Refried beans from Viva Vegan

2 tbsp corn, peanut or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 to 2 jalepeno or serrano chilies, seeded and minced (we skipped this)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground chile powder such as ancho or a blend (we used regular chilli powder)
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black or pink beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 - 4 cups cooked beans
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
Salt and fresh pepper
1. In a large heave cast-iron skilled, combine the oil and garlic and cook over medium heat. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and jalapeno. Using a wooden spoon to stir occasionally, fry until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, and chile powder, and fry for another 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the beans, bay leaf, and water, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium again and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until more than half the liquid has been absorbed, but about an inch of liquid remains.
3. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use a potato masher to mash the beans smooth, then stir to form a thick, moist paste, anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. If refried beans appear to dry out, add a little water a few tablespoons at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.