Spicy Pinto Beans

We had company over for dinner the other night and since I didn't have a lot of time to stand slaving over a hot stove, I put my appliances to work for me. The menu was Cafe Rio Salad so I set my crock pot to work on the pork, my rice cooker bubbled away with the rice, and my newest kitchen prize....

...this lovely pressure cooker produced a lovely pot of pinto beans. I can never remember to soak beans overnight, so this has become one of my favorite appliances! Here is the recipe we love:

2 cups dried pinto beans
5 cups water

2 teaspoons boullion
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos or 1 Tablespoon chopped jalapeno
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

If you are using a pressure cooker, follow the directions for your cooker. Otherwise, soak your beans the night before. Then, combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until beans are tender (about 1 1/2 hours), adding more liquid if necessary.

Note: I like to add 1 tsp minced ginger to the pot while cooking as well. I find that it helps mitigate the gassiness of the beans and it doesn't affect the flavor at all.