According to the government, the average family spends $700 on food. That’s $700 a year, right?

Alright, so here’s one way to do it. I call it the sloppy joe pinto bean one dollar meal.

You need a can opener, a knife, a pressure cooker, and a spoon. These are all available from the minimalist kitchen. If you don’t have one of those, here’s how to get one. Aside from that you need some ingredients.

  • Pinto beans, soaked and cooked (these are essential). We got a 10lb bag of these on freecycle. Pinot beans are good for anything that gets mushy e.g. refried beans.
  • Sliced and diced onion (this is essential)
  • Can of tomato paste (this is also essential)
  • Chopped jalapeno peppers. (this is optional) We used to have them in the garden. One of the few things that actually worked (tomatoes being the other one), but this came out of a can.
  • Basil (optional)
  • Oregano (optional)
  • Tabasco (optional)
  • Chili pepper (optional)
  • Black pepper (optional)
  • Garlic (optional)

Leaving out the optional parts changes the taste but does not affect the general idea.

Fry the onions in a pan. Add the rest except the beans. Stir. Now add the beans. You’re done.

You can serve it on bread with lettuce, tomatos, olives, etc. or with rice and pasta. All these options create a balanced amino acid profile. Have fun.

Originally posted 2008-11-27 06:51:40.