Retro Refrieds

When I was in elementary school, I went through a phase of giving myself manicures and pedicures on a regular basis. I can only imagine that the results were terrible, but the whole process made me feel very grown up, very “lady who lunches” (even though my lunches were closer to fried cheese sticks than foie gras). One day, I had a friend over for manicure time. She was preparing the bowl of hot, soapy water for us to soak our nails in, but, unable to get the water sufficiently hot from the tap, she suggested we “nuke” it. I panicked—I didn’t know what “nuke” meant but I certainly couldn’t let her know that! I think I tried to stall, maybe mumbled something about not being sure if we had a “nuker,” and waited for her to give a further clue as to the identity of this mysterious device. Eventually, the “nuker” was revealed to be the microwave and I made a mental note to use my cool, new terminology whenever possible.

Although I don’t often use the nuker when cooking today, its use seems ironically appropriate in this, my old-school Bean Pie recipe. Thanks for the vocab lesson Jo!

Bean Pie

1 can of refried beans
2 tsp. chili powder
1/3 c. of your favorite jarred salsa
3 tbsp. green olives, pitted and chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
4 oz. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese, softened in the nuker
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips for dipping

In a glass pie pan, spread the refried beans evenly along the bottom. Sprinkle the chili powder on top and nuke for 1 minute on high. Stir the beans and then top with the salsa, olives and cheese. Nuke on high 2 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese. Spread the mixture over the cheese layer and sprinkle the cilantro on top. Serve with chips.