comfort foods...what you can do with refried beans

as I rummage through my food stores ( or, shall I say, Personal Food Store) I came across a can of refried beans, the presence of which reminded me of the "quick and easy" meals I grew up with and which, oddly enough, were so under-appreciated and now bring in a sense of comfort when added as a surprise into my culinary forages.

Growing up in my family, we eat a lot of meat. Standard chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs cooked every which way; all kinds of fish - mediterranean culture, hey; all cuts of beef; and the occasional lamb.

I do remember, however, that when we were all too hungry to wait for a stew, soup, or baked entree to cook after running errands, my dad would say, "Okay, just give me 20 minutes. Pitas will be done in no time."

He would roll up the sleeves of his nice work clothes - sometimes not even taking off coat or tie - and set to work. These quick meals often involved canned ingredients, which, I may have noted here previously, seldom make it into main meals. But oh, the results were a far (and good) cry from the can.

One popular option was refried beans. There are countless variations, but here's a favorite which I almost recreated today (save for lack of certain ingredients).

-refried black beans
-halved grape tomatoes
-fresh garlic
-black pepper (just a pinch)
-lime juice

all these cooked on the stove top for about 10 minutes, and eaten in a toasted pita.

-refried beans. they're not black, but I don't know what kind they actually are. La Preferida makes them.
-a can of tuna
-lime juice
-halved grape tomatoes
-a little bit of cream cheese (we all hate mayonnaise)
-maybe a tiny bit of fresh dill (the smell is overpowering)

all these can be eaten warm or cold. I prefer them warm, in a toasted pita, with super sharp cheddar melted into it. It does make for a semi-drippy sandwich, but it is SO delicious with all the flavors.