Black Bean Tostadas with all the Fixings

Black Bean Tostada Fixings
Black Bean Tostada Fixings

These black bean tostadas can make a great appetizer on small tortillas, or make a spread for a whole meal.  We like them for a light meal in the heat of summer.  You can add meat if you want.

You might have seen my post back from 2011 when I used canned black beans to make this tostada. Well, now that the Instant Pot is available, you can make your own beans in under an hour with the flavorings you want, and none of the stuff you don’t want.

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Instant Pot Tender Barbecue Ribs

Barbecued Ribs Instant Pot
Mmm! Ribs from the Instant Pot!

These tender barbeque ribs are made in the Instant Pot, so they are quick to make and very tender. You don’t need hours and hours to enjoy a summer favorite.

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Quick Instant Pot Chili Con Carne

Instant Pot Chili Con Carne

There’s nothing like a “Bowl of Red” on a cold day, but who has time to let Chili sit on the stove for hours and hours, not to mention having to soak the beans overnight. Lordy, that’s a two-day operation!

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Beans in the Instant Pot

Beans in the Instant Pot

Beans in the Instant Pot

I couldn’t help myself.  Everyone I knew had one of these new Instant Pots, and everyone was going on about how wonderful they were.  Even my therapist had one!  So, I looked up to see exactly what it was, and when I realized it was in fact an enhanced pressure cooker, I got kind of scared.

What’s for Dinner, Mom?

Beans in the Instant PotMy mother was getting the cheese out of the refrigerator while the pressure cooker was happily bubbling on the stove.  I walked in to ask my mother if I could have a glass of whatever (probably milk), when suddenly, there was a loud explosion, a red flash, and as we looked up, there was red spaghetti all over the kitchen walls.  If my mother had been by the pot, she probably would have been seriously injured if not killed. I swear we picked spaghetti off that kitchen wall for days.  It was kind of fun… but, that’s how you get a phobia about pressure cookers.

Times, They Are a Changin’

Despite being deathly afraid of the contraptions, I realized that technology must have made them safer.  After all, if we could send a man to the moon in nothing more than a glorified tin can, then why couldn’t we have beans in an instant pot, and not perish.  I got a little mini pot just so I could play around and get used to it.  The 6 quart, I was thinking about getting is large, but it’s only two of us, and this little guy, just over a quart, makes more than enough for us.

Because I don’t have to heat up a lot of other pots or dirty a lot of dishes, I really appreciate this little pot. Just put this one on sauté, add the vegetables, sauté them, then add the beans, liquid, cover, and I’m good to go.  Everything everyone said about how great these pressure cookers are was right.  They are wonderful.  But, we’re here to talk about Beans in the Instant Pot, so let’s do that.

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Great Northern White Chicken Chili

On my birthday, I wanted something special. Since it was cold, I wanted chili, but not any chili. I wanted a bowl of white – Great Northern White Chili, that is.

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