Beans, beans, beans it seems people either love them or hate them. Guess which one of those is me? I love them of course. Growing up in a Mexican household, beans were just a part of everyday life, and I mean everyday. I have created one of my favorite recipes for you, vegan frijoles charros. This recipe is an adaptation of the recipe my dad uses at his restaurant. Frijoles charros, depending on what part of Mexico you are in, include chorizo, sausage or bacon. Sometimes the recipe includes a combination of all three of them. I made a big batch of my homemade vegan chorizo the other day and decided to use that instead. The result was a satisfying and warm bowl of tender smoky beans. Perfect for a cold fall day.

The holidays are creeping up on me so fast. I’m not ready. Pumpkin season is here, even in Hawaii. We went and picked out a pumpkin at Aloun Farms last week and it was so hot that day! It made us long for when we lived on the east coast and we would go pumpkin picking and playing in a corn maze in cool fall weather. However, I’m looking forward to making pumpkin marmalade and candied pumpkin with coconut whipped cream. Speaking of holiday food, my book Vegan Tamales Unwrapped is now available on Amazon in kindle format and I am really excited about it. I’m hoping this will help reach more people and spread the tamal love.

The kids have developed an obsession with Bob Ross and it’s the cutest thing. The Joy of Painting is now on Netflix and it’s the perfect before bed TV. The kids find it to be super calming and interesting. So much so, that they now ask to watch it every night and there has even been some tears when there’s no time to watch it. There’s just something about his voice that is so soothing. I am certainly glad to get a break from Mickey Mouse and Pokemon!

The Recipe: Vegan Frijoles Charros Recipe

My dad’s original recipe uses bacon, but can use vegan sausage or vegan chorizo instead. When I make these beans I almost aways use them to make “refried” beans. I just strain some of the liquid out of the beans and puree them in the blender until they have the consistency of refried beans, no oil needed. Enjoy!