Healthy Refried Beans/Bean Dip

pre-soaked pinto beans
1 diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
olive oil
salt to taste

Pre-soak beans over night. Drain water. Cook beans covered in water (I cook them in my crock-pot for about 8 hours on low). Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil. Drain beans (reserving the liquid) and add to skillet with onion. Begin mashing the beans adding in the reserved liquid as needed to make the beans creamy. Saute while doing this process until beans are bubbly and the consistency you like. Add salt to taste.

Serve hot or freeze for later use. Makes a wonderful bean dip as well.

Note: You can also do the reverse process by draining the liquid from the crock-pot and adding the sautéed onions and garlic to the beans in the crock-pot. Mash the beans in the crock-pot and add some of the liquid back in. Cook on low for one hour or on high for about 30 min.