Showing posts with label beans and pulses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beans and pulses. Show all posts
One thing I really missed when I first moved over to the UK was Baked Beans. Beans that tasted like my mom's always did, and indeed like mine did through the years. The dry beans were hard to come by, as was Molasses and to this day, Salt Pork does not exist here.
This recipe is my nod to my mom's original Boston Baked Beans, and all the Baked Beans of my ancestors, albeit a bit easier to throw together. They use cooked tinned Haricot Beans (navy beans) and streaky bacon. I like to use the dry cure bacon, and nitrate free if I can find it. We love bacon, but its not very good for you, fat aside . . . its the chemicals. Not good for you at all, that's why I use nitrate free if I can find it.
Back home, once upon a time we had a butcher who made his own home smoked bacon and it was truly heavenly. His butcher shop always had the wonderful smell of his home smoked bacon. I wish I could make some way for you to smell it here, but alas, you will just have to take my word for it. If you have ever smelt home smoked bacon, you will know what I am talking about.
Back to the beans. Mom always baked hers in a stoneware bean crock. My sister does hers in the slow cooker, both ways take plenty of preparation and all day to cook. You actually have to start them the night before by soaking the dried beans overnight, and then you boil them for a bit in the soaking water with a bit of soda, which is supposed to help them soften. I am not sure if it does. I was always afraid to leave it out just in case!
This recipe cuts out all of that overnight soaking and the boiling. And trust me when I say they taste just as good as they would had you started with dried beans. It uses tinned cooked haricot beans. (Navy Beans) Three cans, drained and rinsed . . .
You make a rich and slightly sweet sauce that you bake them in, along with some onion and streaky bacon . . .
The sauce contains everything that from scratch Boston Baked Beans uses. Molasses . . . tomato ketchup . . .
Seasonings, brown sugar . . . Worcestershire Sauce . . . the original use Cider vinegar, and you could certainly use cider vinegar instead of the Worcestershire sauce if you wanted to. I like the Worcestershire sauce myself.
Chopped onion . . . one medium brown skinned onion, peeled and chopped. No more, no less . . . the perfect amount.
You dump the beans into a casserole dish and simmer the sauce ingredients to come to a boil and melt the sugar . . . into that the onion goes.
Half of that gets pour over the beans in the casserole dish . . . and then the bacon is laid on top . . .
You pour the remaining sauce over top, cover tightly and then bake in a slow oven . . .
Three hours does it fine. No need to have them in the oven or slow cooker all day, and they taste just as if you have . . . I call these perfect baked beans.
Easy Boston Baked Beans
Yield: 8 - 10
These are hands-down the most delicious baked beans and they only take have the time and work of the original all from scratch version. Every bit as good. Trust me on this.
ingredients:
- 3 (400g) (15.5 ounce) tins of cooked haricot beans (cooked white navy beans0
- 1/2 pound sliced dry cure streaky bacon
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 6 TBS molasses (alternately you can use 3 TBS each golden syrup and dark treacle)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 245g tomato sauce (Ketchup) (1 cup)
- 200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup, packed)
- 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
instructions:
How to cook Easy Boston Baked Beans
- Preheat the oven to 165*C/325&F/ gas mark 3. Drain all the beans and rinse them in cold water. Drain them again and then put them into a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish, of small roasting tin. Mix the ketchup, molasses, salt, black pepper, mustard powder, tomato sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring to melt the sugar. Remove from the heat. Stir in the onions. Pour half of this mixture over the beans in the dish. Top the beans with the slices of bacon and then spoon the remainder of the sauce over top. Cover tightly with a sheet of aluminium foil. Bake for 3 hours until the beans are tender and delicious. Serve hot with your favourite accompaniments.
I would be happy with a plate of these and a slice of bread and butter and nothing else. We had them with hot dogs and potato salad. These are a great dish to carry along to a pot-luck or a covered-dish supper! I guarantee you will come home with an empty dish!
Up Tomorrow: Stilton Steaks with Sweet Potato & Garlic Mash
Tasty tasty!
Some days are just busy. The last few days this week I have been busier then a "Hen hauling wood" as my old friend Leona would say! Writing articles, doing laundry, appointments, etc. They say there is no rest for the wicked! I must have been rather naughty lately I guess!
Just because you are busy and don't have a lot of time that doesn't mean you can't get something tasty on the supper table! These Maple Baked Beans on Toast are the perfect light supper entree for when you have a bit more on your plate to handle than normal.
With a little bit of pre-prep, they basically cook themselves! Its amazing what you can do with a few store cupboard ingredients!
This tasty recipe uses things I generally have in my larder at all times . . . tinned cannellini beans, a good bottled tomato passata . . .
Maple syrup, a good balsamic vinegar. Today I used a Maple Balsamic from ilGusto, but you could us any good Balsamic vinegar. Since I also use pure Maple syrup I felt the Maple Balsamic would add a nice touch and more maple flavour. It did.
I used a bottle of Ciro Passata Rustica today . . . it is lovely and thick and has a nice tomato flavour. If you can't get that you could use ordinary passata or even tomato sauce. I don't think that it will taste as rich and luxurious however as this does . . .
You will still end up with a terrifically tasty dish however!
I started by softening some thinly sliced shallots in a bit of light olive oil along with some crushed garlic.
Try not to let them brown . . . you just want them softened . . .
After that you just stir in the passata, the vinegar and maple syrup. Let that cook for a few minutes and then stir in the beans. If you think its too thick, you can add a bit of boiling water, but you shouldn't need much.
Bring to the boil, cover and then pop into a warm oven where they can braise away for a time until you are ready to serve . . .
At that time the flavours will have melded beautifully and you will have a dish fit for a king! All you need is some buttered toast to ladle it onto!
These always go down a real treat. Vegetarian. Delicious. High fibre, low in fat. You can't lose!
Maple Baked Beans on Toast
Yield: 3 - 4
These are delicious. If you can think of it, do try to make them the day before. The flavours get even better overnight, but they are still really delicious on the day!
ingredients:
- 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 fat clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- a splash of olive oil to fry
- 200g tomato passata (3/4 cup, sieved tomatoes)
- 200g tin of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (14 ounce tin)
- 1 TBS Maple Syrup
- 2 TBS Maple Balsamic vinegar
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- hot buttered toast to serve
instructions:
How to cook Maple Baked Beans on Toast
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
- Heat the oil in a medium oven-proof casserole dish over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, without browning, until softened. Add the tomato passata, vinegar, and maple syrup. If you think it is too thick, you can add a couple TBS of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the drained beans. Cover and place into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you think they are getting dry, you can add a bit of water.
- At this point you can either transfer to a container, cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight, reheating gently over low heat when you wish to serve.
- Make some toast, butter it and ladle the hot beans on top.
NOTES:
If you can't get Maple Balsamic, you can use ordinary balsamic vinegar. Also if you are not fond of maple you can use honey or soft dark brown sugar in an equivalent amount.
I used a good whole wheat bread today as that is what I had, but a rustic sour dough also goes very well. It also goes without saying that the leftovers taste even better when gently reheated a day afterwards. In fact you could make them ahead and then just reheat when you are ready to eat. Happy days!
One thing that children really enjoy for their suppers in the UK are Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans. Its a simple meal and quick to throw together, making it a firm favorite with mums as well. You don't always have the time or the energy to put together a big meal.
I confess that from time to time, I also enjoy it. It can be as simple as opening frozen packets and tins, popping the fish and chips into the oven and the beans into a saucepan to heat up. I, however, always like to add a little twist to my baked beans which I am sharing with you today.
My secret recipe for dealing with a tin of baked beans to dress them up a bit and make them taste just like New England Baked Beans, is to treat them like baked beans!
I don't think I am the first person to admit that tinned baked beans can be a little bit lack luster in comparison to the real thing! I was really spoilt as a child. Mom always used to bake our beans from scratch.
Every Saturday without fail we could count on them for most of my growing up years. Occasionally she would open a tin, but more often than not we had the real deal.
Baked long and slow in a low oven, all day. She would soak the beans the night before and then get them into her bean crock early in the morning. The smell of them baking would tantalize us all day.
By the time supper rolled around we were more than ready to tuck in with delight. And there was always plenty extra that she would freeze in containers for us to enjoy at future dates.
My sister bakes her own beans from scratch nowadays as well, but she uses her crock pot/slow cooker. They may not get quite as dark as mom's but the flavor is there, and we love them.
You don't always have time to bake your own beans however. And you don't always want to resort to opening a tin, wanting to feed your family something a bit more tastier than that.
Thankfully, I do know how to fix tinned beans up to taste very close to my mother's home baked beans with the addition of a few simple ingredients.
Its not very hard to do at all and this method works with any type of canned baked bean. All you need are a few simple ingredients . . . apple cider vinegar, molasses, soft light brown sugar, and tomato ketchup . . .
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FAUX BAKED BEANS
- 1 400g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS mild molasses
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
.jpg "frozen fish fingers")
To complete the meal you will also need a quantity of frozen fish fingers/sticks, and I am not promoting any one kind in particular. You know what your family like and enjoy. Personally I prefer cod fish fingers. But you pick whatever you like.
You also need a four serving size bag of frozen French fries, or in the UK a chippie that is close by where you can buy ready made chips/fries. Again, you know what it is that is available to you and what your family enjoys.
While you are heating up your fish fingers and or chips in the oven, you can get on with cooking your beans. They are so simple.
You just stir all of the additional ingredients into the beans and let them simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat. This will infuse them with that delicious home baked bean flavor we all love and enjoy.
I like to buy the best fish fingers and frozen oven chips that my money can buy, and only very occasionally, will I pick up ready made deep fried chips. It was much easier to do so in the UK.
This combination really does make for a tasty and quick occasional supper from time to time, and it not all that hard on the budget. For larger families it can be a real boost to the food bill!
If I am using deep fried chips from the local chippy I will also add a slice of cheap buttered white bread. Not only does it go well with the baked beans, but until you have tasted a chip butty (sandwich made from a slice of buttered white bread wrapped around hot chips) you really haven't lived
A true carboholic's dream!
Yield: 4
Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans
Quick and easy this is often a child's favourite supper. This special touch on the beans takes them over the top to delicious! Another store-cupboard meal.
ingredients:
- 1 package of your favourite frozen fish fingers
- (4 serving size)
- 1 package of your favourite frozen oven chips
- (4 serving size)
- 1 400g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS mild molasses
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
instructions:
- Preheat your oven and cook your fish fingers and chips according to the package directions. While they are cooking, open your beans and pour into a pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave on low heat simmering, stirring occasionally, until your fish fingers and chips are done.
- To serve divide the fish fingers, chips and beans between four heated dinner plates and serve immediately.
Created using The Recipes Generator
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After a really busy and full week last week, I found myself craving something simple for tea on Saturday evening. A store cupboard meal and something which would not take a lot of time to knock together. I have this recipe binder that I have had kicking around for a very long time and this recipe comes from that. It is perfect for those lacking in inspiration nights and for nights when you are feeling very lazy but still want to eat something delicious! Tex-Mex Bean Bake. I have no idea where the original recipe comes from, as it is hand written and I didn't make note of the source back when I was doing my binder. All I can tell you for sure is it is very tasty and very old . . . written on a page that is splattered and torn! A testimony to it's deliciousness!
I confess I have only ever really had Cassoulet once. It was when we were visiting my son in Canada and it was delicious. He's a good cook, and he's not afraid to try new things. He's always been that way. Normally Cassoulet contains duck and takes hours to prepare. This delicious casserole uses chicken thighs and tinned beans and uses only a fraction of the time of this traditional French stew.
When my children were growing up it was terribly difficult to get them to eat anything at all for supper on Halloween. They were far too keen to get out and about Trick or Treating. As a mom, however, I really wanted them to eat something nutritious before they went out, or at least something that wasn't candy and so I used to try to tempt them with things that they really enjoyed, like pizza, tacos, or spaghetti, etc.
My sister shared this recipe with me on facebook the other day. Lassy Buns. Delicious scone type/baking powder biscuit type of buns made with the goodness of molasses, cinnamon and a bit of cloves. This is a down East recipe and the type of bread which might be offered at baked bean suppers!
The challenge with this new diet will be keeping my own sugars in check, and losing weight myself, without Todd losing weight. He had his yearly check up today and he is in perfectly good health, except he has lost some weight. This means that I either have to cook two separate meals or add some extra's to his. The latter is the more preferable one, because I don't have the time to cook two separate meals, nor do I have the inclination, but a few extras for him, I CAN do!
This is a take on everyone's favourite Mexican Burrito, but I have taken the easy way out and just layered everything in a pan and baked it . . . coz sometimes I can be lazy like that. It actually turned out really tasty, and cut into wedges really well. We quite liked it! I love it when my experiments turn out alright!
One of our favourite suppers when I was growing up was my mother's homemade baked beans. Oh my but they were absolutely gorgeous. She would start the night before by soaking the dried beans overnight and then early the next morning, often even before anyone else was up, she began her magic with them . . . putting everything together and into her bean crock and into the oven, so that by the time we woke up we could already smell the deliciousness that was waiting for us later in the day!
I can hear you thinking . . . Spam and Beans? What is that girl doing now! And I fed it to company no less, as one of a pair of casseroles. It was delicious. Absolutely delicious! One of my guests was a real Spam lover as well, so that was win/win for me. Delicious and popular!
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