Baked Beans – Both sides of the Atlantic

Baked Beans undergo a transformation from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Back home in England they are either a soggy component of “A Full English Breakfast” (sausage, bacon, egg, toast and baked beans,) or the chewable food of choice for many milk toothed toddlers. In a pinch, we’d pop open a can of Heinz baked beans to feed hungry little mouths.

On this side of the Atlantic baked beans are in a whole different league. Potlucks and BBQ wouldn’t be complete without a pot full of home made baked beans. I’m not sure I even knew what the ingredients were until researching this recipe, and like so many recipes they vary depending on where you live.

Boston baked beans use molasses and dijon mustard, whereas Texas baked beans are more spiced and savory. Despite the bad wrap that baked beans get for their high sugar content, the molasses at least hosts all the nutrients which refined sugar does not, plus the beans themselves are high in protein.

We love working with the traditional and heirloom bean varieties which have made a resurgence in the last few years. The industry has reinvented itself and from French green lentils grown on the high plains in Northern Idaho to the cannelini beans in Washington State, America just can’t get enough of them.

We’re taking our beans to heart, and used Mexican Ayocote Blanco (medium sized dried runner beans) in our recipe because they are sturdy enough to allow for long cook time on HIGH in the slow cooker. That cooking time gives the sauce time to become thick and delicious without the beans breaking up.

This was our Saturday night supper in a bowl with cornbread on the side.

Ingredients

1 lb dried white beans, navy beans or Ayocote Blanco
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup / 1 onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/3 cup molasses (unsulphured)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp tomato paste
1×28 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/8th tsp Stevia for extra sweetness if required
salt to taste

Rinse and soak the beans overnight (or a minimum of 8 hours) in a bowl of water. Drain the beans.

Grease your slow cooker insert with the olive oil and add the rinsed beans.

Add the chopped onion and garlic to the beans.

In the same bowl you used to soak the beans, mix the molasses, mustard, tomato paste, tomato sauce, vinegar, water, stevia and salt. Pour over the bean mixture in your slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.

 Zen Moment

“Having grown up in the Middle East, eating beans for breakfast always seemed like a bizarre British eccentricity.”