Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Basic Baked Beans



During WWII, beans were an essential food.  With shortages and rationing of meats and grains, beans filled a void, being both a high-quality protein and a high fiber carbohydrate. Beans were also very versatile and could be combined with whole grains to make a complete protein.  Although the bean that was most popular during the war was the soybean, because it is the only bean that is a complete protein, there were many other beans that were very plentiful and used to make delicious meals.

After the war, the bean's glory fell to the waste side, being replaced by the meats and grains so dearly missed during those five difficult years.  Beans tend to come back into our periphery during difficult economic times, due to its good nutrition-to-dollar ratio. But, with America's obsession with health and fitness, beans are an excellent food to add to the modern diet.  It works well with many diet plans, such as Paleo, Vegetarian/Vegan, Meditarainian, as well as low-fat and diabetic.

In our household, we have a diabetic, a vegetarian and a person requiring a low-fat diet.  In an attempt to make the meals healthier, but still filling, I decided to start adding more beans to our diet.  Although canned beans are great, recent studies find BPA in canned goods at unhealthy levels. Dried beans are a great option but require a little more work and considerably more time. If you use a crock pot, pressure cooker or an oven, much of the work is saved.

In this post, I am going to focus on a great recipe for Basic Baked Beans that are made in a crockpot or dutch oven. It can also be made in the oven, but it is not as energy-efficient, unless you also have other things to cook, such as slow roasting a beef or poultry. I am also offering options for the bacon and non-bacon lover combined.  We use turkey bacon and vegan "bacon" around here to accommodate the necessary nutritional/taste needs, but in this picture below, I used liquid smoke.  I have to say it was enjoyed by all and tasted just like a popular brand of canned baked beans (and no dog had to give me the recipe)!


BASIC BAKED BEANS

  • 1 lb. bag of Navy, Great Northern or Pea Beans, cleaned and sorted
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped (1 C)
  • 2/3 C Molasses
  • 1/2 C Maple Sypup or Brown Sugar
  • 1T Salt
  • 1/3 t Pepper
  • 1t Dry Mustard or 2 t Wet (Yellow) Mustard
    (Yellow mustard makes it just a little more tart)
  • 1/3 C Catsup 
  • 1/2 lb Bacon, chopped and browned or 2 T Liquid Smoke
Soak the beans overnight. If using a crockpot, put in 8 cups of water, and leave it on WARM all night. If using a dutch oven, just put the beans in the pot with 8 cups of water, using no heat.

In the morning, if using the crock pot, turn the crock pot on HIGH and let go for 3-4 hours, until the beans are tender but not mushy. If using a dutch oven, bring the beans to a boil in the soaking water. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender but not mushy. 

Once cooked, drain beans but save the liquid.  I drain into a colander that is inside a large bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine remaining. Put beans back into the pot. Add remaining mixture. add just enough of the reserved liquid to just cover the beans.  In the crockpot, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours. In Dutch Oven, cover and simmer for 6-8 hours, stirring often. You could also put the covered dutch oven in the oven at 300° for 6-8 hours.  You will know it is done when the liquid is thickened to the consistency of syrup.  Serve.

Makes the equivalent of three large cans of baked beans. After dinner, I froze the remaining in separate containers for future meals.


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