BEAUTIFUL LOW-SUGAR BAKED BEANS, Triple-Duty: vegan, carnivores & kids

 Nearly Sugar-free Baked Beans, from Scratch
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Taster

BAKED BEANS, COOKED FROM SCRATCH, ARE A REVELATION...AND THEY'RE LOW IN ADDED SUGAR...
Cooking with dried beans and pulses is very simple.  Yes, there is soaking overnight.  Yes, there is boiling and draining.  Twice. 

But the results - tender beans with just a touch of resistance - are lovely.  The beans absorb the juices they're cooked in and are so satisfying, you'll cook them from scratch again and again.  

And, unlike tinned versions, levels of sugar are almost Nil. What's not to like?

Boston Baked Beans - sweet & salty with an undercurrent of heat - are a classic American dish.  67's version makes it more tomato-y and moderates the heat.  The base recipe is Vegan but we've provided a great variation for carnivores and a less spicy kids' versions that can be further sweetened without sugar.   

The beans freeze well.

Cost: £3-4 (cut costs by making your own sun-blush tomato bombs)
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:
   450 gm/16 oz dried haricot beans (the best you can afford)
   2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
   1 lge onion, thinly sliced
   1 small red chilli, deseeded and cut into fine strips, or 1/3 tsp chilli flakes 
   1 bay leaf
   2-3 tbsp molasses or black treacle
   2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup
   1 tsp dry mustard or 1 & 1/2 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
   1/2 tsp dried ginger or 2-3 med slices of fresh ginger 
   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   1/3 tsp salt
   350 gm sun-blush tomatoes (sun-dried will be too salty) 
    
Carnivore version:
    350 gm/12 oz shredded cooked ham hock (Frugal Food: Ham Hock) or (for those without cholesterol issues) raw unsmoked back bacon
   
Kids' version:
   No chilli or ginger and only half the mustard; unsweetened tomato juice (opt)

Method:

1. Soak beans overnight
2. Drain; put beans in a large pan and cover with 3 pints water; bring to boil; simmer 2 mins; drain & return to pan
3. Add garlic, onion, chili & bay leaf to beans.  Add 3 pints/1 1/2 litre water; bring to the boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, cook gently until beans are tender, 45 mins - 1 hour 
4. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid  
5. Measure 1 pint liquid and stir in molasses, ketchup, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce and salt.
6. Add liquid to beans.  Halve sunblush tomatoes or cut into thirds OR chop coarsely; stir into beans  
7. This is your base; divide according to the number of carnivores and vegetarians and proceed as below. 
8. Preheat oven to 400 f, 200c, 180 fan; gas 6
9. The full recipe will cook in a 4-pint/ 2 1/4 litre baking dish. Adjust cooking vessel/s according to proportion of carnivores and vegetarians
10. Cover dish/es and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until beans have absorbed sauce and are tender   
11.  Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving

Carnivores: Before baking:

     If using shredded ham hock, bury in the body of the beans along with the bone from the knuckle 

    If using raw bacon, push below surface of beans

Kids: 
    Half an hour before end of cooking, add sliced cooked sausages or vegetarian frankfurters (Tivali are great); if still not sweet enough add 1/4-1/2 mug tomato juice

Comments:
'The beans were a great and healthy version of a winter warmer with a little bit of spice to liven it up.  It felt like guilt-free comfort food.' 20+ fund-raiser
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Retired writer


Tips:
Remember: beans need to be teamed with wheat, rice, cheese, eggs or animal protein  to provide all essential amino acids

Serving Suggestions:

• succulent casserole for an informal party
• with crusty bread & salad for supper
• on wholemeal toast, sprinkled with cheese for a light supper
• as part of an English breakfast
• with poached eggs for brunch
• on wholemeal toast for brekkie
• cold from the fridge, eaten with a spoon after the pub

Note: Both M&S and Unearthed sun-blush toms were used in this recipe.  Unearthed cherry toms were ore expensive and quite herby. M&S were a little sweet; 2/3 M&S and 1/3 Unearthed was perfect.  The frugal could add tinned tomatoes and extra salt.  Celery salt is lovely if you have it.

                                                                              

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.