Old-Fashioned Baked Beans

By Rick Gorski

•    454 grams (1 pound) – 2 cups of Navy Beans or White Pea Beans
•    5 cups cold water
•    1 medium onion, sliced
•    ½ tablespoon salt
•    2 teaspoons cider vinegar
•    1 tablespoon brown sugar
•    ½ teaspoon prepared mustard
•    ¼ cup of molasses
•    ½ cup tomato ketchup
•    Pinch black pepper
•    (optional ½ pound peameal bacon sliced and cut into pieces of about an inch square)

1. Rinse Beans with Cold Water.
2. Soak Beans Overnight in Cold Water. 
3. Drain.
4. Add 5 cups cold water to drained beans in a pot, cover, heat to boiling, then simmer 30 minutes or until nearly tender (beans will not become any softer once placed into oven).
5. Drain when cooked, then put beans back into the pot.
6. Place onion slices on bottom of 6 cup flameproof casserole dish.
7. Add remaining 7 ingredients in with the beans in the pot, stirring gently to combine, then pour the entire mixture into the casserole dish.
8. Add enough water to cover the mixture (then place optional peameal bacon pieces on top).
9. Cover with lid and bake in oven at 250’F for 7 hours (you may want to monitor & turn down to 225’F)
10. When beans are tender, remove 1 cup of beans, mash, then stir back into casserole dish carefully.
11. Cover and continue to bake.
12. Add water as needed to keep beans covered.
13. One hour before serving, remove cover to darken the beans.
14. Salt to taste.

Serves 8.

New Mexico Black Beans

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans of black beans (turtle beans) with liquid
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 to 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• 2 tsp cumin seed or 1 tsp ground
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of cayenne powder
• 1 red bell pepper
• Canned chipotle peppers to taste
• 1 tsp brown sugar

OPTIONAL GARNISHES

• Sour cream or yogurt
• Grated white or orange cheddar
• Coriander leaves
• Salsa and tortilla chips

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large pan.
2. Add onions and garlic
3. Saute about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Add the beans and tomatoes.
6. Stir and simmer mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Add red and green peppers (plus hot peppers if you’re using them).
7. Stir in brown sugar to taste.
8. Heat 5 minutes
9. Serve with rice and condiments.

Enjoy.

Baked Beans - Canadian Style

From Hot Off the Griddle #9, January 1993.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups navy beans
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 lb salt pork
• 2 1/2 cups stewed or canned tomatoes
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup boiling water

METHOD

1. Pick over and wash beans.
2. Cover generously with water (at least 2” above the beans) and soak overnight.
3. In the morning, add salt to undrained beans, bring slowly to boiling point, and simmer gently until soft (about 30 minutes).
4. Drain and reserve liquid.
5. Cut salt pork into 1/4” slices and place half in the bottom of a bean pot.
6. Add half the beans, remaining salt pork, half the tomatoes and onions, and remaining beans and tomatoes and onions.
7. Mix together mustard, molasses, pepper and water.
8. Pour over the beans.
9. Add any juice from the tomatoes and enough of the bean liquid to cover beans, plus 1/2”.
10. Cover pot tightly. Bake at 250 degrees for 8-9 hours.
11. Add more bean liquid or water as needed.

Serve piping hot with lots of bread and butter.

Black Beans - Cuban Style

Originally published in Foodstuffs Hot Off the Griddle, October 1993.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb black beans
• 6 cups water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb pork sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tart green apples, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp chli powder
• 1/2 cup chopped dry dates
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• yogurt & green onions

METHOD

1. Wash beans, add water, cover and soak overnight.
2. Add butter and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover, simmer until tender, about 2 hours.
4. While cooling, fry sausage until golden. Drain fat.
5. Add sausage to beans.
6. Add onion, apples, garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, chili powder, dates and tomato juice.
7. Bring to boil.
8. Bake in covered casserole, 325 deg.F for 2 hours.
9. Five minutes before serving, add rum.

Serve in gumbo bowls. Dollop yogurt and green onions on top. Serves 6 – 8.

Black Beans - Hot & Tangy

Mmm! Originally published in Foodstuffs Hot Off the Griddle, January 1995.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups cooked black beans
• Salt and 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

METHOD

1. Place red pepper and onion in a 6-cup microwave-safe dish with oil, jalapeno and thyme.
2. Cover and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in beans along with juice, if using, and continue microwaving, covered, for 2 minutes or until beans are hot.
4. Add salt and more lime juice if needed.

Serves 4 to 6

Red Beans & Rice - New Orleans Style

From the “Full of Beans” cookbook. We first printed it in Hot Off the Griddle #24, February 1994.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 green sweet pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, choped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper
• 1 cup beef or vegetable stock
• 2 cups cooked red kidney beans
• 1/4 lb lean ham, cubed
• 2 cups hot cooked brown rice
• Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

METHOD

1. In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic, onions, green pepper and celery, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in thyme, oregano, salt and red chili pepper.
3. Pour in stock.
4. With fork, crush about one-third of the beans.
5. Add to skillet along with ham; stir well.
6. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until thickened.
7. Spoon over rice. Garnish with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

White Beans with Herbs

This was originally published in Foodstuffs Hot Off the Griddle in January 1995, but it’s a lovely dish year-round.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb dried white beans (2 1/2 cups)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

TOPPING

• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (1 tsp dried)
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Place beans in large bowl; cover with 10 cups cold water.
2. Set aside to soak overnight.
3. Drain well.
4. Place beans in large saucepan, add 6 cups water and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
6. Drain well.
7. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.
8. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes or until softened but not brown.
9. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.
10. Add stock; bring to boil.
11. Cook 5 minutes.
12. Stir in cream; bring to boil and cook 2 minutes.
13. Add drained, cooked beans; cook 5 minutes.
14. Add salt and pepper.
15. Transfer bean mixture to casserole and sprinkle with topping mixture.

Brown lightly in a warm oven (~325F) before serving.

Bulgur and Garbanzos

From Deborah Palmer of A Movable Feast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup raw bulgur wheat
• 3 Tbsp canola, olive or grapeseed oil (2 Tbsp for the bulgur and 1 Tbsp for the garbanzos)
• 2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
• 1 tsp dill seeds
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce (tamari is good)
• 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup yogurt

METHOD

• Heat a medium size pan, then add 2 Tbsp of oil.
• Sauté the bulgur in the oil for about 5 minutes until it sizzles and is slightly brown. Add more oil if it sticks to the pan.
• Add the stock, bay leaf, dill seeds and soy sauce to the bulgur.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until all of the stock is absorbed.
• While the bulgur is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second pan and sauté the garbanzos for about 10 minutes or until toasty.
• When the bulgur is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the yogurt and allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes until all the grains absorb the yogurt.
• Stir the toasted garbanzos through the grain and serve warm.