Baked beans

I have to admit to liking tinned baked beans, Heinz or a good organic brand, preferably in tomato sauce. I love them heated and then served over good sourdough toast that has been smothered in organic butter, its a great comfort food and also a relatively healthy and a quick fast food for a busy week night or weekend breakkie.

However, in our 'not buying it' mode, tinned baked beans are an unnecessary expense, especially when home made baked beans are easy to make and are in another category entirely, they are slow food of the best kind, tasty and highly nutritious to boot. So last weekend I made a large batch in the slow cooker and the result is much more flavorsome than tinned beans and also the beans tend to have a bit of an al dente bite to them, rather than being soft and mushy.

I made up my recipe, its evolved over many attempts at making a tomato based, vegetarian, baked beans and its never the same, this version was:

One cup each of navy and black eyed beans as this is what was in the pantry - soaked overnight in plenty of water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
700 gms tin tomatoes - chopped finely
1/2 cup maple syrup, organic
Large splash of white wine
Large splash of water
Bay leaf
Pepper to taste
English mustard to taste - i used a teaspoon
Salt to taste - but not till the end of the cooking process

Strain your beans, rinse and put into the slow cooker and add ingredients except salt and pepper, cook until your beans are soft, I usually do this on the lowest setting and cook all day. When your beans are soft and your tomato sauce mixture thick, you can add your salt and pepper.

Sadly I forgot to take a piccie, perhaps when I next take a packet out of the freezer I'll take a snap, its great to have them nicely packed up in two person serves, our own convenience food.