Perfect Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker

I know a few of you who got new slow cookers over the holidays and some of you at our Christmas table who wanted a copy of this recipe. These baked beans are for you. They are super easy to throw together last thing before going to bed and in the morning you will wake wondering what the amazing smell in your apartment is.

My family has always eaten baked beans on Christmas since my mother was a young girl. The story is, one year my grandfather decreed they should have a proper filling nutritious breakfast on Christmas, grilled steaks, baked beans and broiled English muffins with butter. For half a century or so. 

Last year was the fist year I succeeded in adding vegetables to the table! Now we include vegetable laden frittatas which make everyone from the gourmands to the vegetarians satisfied. 

Making your own baked beans costs just pennies and ingredients which are probably in your pantry. And unlike prepared or canned ones you will know just what's in them, no preservatives, no mystery. Just a little planning ahead.

This recipe is for 1 pound of beans. Easily doubled if you are feeding a crowd and your cooker can handle the size. 

Soak 1 pound of navy beans. They are the little white ones that look like this. This is the actual brand I used, just toss the "ham flavor packet" into the garbage, ok!

Instead of industrial "ham flavor" we can use real ham! Bacon, ham, or maybe you are like me and have chunks of leftover fatty ham rind in the freezer from Easter. 

Cook the pork product of your choice in a small skillet on medium low heat. Dice one yellow onion and add it to the ham in the pan. Cook this on medium low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onion is softened and the ham is sizzling deglaze the pan with 3 tablespoons of whiskey. It will sizzle, cook off the whiskey. Set the ham and onion aside while the beans are arranged. 

Measure the water, molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, salt and spices into the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Drain the beans of their soaking water.  Stir in the beans. Spoon the onion and fatty ham on top of the beans, don't stir this in, it will act as a layer to help the beans not dry out during cooking. 

Turn the cooker on high, go to bed, wake up 7 hours later to glorious smells. (If you have longer like 9 or 10 hours set the cooker to low. 

Stir 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into the beans, this gives it a great bite. Taste them and add more salt or sugar as you desire, but they should be pretty perfect at this point! Serve hot. 

At Christmas we serve ours from a bean pot which is rhrumored to be my great great grandmothers. It might be true. 

Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker

• 1 lb dry navy beans. (Soaked)
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 strips bacon or equivelnt ham product
• 3 Tablespoons bourbon
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

(If you want to make these vegetarian, replace the bacon with coconut oil.)

The Brussels Sprouts Recipe Everyone Wants

I have had many requests for this recipe, from people who ate the brussels sprouts, ones who heard about it, and some who read by thanksgiving post.  December is here, and we all return to work, but know that the holiday season has really started, and wish we could make cookies and play with ribbon all day long. Or more to the point, as a British friend said yesterday, December is all about alcoholic fruit and booze and cake. I think she included cake on the list, the Brits would need something to absorb all the boozy fruit. (Note: upcoming post, I will figure out what British boozy fruit is.)

December is here and brussels sprouts are among the few things still in season. These are incredibly savory and briny. A welcome change to the palate. The dressing is incredibly different than our usual heavy holiday season flavors or spice and sweetness.

It went around and around out holiday table, so that is worth something. People were like, "please pass the brussels sprouts" and "where did those amazing brussels sprouts go?" and "oh YES! There are still some left!" (Read thanksgiving Part1 and Part2.)

Simple enough to make up part of an every day dinner. Be sure to make extra because you will want the leftovers!

Notes on anchovies: many people are scared of the poor little fish. (Like my husband, who thinks he doesn't like them, but when I put them in food and does not tell him, he loves it!) They are super salty and little mashed fish is...whatever they are delicious. If you don't like them much, buy the European type in a tube, it is a paste and so easy to work with in the kitchen. Unscrew the top, squeeze into a dressing, screw back on the top, and back into the fridge for very easy storage. Don't skip them, they really make this dish sing.


Savory Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Walnuts

ROASTING:
3 lbs brussels sprouts, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 cup walnuts

DRESSING:
2 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon grainy mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons capers (rinsed if in salt)
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste (or one 2 oz tin, drained and minced)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. Quarter each brussels sprout into 4 wedges. Place on 2 baking sheets, toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven for 20 to 40 minutes. (Sprouts and ovens vary so.) Stir or shake once midway. The sprouts should have some charred black spots and crispy bits. The insides will be tender. Remove from the oven and transfer into a large bowl.

Toast the walnuts, spread them in an oven proof pan, roast in the oven for  about 8 minutes. The walnuts will be a warm brown and smell toasty and fragrant.

Make the dressing. If you have a food processor, fit it with the chopping blade. Peel garlic and shallots, chop into bits in the food processor. (Or mince with a knife.) The entire dressing can be made in the food processor, or a mason jar with a tight fitting lid works very well. Add the vinegars, olive oil, mustard, honey, capers, pepper, and some or all of the anchovy paste. Blend or shake the dressing well. Taste the dressing on a brussels sprout, add additional salt only if needed.

Pour the dressing over the still warm brussels sprouts (they absorb more flavor this way.) Serve warm or at room temperature.  Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.

*Adapted from Food and Wine, Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Capers and Anchovies (2011).

Thanksgiving Menu Making, what to do with those gluten free and paleo people.

Weather your Thanksgiving celebration is large or small, it is likley you will be facing guests with a handful of special diets. I was thinking of this while planning the menu for our upcoming thanksgiving dinner where we will host 18 people. We will be having 3 pescetarians (who eat fish but not other animals), 2 people who avoid gluten, 4 lactose intolerant folks, and two quasi Paleo people. True, some of these people, are the same, I count up 6 guests who have restricted diets. So what is a host to do?

Some people stand by their view that people should simply eat what they are served. That goes something like, "I am the cook, I'll make what I like!" Fine, but have you been on the side saying "no thank you" and facing the dismay on your host's face that is screaming "why are you not eating my manicotti?" I stand by the viewpoint that it is thoughtful to consider the happiness of your guests when inviting people to your home to eat.

That is why, this Thanksgiving I took into consideration all of this while planning the menu. Thanksgiving is great because there are so many options, and so many vegetables. The key is to keep them varied, chose to put milk and butter in the mashed potatoes but make a sweet potato dish which is lactose free. And plenty of people love and crave the buttery, bready, and meaty, so we keep them happy too!

Here is a sneak peak of my Thanksgiving menu, with links to some recipes of my inspiration. I would be happy if you take any ideas from this. It is Tuesday, you are still ahead of the game!


Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry:

• Turkey (organic and local) 
• Gravy (made from the turkey, old fashioned way with flour)
• Veggie Gravy (vegetarian, lactose and dairy free)
• Mom's Stuffing (aka Pepperidge Farms stuffing with celery and onions, recipe from the back of the bag. I know...but she loves it, what can you do?)
• Cornbread Stuffing with leeks, mushrooms and shallots (I am really excited about this! GF, vegetarian and dairy free.)
• Cranberry Sauce with orange, apple and spices (super healthy and low in sugar)
• 1 can of cranberry sauce (because some people just need cranberry jelly.)

Starchy things:

• Mashed Potatoes (with butter, Lactaid milk, salt and pepper, so they are not really lactose free, but are less dairy-ful for those of us who want to take a bite but shouldn't.)
• Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Streusel (I have adapted this kind of thing, I make the topping with pecans, coconut oil, and a little maple syrup to glaze the pecans, when it bakes they get crunchy! No flour needed.)
• Cornbread vs Biscuits. The jury is still out on this one. Cornbread can be gluten free, so we might do that. Ill let you know what wins out.

Green sides:

• Brussels Sprouts with capers, walnuts and anchovies (this is the third year with this anchovy brussels sprout recipe, we use anchovy paste in a tube instead of the tinned variety, it is salty and awesome. GF, dairy free and pescetarian.)
• Kale and Pepitas Salad. (Just like my usual, we might add radishes for some spice at the table. GF, Veggie and dairy free.)
• Green Beans with Lemon and Za'atar. (Yes, its different, but everyone loves za'atar. GF, Veggie and dairy free.)

Wait - Dessert!, we like to go overboard with pie:

• Apple Pie
• Mince Pie
• Chocolate Pudding Pie (made with Lactaid milk, so mostly lactose free.)
• Pumpkin pie (regular, my Nana's recipe)
• Alternative Pumpkin Pie (with a gluten free crust, and lactose free custard. Don't fret, ill post it Wednesday!)

So that wraps it up. I am off to the grocery to hunt down chestnuts and more brussels sprouts. Happy cooking. Leave a comment if you have questions.