Home-Made Baked Beans

Home-Made baked beans

Beanz Meanz Health… Beans are no longer consigned for those on a budget or a dorm room favourite for many hard working uni students. Easy to whip up in the morning as part of a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, nitrate-free bacon and Stuffed Tomatoes or as a snack on top of freshly baked Spinach Bread or slices of Gluten Free Nut Loaf the bean is back with all its robustness.

Did you know that home-cooked baked beans are surprisingly packed with nutrients? They’re an excellent source of fibre, helping you to maintain a healthy digestive system and contain high amounts of soluble fibre, which slows digestion and binds toxins, drawing them out of the body. Not only are they high in fibre, they boast a slew of vitamins (B vitamins in particular) and are loaded with folate and iron, an excellent choice for people with low iron and expectant mothers.

If you’re planning on purchasing the store bought variety, freshness is something that is lacking in the tin cans standing to attention on supermarket shelves.  You’ll find high levels of sodium and sugar and lost are the nutrients and vitamins you would ordinarily obtain from using dry beans. The good news is, with minimal effort, you can gain back the bean and incorporate it into your hearty breakfast just by following these few simple steps.

1. Choosing wisely

Great Northern Beans were the ‘go-to’ choice of beans to use in this recipe. Whilst wholesome, they are best known for being able to absorb flavour extremely well. They easily take on the flavour of spices and herbs used and you will notice from the first bite your tastebuds will be tantalised with the aromatic flavour of coriander, black liquorice undertones from fennel seeds and the earthy essence of turmeric. Tumeric is one of my favourite spices and one of nature’s most powerful healers because of its anti-inflammatory, pain-killing and liver-detoxing capabilities. Regularly ingesting turmeric can enhance immunity and help provide sustained energy and vitality.

2. Soaking

Soaking is an important step when making home-made baked beans. By investing in dried beans and soaking them prior to cooking, this helps to soften the skin and initiate the sprouting process, eliminating phytic acid and making minerals bio-available. Soaking promotes faster cooking times and improves digestibility, helping to reduce some of the air and bubbles baked beans are known to produce. All you need to do is soak the beans over night in a bowl and cover with filtered water.  Add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt. In the morning rinse and they are ready for use.

3. Adding 

Have you ever wondered why baked beans always seem to be served in a tomato-based sauce? Well, this is primarily to improve absorption of the nutrients and vitamins, it is best to eat baked beans with vitamin C and what better source of vitamin C than tomatoes.  A super food, a tomatoes rich and vibrant ruby-red colour is due to high levels of Lycopen, a strong antioxidant which has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer of the prostate and possibly cancer of the colon, bladder and lungs. Lycopen is also reported to protect white blood cells, your body’s first line of defence against infection.

4. Cooking

Is as simple as soaking, simmering and then adding sauce and flavours, correcting as you go until you get the desired flavour.  Dive in to this delicious Baked Bean recipe and you will never be reaching for the tin can again.

Home-Made Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• 250gms (Great Northern or bean of your choice) soaked overnight
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup passata
• 1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• ¼ tsp powdered stevia
• 1 TBS chopped rosemary
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Method

Place beans in a bowl of filtered water overnight to soak

In the morning take a medium saucepan and place beans, coriander, fennel and turmeric cover with water and cook on low for 45 mins

In a separate saucepan place EV olive oil and sauté garlic on low heat

Drain beans and place in saucepan with garlic

Stir in passata, stevia and season to taste

Add rosemary and heat through for 10 mins to meld flavours

Serve with freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Enjoy!