I’ve been reading a lot about the “slow food” and the “real food” movements lately. I find these both really fascinating and the principles are pretty much along the lines of what Dietitians have been saying for years – avoid processed junk!
Part of the “real food” message is home cooking, reducing pre-made, overprocessed foods with lots of “not so real” ingredients. We used to call this “cooking from scratch”.
There is a lot to be said about “cooking from scratch”. You are in control of your ingredients and your family’s health. You are also in control of food waste and packaging waste.
I thought it would be a nice idea to start a “home made” series with recipes for things we would usually buy ready made.
There can, however, be a cost; depending on what you are cooking.
In the recipe today, for example, buying a large tin of baked beans at a low cost supermarket is 27p and the recipe would cost a bit more. I think its worth it though, see what you think. (If you have any other baked beans recipes to share, Id love to see them).
Baked Beans – home style
Ingredients
- 400g dried haricot or cannellini beans
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 150g pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes (you could avoid the can and use fresh, peeled)
- 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
Method
Soak the beans overnight. Drain them, place in a pan, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cook for about 45 minutes-1 hour until tender, then remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onions and pancetta and cook for 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and 400ml water, then tip in the beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick sauce and tender beans. Serve the beans on toasted bread.
