Maple chipotle baked beans

For a while now, I've been craving real from-scratch New England baked beans. Some months ago I read up on bean varieties and came across several mentions of Steuben or Maine yellow eye beans being the best choice. I couldn't find them available anywhere in the stores here, so I bought a package on Amazon.

Check 'em out - creamy pale skin with a mustard-brown splotch marked with a tiny eye:

A closer look:

Many sources stated that a classic bean pot had the perfect shape for baking beans perfectly each time, so I  lucked out and found this vintage stone bean pot from eBay for $15 - a steal!

Then I had to find the right recipe to yield sweet and tangy beans, fragrant with molasses and spice. I knew I wanted to use maple syrup, but I also knew that after last year's successful maple-apple-chipotle barbecue sauce (recipe to come), that a touch of chipotle to the beans would bring a deep smokiness and hint of heat that would be a great pairing for the maple and molasses.

I looked through a bunch of different recipes, made note of the commonalities in procedure and ratios and jumped in.

Basically, I winged it, but winging it got me this:

Delicious sweet and tangy baked beans.

Maple chipotle baked beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. yellow eye beans
• approx. 1/2 cup of onion-type things: I used a combo of shallots and onion
• 2 strips thick-cut peppered bacon (1.8 oz.), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T molasses
• 2 T maple sugar (you can sub in brown sugar if you can't lay your hands on granulated maple)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dried chipotle pepper - soaked for an hour in hot water, cut into chunks - about 1/4 cup total
• 1/2 cup strained reserved soaking liquid from the chipotle pepper
• water to cover

Directions:

1. Place the dried chipotle pepper in a bowl and cover with boiling water, Let sit for an hour, and then strain the soaking liquid, reserving ½ cup. Chop the chipotle and set aside.

2. Rinse the beans and put them in a large pot, cover with water plus an inch cover the beans, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for an hour over very low heat.

3. Preheat oven to 300 F. Chop the onion or shallot into large chunks and set aside.

4. Mix together the maple syrup, ketchup, Dijon mustard, molasses, maple sugar, Kosher salt and reserved soaking chipotle liquid and add the chopped chipotle and onion or shallot.

5. When the beans are tender, drain them and place in a bean pot, then add the bay leaf and bacon pieces and pour in the maple-chipotle sauce. Stir well, then add more water until the beans are covered.

6. Cover with aluminum foil and then nest the lid down tightly and bake for 5 hours or until the beans are fully cooked. Check every hour or so, stirring the beans and adding water as needed to keep the beans covered. The beans are done when they are tender to your liking - some people like them mushy; others like a bit of bite left to them.

7. Serve hot, preferably with a slice of piping-hot Boston brown bread topped with a pat of cold butter:

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Beans and Greens with Sausage

This summer has been the summer of greens and beans, separately and together. I've picked up a bunch of rainbow chard or Swiss chard just about every week at the Tuesday Downtown Farmers' Market, and I've most often been tossing it into a pot of lentils and cooking it down to something between a lentil mash and lentil soup. Season it with a generous squeeze of sriracha and finish it with a splash of vinegar and lemon juice, and you have a fantastic dish.

Another favorite has been kale.

More often than not, in this house, kale ends its days as salty, crunchy kale chips, though I also enjoy a really simple preparation braising it in olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. I'd heard people for years rhapsodizing over Tuscan white beans, escarole and sausage, and I thought I could make something similar using kale and a Portuguese spicy sausage like chouriço or linguiça. It's a lot like the Portuguese soup Caldo Verde, though minus the potatoes and not as brothy. The beans break down and release some of the starchiness into the broth, thickening it into a spice-speckled sauce, just begging to be sopped up with a crusty Portuguese roll.

Beans and Greens with Sausage

Ingedients:

• olive oil
• 1 lb. chouriço
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 large bunch of kale, washed and leaves ripped from the central rib (about 4 cups)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 t cumin
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 t granulated garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Slice the chouriço into 1/2 in. rounds, and then cut those into fourths. Saute them in olive oil over medium-high heat until browned, then add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft.
2. Toss in the roasted red bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes, then add the drained beans and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and then toss the kale leaves on top and cover it tightly and let steam for 5 minutes. 
4. Stir to mix everything well and add 1 cup of the chicken broth and cover tightly and let cook until the kale is well wilted, and the beans are starting to break down and become creamy.
5. Uncover, add the wine vinegar, granulated garlic, the rest of the cumin and salt and pepper to taste and more broth. Stir well and let cook uncovered another 5 minutes, then mash down some of the beans with the back of your wooden spoon or spatula and serve.

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Minted Fava Bean Puree

Fava beans are tricky. Not only do fresh favas need some extra-special care in getting them to the point of edibility - who knew there could be so many layers to a bean - there is also the Hannibal-Lecter factor to consider.

Here you go, get it out of your system:

But fava beans, also known as English beans, broad beans and pigeon beans, are wonderfully creamy with a slighty nutty flavor. They have a firm bite to them when parboiled just right, and yield an amazing buttery texture when made into a puree. Like most legumes, they pack a powerful punch loaded with fiber, and these babies also carry along a goodly amount of iron.

Pick up a couple pounds at your farmers' market, then roll up your sleeves and get ready. First, you need to string the beans and shuck them.  Next, parboil them and then you can remove the waxy coating from the outside. Once you've done that, you get to the center where a creamy, pale green nugget awaits. Trust me, it's worth the wait. Or, for the faint of heart, you could buy them already shucked and shelled in the refrigerated section of the grocery department, but that'll cost you more. If you're not as enamored of the zen-like process of food prep and getting your mise en place  en place as I am, I'd suggest you take the hit to your wallet and opt for the pre-shelled beans.

Favas work wonderfully in salads, pasta dishes and pair uncommonly well with an assertive cheese like pecorino. I'm not kidding - shave a piece of pecorino and stick a bean or two on it and chow down. Repeat at will. It's heaven. Mint is another flavor that seems made for fava beans, and I'd suggest you reach for the fresh mint whenever you can. Pureed together, they create a creamy and satisfying puree that makes a fantastic dip or the perfect spread for crostini.

Minted Fava Bean Puree

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fava beans, shelled & cooked
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of half a lemon, appr. 1 T
• 2 T fresh mint
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Puree the fava beans in a food processor until well chopped.
2. Add the minced garlic, mint leaves and lemon juice and pulse until blended.
3. Drizzle in olive oil and continue processing until you reach the consistency you prefer. 
4. Season to taste with sat and pepper.

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Black Bean Soup

This soup is replete with tomato flavor, so if you are looking for a more deeply "beany" soup like the kind at Panera, you'll have to look elsewhere. Like that other soup, this is deeply satisfying on those cold winter months.

The fresh cilantro in this dish makes a pretty bold flavor note, so if you happen to be one of those people who absolutely cannot abide cilantro, don't worry, it's plenty flavorful without it.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup black beans, dried 
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch (less than 1/8 teaspoon) baking soda - See Notes
• water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper chopped
• ½ hot green pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon chipotle chili seasoning*
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• fresh cilantro, chopped plus additional (to garnish)
• Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Soak the beans overnight or do a quick soak by placing the dried beans in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover twice over. Add a pinch of baking soda and bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit, covered for 2 hours.


2. Drain the beans and rinse very well. Then place beans back in the saucepan.


3. Add 3 cups water and bay leaf.


4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until beans are tender. Check the water level occasionally, adding more as necessary.


5. Remove bay leaf. Drain the beans.


6. In a medium sauce pan, over medium-high heat, sauté onion, and shallots in olive oil until they become soft and translucent.


7. Add the celery, hot pepper and bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.


8. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.


9. Add the chipotle chili seasoning, the can of tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a rolling boil.


10. Add the drained, cooked beans.


11. Reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes longer.


12. Remove about half of the mixture to a blender and puree return pureed soup to the pot - or if you have an immersion blender, use it in the pot.


13. Stir in the salsa and about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.


14. Taste to adjust seasoning. Add the cumin and more chipotle chili seasoning if necessary.


15. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a healthy dose of Greek yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer) and a few more sprigs of cilantro.

* Chipotle Chili Seasoning

I made this to replace the sodium-laden packet of taco seasoning for that 7-layer Taco dip. It was so good, that I've decided to use it in everything that might be considered remotely Mexican.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or pulverized dried chipotle chili
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika - if you can find pimentón, smoked Spanish paprika, use this
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.


2. Store in an airtight container, like an empty spice jar.

Notes:

1. Adding baking soda to the soaking phase is supposed to help reduce the gas factor of the beans. I honestly do not know if this is real or just another kitchen myth, but in my experience, it seems to work. Then again, I also take Beano some of the time. I am also used to a diet rich in beans and legumes, so perhaps it doesn't effect me as harshly as it does others.


2. For a "beanier" taste, you could add the beans' cooking liquid in lieu of some of the vegetable broth.


3. More fun links dealing with the cilantro issue:
   
   • Why Do People Hate Cilantro?
   • Fuck yeah, Cilantro
   • NPR: Getting to the Root of the Great Cilantro Divide
   • Science Blogs: Do You Love or Hate Cilantro?

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Red Lentils over Quinoa Pilaf

I love red lentils in soups, stews and dhals. Just as the various spices that accompany them lend heat to the dish, so does the vivid color of the lentils perk up the dish. On this frigid day I have been looking for a comforting dish to warm me up, so I tossed some things together and served it over the leftover Quinoa Pilaf from last night's dinner.

Red Lentils over Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1 stalk celery, diced finely
• 1 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely
• 1/2 cup of diced carrot
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped (about 2 T)
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
  
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 T tomato paste
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• coriander
• cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• turmeric
• hot sauce
  

Directions:

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
   


2. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
   


3. Add the bell pepper, carrots and garlic, stirring well.
   


4. After 5 minutes or so, when the vegetables have softened significantly, add the tomato and stir well.
   


5. Add the red lentils, turn the heat to high and add the water, the tomato paste and the spices.
   


6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, keep covered and let simmer for 30 minutes.
   


7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Here's where I add the hot sauce.
   


8. Simmer uncovered another 15 minutes until the lentils are no longer crunchy. You may add more water if you prefer a more stew-like consistency, but I prefer it with a texture more like dhal. I even sometimes use a potato masher and smash the lentils a bit.
   


9. Serve over rice or pilaf of your choice.

Notes:

• See this post for my pilaf technique.

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