Baked Beans is a nutritious, inexpensive, and easy dish to make. It can be adjusted for both vegans and meat-lovers. Beans are a great source of nutrients such plant-based protein, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of Lima, Cannellini, or Great Northern Beans or Canned Beans
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 3 Carrots
- Tomato sauce ~10 oz
- 3 Bay Leaves
- Black Pepper
- Oil
- Animal-based Protein (optional) such as pork, beef, or sausage
Directions:
- Soak the beans for 5-6 hrs in advance, or use canned beans if you want a quick dinner.
- Boil the beans along with the carrots until soft. Drain almost half of the water. The amount of water you keep depends on the desired thickness of the final outcome.
- Meanwhile, saute the chopped onions until they are tender while stirring occasionally.
- Add your choice of protein (if any) to the sauted onions until the meat browns (several minutes). Stir occasionally.
- Add the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and bay leaves, and and bring it to a boil.
- Add the above mixture to the cooked beans.
- Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish, place it in the oven at 375 F, and bake it for ~25-30 minutes or until the water volume decreases until the desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, for a shorter cooking time, you can cook it on the stove in a large skillet.
- You can serve it with pickled mushrooms (click here for the recipe) or pickled carrots (stay tuned for the recipe).