This weeks recipe was chosen by Danica of Danica’s Daily. Check out her blog for the original recipe. As for the two of us at Apple Crumbles, this meal caused a bit of an upset the morning it was on schedule for dinner. This is what happened.
Ted: “What’s for dinner tonight?” Joanne: “Baked Beans and Ham”. Ted” “Ham? What kind of ham?” Joanne: “You know…ham.” Ted: looking in the fridge….”Where is it? I don’t see it? Is it the big smoky kind with the bone in or is it the sliced ham?” Joanne: “WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ASK?!” Ted:….very suspicious now…..”Is it SOY?!!!!” Joanne: “It’s not Tofu!” Ted: “In that case….”….. he takes off down the hall to the large freezer and extracts a package of nasty pre-formed 85% less fat Beef Patties. Big..well, not big, we don’t have BIG arguments, but a disagreement ensued and it went something like….cook your own dinners since I’m such a lousy cook….. don’t try to make me eat that stuff, I don’t like it….it’s silly not to try it…..etc. I ended up buying him a kibbeh sandwich for lunch (I felt bad about creating such a to do) and said (with a smile as we did share a good buy kiss after all the choice words in the morning)…”I bought you this since you have to suffer through such horrible meals all the time”….smarmy me…sarcastic… a bit of nastiness…all that good stuff. Ted smiled, unwrapped his kibbeh sandwich and enjoyed his lunch.
Now for the BEANS!
I thought the sauce was a bit thin. It was very light on molasses in comparison to canned baked beans, laden with heavy molasses. When I make these again, I won’t add the water and might increase the molasses by a tablespoon or two. The molasses was certainly detectable but just not enough for my taste.
The recipe:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 package LightLife “Baked Ham” (vegetarian substitute) – roll up each slice
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz petite diced tomatoes (original recipe called for a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, water, molasses, mustard, vinegar, pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, top with the “ham” if the people at your table will eat the LightLife ham.
If not – give ‘em the beans!
OH! … and serve the following terrific salad along with it….
This side dish paired so well with the warming beans. I did cut a few corners and bought the packaged sliced cabbage and carrot mix. It was “same day fresh” so I figured I wouldn’t do any better buying a whole head of cabbage and carrots.
Serves 6
- 1 (14 oz ) package coleslaw mix (green cabbage and carrots)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thin – skin on *Crisp and juicy apples, excellent for salads because they don’t brown as quickly as other varieties. They also have a crispier bite than other green apples.
- 4 green onions, green and white parts
- 4 radishes, sliced thin
Dressing:
- 3 TBS cider vinegar
- 2 TBS honey
- 3 TBS Dijon or Zesty Honey Mustard
- 1 large celery stalk, diced
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ground pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil (EVOO)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the honey, mustard, diced celery, salt, and pepper.
Gradually whisk in the oil until thick.
In a serving bowl, add the slaw mix. Toss in the apple, green onion and radishes.
Add about 1/2 of the dressing and toss. Let sit for 30 min. to 1 hour. Pour on the rest of the dressing, toss
and serve with your favorite main dish.
This was a really good pick the week of Christmas. It wasn’t a heavy meal. It was filled with all sorts of healthy fiber and nutritionally rich foods.
Thanks Danica for the opportunity to serve something that was so satisfying. And, in case you all are wondering, Ted did enjoy the beans, but not the “ham”.
Joanne
Hahaha!! Sounds like my husband!! Except I would have made him eat it. 🙂
That salad looks delish – right up my alley.
Have a great day, Joanne!
I think it’s just the stress of the season getting to me.
That sounds like my husband, too…except I’m not as nice as you are. I never cook meat for him, and I have to admit, I get a little grouchy when he cooks it for himself in my kitchen.
Cute dialog…always wonder what goes on in other people’s houses…lol. Your version looks very tasty. I didn’t make the apple salad…I didn’t see it listed, so I didn’t think that was part of it, oops…oh, well, I can always make that another time. Yours all looks wonderful, as usual!
Beautiful salad and beans! I love cool, crunchy salads and saucy beans together.
It’s too bad meat vs. soy is such a contentious subject in your house. I’m lucky enough to cook for a man who likes a little meat now and then but is happy to eat vegetarian alternatives on a daily basis. Maybe just avoiding virtual meats is the way to go.
I hate arguments with my husband. Always end up feeling like the “bad guy.” But that is kind of a funny argument. At least in 20/20 hindsight. I would’ve been “Ham? Blech. Don’t like that.” And I’m a meat eater. See what pickiness my guy has to deal with.
Love that coleslaw! I’ll admit, I skipped ahead reading just because the pretty coleslaw photos jumped off the page at me.
Wow, I keep seeing these great salads served alongside this meal! Your baked beans looked good, thin or not. I did not make the selection this week, but I still enjoy reading about how everybody else liked it. Have a happy holiday!
Hi Joanne. Thank you for sharing this great dinner idea. I love baked beans, and I am always looking for new recipes to try. This one looks yummy and I love the “ham” you included on top. The salad also looks great–fresh and crisp. I hope you have a great afternoon. Stay warm and safe!
Those beans look absolutely delicious! I bet they pair perfectly with that slaw too. I’m not a huge granny smith fan, but the tartness alongside a sweeter bean dish could be good.
OMG, I know I shouldn’t be laughing, but, I was totally cracking up at your “argument” and “makeup”. Thank you so much for cooking with me this week. Your pictures as usual are FANTASTIC. I like your take on “ham and beans” and LOVE your give’em beans sarcasm with it. I definitely LOVED that salad and will make it again for sure.
Have a great New Year!