The time has come for beans to stand up and take a bow. No longer are they relegated to emergency staple status in the canned food section of your pantry. These days, beans are not only respectable, they are downright hip, appearing on fancy food magazine covers and in upscale restaurants, far beyond the world of Tex-Mex.
In keeping with this trend, here is a straightforward, spiced-up rendition of traditional baked beans that can be made with any type of bean or with a mixture.
This dish is good as a side, but it also qualifies as an entree, especially when topped with the entire list of suggested (but optional) toppings and accompanied by corn bread and a jumbo spinach salad perhaps garnished with diced fresh mango for contrast.
Serve this with iced passion fruit tea and a platter of fresh watermelon, and you have a perfect summer supper that feeds a crowd. As a bonus, you can make the beans up to several days ahead and reheat just before serving. Not only do the flavors stand up to reheating; they actually improve.
First, however, a word or two on chili powder. Chili powder is a combination of dried mild and hot chilies mixed with cumin, oregano and garlic. This is not the same thing as powdered chilies, which are just that: dried, ground chilies of many different varieties.
Chili powder is an Americanized spice and is readily available in supermarkets. You can also find variations on this theme in upscale culinary shops. It’s fun to buy several and do a sampling.
How do you taste chili powders to find what you love best? My favorite way is to saute a little in olive oil and drizzle it onto plain cooked white rice.
Spicy baked beans with molasses
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-sized carrots, minced
2 medium stalks celery, minced
1 medium bell pepper, any color, diced
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup dark blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup dark rum, optional
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (see note)
6 cups any kind cooked beans (see note)
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 to 2 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram, optional
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Chipotle or other salsa
Minced parsley and/or cilantro
Mango chutney
Sour cream
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion, ginger root and ½ teaspoon salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until onion begins to soften, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Add half the garlic, the chili powder, cumin, allspice and a few enthusiastic grindings of black pepper. Saute for another few minutes, then stir in the carrots, celery and remaining salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are just beginning to become tender.
Stir in bell pepper; mustard; molasses; rum, if using; lemon juice; tomatoes; and remaining garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the beans and dill (and marjoram, if using).
Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven undisturbed for 1½ hours. Serve hot, plain or topped with any combination of optional toppings. Makes 6 or more servings and is easily multiplied.
Note: This recipe calls for 6 cups cooked beans. If using dried beans, soak for at least 4 hours, then drain and cook in plenty of unsalted water until tender. If you prefer canned beans, use 3 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed well. To peel and seed a tomato, drop tomato into simmering water for 10 to 20 seconds (depending on the softness of tomato). Retrieve it and pull off the skin. Cut tomato in half and squeeze out seeds.
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