Mom's Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans

My mom was famous for her Boston Baked Beans. They were dark and rich, sweet and a little tangy--with molasses and spicy mustard for a little bite. I’d get so happy when I saw she’d picked up the ingredients to make them! There is nothing like sitting down to a big breakfast (or dinner!) of steak, eggs and baked beans. Steak? Yes. I’m not sure if that’s just a New England thing. I was talking to a friend in Texas about it once, and she thought we were crazy! It’s not an everyday thing, mind you--just occasionally. If you haven’t had it, you should at least once. If you’ve never attended a traditional New England Ham and Bean Supper, again--you should--at least once. You can find one in any given town on any given Saturday evening in any given church.

There was nothing more disappointing, though, than going to a family get together where someone else made the beans. It meant that they’d opened a few large cans of baked beans and doctored them up. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But I’d been spoiled. Spoiled to the point where I could go into any breakfast joint and judge them solely on their beans. What a brat I was!

My mom passed away six years ago, and I sadly didn’t know how to make her beans. I knew a few key things, but never really paid enough attention to the process. All this time, I’ve been trying to decipher the code and find the right combination of ingredients. The correct process--the right cooking time. I can’t tell you how many batches of beans went untouched. Too many were too salty, too runny, too overcooked, just too wrong. I’ve been faithfully using her cast iron Dutch oven, too. It’s about the only action that pot has seen in the last six years. She always used a slow cooker, but I don’t have one. And the cast iron pot makes me feel like a pioneer, slaving over a hot bed of coals for her family. Do. Not. Laugh!

I’m thrilled to say that I think I’ve gotten as close as I’m ever going to get with this recipe. I based it on a recipe I found at Saveur. It seemed fairly close to what my mom did, aside from a few key things. I took those key things and applied them here--and jackpot! Or rather, bean pot! See what I did there?

There's the famous cast iron pot.

Mom's Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans

Serves about 6-8
Adapted from Saveur
Total cooking time: approx. 10-10/12 hours

Be aware that the beans need 90 minutes of soaking time before you can proceed with the recipe. I always seem to forget that and get so mad at myself!

1 lb. dried navy beans, picked over for pebbles and rinsed
1 medium yellow onion, diced fairly small
1-2 pinches ground cloves
8 oz meaty uncooked bacon, diced (I use an uncured applewood smoked)
1/4 cup plus about 2 tbsp real maple syrup
3/4 cup molasses (NOT Blackstrap, just regular) 
Generous 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard (I use Kosciusko Spicy Brown, half of a 9 oz jar)
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp cider vinegar

In a large saucepan, bring the beans and 10 cups of water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, pop the lid on, and let them sit for 90 minutes. Drain the beans and discard the liquid. 

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, add the beans, onions, cloves, bacon, maple syrup, molasses, mustard and water. Stir to combine. Put the lid on the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 3 hours. After the 3 hours, stir in the ketchup and vinegar. Put the lid back on and cook 5-6 more hours.

When the beans are dark brown and tender, and the glaze is nice and thick, they're done. I find I don't need to add any salt or pepper after cooking, but I'll leave that up to you. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

• My mom would start these late in the afternoon and let them cook all night long and late into the next morning. Her beans were seriously DARK. If you want to try that and let them go longer, I’d start stirring them after the 8th or 9th hour, and maybe turn the heat down to 200 degrees.
• Serve these, of course, with eggs for breakfast. They’ll be perfect at your next cookout alongside ribs, pulled pork, burgers, dogs--whatever.
• The mustard she used was always Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard, so that’s what I use. Use any one that’s convenient for you. And yes, add half of the 9 oz. jar! Trust me on this. It won’t taste like mustard at the end, I promise. That was one of her key things. “Use almost the whole jar of mustard.” I think that was for a doubled recipe, so I used about half.
• Her other key thing? Don’t put on onion in then take it out at the end--that’s silly. Dice an onion nice and small, and let it all cook down in there and stay in there. It all adds to the finished product.
• She used to use meaty salt pork, but for whatever reason, I can’t find any meaty salt pork. I use Trader Joe’s Bacon Ends and Pieces. It’s the meatiest bacon I’ve ever bought, and a total steal at $2.99! I probably shouldn’t be telling all of you about it, because you’ll all go buy it and leave none for me.

Autumn Butternut Squash Ravioli Salad

Fresh greens, crunchy and tender. Crisp apple and carrots, nutty toasted pecans, and tart dried cranberries, brought back to life. Dubliner cheese, thinly shaved, and beautiful butternut squash ravioli that’s been cooked to perfection, with hints of sage coming through. Top all of this with a maple balsamic vinaigrette, and you have this delicious Autumn inspired salad.

Ravioli in a salad? Sure, why not! We put tortellini in salads, right? Not only do they add great texture, but they turn a salad into a hearty meal!

I was contacted a short while ago by Sarah, representing Pasta Prima.  She wanted to know if I’d be interested in participating in their “Reinventing Ravioli” promotion. The idea is to kick traditional sauce to the curb and put a new spin on ravioli. I’m in! We love ravioli. I don’t make it myself, but I always find the fresh ravioli you can buy at the store to be such a treat. Not to mention a great quick meal. 

UPDATE: So...this Autumn Butternut Squash Ravioli Salad recipe won the contest! I was so thrilled! Pasta Prima kindly furnished $1,000 worth of kitchen essentials from Williams Sonoma. A huge thanks goes out to them!

I’d never tried Pasta Prima! Mainly because they’re not in my regular grocery store (Yet. I may have to throw a fit until they start stocking it!), and we don’t have a Costco that’s quite local. The good news is that I’ve found a store right in my area that does carry their line, so now we can have it anytime. Check the Store Locater on the right hand side of the home page to see if it’s in your area.

Their ravioli are just fantastic! We’ve tried the Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella ravioli, the Butternut Squash, and the Wild Mushroom. They also offer Gluten free and Organic options, too!

Oh! Pasta Prima also uses 100% natural ingredients just like we would use in our own kitchens. Their products are all made in small batches and minimally processed. We did a side by side taste test with some of Pasta Prima’s ravioli, and a favorite from a store we frequent. Not only did Pasta Prima’s taste better and fresher, but they were also more plump and pillowy, with more filling compared to the others. We’re sold!

Now, I know what you’re thinking about the salad. I do! You’re thinking: “That salad looks great, but it’s screaming for some bacon!” Right?

It is, isn’t it? And I had the bacon, just in my reach. It was perfect. Oven baked, crispy, deep golden brown, salty, savory…perfect. It was on the kitchen island, just waiting to be crumbled into that pretty salad. I had moved it too close to the edge, I suppose. Making room for the youngest kid to have his dinner. I walked away, foolishly. Next thing I heard was the plate hitting the floor. Running in, I found not a kid that had elbowed the plate. No. I found four very happy Corgis having the best “dog treats” ever made for dog treating. Little buggers! How could I get mad? It was my fault.

MY BACON!!! My perfect bacon. Gone in ten seconds flat. My advice to you? If you make this salad, add the crumbled bacon. It was delicious as is, but I just know that salty bacon would have been perfect. In fact, I made the croutons in the bacon fat! So we still had a bit of bacon flavor in there. I’m adding the bacon to the ingredient list since it was supposed to be in there in the first place. Ok? Ok.

Autumn Butternut Squash Ravioli Salad

Feeds two for a main dish or three to four as a side dish.

Salad:
1 (10 oz) bag ready to use Romaine
2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby greens (I have these in my garden, but you can use any other green you like)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, plumped in hot water and drained
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1 large carrot, julienned
1 apple, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz) package Pasta Prima Butternut Squash Ravioli, cooked and cooled (I saved the flavor packet for another day.)
bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled (keep out of dog's reach)
sharp cheddar cheese, for shaving over the top

Croutons (optional)*

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tsp Deli Mustard (spicy mustard)
2 pinches of apple pie spice (or more to taste)
1/4 cup golden balsamic
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
2 pinches ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For the salad:

First, cook the bacon. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon slices on the pan, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned and crispy. Remove the bacon from the sheet and set on paper towels to cool. SAVE the bacon fat for the croutons! Lift the foil, and tip the bacon fat right on to the baking sheet to cook the croutons in. Discard the foil. I had just enough bacon fat to nicely coat the bottom of the pan. Leave the oven at 400.

Croutons:

I had about 1/3 (approx. 4 cups when cubed) of a nice artisan Italian bread sitting on the counter, so I cubed it for croutons. Toss the bread cubes on the baking sheet with the bacon fat and drizzle with a touch of olive oil. Sprinkle the cubes with salt and pepper, then some garlic and onion powder-just a nice sprinkling, don’t coat them in the the powder. Toss all of this with a spatula. Bake for 7-9 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they're golden brown and toasty on the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. Bacony croutons!! (If you’re opposed to using the bacon fat, just use all olive oil.)

Vinaigrette:

At this point, make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients except the oil. Whisk to combine. Add the oil and keep whisking until everything's nicely blended. Set aside.

Assemble the salad:

In a large bowl, toss all of the greens with the cranberries, pecans, carrots and apples. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette, toss, and taste. Adjust and add more if needed. Remember-start with less than you think you need-you can always add more, but you can't take it away once it's in there. Add some of the salad to each serving plate.

Divide the ravioli and place over each salad. (I kept them mostly whole for the photos, but to serve, cut each ravioli in 4 pieces for good distribution in the salad. Also more graceful to eat this way, ha!)

Top each salad with crumbled bacon, shaved cheddar cheese, and croutons. Serve.

• I hope you’ll give this salad a try--with the bacon! It was fantastic without it, but would be even better with it, of course.
• If you’ve seen Pasta Prima products in your local grocery or Costco and wondered how they are, give them a try! They’re packed with flavor, and all natural. Two very important things.
• Lastly, don’t be afraid to serve ravioli without the sauce! I’m sure if you think about it, you can find different ways to use them.
• Oh--the apple pie spice in the vinaigrette. It adds a nice warm, spicy taste to the dressing. My advice is to add a couple pinches, and them taste to see if you want more. If you don’t have apple pie spice, you can use cinnamon with just a touch of nutmeg. Just a touch!

Cheddar Cornbread Bacon Pancakes

Or--Hungry Man Pancakes! Just look at the title. They’re hearty, stick to your ribs pancakes. Buttermilk Cornbread with cheddar cheese, then infused with rich, deep molasses, and topped with applewood smoked bacon. Yeah. These are insanely good, if I do say so, myself.

Be sure to check out my list of 15 recipes (besides these pancakes!) that would be great for Father’s Day at the end of this post!

Billy’s the Sunday breakfast short order cook in the house. Not always, but about 98% of the time. He enjoys it, and gives me a break from cooking. He takes requests, too. If I’m in the mood for French toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, any kind of eggs--you name it, he’s on it. Four kids sometimes equals four different kinds of eggs. Does it phase him? Nope. I’d be saying “You’ll have scrambled and like it!” Ha!

I’m the assistant. I make the toast, pour the juice, make the coffee, etc. I also usually make the potatoes if they’re on the menu. Because I make then good and crispy, the way they should be. I always judge a breakfast place based on their potatoes. They’ve got to be well seasoned and crispy, not lifeless lumps of bland, boiled potato.

When I told Billy the idea for these pancakes, he didn’t even blink an eye--he was all over it. I had an idea in mind of exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted a little sweet, a little salt, and a bit of smokiness from the bacon. Have you ever added cheese to your favorite cornbread? If not, you have to try it. In fact, I think these could have used more cheese. Next time.

So he’s making the pancakes and stacking them up. He always takes one off the stack and we test it. Do they need more vanilla? More sweetness? Are they too thick? We had no issues with this one, and in fact, he said “This is my pancake.” So I was all , “Oh, sorry, I’ll taste another one.” He laughed and said “That’s not what I meant-we’re sharing this one, but this my new official pancake!” Whew! Thought he was telling me to get my own damn pancake.

Which I gladly would have, because they’re full of awesome.

Cheddar Cornbread Bacon Pancakes

Makes about 15 4-5 inch pancakes.

The cornbread is based on a recipe that I've got in my computer files. Not sure of the original author, since the recipe was given to me by a friend.

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp neutral oil (I use grapeseed)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp molasses
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 pound cooked bacon, slices broken in half
Maple syrup (the good stuff!) for pouring over

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Measure out the buttermilk, and then whisk in the egg, oil and molasses.

Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff, and mix a few times. Add the cheese and stir just until mixed. Set the batter aside for 10 minutes and watch it rise! Like magic! Or, you know, it could just be from the baking powder and baking soda. Tell your kids it’s magic.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add some oil to the pan and add the batter using a 1/4 cup measure. Place 2 slices of bacon over the top. When the top of the pancakes start to bubble, flip them over and continue to cook until done. Do this with the rest of the batter. Now stuff your face!

• These would make your husband and/or Dad very happy on Father’s Day!

Other recipes for Father’s Day:

• Tortilla Wrapped Burgers with Guacamole
• Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Steak Wraps
• Honey Lime Chicken Tacos w/ Pineapple Salsa
• Nonna’s Lasagne
• Seneca Crisp Onion Turkey Sliders
• Watermelon Nectarine Salsa w/ Homemade Chips, Two Ways
• Loaded Fries
• Woodchuck Draft Cider Sorbet
• Classic New England Lobster Rolls
• Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta
• Roasted Veggie Pizza with Pesto
• Ginger Orange Smoked Baby Back Ribs
• Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa and Lemon Dill Remoulade Sauce
• Amazing Oven Fried Chicken
• Argentine Style Burgers

BLT’s, Dressed Up

You may remember my post a few weeks back on Loaded Fries.   A few of us on Twitter got together and made our own versions of the classic junk food, loaded fries.  We called it #GoJunkFood.  Chris Perrin challenged me again last week to do the same, but this time we tackled the classic BLT.  The idea for this challenge was to dress them up and make them a little more gourmet then they are.  Is mine gourmet?  I don’t know about that, but it is one damn fine BLT, if I do say so.

I'm a French bread, and I'm nomming your BLT!

BLT’s are their best right about this time of year, when tomatoes are at their peak--perfectly red, ripe, and all juicy drippy.  (At least here in the Northeast.)  Bacon?  Well, that’s good anytime of year, isn’t it?  If I’d had more time, I would have made my own bacon.  YES-you can make your own bacon at home, and it’s ridiculously simple!

I was wondering what I could add or change that would make a BLT really special.  I wandered over to figs (in my mind) and thought, “Hmmm, interesting…”  I was lucky to find some at our local farm, and bonus--only $2.99!  Then I realized I could make figs even more interesting if I grilled them.  B was grilling/smoking chicken that evening, so smoked figs made it on the menu.  If you’ve never had a smoked fig, RUN out and do it right now.   We use a blend of pecan wood and shells from a supplier that B had tracked down online. 

Enough talk, let’s EAT!

BFLT’s

• Your choice of bread
• Bacon (we used a locally raised bacon from a local farm)
• Tomatoes (fresh Heirloom, if you can find them.)
• Smoked Figs
• Horseradish Mayo
• Lettuce (also locally grown)

To grill the figs:

Wash the figs and slice them in half.  Toss with a little balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.   Grill for about 3 minutes per side.
If you're going to smoke them, follow directions for your smoker.  It doesn't take very long for them to get a nice smoky flavor--just a few minutes.

To make the horseradish mayo, just stir some horseradish right into your favorite mayo, which, for me--is Hellman's.

Assemble your BFLT’s and dig in!

Check out the BLT that Chris made with Sriracha Seafood Salad!

Heather also made her version last week:  Bacon, Apple and Brie Sandwich

   

 Bacon? I smell bacon! Gimme some bacon!

Loaded Fries

A couple of weeks ago, my husband told me that he had a craving for loaded fries.  Well wouldn’t you know it, the next day, I was craving them, too!  So annoying when that happens, isn’t it?   Don’t even mention spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, or homemade chicken noodle soup within earshot of me, or I won’t stop until I get them.   Well, damn--now I’ve done it!  Now I need all three! sigh.

I happened to be talking about it on twitter, and Chris (@BlogWellDone) said “So what’s stopping you?”  (I love twitter!)

Well.  Nothing was stopping me, was it?  Nope!  Soon we both decided to make some, because you know, every once in a while, you’ve gotta have some junk food.   Soon, Renee (@RJFlamingo) had joined in, too.   I guess we all have to be extra good this week since indulging over the weekend, right?  My lunch today?  A big bowl of steamed broccoli.  But, I just had three Oreos.  Kind if cancels it out, doesn't it? 

I was racking my brain trying to decide what to top my fries with.  I mean, put some loaded fries in front of me?  I’ll happily dive right in!  But ask me what I’d really like on them?   My mind was running in so many directions, and I couldn’t nail one idea down. 

Finally, yesterday morning, I’d figured it out.  Grilled chicken, bbq sauce, bacon, jalapenos, cheddar, sour cream and green onions.  Yeah, baby!   The final delicious loaded fries were:

• Crispy fries
• Shredded, grilled chicken tossed with bbq sauce
• Crumbled thick sliced Applewood Smoked Bacon
• Diced jalapenos
• Cabot Horseradish Cheddar
• Sour cream
• Green onions

My husband grilled the chicken in the afternoon, and we had the fries last night.  Looking back, I wouldn’t try to make a meal out of them?  But cravings make you do weird things. 

Anyway!  Super easy.  Are you ready?  This is so (not) complicated, so pay close attention: 

Loaded Fries, Elle's Kitchen Style

Your favorite fries (don't have to homemade-I used frozen)
Chicken thighs, grilled w/ bbq sauce, then shredded and tossed with more    bbq sauce
BBQ sauce (Trader Joe's Kansas City style)
Bacon (I used a thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon)
Jalapenos, diced (I used 2)
Cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Cabot Horseradish Cheddar-yum!)
Sour Cream
Green onions, sliced

Prepare your fries.  Like I said, I used frozen.  Get them as crispy as you can so they hold up well to the toppings.
When they're ready, transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Top with chicken, bacon, jalapenos and shredded cheddar.
Place under the broiler till they're done to your liking.  Keep an eye on them-this step is only a couple minutes long!
Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Dig in!

See how easy?  Again, this is one of those recipes where you’re only limited by your imagination.   Want chili?  Go for it!  Spiced shrimp?  Yeah!  Thinly sliced or bite sized chunks of beef?  Mmmm!  Or go vegetarian! 

Be sure to check out Chris and Renee’s amazing fries, too!