Sweet and Smokey Baked Beans for Campfire Cowboys

So many recipes on Family Fork take healthy ingredients and different flavours, and (aim) to make them appealing and available to the whole family.  This recipe, conversely, takes a childhood favourite, baked beans, out of the tin and into super nutrition territory.   It’s also the easiest recipe I think I have ever put together.  No more turquoise tins needed in the cupboard!

Haricot beans, also know as navy beans, are rich in manganese and copper which contribute to mopping up nasty free radicals.  The high levels of iron, especially with the copper make these energy powerhouses, helping our red blood cells to work at their best.   Not only will they give us all childlike energy levels, but they will help stabilise blood sugar levels, resulting in consistent energy and, in our house, reducing two year old’s tantrums (for us, managing blood sugar levels is half the battle).  Finally, I can’t ignore the wonderful protein content, if you, your child or your friend, isn’t a cowboy (who isn’t nowadays?!) and doesn’t gnaw on meat and bones, ie is a vegetarian, these little pale golden nuggets at full of it.

We serve this with toast for breakfast, or as a fun weekday meal with some roasted chicken.  I’m desperate to host a firework night party and serve these, probably with some spare ribs- I’ll probably make my guests wear cowboy hats and drink out of metal tins too… If you want it dress it up for grown up cowboys, some quickly fried crisp bits of smoked bacon over the top and a dollop of sour cream would be beautiful.

The amounts below work for us, and balance sweet, heat, smokiness and savoury, but the nature of the cooking method – putting it all in a pan together, means that you can tweak the flavours as you go along.

These beans can be made a day or two ahead (keep them covered in the fridge), and get only more flavourful.  When reheating them, do so on the hob and add a splash of water if you need to loosen them up.

Ingredients

2 cans of haricot beans, drained, about 500g

2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 level teaspoons Dijon mustard

1-2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 level teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika

200l passata

Method

Put everything in a saucepan over a medium heat, give it a good stir.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Check flavours, and adjust to suit your cowboys.

Enjoy round a campfire.

My campfire was broken, so I used the hob.