Apple Bacon Baked Beans

Market Fresh 

It's that time of year again.  Did I mention that I don't like the cold?  The only part I enjoy about the cold weather is sitting down to a nice hot bowl of soup or stew that has simmered away all day.

I'm stepping out of my usual recipe zone for today.  No cupcakes.  No quick breads.  Just a good old fashioned  meal of baked beans.  Say what you will about them, they are a nutritional powerhouse.  They are quick (and cheap), full of fibre (and cheap), high in protein (and cheap) and, well, SOMETIMES they are low in fat (and don't forget, cheap!).  If you don't add a pound of bacon that is!

I'm not entirely sure where this recipe comes from to be honest.  It seems I say that a lot, but I've been in the kitchen from the time I was old enough to peel carrots, and most of what I cook is from memory.  I'm sure that at one point I must of read it in a book, since I certainly wasn't  interested in the internet when I was a teenager.  Granted, back then it was not a super highway, more like a winding country road with a speed limit of 10km/hr. If I remember correctly it was pretty bumpy too.  My how times have changed!

To save yourself the soaking and cooking time I suggest using canned navy beans.  Sure, they cost about a buck a can, but they do save a bit of time.  If you prefer to soak and cook dried beans, 2 cups of dry beans is equal to one 540ml (19oz) can.  I like to cook these in the crock pot and then refrigerate them overnight to let the flavours meld.  I do the same thing with chilli.  For some reason it just tastes better the second day.

It's hard to make beans look pretty....

Ingredients

• 2 540ml (19oz) cans of navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups of tomato juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 - 3 cooking apples, diced(try Cortland, Lodi, Jonagold)
• 1 good sized onion, finely chopped
• 6 rashers of bacon, diced
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste

In a Crockpot or Dutch oven, combine above ingredients.  Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.  I like to let them sit in the fridge overnight, and we reheat them for supper the following night.

I'm serious.  That's it.  You can double or triple the recipe with no problem.  And you'll never want to eat beans from a can again!

Cornmeal Tea Biscuits pair wonderfully with beans!

And just to get an a bit of cake in the post I'll show you what we had for dessert.....

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread