Thursday, July 29, 2010

Daphne and Homemade Baked Beans

My daughter is rarely ill.   In fact she hardly feels the cold so when she says she is sick I tend to immediately believe her without endless prodding and thermometering. 



This week we had such a day.   Given I was at home working anyway, it seemed opportune to cook up something comforting for her.    

For her, that is tomato on toast, or avocado on toast, or spaghetti bolognese, or perhaps baked beans.  Usually Heinz baked beans.  I do succumb to tinned food occasionally, doesn't everyone?  But I think what is really startling is the difference, in texture and colour particularly, between the tinned product and what you can make at home.    And it is probably worth mentioning that these are great for a hangover.  

I know that you can make baked beans with dried beans, and cook them slowly for hours and hours.  And of course, my dish is not exactly perfect itself, cooked as it is with tinned food.  But it has a really lovely reddish colour, and does not have that gelatinous slimy gluggy texture of tinned baked beans.    

This is my quick method.




Ingredients

1 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed gently
1 400 g tin of tomatoes
A couple of pieces of bacon or prosciutto, chopped into little squares
A small brown onion, chopped finely
One garlic clove, chopped finely

Method

Gently saute the bacon, onion and garlic in a little olive oil until the bacon is slightly browned and the onion translucent.

Add the drained beans, stir gently to coat with contents of pot, then add tomatoes.  Stir again and simmer for about 20 minutes or until thickened and not too runny.  

Season and eat.  


And this was her lunch. This plate is one of the two I bought when I bought my Devil Night Light last weekend.  



Our daphne has been happily flowering this winter, just like last winter.  I don't know why, we actually do nothing to help it along.   



I have started reusing my candle jars once they are burned out. If you soak them in hot water the left over wax tends to fall away. This is a tiny little frosted Manuel Canovas and is about the only thing I have found for daphne display.

This makes me feel considerably less bad about the original cost of the candle.  Am I the only one who thinks that cost does not necessarily equal high quality smelliness?   I actually like Voluspa the most, they scent a room really well and do not cost the earth.    I still can't bring myself to burn them constantly however.  Must be my Scottish ancestry.  

9 comments:

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Hi Jane - I am sending get well wishes to your dear daughter. I do hope she is feeling better. I so appreciate your recipe as I am not one for making the best baked beans. I had to chuckle about your Scottish ancestry..isn't that so deeply true? Oddly enough I am burning the Voluspa Burmese Rosewood candle as I type. Great minds think a like!

Wishing you a good Thursday xx

brismod said...

The grissini was a nice touch. I hope she feels better.xx

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

Thanks for your recipe Jane. I think I can even manage this one. Sorry to hear about your daughter. My Daisy is also home sick this week and this is a dish I shall try on her. xx

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

Jane, so many good things- I am going to copy the recipe. I also have recycled candle holders. I have assembled prs, sets, etc. Some of them are lovely and So perfect for just a few garden treasures. The Daphne is gorgeous. GT

JMW said...

Hope your daughter is feeling better. That recipe sounds like great comfort food! I wish my kids were more open to different foods - perhaps that will come when they're a little older. :)

The House That A-M Built said...

Oh you are a good Mum... great recipe. Hope your baby is feeling better soon. Mine too never get sick... if they do, they think they're dying! A-M xx

Jen said...

Love how you reuse your old candles! What a brilliant idea. I'm going to have to start doing that!! Thanks dear :-)

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Hi there Jane,
Please forgive me for not being the best of blogging buddies of late !!!! I seem to have been a little busy. We did gardening this weekend for what seemed like the whole 48 hours !! I ache all over !!
Your baked beans look delicious and I shall definitely use your recipe. .... and your Daphne looks beautiful. Such a beautiful soft and delicate colour. A good use of those candle jars too.
Very thrifty Jane.
Wishing your daughter better and hope that you all have a wonderful new week. XXXX

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Dear Jane
Sorry to hear your little one is unwell.. hope she is feeling better soon!! and I am another that needs to apologize for my absence.. I moved house but seems like my internet stayed at the old place.. well it feels like it some days..

You know the bean recipe is fabulous... I have those same canellinni beans sitting in my cupboard.. I'm suppose to eat beans everyday according to my dr...

this recipe should make it more enticing!! Hope you are well.. take care xxx Julie

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