Low and Slow Baked Beans

My mom was always the head chef in the house until my love for cooking blossomed and I began to take over cooking some dinners here and there, and then more and more as time went on. My dad was never much into cooking, but when he did, it was either a really weird combination of leftovers that usually only someone super stoned could think of, or it’s a sandwich, eggs, something on the grill, or baked beans and hot dogs.

The guy loves his baked beans and hot dogs, and so do his parents, my grandparents, who happen to live in an addition on my parent’s house. They eat beans and hot dogs every week (always Busch’s with onion) so you can see where he gets it from. Baked beans are therefore in my Sedler blood, spanning back to multiple generations of Sedlers enjoying that classy meal – protein packed, cheap and extremely nutritious (jk). My grammy on my mom’s side makes a mean homemade baked bean, as well. I was basically born to be a baked bean connoisseur.

As a proud home cook, you can imagine I’m not necessarily thrilled about the idea of Busch’s canned baked beans. In a pinch, I don’t mind them, but you can’t beat a slow cooked, from scratch recipe. I’ve made and altered multiple different recipes and I’ve finally settled on absolutely the best baked bean recipe on planet earth. Here’s how she’s done:

The beans are soaked overnight – 100% better than buying canned beans. Bacon is cooked down to render some fat and salty-savory flavor, then sautéed with some onions (tribute to Busch’s with onion for Nana & Grandpa!) and jalapeno.

Then everything is slow cooked in a classic, mouth-watering sauce of molasses, tomato paste, brown sugar, jalapeno, mustard and (secret ingredient) liquid smoke. The length of the cooking time allows for serious flavor development and the beans absorb so much of the spicy-sweet sauce. Oh my god it’s unbelievable.

Then you experience heaven in its sloppiest form, sop up the sauce with cornbread, wash it down with a  cold beer, let out a satisfying burp – you know the deal.

This is comfort food for me. It’s my dad and my grandparents. It’s no frills, no fancy ingredients, just good home cooking, heart-warming, satisfying and delicious… the best baked beans I’ve ever had. I would serve this to the POTUS without question of its worthiness (well maybe the current POTUS doesn’t necessarily deserve it but that’s another story).

This recipe is perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July or any good ol’ Summer cookout with family and friends. Best served with smoked ribs, cornbread and a fresh salad.... Hint hint, all of which will be blogged about soon :)


I'm sure this could be altered to be a crockpot recipe - just cook the bacon, onion and jalapeno on the stove then transfer to a crockpot and add remaining ingredients. Set on low for 5 hours or so or until the beans are tender.







Low and Slow BBQ Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb Great Northern Beans (dried, not canned)
1 lb bacon, cut into pieces
1 large or 2 small onions, diced
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp liquid smoke
Chicken/vegetable broth
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Put beans in large bowl or pot and just cover water and soak 10 hours/overnight. Drain the beans and save the soaking liquid.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 
• Heat oven safe/cast iron dutch oven on stove over medium heat. Add bacon, onions and jalapeno with a pinch of salt to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, when onions are just tender. Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, mustard and liquid smoke and stir. Add in the beans, and the soaking liquid plus however much broth to make 4 cups. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. 
• Bring to a boil, stir and cover with lid and cook in oven for 5 hours or until the beans are tender. 

Bahn Mi Tofu Bowls w/ Spicy Chili Lime Sauce

Have you ever had a Bahn Mi before? It's a Vietnamese sandwich generally filled with a meat, pickled vegetables and peppers and it's light and bursting with flavors and spices. The last tofu bowl I made (here) really turned me on to the idea of more flavorful, colorful, nourishing meals in one hefty bowl and a Bahn Mi rendition seemed like a fabulous option. The last one was out of this world good but this one might be better....It's a tough call but man, this is so delicious. My heart sings just looking at the picture.

Brown rice, white rice or quinoa is your base (or cauliflower rice if you're extra ambitious). It's topped with tofu (or chicken if you're not feeling vegetarian) marinated in soy, fish sauce, sugar and five spice and pan fried in coconut oil to crispy, savory perfection. The five spice pairs so well with the other bright, fresh flavors in this bowl.

This tofu seriously might be the best tofu I've ever had. I've become head over heels in love with tofu. My meat loving boyfriend is gonna kill me.

Then comes the carrots and daikon pickled with rice vinegar and coconut sugar to a crunchy, fresh, sweet & acidic bite. You can use regular sugar if you want but I like the subtle sweetness of coconut sugar - and it's a healthier option. Finally it's topped with scallions, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno and of course some gorgeous slices of avocado. Oh, and some crushed peanuts.... very important, as well. Then the kitchen sink comes along and joins, too. Just kidding. I'm done now.

Actually, wait. One last thing, which is actually the subtle star of the show - the creamy chili lime sauce drizzled on top to tie it all together. Yaaaaaaas it's unreal good.

It's a meal that transports you to a different place....... it could be either Vietnam or just a really great Vietnamese restaurant. Both are likely better than eating dinner on your couch watching Netflix. If I had any Vietnamese friends, they'd be proud of this dish, for sure.



Don't get overwhelmed with the slightly long list of ingredients. The preparation and technique is very simple, it just has quite a bit of things going on! Trust me it's absolutely worth it and with some advanced prep it's not tough at all. To reheat for a quick a dinner throughout the week, heat the tofu on the stovetop instead of microwaving to keep it crispy, microwave the quinoa/rice, and assemble!

This recipe is enough to serve four people hearty portions.







Bahn Mi Tofu Bowls w/ Pickled Carrots & Daikon and Spicy Chili Lime Sauce

Ingredients:
Pickled carrots & daikon:
1-1 1/2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks (2-3 carrots)
1-1 1/2 cups daikon (Japanese radish) cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar, coconut is healthier and less sweet)
1/2 tsp salt
Crispy tofu:
14 oz extra firm organic tofu
1 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp coconut oil
Chili lime sauce:
1/4 cup mayo (can sub out 2 tbsp for non-fat greek yogurt to lighten it up)
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp garlic chili sauce*
1 tsp honey
To serve (very flexible measurements, people can build their own bowls, this will serve approx 4):
4-5 cups cooked quinoa, brown or white rice
1-2 cups sliced cucumber
1/2 cup pickled or fresh chopped jalapeno
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 - 1 cup Fresh chopped basil & cilantro
2 avocados

Directions:
Pickled carrots & daikon:

• Bring water, rice vinegar, coconut sugar and salt to a boil to dissolve sugar. Pour over carrots and daikon in glass bowl and toss to coat. Let sit and once cool, cover tightly with saran wrap and place in fridge for at least one hour to overnight. 
• Once they've reached your desired pickle but are still delightfully crisp, dump out pickling liquid. You want them to stay fresh & crunchy if you plan on storing them for another day.
• (Note that this isn't a preserving technique, it's a quick pickling technique and can be stored in the fridge for about a week)

Tofu:

• Drain liquid from tofu package and cut into bite sized pieces, 1/2-1 inch. Lay on paper towel lined plate, top with paper towel and press gently to absorb as much liquid as you can without smooshing the pieces. 
• Mix together soy sauce, fish sauce, five spice, garlic powder and sugar. Add tofu in large ziplock bag with soy sauce mixture to marinate for a half hour minimum to overnight. 
• To cook tofu, remove from bag on paper towel lined plate and repeat same step as above to dry them out. Toss the tofu in a bowl with 2 tbsp cornstarch. 
• Heat coconut oil in  large skillet over medium-high/high heat and fry tofu a few minutes each side to brown. Get those babies nice and crisp! 

Chili lime mayo:

• Thoroughly mix together mayo, lime, chili sauce and honey. Set in fridge until ready to serve.

To assemble bowl:

• Fill bowl with quinoa/rice. Top with tofu, pickled carrots & daikon, cucumbers, jalapeno, peanuts, basil, cilantro, avocado and a drizzle of the chili lime sauce.

*For the chili garlic sauce, I recommend using Huy Fong (same brand as Sriracha with the rooster). You can find it at some grocery stores and most all Asian markets.

Caramel Delight Cupcakes

I can't think of a packaged cookie that is better than a Caramel Delight. Yes, I've been told they're known as Samoas now, so I guess it's been a while since I actually bought them but to me they'll always be my beloved caramel delights. A crispy, buttery shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted coconut and caramel for a perfectly crunchy yet chewy treat. Ugh those were so good!

My friend's birthday was next on my special occasion baking list and she's a cupcake lover. I knew I had to come up with something worthy of a 26th birthday in delicious bite sized cake form, and the idea of Caramel Delights magically popped into my mind. Without hesitation, I knew I had my game plan.

There are many recipes out there and I combined multiple into what I thought was ideal. A yellow cake (gluten free if followed below) dipped in a dark chocolate ganache, then topped with a caramel buttercream, toasted coconut and a chocolate caramel drizzle. When I was done I just stepped back and looked at them and they legit look like they came straight off the shelf of a bakery. Sometimes you just gotta admire your work :)

I doubt I need to explain to you the wonder that is a flavor combo of chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut. You look at these and you know they're going to be good. Sweet, decadent, nutty, salty, chocolaty (aka heavily addicting)... just all that is good in the baking world. If I could incorporate peanut butter in there somehow, I don't know if I'd ever need another dessert in my life. Except creme brulee, that's my true weakness.

These babies look fancy AF but they really aren't too time consuming. Bake the cupcakes the day ahead so they have ample time to completely cool. The day you plan to gift them or consume them, whip up the frosting and ganache. Try not to eat all of either of those before actually topping the cupcakes... that's probably the most difficult part. I also recommend toasting extra coconut to put in yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies or salads. You'll be happy you did!

I made them gluten free because I didn't want to endure the kind of torture that would be only looking at these tasty works of art and not actually being able to eat one. I used a classic gluten free yellow cake recipe using my favorite Bob's Red Mill One-to-One flour mix and was very happy with the outcome. It's moist and tender with a satisfying chew and it doesn't have a crumbly texture. That's a super win for a gluten free cake recipe! Of course you can use any yellow cake recipe you prefer (or even a box mix, do your thing!).


These are great for a special occasion treat, whether it's a holiday, birthday or cookout! (Yaaaaaaas cookout season!) The recipe makes 12 cupcakes.






Caramel Delight Cupcakes - w/ gluten free cake recipe

Ingredients:
Gluten Free Cake:
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free One to One baking flour*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg and 2 egg yolks, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk, room temp
1 tsp cider vinegar
Ganache:
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream - boiling
Caramel Buttercream:
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup caramel sauce (such as a premade sundae sauce)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup toasted coconut**

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with paper liners.
• Mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. 
• In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add vanilla, and eggs one at a time and beat until it's light. Mix the milk with cider vinegar and slowly beat in the sugar mixture. Just when it is combined, beat in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time until it's smooth.
• Fill muffin tin 3/4 full with batter and bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before the next steps - such as in the fridge for an hour or overnight. 
• To make the ganache, pour boiling cream into a bowl with chocolate chips and cover with foil. Let sit for a couple of minutes then stir to combine and melt chocolate. Cover and let sit for ten minutes or so to cool slightly. Dip the cupcakes in the ganache to completely cover the top. Scoop the remaining ganache into a plastic bag to drizzle over the top.
• To make the frosting, (ideally in a stand mixer with paddle attachment) beat the butter until it's smooth and pale then beat in the powdered sugar, caramel sauce and vanilla. Beat until it's well incorporated, smooth and light, just a minute or so. Put frosting in a large ziplock bag and cut the tip to pipe onto the ganache. 
• Top with toasted coconut, a drizzle of the remaining ganache and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Optional to top with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt - that's my favorite.

*You could use another gluten free baking mix that's meant to be substituted cup for cup, as long as it has xantham gum in it - though I've found this one of Bob's to be by far the best

**To toast coconut, spread it evenly in thin layer on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 5 minutes or so until it's lightly brown.










Recipes adapted from www.ohsweetbasil.com and meaningfuleats.com

Turkey Taco Salad w/ Creamy Salsa Dressing

I was in the mood for Mexican and also was feeling the continuation of the salad kick I’ve been on over the past few weeks, so taco salad it was. All my favorite taco flavors lightened up by removing the beloved corn tortilla and loading on the veggies…. Feel free to top with crushed tortillas, though :)

(Featured on my Maine cutting board - the first Christmas gift Charlie ever got me and he always makes fun of me for never using it because I'm afraid to dirty it because I love it too much.....)

There are a million ways you can make a taco salad. I like this recipe because it mixes together the majority of the veggies in a sort of relish making it really easy to assemble. Sweet corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and PICKLED jalapenos (yessss!) tossed with cilantro and lime for a great combo of flavors, colors and textures…. Muy importante in a taco salad. And it’s healthy! And pickled jalapenos are my favorite.

Equally as important and wonderful on the salad is the dressing. A puree of salsa, light sour cream, lime juice, a lil olive oil and spices make for a perfect, healthy-ish dressing to tie everything together. It’s creamy and spicy and gives that roasted tomato flavor without dumping a spoonful of straight salsa on lettuce which to me just looks kinda weird. Plus there are enough textures going on so a smooth, creamy dressing is just what you need.

Last but not least you have lean ground turkey cooked in taco spices as yet another healthy twist on the salad. Oh and also black olives for a punch of briny-ness and the cheddar cheeeeeeese. So basically all the flavors you want are there. Once you make the relish, meat and dressing, during the week you can just microwave the turkey and layer the salad up and it’s lunch/dinner/fiesta in your mouth in 2 minutes!

Chicken, beef, shrimp or pork or tofu or soy crumbles or really anything would work fine as the protein in this, too. Or you could forgo that completely because there is a decent amount of black beans.

The recipe makes enough for about four salads.

PS - I didn't take a photo with the dressing on the salad because I'm impatient and taking a photo of a salad with creamy dressing all over it and making it look appetizing is surprisingly difficult.





Taco Salad w/ Creamy Salsa Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup salsa
3/4 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup drained canned sweet corn
1 cup drained and rinsed black beans
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 tbsp minced pickled jalapenos
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Black olives
Cheddar cheese
Salad greens

Directions:

• In a food processor or blender, puree the salsa, sour cream, olive oil, lime juice, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Put in mason jar or bowl and set aside.
• In medium bowl mix together corn, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapenos, lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.
• Heat skillet over medium-high and add a tbsp of oil. Add the turkey and season with cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and break down to crumbled until cooked through. Drain excess fat and taste to check the seasoning. 
• Assemble salad with greens, black bean & corn mixture, turkey meat, black olives and fresh grated cheddar cheese. Top with salsa dressing. 

Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast pizza will always remind me of college. Back in 2013 when I had my old blog at UMaine, this was one of the first recipes I made up and wrote about. I probably made 50 of these pizzas back in the day in the crappy Orchard Trails apartments and thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. They're filling, cheap, easy to grab and go, great leftover and soooo delicious..... especially at 3 am, which is most likely when we ate the majority of them. Oh, how I miss college!

Loaded with bacon, sausage, cheese, veggies and a thick layer of egg on a crispy but tender crust - it's like a quiche but it's a pizza so it's automatically better. So. Good. Eat it hot or cold! It's a great crowd pleaser and perfect to serve a group for breakfast or lunch, especially if you have a big day of hiking or skiing. Or just sitting on your ass, who cares.

I haven't made a b-fast pizza in so long because since I stopped eating gluten around 4 years ago, I haven't been able to find a crust that rises well on the sides to contain the eggs. You could use a 9x13 baking dish and use a gluten free crust and have it curve up the sides but I haven't tried that yet. Anyways, I made this pizza for my boyfriend to eat during his week of work in VT and it brought back so many college memories. He was obviously pumped about it, too, and said it was just as good as he remembered. These pizzas are the bombbbb.

I like the combination of spinach, peppers and onions but you could throw in mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, jalapenos etc. It's a very flexible recipe. I also of course like both sausage and bacon but you could use one or the other, or even ham. I've also used different cheese such as mozzarella, monterey jack and even chunks of cream cheese scattered on the top which is great for added creaminess.

My go to pre-made pizza dough for lazy days is Portland Pie Co. I use their garlic dough for the breakfast pizza which is delicious and smells fantastic baking. You just want a crust that you trust will rise well on the sides. Feel free to get all ambitious and make your own dough if you want. I'll save that for another day!






Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:
1 large pizza dough
4 pieces of bacon, ideally maple
1/2 lb breakfast sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
1/2 large red bell pepper, or one small one, diced
6 oz package baby spinach
7-8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp hot sauce
Salt & pepper
8 oz cheddar cheese
Optional 4 oz cream cheese, cut to small chunks for added creaminess

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cook bacon in skillet until cooked through and fairly crisp. Drain fat except 1 tbsp and cook sausage with casings removed, crumbling, until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Leave 1-2 tbsp of fat in pan.
• Add onion and pepper to the pan and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Just before it's done cooking, add in the spinach and stir, just to wilt it and remove the pan from heat.
• Lightly spray a large baking sheet (optional dust with cornmeal). Stretch out the pizza dough to fit on a large baking sheet. Lay on sheet with crust thick enough on the side so eggs won't run out. 
• Layer on the veggies, sausage, bacon and cheese. 
• Thoroughly whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Pour carefully over the veggies and be cautious of the sides of the crust so it doesn't overflow. If it does a bit, it's fine, just pick up the side again to prevent it from going crazy on you. If you can fit eight eggs go for it. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, more or less, until the crust is golden, eggs are set (but still slightly soft, not over cooked) and the bottom is crispy to your preference. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Cobb Salad

I’ve been on a crazy salad kick lately. It’s all I’ve been wanting and craving and I’m not talking iceburg sprinkled with a few pathetic veggies. When I crave a salad I want fresh leafy greens, loaded with different colors, textures and plenty of protein to fill me up…. Therefore cobb salads are my jam and this one is so good.

(Are there even greens under there?)

I like my salads BIG. Often times I put so much stuff on them they can’t fit in a regular sized bowl. I’ve actually resorted to using the same bowl I used to feed my sister’s Irish wolfhound as my salad vessel and I’m not ashamed. It’s big enough to mix a double batch of brownies in. A girl’s gotta eat!

This salad is loaded with roasted brussels sprouts, bacon (from a Peak's Island raised pig to be exact), hard boiled egg, blue cheese and veggies... and I meant to add avocado too but I forgot for this round that was photographed. It’s your typical restaurant style cobb salad, but at the same time it’s not something you necessarily think of making at home for a meal. Which you should! It’s so tasty! Just make sure you have a really big bowl :)

It’s hearty and filling and it’s a perfect main course salad to satisfy you after a long day. It’s also (like majority of the other things I’ve recently posted) a good recipe to prep in advance and eat throughout the week. On your prep day, throw the brussels sprouts and bacon in the oven and hard boil the eggs – 20 minutes and you’re good to go! Grilled corn goes so well with this but sweet corn straight from the can is good, too.

I rarely buy salad dressing because it’s so easy to make your own at home and avoid any unidentifiable ingredients, preservatives or unnecessary added sugar. The dressing for this salad is just three ingredients – balsamic, olive oil and honey. There’s no reason to buy a bottle! Add the dressing ingredients in a mason jar, shake it up and store it in the fridge to use all week. The acidity of it and punch of flavor goes great with the ingredients in this salad – and basically any salad for that matter.

As usual, it’s a very flexible recipe. Use whatever veggies you have on hand, add chicken or substitute ham, nuts, chickpeas, dried fruits, other cheese, etc. Yum yum!


PS - like I said before, writing a recipe for a salad is odd to me. Add however much of the veggies you want! I've just listed things to use and then given direction at the bottom in case you need a lil guidance.




Roasted Brussels Sprouts Cobb Salad

Ingredients:
leafy greens
roasted Brussels sprouts*
sweet corn (canned or fresh - grilled fresh is the best!)
shredded carrots
chopped cucumber
halved cherry tomatoes
chopped green onion
crumbled bacon (approx 2 pieces per salad)
crumbled blue cheese
hard boiled egg***
avocado
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Assemble the salad by loading the greens with all the toppings.
• Add vinegar, oil and honey in mason jar and shake up. This is enough for a couple salads but double it if you want it to last all week. Toss with salad.

*To roast Brussels sprouts, cut in half and toss 1 lb brussels sprouts with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or more depending on the size, until they're tender and starting to lightly brown in spots.

**To char the corn, heat a skillet, dry, over medium-high/high heat. Drain a can of corn well and add to skillet. Let cook a few minutes without stirring so it will char and cook until it is starting to get roasted in spots.

***To hard boil eggs, add however many eggs you want in a saucepan and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to boil then turn off heat, cover the pot and leave on the stove on the burner or ten minutes. Drain out water and cover with cold water (maybe even a few ice cubes) to stop cooking. Peel and slice for salad.