This will be especially useful for my French ex-pats out there (you have to take out a mortgage to buy them)! A tasty baked beans recipe has always seemed like an impossible feat to achieve. Not no more…

On the 2nd January we started our regular attempt at the “New Year New Me” challenge… as I think a lot of us do, or at least try to do. My partner Selina stumbled upon a 28 day program that tackles our seasonable over indulgence through tackling metabolism. Jacqueline Whitehart’s Metabolic Fat-Loss Diet grew out of the Five Two Diet…

One of the phases included a recipe for Homemade Baked Beans… tried lots of different recipes and never quite hit the mark. This one does… with a few twists of our own. It’s also vegan and relatively healthy… give it a go!

What you need…

Haricot beans… one 400g tin, drained.

Tomato purée… one tablespoon.

Olive oil… one tablespoon.

Henderson’s Relish…this a vegan substitute for Worcester Sauce. Any similar relish will be ok but may change the taste.

Red wine vinegar… one and half tablespoons.

Maple syrup… one tablespoon.

Soy sauce… one teaspoon… we used dark but ok with either. Tamari sauce gives a richer taste!

Water… a cup or two.

Red chilli flakes.. to your preference as usual (optional)

Garam masala… a pinch (optional)

Fresh coriander… a small handful… chopped (optional)

What to do…

1. Heat the oil in a pan… on a low heat.

2. Add the tomato purée… and fry for a minute.

3. Add the Henderson’s, water and haricot beans… raise the heat and bring to a simmer.

4. Now pour in the red wine vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce… reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for a minimum of 4 minutes.

5. Finally add the garam masala and chillies… stir in and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Keep adding splashes of water to keep the consistency you want.

If you are not a Vegan.. add a knob of butter just before the end and stir through. You’ll end up with a richer creamier sauce!

Gluten free bread

What to do next…

Have them however you want them!

We serve them on crusty toasted jalapeño gluten free bread… mmmmm!

Enjoy!