Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans

It’s all very well starting the New Year with vibrant super food salads, but dark, cold January also requires some comfort foods.

You can obviously buy baked beans in any shop easily, but I’d say its still worth giving this recipe a go. These beans are a class above – sweet with dark muscovado sugar and molasses, tangy with balsamic, mustard powder and smoked paprika, and as spicy as you like!

I made mine without chilli so Big and Little S would have some too, but a big hit of spice would be most welcome.

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

serves at least 4

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tins haricot beans
• 1 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 2 tsps English mustard powder
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsps tomato puree
• 1-2 cups of water
• 2 tbsps soy sauce
• 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsps tomato ketchup
• 1-2 dried chillies (optional)

– Saute the onion (and chilli, if using) in the sunflower oil until thoroughly soft and starting to turn golden.

– Stir in the sugar, treacle, mustard, paprika, cumin and tomato puree. Briefly cook out.

– Add the beans and mix until fully coated with the spiced onions.

– Add the water, soya sauce, balsamic and tomato ketchup.

– Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.

– Gently simmer for at least an hour.

– Check the seasoning, adding more of any of the seasonings, as required.