Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Barbecue Franks And Beans

For this pot of franks and beans I soaked a half bag of dried pinto beans overnight than simmered the pot on medium-low heat for 2 hours until the beans tenderized. I used turkey franks and tossed in carrots for color and vitamin A. You can easily use canned beans to reduce your cooking time by 1 1/2 hours, which I do sometimes. The sauce thickens more as it cools. 
An old summer standby: On the 4th of July baked beans were on sale because the supermarket knows what people want to eat at a cookout. However, I returned cans of a popular brand to the grocery shelf because they contain too much sugar for my liking. Instead, I bought 5 cans of regular beans and made my own recipe of Barbecue Franks and Beans without adding any sugar. Barbecue sauce is sweet enough! And so, the dish was delicious. Here is the recipe for your next cookout:

Know that you can: Begin with a package of dried beans, but I did not think that far ahead, therefore used canned beans. Canned beans save the time of overnight soaking and are cooked and tender straight out of the can. (In other words, who the heck knew yesterday, come today I'd make baked beans?)  

Barbecue Franks And Beans
(About 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 ounce) beans (Any bean will do: navy, pink, pinto, Roman, etc.)
1 onion, diced
2 stocks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, diced (I like vegetables for oomph!)
1 large chicken bouillon (Use beef, pork, any flavor of bouillon.)
barbecue sauce to taste (I had about 1/2 cup of Kraft's hot barbecue sauce to clear out of the refrigerator. Sometimes I make my own BBQ sauce also.)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 squirt of tomato paste, if you have it (Leave out if you don't.)
Spices to taste: I used my Cajun spice mix and an extra sprinkle of dried powder garlic
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
2 - 3 franks, sliced (beef; or turkey franks. Turkey franks went into this batch. I grilled the franks with a 1/4 teaspoon of cumin in a pan 1st. When lazy I simply slice and toss them into the pot, but grilling separately adds a depth of flavor. Portions: If I use 5 cans of cooked beans or 1/2 package of dried beans I'll toss the entire package of franks into the pot and increase the amount of cumin. So eyeball how many franks to add ... to end up with the right ratio of franks to beans to barbecue sauce. Make sure you are left with some liquid in the pot.)
Photo: Frenchs

Directions:

1) On the stove top toss the beans, diced onion, celery, carrot, bouillon, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce/ paste, spices and sliced grilled franks with cumin into a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the mixture thickens. 

Eat hot. I served it with corn on the cob and my own version of Cole slaw.

Easy-breezy, no-fuss meal. "Delicious" doesn't always require lots of thought and time to pull together. BBQ beans can be cooked on the stove top or baked in the oven. Oven baked beans will require about 30 - 40 minutes depending on quantity. The stove top is faster. Both ways work! So glad I didn't settle for overly sweet, ready-made baked beans, but flavored my own.
Beans are tasty, filling and healthy. Let's eat more beans this summer! Make meat a side, or enhancer of a dish. Eating less meat is good for you, your budget and the environment.



Monday, May 18, 2015

Let The Barbecues Begin


Man Crates, a merchant who sells gifts for men, asked me to blog on the topic of outdoor grilling and to discuss the essentials that go into throwing an awesome barbecue. As it happens, May kicks off the season. With a little planning, a cookout can be fun and memorable for hosts and guests alike.

Consider these ...

Eleven Tips For Hosting The Perfect Barbecue:

1) It all begins with the people. Invite friendly, helpful people who like to mingle and talk to everyone. If your guests are genuinely nice, you will have good karma at your party. Fortunately for me, my friends are the type who if they see a need, will pitch in and help. They are delightful! (Here in Manhattan, I once saw a woman drop some chips on the floor and sweep the crumbs under a table with her foot. Unbelievable! Did she forget she was in someone's home?) Be sure to go around to introduce people. Set the tone for warm and friendly!  

2) A cheese platter (of Swiss, cheddar, brie, etc.) and crackers will get the party started. Perhaps some hummus and cut up raw veggies to munch also.

3) The traditional meats to grill are burgers, chicken, bratwursts or hot dogs. These usual suspects taste great grilled. Depending on your budget, there's also steak, ribs and fish. We use a Cajun rub on the chicken and beef for people who like spice. (Here are two other easy recipes for homemade BBQ sauce.) Cheddar cheese to top burgers, if requested. Other fixings are pickles, relish, tomato slices, lettuce, purple onions, ketchup and brown mustard. Sauerkraut for the bratwursts and hot dogs. We prefer whole grain, crusty breads.

4) For a large crowd, make a big pot of chili and batches of corn bread. Or a sizable ham. Better to have too much food rather than too little. Chili, or ham can be made days ahead of the barbecue.

5) Cold slaw, German potato salad, baked beans, grilled corn-on-the-cob and a green salad will round out a menu. We try to keep our sides relatively healthy.

6) Drinks can include ice tea, craft beer, plus fine red and white wines. In the past, we served soft drinks, but now try to keep it healthy. Pitchers of ice water favored with (1) mint, or (2) lemon slices are refreshing. Some people like to make a signature alcoholic drink, but we don't, to be honest. We'd rather eat than drink at a barbecue.

7) Often guests want to bring something. I think side dishes, bags of ice and desserts are thoughtful. Bring a signature side dish, cake, pie or cookies to help feed a hungry crowd. What you bring should be ready to serve (or display, if flowers) so it doesn't add to the workload of an already busy hostess. Don't make her stop what she's doing to get you a dish to reheat your food, or find a vase for your flowers. I never thought twice about bringing a hostess flowers sans a vase before I co-hosted several large parties, myself.

8) For cookouts, I like serving fresh, in season fruit like watermelon, cantaloupes, blueberries, strawberries, cherries or peaches. 

9) Ice cream is an easy crowd pleaser. Buy some wafer cones, and ask guests if they want one scoop or two ... delish! Don't forget the chocolate sprinkles.

10) Another essential element of a barbecue is listening to great music. So whip out the soundtracks of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, plus anything current you fancy. All your favorite artists playing while guests mix.

11) If you need games to turn the party up a notch, try playing musical chairs. Buy a few desirable prizes for the winners. Another fun activity is a dice game called Left, Right, Center. Click here for how to play. We found playing the game with real money (over chips) to be more fun. $3 per player is all it takes to add more excitement to the game. Keep it friendly!

And so, my tips for throwing the perfect barbecue come down to: Comprise a good guest list; prepare ahead as much as possible; keep the menu fresh, healthy, simple and pleasing; ask guests to bring ice, sides, or desserts; have lots of great music; plus a few backup games. Enjoy your guests!

You may also enjoy:
Life Is A Carnival
Chili, Mmm, Mmm Good
Summer Songs Of Yesteryear
Smokeless LotusGrill For Healthy Grilling