Giant Baked Beans With Roasted Red Peppers And Pastourma Recipes

BAKED BEANS AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then add the bacon and fry until almost crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Add the onion and peppers to the same skillet to cook in the bacon grease until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, jalepenos, mustard, salt and pepper, then stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cut the bacon into large pieces and place on top of the beans. Transfer to the oven to cook until bubbly and syrupy, about 2 hours.

GIGANTES PLAKI RECIPE (GIGANDES GREEK BAKED 'GIANT' BEANS)

Steps:

• To prepare the gigantes (Gigsntes) plaki, start by soaking the gigantes beans overnight into plenty of water. Drain them into a colander and rinse with plenty of water.
• Place the gigantes in a large pan with cold water, enough to cover them, add a pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes, until tender but not cooked. Drain them in a colander and set aside.
• In the meantime, pour into a large baking pan the olive oil, add the chopped onions, the whole garlic clove (peeled) and bake at 180C, until softened and slightly colored (approx. 15 minutes).
• Turn the baking pan out of the oven. Add the gigantes beans (drained), the celery, the parsley, ½ cup of hot water and season with salt and pepper. Put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn the baking tray out of the oven, blend the gigantes beans lightly with a wooden spoon and pour in the grated tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of oregano and bake the gigantes plaki further for 50-60 minutes at 180C, until the beans are soft and tender and the sauce thickens.
• For an easier alternative, after soaking the gigantes beans overnight, drain and rinse them. Place in a large pan with enough water to cover them and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain them and place into a large baking pan, along with all of the ingredients, cover with some aluminum foil and bake at 180C for approx. 2 hours. The last 30 minutes, bake without the aluminium foil. Enjoy!

ROASTED RED PEPPER GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• In a pot of boiling water, cook green beans until tender, 6-8 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pine nuts; cook and stir until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; sprinkle with salt., Drain beans; return to pot. Place cheese over warm beans to soften; toss to coat. Add red peppers; toss to combine. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.

MY BIG FAT GREEK BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Place Corona beans in a large bowl. Cover with a generous amount of water and let soak, 8 hours to overnight.
• Drain beans into a pot. Add 3 quarts fresh water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until just tender but not too soft, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Drain beans and spread into a large casserole dish. Add red onion, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, honey, 1/2 cup dill, olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, vinegar, and water. Mix until well combined. Place dish onto a lined baking sheet to catch any spills.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is bubbling and caramelized and beans are soft, about 1 hour. Check periodically and add more water if casserole is too dry.
• Stir casserole and smooth the top. Garnish with feta cheese and 1 tablespoon dill.

PERFECTLY BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Fry the regular chopped bacon in a large, deep skillet until the bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Add the onions, peppers and jalapenos, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, mustard and chipotles, and bring to a simmer. (If the skillet is not large enough, add the beans and heat to a simmer and then transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients). Pour the flavored beans into an aluminum pan. Top with the uncooked slices of bacon (you can halve the slices if you like). Then bake until the beans are bubbly and the sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
• Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil over the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

BAKED GIGANTES BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a small oven safe dish or casserole, combine beans with tomato sauce, parsley, and oregano, crushing the oregano in your palm before you sprinkle it into the beans. Drizzle beans with a touch of extra-virgin oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine ingredients with a final toss.
• Place in oven and bake 12 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and beans are heated through.

GIANT BAKED BEANS WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND PASTOURMA

Steps:

• 1. Soak the beans according to package directions or in ample water for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from soaking liquid, and place in a pot with ample fresh water (enough to come about 3 inches above the beans). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the flame to low and simmer the beans for approximately 1 hour, or until al dente. About 15 minutes before removing the beans from the heat, season with salt. Drain and reserve the boiling liquid.
• 2. As the beans simmer, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from their oil and finely chop. Add them to the onions and garlic, and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes to meld the flavors a little. Remove.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the beans and onion-pepper mixture in an ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish. Add about 2/3 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid, as well as 2 tablespoons olive oil and a little of the oil that the peppers were preserved in. There should be a fair amount of liquid in the dish. Season with the salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Cover the dish and bake for about 1 hour, or until the beans are very tender and their centers creamy.
• 4. In the meanwhile, prepare the pastourma: Cut away the tsimeni, or sticky spice rub, and cut the pastourma across the width of each slice into thin 1/3-inch-wide strips. Twenty minutes before the beans are done, toss in the pastourma. Five minutes before the beans come out of the oven, pour in the vinegar. Season to taste with additional salt. Remove from the oven, pour in the remaining olive oil, and serve. You can let the beans cool to room temperature as well. They also taste great the following day.

GIANT BEANS BAKED WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND PASTOURMA

Steps:

• 1. Soak the beans according to package directions or in ample water for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from soaking liquid, and place in a pot with ample fresh water (enough to come about 3 inches above the beans). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the flame to low and simmer the beans for approximately 1 hour, or until al dente. About 15 minutes before removing the beans from the heat, season with salt. Drain and reserve the boiling liquid.
• 2. As the beans simmer, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from their oil and finely chop. Add them to the onions and garlic, and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes to meld the flavors a little. Remove.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the beans and onion-pepper mixture in an ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish. Add about 2/3 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid, as well as 2 tablespoons olive oil and a little of the oil that the peppers were preserved in. There should be a fair amount of liquid in the dish. Season with the salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Cover the dish and bake for about 1 hour, or until the beans are very tender and their centers creamy.
• 4. In the meanwhile, prepare the pastourma: Cut away the tsimeni, or sticky spice rub, and cut the pastourma across the width of each slice into thin 1/3-inch-wide strips. Twenty minutes before the beans are done, toss in the pastourma. Five minutes before the beans come out of the oven, pour in the vinegar. Season to taste with additional salt. Remove from the oven, pour in the remaining olive oil, and serve. You can let the beans cool to room temperature as well. They also taste great the following day.

GREEN BEANS IN RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Place beans in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain. Pulse remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Toss with beans.

CANNELLINI BEAN SALAD WITH ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut red pepper in half; remove seeds. Broil pepper cut side down 4 in. from the heat until skin is blistered and charred, about 8 minutes. Immediately place pepper in a small bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes. , Peel off and discard charred skin. Cut pepper into strips; place in a large bowl. Add the beans, onion and basil. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper; shake well. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat.

GIGANTES (GREEK GIANT BAKED BEANS)

Steps:

• Cook the pre-soaked beans in a pressure cooker, with enough water to cover by one inch, for 20 minutes and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 2-3 hours before proceeding with recipe.
• Tip the beans into a large baking pan.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the dill, and stir well to distribute.
• Pour over enough hot water to cover beans by 1".
• Place pan in oven and set oven to 400°F.
• Bake for 2 hours. Check, if you like your beans more tender, cook them a half hour longer.
• Stir dill in for last 15 minutes of baking.
• There will still be plenty of juices in the pan, but these will be absorbed by the beans and thicken as the beans cool.
• Like nearly all bean recipes, these only improve the next day, and the day after next.
• In Greece, these beans would constitute the main, 'vegetarian' meal and would not include the bacon, which is my own addition. We often eat meatless, especially when we're fasting. With or without the bacon or sausage, this is good eating, especially with a big chunk of sharp feta cheese on the side to nibble on between bites of beans and slurps of sauce and some good, honest, crusty bread to clean your plate up with. :-).