Boston Baked Beans

Bring a batch of these babies to the next picnic and nobody will ever miss the ham hock or bacon!

INGREDIENTS

1 inch piece of kombu, soaked 10 minutes & drained
2 cups navy beans, soaked overnight
Spring or filtered water
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 celery stalks, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup unsweetened apple butter
1/2 cup barley malt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup mustard
2 Tbsp. shoyu

Meaty Options: Add one of the following to add a bacony flavor to beans: 1/2 cup toasted dulse sea vegatable, OR 1 cup diced, fried tempeh bacon, OR 1 cup sliced vegetarian hot dogs for a beans-n-franks effect.

Mince kombu and place on bottom of a pot. Add drained beans and water to cover. Boil uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, or until beans are soft.

In a separate fry pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrot. Saute 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, adding little splashes of water if vegetables begin to stick to pan. Add sautéed vegetables to cooked beans, and simmer on low, covered, for 30 minutes.

Add apple butter, barley malt, mustard and shoyu. Adjust seasonings to taste. If adding meaty options, add them at this time. Cook another 20 minutes, or until thick and creamy, or transfer to a lightly oiled casserole and bake for 30 minutes at 350° F. Serve hot or cooled to room temperature.

Serves 6

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