Cooking homemade beans is easy, especially if you own a slow cooker. Not only do these tasty beans improve with the long slow cook, but using a slow cooker (Crock-Pot) will save you money on electrical bills.
At first glance there appears to be a lot of carbohydrates per serving, but bear in mind that beans are a source of complex carbohydrates. There are only 2 tsp (10 mL) added sugar per serving; the rest of the carbohydrates are coming from the beans and the naturally occurring sugars found in the onions, apricots, and tomatoes.
The addition of dried apricots adds some natural sweetness plus a small dose of beta carotene.
Beans are packed full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, and antioxidants, plus they have a low glycemic index, which makes them one of the most perfect foods for people living with diabetes.
Per serving:
The night before: place beans in colander and rinse well under cold running water. Place in slow cooker and cover with cold water to cover by 2 in (5 cm) for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
The next morning: pour into colander; drain and rinse beans under cold running water. Set aside to drain.
In small bowl mix together cracked pepper, basil, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In large heat-safe bowl or large glass measuring cup, mix together boiling water, oil, molasses, ketchup, maple syrup, and vinegar until well combined. Set aside.
Place half of the beans in the bottom of the Crock-Pot. Sprinkle evenly with half of the onions and apricots. Evenly pour half of the canned tomatoes over top. Sprinkle with half of the spice mixture.
Repeat.
Pour water/molasses mixture over top, making sure that liquid is mixed in. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours or until beans are soft. Stir well and serve with coleslaw if desired.
Yogurt completely transforms the texture of these chicken thighs, making them tender and flavourful with bright notes of lemon and cilantro. Ideal for a day trip, these can be marinated in the morning and cooked in the evening, but they also work well when cooked in advance and packed for a picnic to be eaten cold. Marinade mentions Marinate chicken thighs for anywhere between 4 and 24 hours. Discard excess marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken. It should not be consumed uncooked.
Citrusy and slightly sour sumac and a touch of maple syrup enliven pickled onions in a perfect complement to this salad. Kale and Napa cabbage stand up for hours to the sweet and puckery dressing, and hearty farro will keep you going while on the road. This salad is sure to be a favourite for picnics, backyard potlucks, or road trip lunch stops. Dressing for dinner This salad stands up well, even while dressed, for up to 4 hours. (Truth be told, I’ve often happily eaten it the next day.) In fact, time helps kale to soften up and become even more delicious. If you’re travelling for a longer period, make the pickled onion dressing as described above: let it stand for about 20 minutes, and then add all the oil and pack it into a separate container so you can finish the salad when you arrive at your destination. The pickled onions are also great with steaks or chicken.
These wraps are perfect for an overnight journey when you want to have something quick and satisfying the next day. Sweet smoked paprika adds just a hint of smoky flavour to sweet potatoes, which join with spinach and red pepper to dress up eggs in a pleasing way. Make these wraps anytime and stick them in the freezer for your next excursion. Pack them frozen and they’ll have time to thaw on the journey, or put them in the fridge the night before you travel so you have something convenient and tasty to eat before you set off. Leave the ketchup bottle behind, and serve them with your own smoky red pepper sauce. Freeze with ease While foil is convenient for freezing and reheating these wraps, to cut down on waste, freeze wraps in a single freezer-proof container. Insert a small piece of parchment between each wrap so they don’t stick together. This will allow you to remove individual wraps easily when you need them.
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.