If you’ve ever looked at my recipe page, you’ll notice that I eat a lot of beans. Back in my vegan days, I actually relied on them as a source of protein. Long before I was making black bean burgers and lentil loaf, my favorite bean dish was my mom’s baked beans. Truthfully, that was probably the only form of beans I ate until I was 15.

Anyway, my mom makes her signature baked beans every year for our Fourth of July celebration (accompanied by the usual hamburgers and watermelon, of course). Their maple-brown sugar flavor always brings me back for seconds. And sometimes thirds.

Now that summer is in full swing, I’ve been craving those baked beans, so I made a lower-sugar version to tide me over until July 4th

Maple Baked Beans {Vegan}

Serves 4

Ingredients

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 small Vidalia onion, diced
• 1-15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed*
• 1-8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Coat a large skillet liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Place over medium heat and add onion. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Once onion is cooked, add beans. Stir and allow to cook for 1 minutes more before adding tomato sauce, mustards, syrup, and Liquid Smoke. Stir well.

4. Transfer the bean mixture to a lightly greased casserole. Bake for 45 minutes.

5. Allow beans to cool for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. Serve.

Note

*I used great northern beans, but cannellini or navy beans would work just fine too.

Nutrition per 1/4th recipe (~2/3 cup): 150 Calories, 1.1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 508mg sodium, 28.5g carbohydrate, 6.5g fiber, 9.4g sugars, 7.1g protein

Filed under: Recipe | 2 Comments »

Good evening, all! I don’t expect that many will read this post given that it’s Father’s Day, but I wanted to be sure to announce the winner of the Stubb’s giveaway before I forget.

The winner of the 3 coupons is Sofia!

I will send her an e-mail so we can get those coupons sent out ASAP.

Thanks to all who entered and to Stubb’s for offering samples and coupons.

And before I go, I want to wish you all (in the US and UK) a happy Father’s Day! I hope you were able to give your dad a hug today!

I love you, Dad!

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Do you have a favorite BBQ sauce? I certainly do, but it took me a while to find a good one. If you’ve ever looked at the labels of most barbecue sauces available these days, “high fructose corn syrup” usually ranks pretty high in the ingredients list. Maybe I’m being a crotchety nutritionist, but I don’t like to eat anything with HFCS in it.

So when I found Stubb’s barbecue sauce a few years ago, I was pretty psyched. None of their sauces have HFCS in them—they’re sweetened only with cane sugar and molasses. Yes! Real food for the win!

I liked Stubb’s so much that I even recommended using their sauce for my BBQ Salad with Smoky Avocado Dressing that I published back in 2011.

Anyway, Stubb’s contacted me several weeks ago about reviewing their products for you fine readers, and I was more than willing to do so. I had no idea that they also make marinades and spice rubs!

Even though the marinades and spice rubs are labeled with “pork” and “chicken,” I’ve had fun using them as seasoning for fish and veggies. My favorite is the spice rub with chili peppers and lime juice. It’s pretty low in sodium and pairs well with fish.

I got a little more creative with Stubb’s Smoky Mesquite barbecue sauce. I happen to really enjoy the combination of black beans and barbecue sauce, so I combined them into a burger with pretty tasty results.

BBQ Black Bean Burgers {Vegan}

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1 tablespoon ground flax
• 2-1/2 tablespoons Stubb’s barbecue sauce, plus more for topping
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• handful fresh cilantro
• 4 whole wheat sandwich buns
• assorted toppings such as avocado, cheese, lettuce, and tomato

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place black beans, oat bran, flax, BBQ sauce, garlic, and cilantro in a food processor, and pulse until just combined. You don’t want a puree—there should be some whole beans left in tact.

3. Form into patties. Each patty should be approximately a scant 1/2 cup. I like to use a measuring cup to form the patties. Transfer to a non-stick baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for an additional 2-3 minutes before placing on buns and finishing with desired toppings.

Nutrition per 1/4 recipe (not including toppings): 241 Calories, 2.8g fat, 0.3g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 449mg sodium, 50.9g carbohydrate, 12.3g fiber, 4.1g sugars, 13.1g protein

—————————————————————————————————————-

Giveaway Time!

Stubb’s has been kind enough to offer three coupons for free Stubb’s products.

Enter using the Rafflecopter prompts below! You have until Sunday, June 16 at 5PM EDT to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed under: Giveaway, Product Review, Recipe | 29 Comments »