Readers’ recipe swap: baked beans

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/04/baked-bean-recipe-swap

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As a committed baked bean fan, I was thrilled and surprised in equal measure when this week’s theme piqued so much interest. And there weren’t just recipe ideas for the the well-known tomato variety, but for everything from black beans to borlottis to haricot and kidney, so I decided to try a handful of each.

I started with the ones in sauce, having more than a few tins in the cupboard. Marmaduke Scarlet’s ingenious bean burgers went down well served in crusty rolls with a bit of ketchup and little gem. The Gujurati-style beans from Smita Patel Parkinson are almost as fast to heat up as a tin by itself, but added a little interest. Exactly what’s required when your bog-standard beans on toast just seems too drab. For something more filling, the quick cassoulet from MizPepperpot was both convenient and impressive. As for the plain old beans in water, both

Fadime Tiskaya’s Kurdish baked beans, richly spiced and fragrant, and Michele Garrigan’s traditional American-style beans bolstered with ground beef, pork belly and barbecue sauce, were both quick and easy to make, letting the flavours meld together in the oven, resulting in a rich and hearty stews that reheat and freeze well – perfect for batch cooking.

The winner this week, though, ticked all the boxes I’d hoped for. Just like a tin of baked beans, it’s comforting and ready in less than 30 minutes – and that’s where the comparison with this delicious starter ends. No one will believe you when you tell them what’s in it ...

The winning recipe: Hummus with hot mushrooms and beans

A combination of two popular hot hummus toppings in the Mediterranean: beans and mushrooms. For the hummus, you can either use the tinned chickpeas as suggested in the version below, or just buy it– as long as the hummus is freshly made and has never been refrigerated.Ofer Guez, London

Serves 4 as a starterFor the turmeric dressing3 tbsp olive oil Juice of ½ lemon½ tsp sumac½ tsp turmeric

For the topping2 tbsp olive oil2 garlic cloves, sliced¼ fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional) A punnet of chestnut or portobello mushrooms, chopped60ml white wine10g dried porcini or wild mushrooms, soaked in 60ml boiling waterA handful of parsley, roughly chopped200g baked beans1 tsp smoked sweet paprika

For the quick hummus180ml water1 carrot1 shallot400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drainedSalt3 tbsp tahini Juice of ½ lemon

1 First, make the hummus. Bring 200ml water to a boil in a small saucepan, then drop in the carrot and shallot. Add the chickpeas with a little salt, then cook until the liquid reduces by a third. Remove the carrot and shallot, then tip into a food processor and blend until smooth, gradually adding the tahini, lemon juice and a little more salt.

2 Next, make the dressing; whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.

3 To make the topping heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the garlic and chilli (if using) and cook until aromatic.

4 Add the fresh mushrooms and salt, then cook 2-3 minutes over a high heat until the mushrooms start to brown.

5 Add the white wine, then finely chop the soaked porcini and add them with their soaking water to the pan. Add a little of the chopped parsley, reserving the rest to serve. Simmer, letting the liquids reduce, for around 5-10 minutes.

6 When the liquids start to thicken add the baked beans with their sauce. Stir in the smoked paprika, then cook until the sauce is thick and starts to cling to the mushrooms.

7 To serve, spread the hummus into the base of a deep dish, spreading around the edges. Fill the middle with the piping hot mushroom and bean stew, then drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle more fresh parsley and serve.

Cheese-stuffed veggie burgers

Crisp on the outside and melted cheese on the inside. Seriously and gooey-ly heavenly!Marmaduke Scarlet, via GuardianWitness

Makes 4½ a tin of baked beans (with herbs if possible; if not add a handful of finely chopped herbs)400g tin white beans75-100g breadcrumbs1 egg, beatenRoughly 120g emmental cheese, cut into four cubesGram flour, seasoned, for dustingOlive oil, for frying

1 Whizz the beans together in a food processor or with a hand blender, then tip into a bowl and add ¾ of the breadcrumbs. Leave for 5 minutes to see how much liquid is absorbed, then add a little more if needed; the mix should be quite dense. Add seasoning and the egg, then form the mixture into four balls and stuff each one with a lump of cheese. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

2 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Flatten the balls to form burgers, roll in the flour, then fry in a little oil until crisp. Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes, then serve.

Gujarati-style baked beans

For Gujaratis, a quick way to spice up baked beans is just like the traditional way of making beans in tomato sauce from scratch. The former has been equally as popular for my family and many others I know. In fact I don’t think I tried baked beans in their unadulterated form until I was at university, probably nursing a hangover and too lazy to do the following.Smita Patel Parkinson, via GuardianWitness

Serves 21 tsp black mustard seeds1 tbsp oilA small handful of chopped onion, red or white400g tin baked beansA pinch of turmericA pinch of chilli powder

1 Heat a small saucepan with the oil. Wait until it’s really hot and starting to smoke, then add the mustard seeds and cover immediately so they don’t pop in your face. Take the pan off the heat once all the seeds have popped. Allow the seeds to infuse with the oil.

2 Add the onion and return to a medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then put the baked beans into the pan. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, lower the heat then cook until the beans are bubbling. These curried beans are amazing on their own, on top of toast, or my favourite: ladled onto a jacket potato topped with lots of cheese, even more (raw) chopped onion, some sweet corn and black pepper.

Old settler baked beans

This was a favourite recipe when I was growing up in the US. I’ve been happily introducing friends this side of the pond to these deeply flavoured, rich and meaty American-style baked beans. Serve with a pan of cornbread and honey-chipotle butter!Michele Garrigan, via GuardianWitness

Serves 6225g smoked bacon, chopped225g minced beef1 large onion, chopped2-3 garlic cloves, crushed3 tbsp maple syrup3 tbsp dark brown/muscovado sugar2 tbsp molasses/black treacle3 tbsp ketchup3 tbsp barbecue sauce2 tbsp Dijon mustard1 tsp instant coffee granules1 tsp mild chilli powder½ tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper3-4 tbsp dark rum400g tin baked beans with sauce3 x400g tins of beans, such as black beans, kidney beans, or borlotti

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. In a large, heavy oven-proof casserole, brown the bacon, mince and onion.

2 Add the garlic, but don’t brown it. Remove from the heat, then mix in all other ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour, removing the lid for last 15 minutes, then serve.

Quick cassoulet

I say ‘quick’, but what I really mean is quicker than the usual cassoulet, a kind of cheat’s version. Nevertheless, it is an easy dish that can be thrown together but impress. The wine and herbs are not optional as they really do elevate this casserole.MizPepperpot, via GuardianWitness

Serves 42 duck or chicken legs, skin onSalt and black pepper4 thick, herby sausages, sliced200g diced belly pork or smoked bacon lardons1 large onion, chopped1 carrot, chopped1 celery stick, chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 sprig of thyme200ml dry white wine200ml chicken stock1 tin baked beans in tomato sauceA handful of parsley, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190/375F/gas mark 5. Season the duck or chicken well with salt and pepper.

2 Prick the duck/chicken leg on the skin side, then put in a hot, nonstick frying pan, skin-side down, to brown and render the fat. If using chicken, add a little olive oil or duck fat to get the meat sizzling. Cook for 5 minutes each side.

3 Add the sausages and belly pork or bacon to the pan. Brown and cook for a further 5 minutes.

4 Spoon the meat into a casserole dish, leaving the oil/fat in the pan. Over a low heat, add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic to the fat and sweat for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the thyme, wine, stock and beans. Bring to the boil then pour this over the meat in the casserole dish.

5 Cover the casserole with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid after 30 minutes and ensure the duck/chicken is on top of the beans, allowing the skin to brown further. To serve, sprinkle with chopped, fresh parsley and shred the duck/chicken into the dish.

Kurdish style baked beans

Beans are cooked in almost all kitchens in the world, using different flavours and local ingredients. Kurds usually enjoy theirs with lots of spices over a bulgur pilaff made with lots of butter and served with onions on the side. This is my version.Fadime Tiskaya, via GuardianWitness

Serves 42 tbsp butter1 onion, peeled and finely chopped2 celery sticks, finely chopped (with leaves)1 medium carrot, finely choppedSalt and black pepper2 garlic cloves1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp ground cumin¼ tsp ground cinnamon2 whole dried chillies or ¼ tsp chilli flakes50g sundried tomatoes, chopped400g tin chopped tomatoes250ml boiling water400g tin white beansParsley, finely chopped, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Melt the butter in a saucepan, or preferably an ovenproof casserole dish, then add the onion, celery, and carrot with salt and pepper and saute them for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then.

2 Add the garlic with the coriander, cumin, cinnamon and chillies and fry them for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then add the water and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

3 Mix in the beans and transfer to the oven, uncovered, and then bake for about 20 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.