Vegan homemade campfire baked beans & miso field mushroom

After trying and devouring our cousin Marks, last delicious breakfast recipe (here if you missed it), we asked him to share another one with us. Suitable for breakfast, brunch, a quick and easy dinner, or an evening warmer by the firepit in the garden – we know you’re going to love this one too. Over to you, Mark…

Homemade baked beans really are one of the most comforting and rewarding one-pot wonders!

They always summon up a movie moment for me of “blazing saddles” and the Spaghetti style spoof western by Mel Brooks, look it up on YouTube it’s the clip where Taggart’s (Slim Pickens) men eat a supper of campfire baked beans and suffer the consequences. If that doesn’t make you grin or at least wince then simply feeling the opulence of eating this frugal food will put a smile on your face. Regardless of the consequences.

A heavy-bottomed saucepan

Or a le Creuset style Dutch oven with a lid. (no pun intended)

250g x onion finely chopped (1 large)

1 x 690g jar of tomato passata

4 xGarlic clove

½ tspdried oregano & thyme

4 x bay leaves

4 tspSmoked sea salt

4 xtin mixed beans (drained and rinsed)

Sourdough bread thick slice well toasted

Chinese miso paste for spreading

1 x Large flat open field mushroom per person

150ml virgin olive oil plus drizzling for toast

(it’s a good idea to make a large batch of these and freeze the remainder in small batches for another day)

1. In the saucepan that will hold all your beans and sauce begin by placing it on low heat, add the onion and olive oil which should almost cover your onion, add 2 tsp of smoked sea salt, cook these gently with no colour till soft and sweet (a lid will help).
   
   
2. Add the tomato passata to the soft onions, then the beans and herbs.
   
   
3. Gently simmer the beans stirring often and seasoning with the remaining 2 tsp of smoked sea salt, the salt here is crucial! It brings out the sweetness in the sauce and reduces the acidity of the tomatoes. If your sauce is a little acidic just add a pinch of salt at a time until the sweetness comes through.
   
   
4. Cook them long and slow!! 50 minutes at least. Add water as the sauce gets too thick whilst cooking. (If you love tinned baked beans you might like to add a tiny touch of sugar here) personally, I don’t think you need it if your passata is of good quality.
   
   
5. Roast the field mushrooms, grill, or fry with a generous lug of olive oil (they will soak up a lot of oil) Cook till nicely coloured, take them off the heat, and spread a teaspoon of miso paste on each one. Put them to one side.
   
   
6. If you like garlic, then add some chopped garlic halfway through cooking so it doesn’t burn when the mushrooms are cooked.
   
   
7. Toast the sourdough bread, rub with a peeled garlic clove on the crust, then drizzle with olive oil, and last but not least spread on some miso paste.
   
   
8. When the beans are soft and you’re happy with them simply stack your mushroom and beans on the miso toast however you like it. If you’re not vegan then anything goes here, I like butter stirred into my beans or miso making them super-rich, or grated cheese, streaky bacon, sausages, a runny poached or fried egg on top is great!