Yankee Beans & Biscuits

Again, for Independence Day - these are a couple of sides I added to the meal. For anyone who has tasted the standard baked beans, this is sort of similar in a way... but takes the flavours to another dimension. Only the Americans can make beans taste this good - trust me!

Now the biscuits may not be something that would be eaten with this meal particularly. But even since I was a little girl watching a fantastic US TV show called Little House On The Prairie, I remember 'biscuits' being made. Now these weren't biscuits like you get in the UK, which are like cookies, but more like savoury light, fluffy scones. So apologies for going a little 'off piste' but I really wanted to try them. Made with buttermilk, they were as light as a feather. First - the Yankee Beans:

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
120g streaky bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
400g tin cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. English mustard powder
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
hot sauce to taste (optional)

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and bacon for 5 mins. Then add the garlic to cook for another couple of minutes on a medium heat. Add the thyme, paprika, beans, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and bay leaves. Stir well. Now add 1 cup of water, stir and bring to the boil. Pop a lid on the pan and turn the heat to low.

Cook on a gentle heat for 30 minutes. Then add the vinegar. Add 1 tbsp. of your favourite hot sauce (if you like it hot) and serve sprinkled with parsley. The flavours are amazing and this tastes great with steak, or chicken.. or just simply on toast!

For the American biscuits:

250g plain flour            
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
90g cold butter, cubed
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk

Set the oven to 220 C. Put the dry ingredients in a food processor with the butter and pulse until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the buttermilk and blend to make a very soft dough. Tip onto a floured board. You can add a little more flour if you like but it is meant to be very soft.

Press out to about 1 cm high with your fingers - don't roll with a rolling pin. Cut rounds with a cutter and place onto a floured baking sheet. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden and soft. Cool on a wire rack.