Every year for x-mas my grandma makes a calico bean dish that has the most addictive flavor. Unfortunately it also has a bunch of ground beef and bacon, as do most calico bean recipes. I used textured vegetable protein (another great veg food with a horrible name!) in place of the meat and it turned out wonderful. Nathan, my trusty carnivorous food judge, was in love with it and said the flavor was exactly as he remembered it. The texture of tvp is similar to ground beef, it’s nutritious, inexpensive and quick cooking, give it a try!
Nana’s Calico Beans (Vegan Version)
Serves 12
3 T Earth Balance Butter
2 yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
3 (16 oz.) cans vegetarian baked beans
2 (16 oz.) cans kidney beans
2 (16 oz.) cans butter beans
1 (16 oz.) can great northern beans
3 cups (reconstituted) textured vegetable protein
1 1/4 cups ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 T white vinegar
2 T liquid smoke
2 t mustard powder
salt & ground pepper to taste
Directions: Sautee onion with butter in large pot until starting to brown, add garlic for a minute until fragrant, add rest of ingredients and simmer for about an hour.
Our x-mas was plenty fun, doing the routine of stops at both sets of parents, food, & presents. Just a little more hectic with one little girl who wants to chew on every electronic in sight:
The “highlight” of the night was when I fell off my barstool while leaning to read what my sister was texting after several brandy & cokes, and hurt my arm:
Sad, but oh well it was pretty funny. I have an awesome yellow bruise on my entire forearm now. Happy New Year!
The offending bar & stools:
My Dad is so awesome, he built this house 28 years ago and designed a lower level with a full bar. You can see my mom’s shotglass collection all along the side & back wall. (And her in the background looking like she just took one, ha!)
Of course Jane was fast asleep during the above shenanigans, but she had lots of fun too:
Chewing tinsel in a tutu from Oma:
Happy New Year, Happy end of the holiday season!
K
Liquid Smoke is fantastic.
Those beans sound wonderful. Yum.
I’ve never had Calico beans. I’ll try out the recipe, my kids love beans!
Glad you had a great holiday, even falling off a stool can be entertaining!
Fionnuala has those same pants and tutu. If you were over today you would have seen Moira wearing the tutu, one of F’s diaper covers (in gingham) and some leg warmers – and nothing else. It was an interesting day.