Between my addiction to fresh baked bread and the drop in temperature outside, it seems that my oven is running non-stop.  In an effort to minimize how often I run this convecting behemoth, I’ve been very diligent about only using it when there is bread to bake, and throwing anything else I can think of in there at the same time or during the marathon warm up/cool down sessions.  Since this is just about every other day, it usually works out quite well (especially for roasting vegetables or making a quick batch of cookies).

Yesterday my appetite for baked beans landed on a night when I wasn’t going to use the oven.  Determined not to run out and buy them in a can, I hopped over to The Wednesday Chef where I was sure I’d seen a recipe some time ago.  Score!  These Fake Baked Beans (originally from Melissa Clark’s column in the NYT) were exactly what I needed.

Fake Baked Beans

Serves 4 generously

• 1 pound dry pinto or cannellini beans
• 1 thumb-sized piece of kombu (optional)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
• 1 splash Pukka or Tabasco sauce, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika

Put the beans and kombu in a pressure cooker or pot with enough filtered water to cover by 2 inches.  Cook until beans are just tender.

The beans should be surrounded by just a little liquid; if too much cooking liquid remains, drain some off.  If beans are dry, add more filtered water.

In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard powder, Pukka sauce and pepper. Pour mixture into beans and stir well.

Bring everything to a simmer. Let simmer over low heat until beans are thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt if needed.

If the vinegar stands out too much, add brown sugar in increments of 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) increments until the vinegar flavor is neutralized.