Monday, January 26, 2009

Cheesy Beans on Baguette......& Gong Hei Fat Choy/ Jai Hind !

“Red beans and ricely yours."
Louis Armstrong loved red beans and rice so much he signed his personal letters thus.







Who says cooks don't need breaks....well certainly I do. Its Chinese New Year (Gong Hei Fat Choy) and the biggest holiday time here. Made some delectable stuff about which I will post later(please be patient!)

Its the 2009 Lunar New Year Cup soccer tournament and hub is having friends over so will have to make some (read 'a lot') snacks and drinks for everyone. And I am making my popular (by demand) Cheesy baked beans on Baguette with some Masala Cola.

Baked beans are a classic example of a "loss leader", a product sold by supermarkets for an abnormally low price, often less than cost. If you are in the US, you might ask where can I get Baked Beans. There are a number of places I know in the Seattle area, Cost Plus (various locations), English Pantry (Redmond), you can also ask the guys at the Kangaroo and Kiwi Pub in North Seattle.
Baked beans are to be found everywhere and its a great way to sneak in proteins in vegetarian diets and kids who are picky eaters.

This is one appetizer I serve when I have surprise guests or large crowds to please. I have been making these for as long as I can remember. They were a hit when I made these for my friends when they were over at my place for "group-studying"...supposedly.

Its simple and is put together in just two minutes...no I am not exaggerating. My version is tasty, simple and extremely quick.


Cheesy Beans on Baguette
Ingredients-
1 baguette (or any other crusty bread)
1 can baked beans (Heinz or any brand)
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
handful of black olives, sliced in halves
1 cup grated cheddar cheese


Method-
In a microwave safe bowl, pour the canned baked beans. Add salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, olive oil and mix well. Microwave for 40 seconds on high.

Meanwhile, slice up the baguette and toast the slices, in the middle rack of your oven for 30 seconds.

Place the baguette slices on the serving plate. Spoon out a tablespoon of the beans on it. Top with grated cheddar and olive slices. Heat for another 20 seconds or so.

Voila! Its done.


I send this over to the SuperBowl night at Cathy's place.

And to all fellow Indians out there--- A very happy and cherished Republic Day! Jai Hind!

26 comments:

  1. Happy new year, what a great little snack. New to me to add beans, yummy! :))

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  2. Looks like an easy and tasty treat! Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

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  3. Navita,this is a torture..looks tempting and makes me hungry.Btw,i have been into chineese new year twice,once at KL and once SHanghai.

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  4. Oh, yum - it's a great snack for the superball!

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  5. Love your choice of ingredients. I Love the fact that they can be put together in 2 minutes!! Great for superbowl. I must try these.

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  6. What a great snack for a party! Looks great!

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  7. Hi, Thanks for stopping by! Wish I could send you the Mojito! I love the recipes, and your site... I'll be back! Janet

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  8. Thanks dearies! U guys must try this..healthy and tasty ! :)

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  9. Thank you for visiting my blog. It looks like you keep quite busy in the kitchen!!

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  10. Thank you for visitng my blog. My husband loves baked bean sandwiches so why not as appetizers!

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  11. That looks quick and simple :)

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  12. Looks delicious... Nice click! Have a wonderful celebration!

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  13. what a great snack for everyone & very easy to make.

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  14. Love baked beans! I usually just toss in some soy sauce and enjoy with hot buttered toast - yum!

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  15. Yummy,Perfect filling superbowl food dear.I will like masala cola also.HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY and Happy Chinese New Year.

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  16. best for parties..the beans combo is a little new to me though! (also, i dint realise that you were from seattle :) )

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  17. Hi Navita,

    Just thought I'd drop in and leave a comment after seeing your comment over at my place. I'll add your blog to my feedreader so I can keep up with you!

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  18. That's a great vegetarian snack! And it looks really pretty as an appetizer.

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  19. Loved this..have u ever been in Seattle before??:O

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  20. To clear any doubts.. my home currently is in Hong Kong...and as for the Seattle visit, its been a long long time, but have relatives there, so know the info is correct for sure :)

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  21. Yummy, I love baked beans and have served them in a million different ways, but never like this. Time to try it I'd say! :)

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  22. These are so cute and adorable.. okay .. I know food cute.. adorable.. but they are..

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  23. Hello Navita, Great blog and recipes! I would like to introduce you to Foodista.com - the cooking encyclopedia everyone can edit - and invite you to link your blog to foodista-related pages using our small embeddable widgets. Check it out here.. This is a good way for you to build traffic and connect with other food lovers! Also feel free to share your recipes and tips with us!Thanks!

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  24. Yes, I agree, cooks do need a break sometimes!!

    I love this snack idea...different but so yummy!! I may have to throw this together for the game!

    Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! ;)

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  25. Quick to prepare, cheap but delicious. A great way to feed a lot of men!

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