For the past year, I have been “re-defining” what work means to me. It used to be “dreaded”, “painful”, “undesirable”, “exhausting”, “draining”, “un-enjoyable”, “unsustainable”, etc. After making the jump to go back to school to change careers, I have been picking up little jobs to keep me fed. In the process, I have been fortunate to find “work” involving meal planning and meal preparation, both of which I love and am passionate about! I really couldn’t even think of or describe these activities as work, even though I was getting paid. Instead, I was describing it to myself and others with words that related more with what I was doing, such as “cooking” or “meal planning”; not “work”. This has been a really interesting and exciting change for me!
This week, I modified and tested a recipe for the Nutrition Center at my school. While it was a class project, and I wasn’t getting paid for it, this is something I foresee myself doing in the future career as a dietitian. And I certainly didn’t consider it “work”, but rather something I “looked forward to”, “enjoyed”, “was energized by and excited about”, “can’t wait to do again”, etc.
For the assignment, I took this Baked Bean recipe, modified, and tested it to be lower in sugar. And I was really impressed with how it turned out. If you are looking for a great recipe for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, look no further! (Bacon is optional)
I started by mixing up 1/2 of the original recipe and 1/2 of my modified “test” recipe. From there, I added such that the two had similar textures and flavors side-by-side. I knew they weren’t going to taste exactly alike, but I wanted to get them as close as possible, while still reducing the amount of sugar, and preserving the texture/consistency.
[Bottom right: original recipe, Top left: reduced sugar recipe]
Once I was satisfied, I placed them side by side in a baking dish and followed the rest of the baking instructions.
[Bottom half: original recipe, Top half: reduced sugar recipe]
The result…
Similar looking. With relatively the same consistency/texture.
[Left: original recipe, Right: reduced sugar recipe]
The taste test was what really sold me.
While I might be biased, I preferred the reduced sugar variation; in both taste and texture! Check out the (approximated) side-by-side Nutrition Facts for 6 servings:
[Left: original recipe, Right: reduced sugar recipe]
Which would you prefer? 7 less grams of sugar? 10 less grams of carbohydrates? 40 less calories per serving? Without sacrificing flavor or consistency? Try them out for yourself!
Reduced Sugar Baked Beans (Serves 6)
2 (15 ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 slices bacon (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a 9×9 inch baking dish, combine the beans, water, tomato paste, applesauce, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, tomato paste, onion, tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the bacon slices.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until sauce is thickened and bacon is cooked.
Back to “work”…
Tags: American, Beans, Reduced Sugar
