Homemade Baked Beans

Baked beans take quite some time to prepare but the result is so worth it. I made the baked beans from scratch; I soaked dried cannellini beans overnight and slowly cooked them until tender.

I used white beans because they are our family's favorite, but you could use any other kind of legume. The baked beans make not only a wonderful side dish but also a perfect complete meal for vegetarians, thanks to all the protein in these hearty white beans.

Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe

During our recent trip to Paris, I noticed "cassoulet maison" being the recurring specialty dish appearing on many brasserie menus. Cassoulet is a traditional French casserole dish originating in the South of France. The dish consists of several layers meat and cannellini beans.  My husband Lulu being a vegetarian and I wanted him to be able to enjoy the wonderful flavors of cassoulet. I made a meat-less equivalent, which makes a perfect complete meal for vegetarians thanks to the hearty white beans. I don't think I would make this dish often because it's quite labor intensive, but Lulu liked this comfort food so much that I might just make the effort. I'm sure he'll appreciate this dish even more when I make it.

For a contrast in texture, I served the vegetarian cassoulet as a layered nacho bean dish, using blue corn tortilla chips. Lulu loved it and even commented that "vegetarian cassoulet is so flavorful, I don't understand why one would ruin it by adding meat!" Isn't my husband funny?