First Day of Spring?!

You wouldn't know it by looking out our window but today is the first day of spring!  So even though it is raining and we have mountains of snow, we decided to celebrate by bbq-ing.  A few weeks ago my friend, Heather (my hero remember?), gave me a terrific recipe for baked beans and pointed me in the direction of Vegan Dad's pinto bean sausages.   I couldn't wait to try both recipes and thought today would be the perfect day for it.  I served them with bbq'd corn on the cob and asparagus.  Our favourite neighbourhood friend was visiting for the afternoon and he LOVES to bake so we decided to make a Pear Apple crisp for dessert (with ice cream of course)!

Baked Beans

1 lb dry beans (I used a mix)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 cup ketchup
approx 3 cups hot water
1 med onion
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 to 1/6 cup molasses

*Rinse and soak beans overnight well covered in water with a dash of baking soda.
*In the morning cover with new water and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
*Mix remaining ingredients except water into a paste and add to beans

*Add water and cover and bake at 300 for 3 hours or until beans are soft

*Uncover for last 1/2 hour

VeganDad's Sausages

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 3/4 cups cold vegetable broth

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

4 cloves minced garlic

2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp crushed fennel seed

1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 serving of your favourite homemade bbq sauce

*Prepare steamer because this goes a lot faster than you'd think

*Get 12 pieces of tin foil ready to wrap sausages in

*Pulse pinto beans several times in food processor (or mash well)

*Mix together with remaining ingredients

*Divide into 12 pieces and place each into the prepared tin foil

*Wrap each pieced like a tootsie roll and place in steamer (I used 2 layers of bamboo steamers)

*Steam for 40 minutes

*Brush with bbq sauce and grill as you like

Pear Apple Crisp

4 good sized pears, peeled and cut

4 good sized apples, peeled and cut

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

juice from one lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup melted butter

*In a large bowl, toss together pears, apples, first helping of flour, first helping of sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon

*Pour into an 8 inch square glass baking dish

*In a small bowl, mix together oats, remaining sugar and flour, and nutmeg

*Drizzle butter over oat mixture and mix well

*Sprinkle over fruit mixture

*Bake at 350 for 1 hour