Red Beans and Rice

I have heard about red beans and rice, but I have never tried it. It's probably because the dish is from Louisiana and I have never been there.

I have wanted to make this dish for awhile now, but mu husband is not a fan of beans, Over the years he has come to tolerate, maybe even like beans in a dish. But a whole dish of beans with a little bit of rice, I wasn't sure he would enjoy or tolerate it.

When I told my husband what dinner was and he saw it, he did question me and comment that he was surprised I made it. I explained that I have been wanting to make this for awhile and there were plenty of leftovers if he didn't want it, but he said he'd try it.

The original recipe calls for a small scoop of rice, but knowing that my husband would like more than a small scoop of rice I made extra. Surprisingly he liked the dish and he did use more rice like I thought he would. I still can't believe that he liked it as much as he did, now he did say he would  not want it too often, but once in awhile would be good.

As for me I loved this dish, it was everything I hoped it would be. It was flavorful, creamy and delicious.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced (about 13-14 ounces)
• 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• 3- 15 ounce cans red beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions and set aside.
2. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the sausage, in bathes, and cook, stirring frequently until the sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Set the sausage aside.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the stockpot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the tomato paste, minced garlic and cajun seasoning, stir cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add in the beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf and sausage, stirring to mix. Season with black pepper.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced.
8. Remove the bay leaf.
9. Using a spoon, mash about 1 cup of the beans and stir well.
10. Serve the beans topped with a scoop or two of rice.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
I made 2 cups instead of the original 1 cup of rice so that there would be extra for those who wanted more rice with their beans, like my husband.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 553
Total Fat		22.4g
Saturated Fat		6g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.8g
Monounsaturated Fat		1.4g
Trans Fat		0g
Cholesterol		40.8mg
Sodium		1434mg
Potassium		135mg
Total Carbohydrates		66.9g
Dietary Fiber		11.7g
Sugars		8.2g
Protein		25.4g
Vitamin A 11.3% Vitamin C 71.4%
Calcium 13.5% Iron 26.1%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Damn Delicious.