Easy Peasy Recipes: Red Beans and Rice

So today was Sunday, and I seriously used it as a rest day.  I was lazy.  LAZY with a capital L.  I did go for a run (1.73 miles in 20 minutes) and walk for 22 minutes too.  I'm doing a 5K training plan, and today I was supposed to run 1.5 SLOW miles.  So instead, I ran 1.73 SLOW miles.  I was a little disappointed that the RunKeeper did not tell me when I had hit 1.5 miles.  I may need to play with the settings.

I digress.  I have been COLD all weekend long.  It's in the 50s here in 'Bama, and anyone who lives here knows that is downright cold for us.  I feel like I will go outside and get a chill and just can't warm up. 

So today, I decided to make red beans and rice to warm me up.  My Mom used to make a great recipe when I was growing up, but alas I did not have it.  Instead, I browsed the Internet and came up with Paula Deen's recipe. She is right about this recipe: it is super easy to make.  It does take a long time though, because the beans are not soaked over night.  Still, in my opinion it was worth it. I modified the ingredients a little bit to my liking:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or olive oil
1 pound andouille sausage (I bought the pre-cooked linked sausages and cut them into rounds)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I minced mine, since I have a great mincer and I like to use it!)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound dried red beans
1 ½ teaspoons salt (I cut this down to 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I cut this down to 1/2 teaspoon)
6 cups cooked rice (I used Yellow Saffron Rice, and not 6 cups, as we don't eat that many carbs)
¼ cup sliced scallions (I forgot these, but they would be good on top!)

I also serve it with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.  My Mom always did this when I was growing up, and I love the way the balsamic vingear taste mixed in the with red bean flavoring.  Delish!!!

Directions

In a large pot or a Dutch oven, heat the fat, lard or oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
Add the beans, salt, hot sauce, and enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and simmer until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Serve over the rice, topped with the scallions. And with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Serving Size: 8

It was seriously delicious, but way too spicy for my kids.  Next time, I may cut out the tabasco completely OR use a milder sausage.  But, it hit the spot for me on a cold day.  Yum.