Red Beans and Rice

I know I've been MIA the last couple of days as I've been under the weather, but for those of you that are under the blizzard and never ending cold kind of weather, have I got a great solution for you.

Red Beans and Rice is a common Monday meal in the south, although a different part of the south than we're currently living in and given the beautiful ham bone that came with all that gorgeous meat from Sunday night, I knew I had to do something special with it. Since the Big Guy's not into split pea soup, I figured I'd make something I knew he'd love and Monday night's dinner suited him to an absolute "T".

Loaded with tiny little red beans that soaked for 8 hours and then cooked for another 4 along with garlic, onion, celery and green pepper this perfect pot of low maintenance energy food is a great use not only of that meaty ham bone, but also of those fiber rich pellets of musical fruit. Spiced up with worcestershire sauce and creole seasoning along with a bay leaf and a touch more cayenne cause we love that extra spice, the finishing touch on this glorious pot of stick to your ribs grub is surely the Andouille sausage, fried up all crisp and lovely. 

It's absolutely the perfect way to use up that holiday ham bone and guaranteed to warm your family from sole to soul!

Red Beans and Rice (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

1 pound small red beans, washed well and soaked overnight

1 large meaty ham bone

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 sticks celery, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Zatarains Creole seasoning

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 bay leaf

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt if required

1 – 12 ounce package Andouille sausage

White rice, cooked per package directions

Drain and rinse soaked red beans and place in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken stock, water, garlic and onion and ham bone. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until beans are tender.  Remove bone from pot, cool until easy to handle, then pick meat away from the bones and return meat to pot. Discard bone. Add celery, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Return pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until mixture is very thick and beans are extremely tender. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper and salt if required. Just before serving slice Andouille sausage and fry until brown on all sides. Serve beans garnished with Andouille and rice on top.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 A year ago - White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Comments

[Lea]

What a lovely serving of red beans & rice - something I love dearly - only since I turned 37 - hahahahahahahahaha - wouldn't eat them before - couldn't stand them - and they served them every single Monday at school when I was growing up - hahahahahahahahaha now - yours certainly make my mouth water!!!! That sear you got on your andouille - perfection!!!!!!

[June]

Thanks Lea. That's high praise coming from my Cajun connection. The Big Guy didn't complain one bit when he got to eat this a couple of days in a row.