I got a cookbook for Christmas that has recipes based on the food "cooked" on the TV show True Blood; since the show is set in Louisiana, most of the food is good ol Cajun style cooking. Of course, there is a recipe for Red Beans and Rice! I've made it several times and I'm really a fan - I've tweaked the recipe a little bit here and there, so I thought I'd share it with you here.
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| Beans soaking in the pot...taking an overnight swim! |
The most important thing about Red Beans and Rice is soaking the beans overnight. This dish requires a little extra thought and planning since you've got to let the beans take a midnight swim. Granted, there are ways of fixing the beans the morning of cooking, if you've forgotten to soak them. I've done it before and while it worked out just fine, I like to try and remember to soak them overnight! You can also use canned beans - I've never tried it, but I know people that use canned beans every time they make this dish. That's completely up to you!
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| Veggies and Meats...got to have lots of those! |
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| Nothing smells better than onions and peppers cooking in bacon "grease"...if you can call it that. |
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| Sausage, crumbled bacon and ham...with all the right seasonings, of course. |
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| Okay - maybe once you add all this, it smells even better. |
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| Seasoning is key! |
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| The beans take a dive into the pot - time for magic to happen! |
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| At this point, the house is starting to have a really lovely smell. |
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| Two hours (or so) later - it's time to chow down! |
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| Please marvel at my glorious "fine china" that I'm eating my delicious meal in. Presentation is key! Ha-ha. |
Red Beans and Rice
-1 onion, chopped
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and torn into pieces
-salt
-pepper
-chili powder
-cajun style seasoning
-2-3 bay leaves
-1 large link of sausage, sliced in pieces
-1/2 cup of diced ham pieces
-1 bag red beans, soaked overnight
-1 cup rice, cooked (this is for me; I like a little bit of rice, you may want more)
-Soak your beans overnight - DON'T FORGET!
-Cook bacon in your pan until crisp; remove from heat
-Saute onion and pepper in the bacon grease for 8-10 minutes until they are soft
-Add in sausage, ham and crumbled bacon as well as all your spices (pepper, salt, chili powder, cajun seasoning and bay leaves) and cook for 5-6 minutes, until meat is slightly browned. The seasonings; I don't have real measurements because I usually eyeball things and just throw it in all willy-nilly. That's just how I roll in the kitchen.
-Add in your beans and cover with water; there should be about an inch of water over the beans.
-Cook on medium heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce in the beans should thicken as it cooks but if you think it is getting too thick, add in water. The beans should soften and all the flavors will come together as it cooks!
-Make your rice when there is about 15 minutes of cook time left. You can put the red beans onto rice or you can do like I choose to and just dump your cooked rice into the red beans, mix it up and serve from there.
You can really make this recipe in a lot of different ways - you could put other veggies in; maybe change things up color-wise with a red or yellow bell pepper. You could add in chicken or turkey bacon; you could even leave out meat altogether if that's your style. Any way you do it, with the bare bones of this recipe, you'll end up with something delicious!
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| Enjoying your delicious meal with an excellent movie is optional too - but I'd say go for it. |
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