Simple Red Beans and Rice
Simple Red Beans and Rice
Happy Mardi Gras! I thought it appropriate to celebrate with a Southern classic. Red beans and rice is a traditional dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine typically made on Mondays with leftovers from Sunday dinner, cooked together slowly in a pot and served over rice. Most recipes call for bacon or pork sausage which would be fitting for “Fat Tuesday”, but in this recipe I’ve used liquid smoke to take the place of those fatty meats. You could always add ham or a ham hock to bring in that smokey flavor for lower fat content. This version is so easy to make; you’ll probably have all the ingredients on hand.
Canned red beans are not always easy to find, so feel free to use a light red kidney bean in it’s place. It’s much easier to find dry red beans which are smaller and more tender than kidney beans, but I don’t usually plan ahead for the soaking and cooking required. I enjoy serving this with Parmesan Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders which I’ll post tomorrow.
- Simple Red Beans and Rice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-seasoned ready-cut stewed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1 (15-ounce) can red or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- Heat oil in a large skillet placed over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until soft.
- Add the tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, liquid smoke and oregano. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the beans and simmer for another 1-2 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve over cooked brown rice.