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Red Beans & Rice

Classic, this batch I do have the sausage, not andouille but will spice it up a bit to compensate.

Lunch was – Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Start by soaking 1 cup of dry red kidney beans.
In more than three cups of water over night.
Three of the 2 oz sections of sausage – andouille polish or other cooked smoked sausage. Some chunks of bacon, sweet peppers, celery, onion, garlic, and of course the seasonings.
Cut the sausage into rounds.
And the bacon into bite sized pieces.
Put a bit of cooking oil in the bottom of a 2 quart pot.
Add the bacon and the sausage rounds.
Cook over medium high heat until the sausage gets some good color and renders some of it’s fat.
Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside – I will add it back in later towards the end of cooking. Leave the bacon in the pan.
Get some celery, the little bits are good for this.
Set the celery leaves aside for garnish later. Celery leaves are useful for garnish replacing parsley if you don’t have any.
Dice peppers, onion and garlic.
Once the bacon is rendered and the pan has some nice browned bits at the bottom.
Add in the diced vegetables.
Toss the veggies in the bacon fat to begin softening.
Spices!
Celery salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, bay
Mix the seasonings into the oil to bloom.
Toss the veg in the spices and oil.
Drain the soaking liquid from the beans. They should have tripled in size.
Cover by 2 inches with fresh water – not the soaking water.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 1 – 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender.
Smoosh some of the beans against the side of the pot. I will thicken the stew.
Add the sausage back in. Cook another 15 minutes.
Warm some rice in the micro. I put it in a ramekin for the pretty.
Top the rice with red beans and sprinkle with celery leaves.
Cool completely and full containers for later.
Pack up for lunches and freezer stash.

Angel

I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.

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