Red Beans and Rice

When Darrell and I gave up Zatarain's boxed rice mixes after college, I had only one request: that we find different, homemade kielbasa recipe. Well, we were finally successful on that (click here for the delicious honey mustard kielbasa and potatoes), and I was content. However, Darrell revealed later that while he liked the new kielbasa recipe, he was still missing the red beans and rice. So, we decided to give it another go--but this time, no box mix to start with. We were going to attempt it from scratch this time.

And boy, am I ever glad we did. I was a little wary of the recipe at first (the ingredient list was super intimidating long), but it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, there's a little bit of prep work chopping the vegetables. And yeah, it has to simmer for like two and a half hours. But it's so worth it, and the flavors are so fantastic--after trying this recipe, I'm not even sure if Zatarain's can call what they do "red beans and rice".

Red Beans and Rice
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 lb dry kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 pound kielbasa, sliced

Hot rice for serving

Rinse beans, and then soak them in a large pot of water overnight (we always skip this step and just buy canned beans that don't need to be soaked).

In a skillet, heat oli over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery for three to four minutes. Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with six cups of water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Stir sausage into beans and continue to simmer for thirty minutes (this is usually a good time to start the rice so everything's done at about the same time!)

Serve bean mixture over hot rice and enjoy!

I should also mention that even if you are cooking for two, don't be afraid to do the whole recipe. It may make a lot, but this is definitely a recipe that only gets better the longer it sits!