Red Beans and Rice

Description:

This is my all time favorite meal. When my grandmother made it, it was seasoned with salt pork and it was good. But today, we season the beans with: ham, smoked Canadian bacon, smoke sausage and other flavorful meats. Use your imagination! This is a basic recipe that you can't go wrong.

What you'll need:

Good: 4 qt. stockpot with cover
Best: Cast iron Dutch oven with cover
Cooking spoon with holes
Cooking knife
Large serving bowl

Ingredients:

2 quarts water
2 cups dry Red or Pink Kidney Beans
1/2 pound of Louisiana Smoked Sausage
1 large brown or yellow onion chopped coarse
3-5 green onions chopped fine
2-3 Bay leaves whole
1 tbls. Parsely
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black Pepper
1 tbls. Molasses
1 tbls. Louisiana Hot Sauce

What you have to do:

Measure beans into pot, wash and take the culls and rocks out. Rinse thoroughly. Fill pot with 2 quarts of water and put over high heat. Chop onion and put into pot along with 2-3 Bay leaves. Stir. When the pot boils, reduce heat to low. Stir and cover, stirring occasionally.

Chop 1/2 pound of Louisiana Smoked Sausage in half length wise, then cut into 1/2 inch half circles. Stir the sausage into beans. Stir beans at least every 15 minutes during the entire cooking process. Cooking time is about 4 hours. After about 3 1/2 hours, stir in green onions, parcely, molasses and hot sauce. Stir and cover until beans are creamy. Remove Bay leaves and discard. Remove beans to serving bowl and serve over rice.

Serves 6-8