Yesterday, my girls had some friends over for a book group discussion and us moms got to talk. We talked about cooking for a little bit and one of the moms mentioned cooking by looking in the fridge and deciding what to cook based on what was in her fridge. I took a cue from her last night and went downstairs to my freezer. What I had planned for dinner wasn't going to work, so I needed a new plan. I saw some sausage on the top shelf and remembered my husband saying a few days before that he loved beans and rice. So, I thought I'd try my hand at a makeshift version. My kids don't like spicy things, so
Rice
and Beans, My family's style
1 -15 oz. Can black beans,
rinsed
1 -28 oz. Can baked beans,
rinsed
1 small onion, chopped in
small pieces
1 red or yellow bell
pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic,
minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
finely
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp dried sage
1 handful fresh parsley,
chopped
1 pound Italian sausage
1 tsp. seasoning mix...
the seasoning recipe: ¾ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp ancho chile powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground mustard powder
Directions:
- Brown and cook sausage through. Then, cut into half length wise and then slice each half. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Rinse beans and add to onion mixture. Add spices and parsley. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Add sausage to mixture and warm through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice. My kids
like to sprinkle it with a little soy sauce. My husband liked it even without adding any heat (cayenne pepper) which was quite surprising to me!
