Red Beans and Rice

Approximately 600 calories per person – Serves 2

• Prep time: about 10 to 15 minutes
• Cook time: about one hour
• Set idle: about 1 hour for beans
• Total time: about 2 hours

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (Tbsp), ½ cup parboiled rice
• 4 ounces (115 grams dry small red beans or red kidney beans
• 3 ounces (85 grams) smoked andouille sausage, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 ounces (85 grams) white onion, diced
• 3 ounces (85 grams) green bell pepper, diced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) olive oil

• Broth
  • 1 salted bouillon cube
  • 1 unsalted bouillon cube
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) of sherry cooking wine
  • Cajun Seasoning – see below

• Cajun Seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon (tsp) dried oregano 
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) salt
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon (tsp) dried sage

• Garnish
  • Tabasco
  • 1 green onions, thinly sliced

Steps

• Beans
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  • Drop dry beans into pot.
  • Let them boil for two minutes.
  • Take them off the heat, cover and let them sit for one hour.
  • Drain the beans and discard the water.
  • Rinse the beans and set aside.

• Bouillon Broth
  • Put 2 cups water and two bouillon cubes in small pot.
  • Heat until cubes are dissolved.
  • Add to the bouillon broth, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, and Sherry Cooking wine.
  • Set aside.

• Meat and Veggies
  • Set Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. 
  • Add olive oil and sausage. 
  • Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. 
  • Take the sausage out and set aside on paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add garlic, onion, bell pepper and celery to Instant Pot.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in previously cooked sausage, previously prepared red beans, and bouillon broth mixture.
  • Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 40 minutes. 
  • When Instant Pot is finished cooking, release pressure naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Taste one of the beans to make sure they are soft, if not cook for another 20 minutes.

• Rice
  • Add the dry parboiled rice to the Instant Pot.
  • Mix well.
  • Press the Sauté button and cook, covered for 20 minutes.

• Serve
  • Mix well inside the Instant Pot.
  • Serve in two bowls.
  • Garnish with Tabasco and green onions on the table.

All of Living in Beauty Recipes

We are working on a series of recipes that are easy to fix in an RV and are approximately 600 calories per person for two people. Ultimately, they will be compiled into “The Bean Counter Cookbook.”