Wednesday, September 29, 2010

You should get to know a good red beans & rice recipe...

Houndstooth!
It's 60° this morning in Memphis and I'm ecstatic.  I took the pooch on her morning stroll and I needed a sweater (so did she)!  Actually, the weather's been fantastic since this weekend and because of the cooler temperatures, I've been planning a few of the fall to-do's around the house:  switch out the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter closets, find those fall and Halloween decorations, put out some mums and pansies and pumpkins and gourds, and pull out my comfort-food recipes.  I dread the closet task and I'm not looking forward to pillaging the attic for our box of Halloween goodies, but the landscaping chore got a lot easier when I opened up my email this morning to find a Groupon offer of 50% off at Midtown Nursery.  Score!  I LOVE Groupon!

But the food!  Oh, the food!  There's something so earthy and rich and satisfying about the offerings this time of year that make the fruit and pasta and chicken salads of this summer seem so...well, salad-y.  I want stick-to-your-ribs goodness and full flavors and spices and carbs!  I want the house to smell amazing and folks to walk in and say, "Mmmmmm, it smells so GOOD; I can't wait to EAT!"  And the first thing you should make now that the temperatures have turned and football season is in full swing:  Red Beans & Rice.  It's the perfect dish - the recipe is easy enough that you can sort of ease yourself back into the kitchen after the summer hiatus and the payoff is nothing short of spectacular.  I've been known to rip into a box of Zataran's for a quick RB&R (that's what we call it around our house) fix, but you gotta go home-made if you want to do it right.  And for the perfect recipe, I turned to my friend Patti Bryan because she knows how to do it right.
  • 1 lb Camellia Red Kidney Beans, presoaked
    • Boil beans in water for 3 minutes in a heavy pot.  Cover and set aside for 2 hours.  Drain and discard the water.
  • I lb Andouille sausage
  • 8-10 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • Cayenne pepper to taste, optional
  • Salt & pepper to taste (taste before adding salt!)
  • Freshly cooked hot, fluffy rice, cooked separately
Rinse and sort beans.  Cover with fresh water, start to cook over low heat in a covered pot.  In an iron skillet, cook sliced Andouille sausage and add to the beans.  In the drippings, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and parsley.  Add this, along with the bay leaf and other seasonings, to the beans.  Cook for an hour and thirty to forty-five minutes.  Add water while cooking, if necessary.  Keep the beans covered.  Serve over hot rice with New Orleans Cornbread.
 I cannot WAIT to put some Red Beans & Rice on the stove this afternoon!  Kevin's going to be thrilled and the house is gonna smell sooooo good!  We like our RB&R with the roasted garlic loaf you can pick up at Miss Cordelia's.  When dinner's finished and you've got to satisfy your sweet tooth, try a handfull of roasted, salted peanuts and candy corn - tastes just like a Payday.  No kidding.

For more marvelous recipes from Patti, you should check out her blog, Hugs From Home.  She's got a catalog of recipes that have been passed through her family for generations, and a few she's perfected on her own.  Everything on her site sounds amazing and is reminiscent of leafing through my own family's private collection.  Think Paula Deen with a little bit more Cajun and Creole influence and a whole lot less annoying.  Whatever you cook, I'm sure it'll be a hit.  Thanks, Patti, for letting me share your Red Beans & Rice recipe!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

1 comment:

  1. Ashley,
    You are a dear friend and many thanks!
    -Patti Adley Bryan

    ReplyDelete