Red Beans and Rice is New Orleans comfort food at its finest. Traditionally served on Mondays, it's inexpensive to make and tastes great!http://www.gumbopages.com/food/red-beans.html The basic ingredients for Red Beans and Rice include red kidney beans, smoked ham hock, smoked ham, smoked sausage or andouille, onion, pepper, celery, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, garlic and other spices and seasonings. While simple to make, it does take some practice to get it just right. Don't be afraid to play with the seasoning and ingredients until you get it tasting just the way you like. If you don't eat pork, you can substitute smoked turkey sausage and replace some of the water with chicken stock.http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/red_beans_and_rice/

Red beans and rice (Creative Commons photo by musicpb)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried red kidney beans
• 1 large smoked ham hock
• 1 pound andouille sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce oregano, and cayenne pepper
• Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, white pepper and salt to taste
• 4 1/2 cups cooked rice, prepared just before serving

Equipment:

• 6 quart stock pot
• Colander
• Spoon

1. Soak the beans in water overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, add fresh water to the pot and boil for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.
3. While the beans are boiling, saute the onion, green pepper and celery until the onion becomes tender but not mushy.
4. Add the garlic to the vegetables and saute about 2 more minutes.
5. After the beans are finished boiling, drain and add sauteed vegetables, ham hock, sausage and seasonings to the pot.
6. Add enough water to just cover the contents of the pot and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until the mixture becomes creamy.
8. While cooking, taste occasionally and add more seasonings if desired.
9. Cook the rice, starting 30 to 40 minutes before the red beans will finished cooking.
10. Serve the red beans over the rice.

1. For a richer flavor, substitute black beans for the red, or use a mixture of black and red beans.

2. Observe a New Orleans tradition, and serve red beans and rice for lunch on Mondays.

3. If you aren't using ham hocks, substitute chicken stock for water to provide additional flavor.

4. If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, you can accelerate the softening by boiling them for two minutes, then turning the heat off and allowing them to sit, covered, in the water for an hour. Drain them, and proceed as above.