Day 1 Final Report

Ugh. The red beans & rice might have had a better texture if I'd cooked them on the stove, but having done it in the crock pot, the dish was not good.

The cake, ugly as it was, was fantastic. I'll post both recipes later, with my recommendations for making them better.

~Paula

9/4/09 update: The guys at work at the beans...and liked them. I'm considering dish #1 a failure, because the beans didn't have the texture I wanted. Dish #2, the apple spice cake, was a success.

Creole Red Beans & Rice
makes 8 servings
prep: 20 min, cook 3 hr, other 8 hr

1 16 oz bag dried red kidney beans
1 lb smoked sausage, thinly sliced
2 T vegetable oil
3 celery ribs, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 32 oz container chicken broth
3 1/2 C water
2 bay leaves
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/8 t ground red pepper
Hot cooked rice

Rinse & sort beans according to package directions. Place into Dutch oven. Add water 2 inches above beans and let soak 8 hours. Drain beans, rinse, drain, rinse. Set aside.

Saute sausage in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings. Refrigerate sausage until ready to stir into bean mixture.

Add celery, bell pepper, green onions & garlic to drippings and saute about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in beans, broth, water, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes then reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until beans are tender.

Stir in sausage, disgard bay leaves and serve over hot rice.

*note* Don't spill this in your car or it will stink for days. I would've omitted the celery, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Substitute red beans for pinto beans, ham hock for sausage, omit bell pepper, add 3 T apricot preserves and serve over fried potatoes and cornbread. THAT'S how we make beans in Oklahoma, ya'll!