Red Beans and Rice

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001


Ingredients

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1/4 cup chopped tasso, or chopped ham
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish




Directions

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)



Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

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Cuban Black Beans and Rice

SERVES 12

* 1 lb dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 large bell pepper, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 5 cups water
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 tablespoons ground cumin (optional)
* 1 finely chopped jalapeno
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups hot cooked rice, for serving

Soak beans overnight.

Combine all ingredients except rice in slow cooker 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove bay leaves.

Serve beans over rice.

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Akkara Balls

* 1 cup black eyed beans
* salt to taste
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* Oil for deep frying

Soak the blackeyed beans overnight. Next day, if any water is left in the soaked beans, drain it.

Now, in a blender, grind the beans with salt to taste and black pepper until beans become like a paste. Grind till there it is a thick paste but still bit coarse. Add liile water if needed to make paste. Now heat oil in frying pan.

When oil is hot, scoop one spoonful of paste into oil, repeat until there is no space for more scoops. Turn occasionally and remove from oil when brownish in color. Ready to serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.

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Vegan Enchiladas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):


* Meat Substitute (I prefer Harvest Direct's Protean)
* 1/2 cup rice
* 1 can vegetarian refried beans (normal or black beans)
* 10 tortillas
* 1 packet of vegan taco seasoning
* 1 can enchillada sauce
* taco sauce
* crushed tortilla or nacho chips



Directions:



1. Prepare meat substite according to directions.


2. Add rice and taco seasoning and follow directions on seasoning for preparation.


3. Spread beans on tortilla.


4. Spoon rice and meat substitute mixture down center of tortilla.


5. Drizzle taco sauce onto mixture.


6. Roll tortilla and place in greased casserole dish.


7. Repeat 3-6 until ingrediants run out or casserole dish is full.


8. Cover rolled tortillas with enchillada sauce and sprinkle with crushed chips.


9. Cook for 20 minutes at 375 degrees or until hot. If using microwavable dish,
enchilladas can be cooked in microwave as well.


Use mild or hot seasoning, and sauces as taste desire. If no meat substitute is
available, increase the amounts of rice and beans in recipe to suit taste.
No nutritional information available.


Serves: 3-5


Preparation time: 20 minutes

BEAN DROPS (BINCH AKARA)

1 pound black-eyed beans (peas)
2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 cups oil

Pour dry beans in a blender with a cup of water. Chop for one minute. Pour in large bowl add water. Stir until skins float. Strain into colander; allow all skin and eyes to flow out. Blend beans, onion and pepper. Pour in a bowl, add salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Heat oil until moderately hot. Drop mixture into oil with spoon. Fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Small balls can be served with toothpicks.

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