My husband has been asking for red beans and rice, so here’s how I make it without a recipe. It’s easy. Take the basic principles and adjust proportions and seasonings to your taste. It’s one of our favorite simple meals.
Let the dried red beans soak overnight in water and then drain them. I thought it unnecessary to explain that, but once I started cooking the beans, Michael asked if I put all the soaking water into the pot with the beans…So, the answer is no. I laughed so hard I was crying.
Start by chopping up an onion or two, a bell pepper and some celery. I use roughly a third more of onion compared to the other vegetables. Get that cooking in a big pot with some olive oil while you chop some garlic and slice up some andouille sausage. I often use turkey andouille or another smoked sausage. Ham, ham hocks or salt pork could also be used.
Ingredients for Easy Red Beans:
- pre-soaked red beans
- chopped onion
- chopped bell pepper
- chopped celery
- minced garlic
- olive oil
- andouille sausage
- water
Once the vegetables have begun to soften, add the garlic and then the sausage. Then add the spices.
Spices, In Descending Order of Amounts
- French thyme
- Paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne
- Basil
- Oregano
- salt
Now add the drained beans and enough water to cover them. Reduce to simmer and cook for a few hours, stirring occasionally. I learned from Emeril Lagasse to smash up to half the beans against the side of the pot after cooking for a couple of hours. It really adds a nice creamy texture to the finished dish, which resembles the way Michael first tasted red beans at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch, a soul food restaurant he frequented weekly in the 90’s. This step has become Michael’s job and he gets so excited to do it that I found him trying to smash beans at the beginning of cooking this time. I had to shoo him out of the kitchen and tell him to wait a couple hours. Bless his heart.
Be aware of stirring more frequently once you smash some beans because it thickens the mixture and you don’t want them to burn at the bottom of the pot. Cook for another hour, adding a little more water along the way if it needs it. Just don’t overdo it. They should be creamy in the end, not watery. Season with salt at the end and serve on top of rice.
Collard Greens
I allow about 45 minutes for the chopped greens. I just want to cook them long enough for the stems to become tender when pierced with a fork.
I often start the greens with bacon, but I figured I could slim it down as I already had nearly a pound of andouille in the beans. So, I sauteed some diced onion in some olive oil. Then added some chopped garlic and then the greens. A splash of white vinegar gives a nice flavor. Then I wanted a little liquid to help them braise, but I didn’t want to open a carton of chicken broth for such a small amount, so I added a little water and looked around for what else to flavor it with. I had used some ramen noodles previously without the chicken flavoring packet, so I sprinkled a pinch of that in there along with a little cayenne and French thyme. Simmered covered until done.
Blackened Salmon
I used to make blackened catfish, but unlike in Louisiana, we can only find farm raised around here. I prefer buying wild fish, so I used sockeye here. I don’t buy blackened seasoning anymore either, but you can make your own using black pepper and/or any other ground peppercorn, cayenne, paprika, smoked paprika, salt and garlic powder. Sprinkle it liberally on both sides of your fish and cook quickly over high heat in a preheated skillet with an oil with a high smoke point like grapeseed oil.
For more delicious inspiration on cooking without a recipe, please read Shrimp and Grits next.