I was at lunch at work last week and one of my colleagues had red beans and rice for lunch. Everyone was discussing it because it really smelled delicious. I decided at that moment that I really wanted some red beans and rice AND I didn’t want it from a box. I knew there had to be a good recipe out there that wouldn’t require hours to make that would stand up to the delicious (and not good for you) Zatarain’s® that really is quick and easy to put together.
Well, of course you know where I looked and, lo and behold, I found a Cooking Light recipe! Cooking Light magazine often has a section where they make a good recipe better (and lighter) or they compare their version with a popular boxed or frozen meal. This recipe happened to be in one of those sections where I could actually see the difference. The Cooking Light version of red beans and rice cut almost a hundred calories and lopped off a HUGE 2,000 (yes, 2,000!) mg of sodium. The fat content is a little higher but that comes from the olive oil which is not awful. Besides, olive oil (the good stuff) really adds depth and amazing flavor to sautéed vegetables. J
Anyway, I planned our meals, to include leftovers, for about a week and a half and knocked out all my shopping on Saturday. Of course, it then proceeded to rain the ENTIRE weekend and we were all bored and nearly ate ALL the food I bought. Thank goodness the red beans and sausage survived! Although, I must admit, I almost didn’t make it tonight. I had planned on it – even re-read the recipe this morning so I knew what was in store when I got home from work – but, today….well…today was a long day. The first words Thing 2 said to us when we got home was “you guys even sound tired.” Yes, it was true – we were both tired. During the drive home, I had been trying to come up with a quick alternative to my plans – you know that’s when hot dogs or pizza sounds REALLY good. But then, Thing 2 said….”are we having that recipe for dinner that the cookbook is opened up to,” (ahem…red beans and rice) “cuz that looks REALLY good!” Well, that sealed it. AND, not only that, but she cleaned the kitchen for me – including washing the stack of Tupperware® containers that had been multiplying in the sink. At that point, I probably would have given her whatever she wanted! Thank goodness she only asked for red beans and rice! Phew! J
So, I’m so glad I did make this dish for dinner because it really was delish and we all pulled together in making it. Hey, family fun in the kitchen! The recipe calls for an 8 ounce container of prechopped onion, bell pepper and celery mix – now, I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen anything like that in my grocery store so we had to make this the old-fashioned way and do all the chopping on our own. Anyway, that was the most difficult part and it really wasn’t that bad. Yes, I’m aware I didn’t do the chopping – that’s what made it not that bad! J Hey, maybe that’s what made it taste that much better…. Those restaurants really have the right idea – food always tastes better when someone else makes it for you!
The final result? YUM and easy and fairly quick so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal. AND, if you can find one of those mythical prechopped onion, bell pepper and celery mixes, I would definitely grab one because that will cut down on the prep time. Seriously, all you’ll have to chop is the sausage and garlic (unless you buy bottled garlic and then, you’re pretty much set). Life’s too short to wait for delicious and healthy red beans and rice. Try this recipe and spend some time enjoying it with your family.
Happy drinking, cooking and eating!
 |
| dinner! |
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (3-ounce) chicken andouille sausage link, chopped
1 (8-ounce) container prechopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix
1 ½ teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup water
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion mix to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Partially mash beans with a fork. Add beans, ¼ cup water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in pepper. Serve over rice.
Yield: 5 servings (serving: about ¾ cup bean mixture and about ¾ cup rice)
Calories 336; Fat 8.4g (sat 1.8g, mono 5.1g, poly 1.3g); Protein 12.7g; Carb 51.6g; Fiber 5.9g; Cholesterol 36mg; Iron 3.3mg; Sodium 698mg; Calcium 90mg
No comments:
Post a Comment