Andouille and Red Beans with Rice

Here's another quick and tasty dish that hits the spot after a workout. Now that dh and I are running somewhat regularly again, it seems that most of our runs are in the evening. Dinner has to be quick because I'm usually not in the mood for something long and involved after running in this heat. (It's supposed to be in the 90's here tomorrow! What happened to spring? We went from freezing to too hot almost overnight!)

I followed the recipe as written, except I substituted black beans for kidney beans, since that's what I had in the pantry. The andouille adds just the right amount of "zing" to the dish but if you don't have any, you could substitute a different smoked sausage and up the hot pepper sauce and Cajun seasoning.While the rice was cooking, I threw together a box of Cajun Cornbread mix. Yum! Add a salad and you have a healthy and great tasting meal in no time!



Andouille and Red Beans with Rice
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, March 2006

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
cooking spray
4 ounces andouille sausage, diced
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup pre-chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning, (1 1/2 to 2)
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 (16-ounce) can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook rice according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking
spray. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted
spoon, transfer sausage to a bowl, and keep warm.

Add bell pepper, onion, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and hot pepper sauce to pan;
sauté 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Add beans and broth to pan; cook 8
minutes or until thick, mashing half the beans. Add sausage, parsley, and salt
to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Serve
over rice.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup bean mixture and about 1/2 cup
rice)