Southern Musings

I’m sure you are getting the idea that I do not follow directions very well in the kitchen. Sometimes I even forget my own versions of recipes. When that happens, it isn’t always good, but sometimes it is truly wonderful!

Years ago, a former friend showed me a version of red beans and rice that was so super simple that even a child could do it without messing up. Well… I messed it up. Sort of, at least. When I went to the store, I could not remember how many of each type of beans you used. I thought it was 3 each. Yes, it seemed like a lot of beans, but remember, I haven’t cooked much over the past two years while I was in school.

I left the store that day with 3 cans of kidney beans, 3 cans of pinto beans, and 1 can of chili beans. All of the contents of each can was dumped into a huge pot. My son was busy chopping two medium sized onion and two green bell peppers. As I added the onions, bell pepper, and a couple of cans of tomato sauce, my son took a can of diced tomato and chopped it up even smaller. He hates tomato but loves ketchup. I wonder if he thought if he cut it up small enough, he would not realize that it actually was tomato.

Usually, I use just one package of smoked sausage. This time, I didn’t get the usual package that is one long piece bent into a u shape. I got the smoked sausage that looks like big hot dogs. We sliced the sausage and cut it into four pieces. Yes, we had a huge pile of sausage. This was added into the same pot. Last but not least, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes were added according to my preferences. I don’t measure spices unless I’m following a specific recipe. I just sprinkle it in until I feel I have enough. We like spicy foods, so we are generally safe.

The pot ended up being too full. We split it into two large pots and cooked it for about an hour. Everything was cooked, so we basically just had to meld the flavors. When I could not stand the smell any longer, I dipped out a bowl and ate some. You may be wondering, what about the rice. Well, it got left off the menu for the night. My husband walked in the door, took one whiff and declared that he could not wait on the rice. Dinner was served!

After eating just the beans and sausage for two nights, he cooked pasta and added some of the bean and sausage mixture to it the next night. My husband hates leftovers. He actually asked for this bean and sausage mixture for two nights of leftovers. Then it was all vacuum sealed and froze for a later date. I’m not sure about my husband, but I’m looking forward to thawing out that package of beans. I wonder if I could convince him that I cooked it from scratch again next week?

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