Red beans and rice- easy, quick version.
1 pound/ package of Hilshire Farms or store brand beef sausage or kielbasa.
2 cans of dark red kindney beans
enough instant rice to make it thick, not soupy.
Tabasco, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder.
Water, as needed.
Cut up the sausage in cross -sectioned pieces, maybe 1/4 rto 1/2 inch thick, then cut again against the radius (make little half-moons, silly).
Put pieces of sausage in a saucepan- mayne a 3 or 4 quart size. Add water to cover the pile, add chili powder, a little seasoned salt, garlic (lots of this), maybe some salt and plenty of Tabasco. Heat over high heat until the whole mass gets to boiling good and enjoy the aromas.
Once it boils good, add a little more water and continue heating and add both cans of dark red kidney beans. Once it's at a good rolling boil, throw in about as much instant rice as you think the water will hold. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and wait about 10 minutes or so for the rice to suck up the water. Stir with a large wooden spoon or other such implement as you have handy. As soon as it sucks up enough water that it's not real soupy, start doling it out into a bowl and enjoy. Add additional salt, pepper, and Tabasco as needed.
Ok, now this next one is a secret recipie, learned years ago. I made it for the folks at work every time we had 'food day' and swore up and down that I'd gotten up at 0300 to start it, working my paws to the bone, so they all felt guilty for not eating up evey drop of it
Instead of peeling, stewing, and blending ripe fresh red tomatoes for tomato and basil soup, get a big (I mean insustrial, commercial-kitchen sized) can of the cheapest pizza sauce or pasta sauce you can find on the bulk food isle at your local commisarry. Empty the contents of that can into a big pot- like a crab boil pot, soup/stock pot, whatever. To that, add 2 measures of that now empty can full of water into the pot with the sauce and begin to heat it, gently, stirring to keep it from scorching. Once it begins to hit a near-boil, add in a generous shake of dried basil...for added 'effect', you can use chopped fresh basil. It's all in the subtleties here, folks...and add one quart (or so) of heavy whipping cream, stirring it in while reducing the heat to prevent it from curdling. Voila...tomato basil soup. It's horribly addictive. he cream gives it the perfect 'mouth'. Makes enough to feed Cox's army, too. Folks used to ask ahead of time if I was making it because they'd bring jars to take some home with them. Not for those on a low-sodium diet, though.
There...my secret is out. I've fooled some serious foodies into thinking I cooked or hours to make it. Takes maybe 30 minutes, tops. Fantastic over pasta, too.
Mangia!mangia!
Regards,
Rabbit.
