Eating from our plenty, part II

I’m bound and determined to make it through the week—and possibly the long weekend—without hitting the grocery store. I’m just plain tired of it.

So, I’m cleaning out the pantry and the freezer again. I had some Cajun Sausage Stew in the freezer, and I decided to make rice to go with it. Thinking about the New Orleans roots of the stew, I remembered a dish from my Desperation Dinners! Cookbook (which had been a gift from my book group when I was expecting my third son—the meals are all ready in 30 minutes or less, gotta love that!). Taken from Blue Runners and Rice, which is red beans and rice (“Blue Runners” is a brand of canned beans for the family in which the recipe originated); these are spectacular! The original recipe includes one pound of turkey kielbasa for a main dish—add a salad and you have a meal; to make them a side dish, as below, I omit the kielbasa.

Red beans and rice

2 t olive oil
1 c onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
¾ c red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 t garlic, minced
½ t thyme, dried
½ t basil, dried
½ t oregano, dried
½ t black pepper
½ t salt
½ t Tabasco (more or less to taste, optional)
2 bay leaves
1 14½-oz can fat-free chicken broth
1 15½-oz can red kidney beans (I prefer Progresso dark red kidney beans)
1¾ c instant (5-minute) rice
½ c okra, fresh, chopped or frozen, not thawed, chopped
½ c water, if needed

Heat oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet that has a lid. As you chop them, add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Cook vegetables until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme, basil, oregano, black pepper, Tabasco, and bay leaves.

Raise heat to high, add broth, cover skillet, and bring to a boil. (If using kielbasa, cut it into ¼– to ½-inch thick slices and set aside.) Drain and rinse the beans.

Once broth boils, add beans, okra, and rice (and kielbasa, if using). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until rice is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. If the broth is absorbed before the rice is tender, add additional ½ cup of water. Serve hot.