Tap into your Cajun side with delicious red beans and rice.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried small red beans or black beans
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion, divided
• 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 1-1/2 cups coconut water, fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth or water
• 1-1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid from beans
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cored and seeded

 

Directions

1. Spread beans out on a rimmed pan and pick out broken beans, small stones and other debris.
2. Rinse beans. Place beans and peeled garlic in a large pot and cover with 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered until tender, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the type of beans, age of the beans and hardness of water.
3. Drain and cool the beans, saving 1-1/2 cups of the cooking water. Store beans, covered, in the refrigerator.
4. To prepare rice heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 cup onion and cook, stirring often until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in rice and cook until grains are shiny and evenly coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Add coconut water, broth or water, 1-1/2 cups cooking liquid reserved from beans and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Place bell pepper on top of rice. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Do not open lid until time is complete.
6. Remove bell pepper from rice and save for another use. Fluff rice, cool and refrigerate until Day 2.

 

Day 2

1. Heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add remaining 1/3 cup chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in cooked rice and cooked beans with a small amount of cooking liquid until evenly coated. Reduce heat and continue cooking to allow flavors to blend, the rice and beans to heat through and, if desired, for the bottom to become slightly crisp.

 

Serves 6