Vegan Red Beans and Brown Rice!

My favorite city in the world is New Orleans. I try to visit at least once a year. It's filled with beautiful music, wonderful food, and interesting things and people. There's a free feeling about New Orleans that has always been comforting to me. Many people feel nervous with all the hustle and bustle of the city, but not me. Something about that city is magical...enchanting. When I've been away for too long, I miss it like a person. It is alive with an intangible energy that cannot be duplicated. I can remember the last time I was there. We were walking through the Quarter on a windy day. My hair curls so much in the humidity. It's free and wild, kind of like me. I can remember feeling the wind in my hair and just breathing it all in. Trying to soak up every bit of magical Nola mojo that I could to take back with me until I could go back again. We stopped to eat at the French Market. I had Red Beans and Rice. I love to cook Cajun food at home. It makes me feel a little bit of that New Orleans magic whenever I get a hankering for it. This recipe was adapted from The Neely's Red Beans and Rice recipe. Here's the link to The Neely's original recipe, which is great! I usually just follow that recipe, but since we spent a week eating food that was not so healthy(but oh so good), I decided to put as many healthy twists on it as possible. I used vegan sausage that I found in the vegan section of Smith's Marketplace. I also substituted organic tri-color beans and black beans. I was out of red beans. I used Vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and ground thyme since I had no fresh on hand. I also used a store bought rub. I substituted brown rice for white rice. I also like to add a teaspoon or so of Liquid Smoke to it to give it that smoked taste that usually comes from the smoked sausage the original recipe calls for. I also used frozen onions, frozen bell peppers, and celery salt, since I had no fresh celery at the time. I'm all about using what I have before running to the store. The vegan sausage didn't hold up as well as the regular sausage usually does, so next time I'll try throwing it in a little closer to the end. I will still brown it to get that nice caramelization that traps in flavor though! I like to add more stock throughout the cooking process as it gets a little dry. I always use stock in place of water to add more flavor. That's a little trick I learned from watching Rachael Ray! This was filling and comforting! I always finish it off with some parsley, either Tobasco or Louisiana hot sauce, and a couple of dashes of Tony Chachere's! MMM!

Vegan Red Beans and Rice:

1.5 T Olive Oil

1.5 C Frozen Chopped Onions

1.5 C Frozen Chopped Green Bell Peppers

3 Ribs of Celery(or 1 t of celery salt)

1 T Minced Garlic

1 pkg. Vegan Sausage(any flavor/spicy is best/usually comes in pack of 4 links/use all), sliced

1 T Steak Rub (any brand)

1 t Tony Chachere's (or more to taste)

1 t Ground Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 14.5 oz. cans beans, drained and rinsed(any kind will do, but Red Beans work best)

3 cups Vegetable Broth(plus more to add throughout)

2 Bay Leaves

1 t Liquid Smoke(or a tad more for more flavor! A little goes a long way!)

Rice:

Cook as directed, but use Vegetable Broth to add flavor! I usually use a cup of dry for my hubby and I...that makes about 2 cups cooked.

Directions:

Heat Olive Oil in a medium to large soup pot. Throw in your Vegan Sausage and brown, then add your Veggies and garlic. Scrape up any brown bits so you don't miss out on that flavor! Cook until the veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Add Dry rub, Tony's, celery salt, thyme, salt, and pepper(You can sub the celery salt for the salt. It really depends on how salty you like it. I always under salt just in case.) Stir and cook about a minute to toast the spices. Add Beans, Vegetable Stock, bay leaves, and Liquid Smoke. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered for about an hour and a half. You'll have to stir occasionally and check to see if it's getting dry, then add a little more stock! I have to do it several times, but just add enough to cover. We don't want it to be like soup! The desired consistency is kind of like chili, thick and hearty! Serve with Brown Rice. Garnish with parsley, hot sauce, and a dash of Tony's, if needed. I usually make some cornbread to go with it! MMM! Enjoy!

#southern #Family #cooking #food #vegan #healthy #comfort