Meatless Monday and the mindblowing legume

Meatless Monday: Black eyed peas, brown rice, roasted potatoes and kale - I'm getting good at this!

I can’t praise more highly the humble bean. Jack knew what was what when he traded the family cow for magic beans.

My birthday is in January, and Zach took me on a surprise trip to a cabin in West Virginia. Hot tub, screened porch, gas fireplace, soft bed. Need I say more? We got snowed in. Best. Birthday. Ever. On our way to the cabin, we stopped at a grocery store nearby for foodstuffs (I forgot to mention the kitchen). In addition to breakfast items and popcorn, we bought steaks and as an easy side, a can of black eyed peas. Later, when snow had locked us into our winter retreat, I cooked that can of beans to accompany the steaks and they tasted so heavenly.

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Meat-free (almost) Monday, with pudding

In New Orleans, red beans and rice is a Monday dish.

Monday used to be washing day, and red beans could simmer (with a little leftover meat from Sunday’s ham) all day, while mamas attended to the laundry. I’m sure those mamas didn’t love washing day, but to be honest, I’d LOVE a Monday with nothing to do but the laundry and simmering some red beans. Lacking the opportunity to spend the day in domestic pursuits, though, I make do by quick boiling the beans in the morning while I’m making our lunches, then leaving the beans to soak all day while I’m at work.  Once home, I can bring them back to a simmer and add the goodies that make Creole red beans such a savory dish.

I wish I could find red beans like this!

My Red Beans & Rice

2 lb bags of red beans (small red beans or red kidney beans, and in a pinch, pintos are fine)

Rinse the beans and use the quick boil method described on the bag – soak – once you’re ready to cook them, bring them to a simmer and add:

Salt – I never know how much

3-4 cloves of fresh garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 of a yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 tsp of ground cayenne pepper

A few splashes of pepper sauce*

After an hour, add the optional meat that will sorta blow your meat-free Monday, but not by too much. It’s not like you’re eating a hamburger. We use Andouille sausage, but I gotta tell you, you’re only making my recipe if you’re lucky enough to have Andouille from Jacob’s in La Place, LA, just outside New Orleans. If you don’t have this Andouille, I’m sorry. Go ahead and make red beans but know they’re not the thing I’m talking about here.

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