New Orleans style red beans & rice vegetarian for a working mom
3/4 cup of chopped yellow onions
1/3 cup of chopped sweet pepper
1/3 cup of chopped Celery
1/3 cup of chopped green onions
Tablespoon of chopped parsley
Tablespoon of chopped garlic
Tablespoon of dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
1 pound of dried red, or dark colored beans
1/4 cup of finely chopped carrots.
3 tablespoons of butter (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Vegetable bullion to taste
The night before - put the beans in a crock pot and fill it with water and
soak overnight.
Next morning about 7-8am, drain the water and rense the beans several times
to remove any grit.
Add vegetable bullion till it is about 1 1/2 inches above the beans (you
should have a rather strong taste of bullion). Add all other ingredients,
then cook on low till 4:30 - 5pm.
When the beans are cooked (4:30 - 5pm), put some in a glass bowl and smash
them, then add / stir this back to the crock pot. Continue doing this till
beans get a little creamy.
Serve over boiled or steamed REGULAR LONG GRAIN RICE, or CONVERTED LONG
GRAIN RICE like Uncle Ben's.
NOTE: Using the same soaking procedure, and seasonings, you can cook the
beans on top of the stove in a pot or pressure cooker. I find that if you do
not soak beans, it imparts a slightly different flavor when they are cooked
in a pressure cooker. Others may not notice. When using light colored beans
with this recipe, omit the thyme and Bay Leaf. Cajun Joe
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