Cajun Red Beans and Rice
A recipe for a quick but satisfying dinner of Cajun style red beans and rice. This recipe uses canned beans and cubed ham so that you don’t end up spending hours in the kitchen. The result is a spicy and hearty dish that’s sure to tickle your taste buds.
1 cup white rice
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup cubed ham
1 ½ cups water
1can reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup tomato paste
1bay leaf
1teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup chopped onion
¾ cup sliced celery
Hot pepper sauce
Combine rice, beans, ham, water, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, Cajun seasoning and red pepper in a large pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a skillet over a moderate heat until hot. Add the green pepper, onion and celery. Cook and stir for 5 minutes and add to the rice mixture. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender. Discard the bay leaf and serve with hot pepper sauce.
If you find the rice mixture turning dry while cooking, you can add a bit of water to moisten it.