First entry: Red beans & Rice

Dish background:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_beans_and_rice

Dish type: Entree

Method Utilized: "Quick & Simple"

Red beans & rice is traditionally a slow-cooked dish, however, I got a last-minute craving.



Shopping List:
- 1 box Tony Chacheres (pronounced "sash-er-ies") or Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice box mix (I used Tony's as it was on sale at the store, however, Zatarain's offers a low-sodium version and is typically more readily available throughout the country)
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
- 2/3 cup quick barley (I chose to use quick barley because it cooks faster than brown rice, I don't typically keep white rice around the house, and it's a very healthy grain that can lower bad cholesterol, provides an excellent fiber source, and is said to be a natural antioxidant)
- 1/2 lb lean smoked turkey sausage (whatever brand/flavor you prefer), sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, minced
- Garlic Infused Olive Oil (I keep this around the house--the spritzer makes it easy to control the amount of oil you use, it adds a wonderful flavor to things, and a little goes a long way--even just having a small bottle, it seems to last forever.  It's an excellent investment if you have to get it from a gourmet store--though I DO frequently see them on the shelves at Marshall's or Ross.)

Steps:

As I broke my last large saucepot in an unfortunate "Dishwasher vs. Cheaply Made Big Lots Cookware" battle last week, I decided to go for the microwave option listed on the box.  From personal experience, I know that the amount of water the box recommends causes a rather soupy result, which is why I add the extra beans & the barley.  I used a large microwave-safe casserole dish (which has a lid--very important), added the igredients as stated on the box, plus my dry quick barley & canned beans.  Stir thoroughly, cover, & microwave on full power for 5 minutes.

While that's going, put a frying pan over medium heat and squirt two spritzes of oil into the pan.  Add peppers & onion, and sprinkle w/black pepper and salt.  Saute over medium heat until the onions are slightly translucent. (if you heat the pan & dice your veggies BEFORE you start anything else, your saute should be close to done around the time the microwave beeps.)

Add the peppers & onions into the casserole dish, stir again, recover, and microwave for 25-30 minutes on 50% power.

Let sit for 5-15 minutes before serving--the sauce will thicken the longer it stands.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Set time: 5-15 minutes

Dinner on the table in: 40-50 minutes

Makes approximately (6) 1.5 cup servings

Nutritional Info: 

Calories		274.5
Total Fat		1.3 g
	Saturated Fat	0.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.3 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.3 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		940.1 mg
Potassium		315.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate		58.1 g
	Dietary Fiber	11.6 g
	Sugars	1.9 g
Protein		11.4 g

Vitamin A	0.7 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	5.6 %
Vitamin C	17.0 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	1.0 %
Calcium	7.0 %
Copper	11.4 %
Folate	13.1 %
Iron	15.9 %
Magnesium	10.5 %
Manganese	25.1 %
Niacin	6.9 %
Pantothenic Acid	2.1 %
Phosphorus	13.1 %
Riboflavin	6.1 %
Selenium	12.4 %
Thiamin	9.3 %
Zinc	6.2 %