New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

One of the first things I want to eat when I go to New Orleans is a steaming hot bowl of Red Beans & Rice. I also want an Abita Amber Ale out of Abita Springs, LA, the small town in St. Tammany parish, where my husband Kevin and I got married (we got engaged on the back of The Creole Queen paddle wheeler in the Bay of New Orleans).

Kevin’s family has been in New Orleans for five generations! His great-grandpa Michael D’Argonne was a college professor and the head of the Sociology department at Xavier University in the 1920’s/30’s.  His grandparents lived in Metairie, LA until their passing a few years ago.   Now, most of his family lives across Lake Ponchartrain on the Northshore. 

And so a year after getting engaged we got married at the Abita Quail Farm. It is THE most beautiful place! I am still indebted to Kevin’s Aunt Janice, for telling us 22 years ago…”I know where ya haf ta have ya weddin’!” It was a dream wedding with 100 of our closest friends and family. John, the owner of the farm is a good friend of her husband, Paul.  John surprised us with fireworks over the lake at the end of the night. The memory still brings tears!  

Our uncle, Paul La Rocca, on the Italian side of the family, is a local banker on the Northshore. The man knows everyone from Mandeville to Hammond and everywhere in between, including Abita Springs. We had our rehearsal dinner and after-wedding party at the Abita Brewpub per his suggestion (they graciously stayed open until 3:00 AM for us).  

And it was Paul’s uncle Anthony who taught me everything I know about New Orleans food and cooking.  He would call me and we would literally talk for hours about everything, but mostly food and cooking.  He had built a professional kitchen in his backyard off Milan Street in Midtown and sometimes he even cooked meals for the Arch Bishop of New Orleans! He was in his 80s when he died and he became one of my very good friends and favorite teachers. 

Needless to say, my heart and my stomach both live in Louisiana! This Red Beans & Rice recipe is a variation of my mother-in-law, Miss Cheryl’s recipe. I added a little heat, but the show stopper is the New Orleans Creole Cream Style “Blue Runner Brand” Kidney Beans. Now, most of us cannot find them locally, but Walmart has been known to carry them (and is the cheapest way to buy them online), and if you’re from St. Louis, I can bring you some next time I’m down there.

You can also purée kidney beans with a little vegetable stock and saute them up with the “cajun trinity,” celery, bell pepper, and onions, and flavor ’em with a creole seasoning. It’s an extra step but it is a game-changer in a recipe that runs the risk of being a little on the dry side. You’ll thank me, I promise.

Anyway, here y’all go! And as always, let me know how ya like it!

Pase yon bon joune!

Steph

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New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25-30
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 cups 1x
  • Cuisine: Creole
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

If ya can’t go to New Orleans, then bring New Orleans to you! If you can’t find Slap Ya Mama in the grocery store, Tony Chachere seasoning works just fine!  I also like the green tabasco with this recipe. It already carries a little bit of heat, and you don’t want to overshadow the flavor with too much heat.  I also used Impossible Meat’s Sausage because of its high-fat content.  It adds a sublime flavor to the beans! You can also skip the sausage if you want to!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cans organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can New Orleans Style Creole Cream Style Red Beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can low sodium diced tomatoes
  • 1 pack vegan sausage (I LOVE Impossible Sausage for this)
  • 2 tablespoons EVOO, or water
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of vegetable stock
  • Rice (I usually make brown basmati but feel free to use your favorite)
  • Hot Sauce (Optional, but highly recommended!)
  • Green onions, or pickled okra, sliced for garnish

 


Instructions

  1. Make rice according to package directions.
  2. Warm a dutch oven over medium heat.
  3. Add oil, (or 1/4 cup stock) to the pan and when oil begins to shimmer, add sausage.
  4. Saute until brown on one side and flip.
  5. Add onions, bell pepper, and celery, and saute until sausage has browned evenly and vegetables have begun to soften–about 6 minutes.
  6. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of stock if too dry, or if things begin to stick.
  7. Add seasoning and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the spices, keep an eye on the temperature).
  8. Add vegetable stock and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
  9. Add tomatoes and beans.  Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
  10. Taste for seasonings. When finished, add rice to a bowl and top with red beans.
  11. Garnish with onions, or okra, and finish off with tabasco.
  12. Enjoy!

Keywords: red beans and rice, vegan, red beans, creole, cajun, New Orleans style,

 

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice

I love this rice dish! It’s super simple to make and goes with just about everything! My daughter loves the cilantro rice at Qdoba, so I decided to make a homemade version just for her! I prefer brown basmati for general use, but for this dish, I opted for white basmati. With a high protein content and very low GI ranking, brown basmati rice can be a healthy option if you use grains. I have not tried this with cauliflower rice, but I would imagine it would be an easy swap!

I like to toast my rice before boiling it. Toasting grains before cooking can enhance the nutty depth of the grains, lending an extra layer of flavor to a final dish! This dish pairs well with my BBQ Tofu Bowl!

Enjoy!

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Cilantro Lime Rice

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch

Description

Easy rice dish packed with flavor! 


Ingredients

  • 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 cups basmati long grain white rice

  •  2 1/4 cups water

  •  1 clove garlic, minced

  •  1 tsp salt

  •  1 tsp lime zest

  • 3 Tbsp lime juice

  • 1 cup lightly packed cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped

  •  Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)


Instructions

  1. Warm a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat.  When warm add oil.  
  2. When oil begins to shimmer, add uncooked rice and stir well.  Stir occasionally until the rice has started to brown— About 2 minutes. 
  3. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.  
  4. Add water, salt and lime zest.  Bring to a boil.  When boiling, cover pan and reduce to low heat.  
  5. Simmer for 13-15 minutes (check your rice package instructions).   Remove from heat and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork.
  6. Transfer to a serving bowl.  Stir in lime juice and toss with cilantro and add red pepper flakes, if using.  

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

This dish is a perfect accompaniment to my Ropa Vieja, or it’s an easy meal served by itself! I used canned beans to make it a quick weeknight meal-It can be ready in 25 minutes or less! But if you have the time you can slow cook your beans for an extra layer of flavor.

Black beans are legumes. Also known as turtle beans because of their formidable, shell-like appearance, black beans are, in fact, the edible seeds of the plant. Black beans are rich in carbohydrates, and they are also an excellent source of fiber (both soluble and insoluble). Black beans also do not contain sugar. So depending on how they’re cooked, they can have a low glycemic index. Black beans are also protein powerhouses, with 7 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup serving!

If you want a little heat feel free to add a jalapeño, or your favorite hot sauce! I like to serve this with a long grain white rice. Enjoy!

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Cuban Black Beans & Rice

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 3/4 cup vegetable broth 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Long-grain rice, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. When the pan is sufficiently heated, add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, if using, and oregano and sauté until vegetables start to soften about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
  4. Add 1 cup of beans to the pan. Using the back of a fork, mash beans coarsely.
  5. Add remaining beans, broth, and vinegar and simmer until mixture thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes. 
  6. Season beans to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Long-grain rice, to serve.

Poke Bowl with Compressed Watermelon

Poke Bowl with Compressed Watermelon

Years ago, before a Cardinal baseball game, I visited a fantastic restaurant in St. Louis called “Pieces.” They have hundreds of board games and tons of great vegan food options. After perusing their superb vegan menu, I settled on their Midwest Poke Bowl. The taste was so delicious and complex but not complicated! I was blown away by how well the simple combination of flavors came together. Anyway, a few days ago, the Post Dispatch had a Poke bowl on the cover of their “Let’s Eat” section, and it brought back the memory of the delicious bowl I had eaten at Pieces. It seemed like the perfect time to make my own.

If you don’t know, Poke, pronounced “POH-keh,” is a two-syllable word that means “cut into chunks” in Hawaiian. The compressed watermelon replaces the traditional raw chunks of ahi tuna or octopus and is marinated and compressed in a delicious ginger sesame soy sauce. I used my vacuum sealer to compress the marinade into the watermelon. Why compress it? Because flavor, flavor, flavor is the key to this recipe! Compressing any porous food concentrates its flavor and adds a depth and dimension you wouldn’t get otherwise. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer or sous vide machine, you can use this method for compressing.

While some recipes use regular rice, I used seasoned sushi rice with wakame or seaweed. I topped the edamame with a Togarashi spice mix of seaweed, orange zest, ginger, sesame seeds, and chili powder. The recipe is finished with sriracha aioli and black sesame seeds. It’s soooo yummy and healthy! One last thing! Make your watermelon and aioli ahead of time, as they need time to sit and get happy!

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Poke Bowl with Compressed Watermelon

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 hrs
  • Total Time: 36 minute
  • Category: Bowl
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This bowl is so delicious and satisfying.  It’s sure to become a staple in your culinary repertoire!!!  

***You will want to make the watermelon ahead of time, either the day before or at least 4-6 hours before use.  

****To save time, aioli can and should be made ahead of time.  


Ingredients

Scale

Compressed Watermelon Poke:

  • 2 lbs of seedless watermelon, cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut nectar, (or other vegan sweetener such as agave syrup)
  • 1” cube of fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 whole lemon zested, and 1/2 juiced (should be about 1 Tbsp of juice)
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup liquid aminos (or other soy sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp salt

Sushi Rice:

  • 2 cups sushi rice
  • water 
  • 1 tbsp wakame, or kombu (this is optional, but definitely builds the flavor profile)
  • 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp vegan sugar
  • 1 tsp fine grain sea salt

Sriracha Aioli:

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise 
  • 12 Tbsp sriracha (depending on heat preference)
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt to taste

Bowl:

  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/8” slices
  • 1 red onion, minced
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise, (I used a mandolin set a 1/8″)
  • 1 carrot, julienned (or, you can buy carrots pre-shredded)
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 10 oz bag edamame, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 Tbsp Togarashi spice mix for edamame, (or, 2 tsp red chili flakes)
  • French fried onions (optional)
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Lime, sliced into 6 wedges

Instructions

  1. d all ingredients except the oils to a blender and blend on high speed until mixed well. Turn blender down to low speed and slowly add the oils until combined. 
  2. Add watermelon to a vacuum bag and compress using a vacuum sealer, sous vide machine or the ziplock method. Compress watermelon and seal the bag. Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4-6 hours.

Sushi Rice:

  1. Rinse rice very well under cold water, until water runs clear, about 2 minutes. This step is essential. Shake until almost dry.
  2. Cook rice according to package directions. I used my Instant Pot to cook the rice, and it works well. 
  3. Add wakame to rice and water before cooking. Again, this is optional but highly recommended. 
  4. While rice is cooking, add rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt to a small saucepan and cook on medium-high heat until the mix reaches a soft boil and sugar and salt have fully dissolved. (You can also microwave).
  5. When rice is done cooking, spread evenly onto a baking sheet and let cool—drizzle rice with sushi vinegar. 

Sriracha Aioli:

Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Bowl:

  1. When ready to assemble, remove watermelon from the bag and reserve liquid.
  2. Add rice to a bowl and divide watermelon accordingly. 
  3. Add spice mix to cooked edamame.
  4. Divide avocado, onion, edamame, cabbage, carrots, and cucumber between bowls and drizzle with reserved liquid and aioli. 
  5. Top with black sesame seeds, french fried onions, lime wedge, and scallions. 
  6. Serve! 

Keywords: Vegan Poke, Watermelon Poke