Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Wakin' the Cajun

Remember me?  Yeah, it's been a while.
First it was, "I'll do it after vacation."  Then it turned into, "just let me get through the barrage of birthdays in September. And October. Oh, and November."  Of course, then it's December, and we all know how crazy busy that gets.

Annnnnd then I got shingles.
Being sick is horrible. Having shingles just plain out sucks.
Yet here I am, on my second week of fun! If you have ever had it, you know exactly what I mean by the use of the word fun.

Now in the same vein: having friends is great. Having a friend who cooks for you and your husband when you're down with shingles is nothing short of awesome.

My amazing friend Kate has been taking such good care of us since I got diagnosed! She brings over all of these yummy dishes, complete with recipes! The best part is that she makes things that I may not necessarily make myself, so we get to try new things. She does and sees life so much differently than I do, which I think is why she intrigues me so much; I learn a lot from her! She is simply lovely, and I adore her.

So when she brought over some dishes the other day, I was immediately excited. The best thing is that she brought over the ingredients to make red beans and rice for me while we had girl time! I think that was my favorite part of the whole day.  :-)

I have always wanted to make this, but I have a very carnivorous husband. Also, truth be known, so am I for the most part. I was raised where dinners were a main meat, a starch and a vegetable. Which is kind of funny now, because my mother could have every meal without a meat and I honestly don't think it would affect her much. (except for that lack of protein, are you paying attention, mommy?) So the thought of a meal made with...no meat...wasn't something that I really gave a second thought to.

I have seen the error of my ways.  I have seen the light. Reality came and gave me a big whack on the head. With a spoon.

This is SO good, you guys. It's also super easy to make, which is why Kate thought that this would be a great recipe to spotlight on FFTSD. I couldn't agree more. So, enjoy! I know we did!

Thank you, Kate! For everything!


Julie's Red Beans & Rice

1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
3 cans red beans, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (plus more for taste)
salt, to taste

Place oil, green pepper, onion and garlic in nonstick pot and saute over medium heat until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Place one can of bean in a bowl and mash with potato masher or fork. Add that to pot along with the remaining cans of beans and the chicken broth. Add Cajun seasoning and salt. Cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over bed of rice.

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