Red Beans and Rice

Recipe from California Farmer, March 1997.

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (15 oz) red beans, drained. Other beans can be substituted if desired.

1/2 pound fully cooked low-fat turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

3 cups hot cooked rice

Hot pepper (optional)

Coat Dutch oven with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans, sausage, tomato sauce, Worchestershire sauce, red pepper, and pepper sauce. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over rice with pepper sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Microwave oven instructions. Combine onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, Worchestershire sauce, red pepper, and pepper suace in 3-quart microwaveproof baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and cook on high 6 minutes. Add beans and sausage; stir. Reduce setting to medium; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Serve beans over rice with pepper sauce, if desired.