Fat Tuesday!

That's right. Time to get fat before lent. I'm not religious, and I'm not giving anything up, but I will get down with a Louisiana-inspired meal complete with a king cake. Or in my case, a bundt cake topped with purple, green and gold icing because I had 1 too many drinks at happy hour. Short synopsis, it looked horrible, but it tasted good. There's even an almond in it!

On to the main course!

Creole Seasoning

1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp oregano
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp thyme

Mix all ingredients in an air tight container. Store for later use.

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice

What you need:
3 cans of red kidney beans (You can use fresh bean, just make sure you soak the overnight)
Creole Seasoning to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
As much garlic as you like, minced (I used 3 small cloves)
1 or 2 bay leaves
Crystal hot sauce, to taste
black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

What you do:
Place the red beans with the creole seasoning and bay leafs in a large pot. Cover with water and boil away for about 30 minutes.

While the beans are boiling, sauté the onions, pepper, celery and garlic until the onions turn translucent.

After the beans are boiled and drained, add the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper and hot sauce to the beans and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the mixture has taken on a creamy texture. Add more water is the beans start to look dry and burned. Feel free to adjust seasonings as the mixture is simmering. Stir occasionally, making sure that the mixture doesn’t sstick to the bottom of the pot.

*Hint - If the mixture isn't taking on a creamy texture, remove 2 cups from the pot, mash in a bowl and return to continue simmering.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

I would love to post pictures, however, I was distracted by something shiny and totally forgot. Oh well. Better luck next time!