How 'bout a taste of New Orleans?

Do you like cajun food?  I like some of it- not sure I could eat crawdads (crawfish) though...  but I LOVE red beans 'n' rice!  Yummy!!  So I decided to to make my own!  I had smoked beef sausage from earlier in the week, and a can of kidney beans and rice, I ALWAYS have rice!! ;)

I do have to say that I looked up a recipe online at www.allrecipes.com (my favorite for finding easy, quick and tasty recipes, though I do seem to try them once, and change them later if I make that recipe again...)!  But, I'm not ashamed to admit that I will look at a recipe now and again...  helps get my creative juices flowing! :)

Anyway- back to the red beans 'n' rice...  this was another big hit with the husby! :)

Rach's Red Beans and Rice

1 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage
1 can kidney beans, undrained
5 whole, frozen tomatoes (you can substitute a can of diced toms if you'd like!)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 TBS chili powder, to taste
1 TBS cumin powder, to taste
1 tsp Oregano, to taste
1 tsp Basil, to taste
1 tsp Paprika, to taste

Brown sausage in sauce pan, add kidney beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices.  Simmer until tomatoes are cooked (if frozen) and beans are heated through.  Take the lid off for 5-10 minutes at the end so the sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Hey Fellers- Soups On!

So- I realize that I've slacked off and haven't written anything for awhile, so I will try to remember what I've done the last few months!

About a month ago, I decided to make beef/veggie soup.  I browned a pound of ground beef with a chopped onion (half an onion).  Then I added some frozen whole tomatoes (you could used canned whole tomatoes).  I used 3-4 cups of beef broth and a couple palm fulls of Jamaican Jerk Rub from The Pampered Chef.  (I've also made it with Italian Seasoning).  I added a bag of frozen mixed veggies for the last 10 minutes or so.  You want to make sure that the veggies don't get over done...

Both Aaron and I LOVED the Jamaican version, it adds a little spice and flavor!   The Italian version tastes like Pizza In A Bowl (Maybe I just came up with a name for it?!)!

Enjoy!