Creole Beans and Rice

A long time ago, in a rental house far, far in south county St. Louis... this was my favorite dish my mom used to make. So we will start here. The Star Wars reference is not just a play at irony, either... on Valentine's Day 1983, we received a magical transmission called "cable" for the first time. On that fateful evening, during our 30-day trial subscription to HBO, the first thing I watched was "Star Wars." And my mother made this for dinner.

Creole Beans and Rice

1 lb. sausage, cooked and drained
1 c. uncooked rice
3 1/2 c. tomato juice
2 T. dehydrated onion
1 15.5-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Parmesan cheese to taste

Rinse and drain beans; set aside. Cook sausage thoroughly; drain excess fat. Add rice, dehydrated onion and tomato juice, and bring to a rapid boil. Lower heat, cover. Cook about 30 minutes, until rice is tender. Add beans, toss lightly, simmer until warmed through. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

As necessity breeds invention, I made this once with no tomato juice on hand. I used a can of Italian diced tomatoes, 1 cup crushed tomato or tomato sauce, and balanced it out with water. It ended up adding some flavorful tomato notes, without compromising the original recipe.

If you can find farm-fresh, happy-pig sausage, then more karma to you. But in the likelihood that you don't have access to the prime goods, I have determined Bob Evans sausage to be the best substitute.

Lastly, I love brown rice, but it does not cook properly in this recipe. Either try soaking it first, while you cook the sausage, or just learn to enjoy a slightly nutty, crunchy texture in the dish. Nutrition Facts 8 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 222.6 Total Fat 4.7 g Saturated Fat 1.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.9 g Cholesterol 18.4 mg Sodium 341.3 mg Potassium 534.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 34.6 g Dietary Fiber 5.8 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 6.3 g Vitamin A 13.9 % Vitamin B-12 1.8 % Vitamin B-6 13.8 % Vitamin C 16.5 % Vitamin D 0.0 % Vitamin E 3.2 % Calcium 5.9 % Copper 16.5 % Folate 24.1 % Iron 18.1 % Magnesium 11.7 % Manganese 28.7 % Niacin 16.3 % Pantothenic Acid 7.0 % Phosphorus 15.6 % Riboflavin 9.2 % Selenium 16.7 % Thiamin 27.0 % Zinc 9.7 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.