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Red Beans and Rice

List of Ingredients


1 pound red kidney beans, soaked
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or corn oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound smoked ham, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups hot cooked white rice



Recipe

1. Put beans in heavy soup pot with water. Bring water to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour.

2. In saute pan, heat bacon drippings and saute onion, green onions, bellpepper and garlic until they begin to color. Add to bean pot.

3. In same saute pan, brown smoked ham cubes. Add them and bay leaves,thyme, parsley, vinegar, salt and pepper to bean pot.

4. Simmer another 30 minutes, until beans are tender and have made a thick sauce of the liquid in pot. Add water to pot if the beans become too dry before they are completely cooked.

5. Stir occasionally while cooking to prevent beans from sticking to bottom of pot. Do this carefully with a wooden spoon so you don't break beans.

6. Adjust seasonings, discard bay leaves and serve beans spooned over hot cooked rice. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition analysis for each serving: 723 calories; 39 g. protein; 100 g.

carbohydrates; 18.5 g. dietary fiber; 18.5 g. fat; 74 mg. cholesterol; 2,044
mg. sodium.

Note: For a lighter version, cook the seasoning vegetables dry in a pan, stirring constantly, without the bacon. Replace the ham with low-fat turkey ham. Omit the salt. Double the measure of green onions and the garlic by 2 cloves. Cook the rice without adding salt, butter or oil.
From Long Island Newsday 01/11/01 'THE BEAN BOOK" (W.W. Norton, $30) by Roy F. Guste Jr