Red Beans & Rice             

I love anything healthy that tastes great and is a comfort food too.  You can’t beat beans and rice for healthy and satisfying.  The trick to red beans is soaking overnight.  Don’t want to soak?  Don’t cook the beans.  It’s just not going to come out the same if you don’t soak them.  I’ve tried, believe me, but it always comes out wrong.  You want a creamy texture to the beans.  I make this a bit healthier with brown rice instead of white, but I won’t lie to you and tell you it’s just as good.  White rice and red beans tastes much better but I don’t mind the rice difference if the beans are well done.

1 package of pinto beans

1 bay leaf (cuts the gas from the beans)

1 ham hock (optional, sort of)

1 tbsp of liquid smoke

Soak the beans in a pot of water overnight with the bay leaf.  Add a little chicken soup base to the water.

Next day drain the water (do not save this water), refill it and put it on a medium heat add a spoonful of your used grease.  Also, add the liquid smoke, it is really vital to the flavor of the dish.  Let the beans cook about 90 mins adding water as necessary.

Cook the rice with a bit of chicken soup base in the water.  This helps brown rice tremendously.

Serve the beans with the rice. 

Note that I deliberately left out the ham hock.  The ham hock is just gross to me but I understand that without it you just don’t get the proper flavor of the beans.  It also seems a little wasteful.  I’ve never known anyone to eat it and it’s just in there for the flavor.  Still I’ll add them and then once the beans are done give the ham hock to the dogs as a treat.  You can decide how you feel about them they are relatively cheap so consider it.