RECOVERY RED BEANS AND RICE
Recipe Courtesy
Chef Amy Sins
RECOVERY RED BEANS AND RICE
Ingredients:
1 lb. dry kidney beans
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
4 cups water
2 cups long grain white rice
Directions:
Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.
Disaster Outreach Efforts
from Local New Orleans Chefs
After the landfall of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana, New Orleans chef Amy Sins was ready. The well-known Flood and Disaster Outreach- New Orleans Cooks is on stand-by for moments like this. The group began coordinating with local restaurants, food distributors, and chefs about four years ago. Over the years, the group has become more organized under the leadership of Sins. The group quickly began providing meals to those who were displaced by Laura and evacuees displaced in New Orleans.
Immediately after landfall of Laura, Sins posted a Facebook call to action. It read, “Chefs- I have product – RED BEANS and RICE, about 2000 lbs. of each. If we could get some of this to you, could you cook it and chill it for us? We can have the foodbank pick it up. They’re maxed out on capacity between COVID and Hurricane Laura, but I need the cooked product to send out”. Another post followed shortly after, “Are any chefs or kitchen teams interested in volunteering at Second Harvest this week to prepare meals for disaster relief? If so, please message me. I am also accepting prepared meals made in a commercial kitchen if you need to move out anything in the freezer.” When asked about the post, Chef Amy replied, “This is how we roll. We come together as a team and feed people most in need after a disaster strikes.”
The organization, known as Flood and Disaster Outreach- New Orleans Cooks, has spent the last six months providing meals to New Orleans residents affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Donations totaling $7,000 bought food, water, and supplies. The group flew provisions to the Lake Charles area in donated private planes. “It’s a group effort from New Orleans volunteers,” offered Sins. “We will be around whenever we are needed.”
You can follow the group on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/floodanddisasteroutreachnola
