One of Gary’s favorite comfort foods is this beans and rice dish. When our cilantro is thick, this becomes our go-to one-dish meal.
Ingredients:
2 c brown rice
1 lb andouille sausage (or Kielbasa)
1 c pinto beans, drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 c chicken stock
1 T hot sauce
1/8 t black pepper
3 T apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
Start the rice; add 4 c water to your 2 c of rice. (Brown rice takes longer. You can use white rice, but brown is better for you.) Slice the sausage into 1/2 inch thick disks. Heat a big stock pot to medium high heat. Add a little bit of olive oil, and add the sausage and brown it for about 5-7 minutes. Once browned, remove from pot. Leave the browning from the sausage in the pot. Depending on how much oil is left in the pot, you may need to add more olive oil to brown the onion and pepper. If there looks to be about a tablespoon of oil, no need to add any more. Sauté the onion first, and stir for 3-5 minutes. Next add the minced garlic and chopped pepper to the onion, and sauté for 3-4 minutes more. Add the chicken stock, vinegar, hot sauce, and cracked pepper to the skillet. Mix until the browning comes up off the bottom of the skillet. Add the drained beans and stir until heated. Remove from heat. Add the sausage and cooked rice and stir. Add the minced cilantro right before it’s served. Garnish with additional hot sauce if you’re still wanting some heat. Enjoy!
