When I make regular red beans and rice, I often get groans of “not beans!” from my older sons. I am not sure if they are worried about the bean side-effects and the success of their social lives or if they just don’t like the flavor of the dish. So I did a little creative mixing. I combined two recipes, added a few other ingredients, renamed the entire dish and Voila! I had boys shoveling these beans into their mouths like there was no tomorrow. I think I have my answer. The ham flavored beans just don’t light the kids’ fires like these do.
So what’s different? First off, there is no ham, only sausage in this dish. I used aborio rice for a creamier texture. Then I added some unexpected herbs and spices: cinnamon, allspice and cumin. Actually, the boys only complaint about this dish was that there was no flat bread to eat with it. Next time, I will take the time to make a nice soft naan-like bread.
1. Info for Caribbean Rice and Beans
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: unavailable
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Caribbean Rice and Beans
- 1 pound sausage or ground pork
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 14 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup aborio rice
- salt & pepper to taste
3. Directions:
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage and drain all but 1 Tbsp fat.
- Add the onions, peppers and garlic and cook until tender.
- Add the herbs and spices along with the broth, beans and rice.
- Bring to a boil and then cover and cook at medium low for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Serve plain or with a wrap or some sort.