Pepper Black Beans and Rice with Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

I love this simple to assemble meal. But, what's really awesome are the pepper black beans. I started making these recently and they're kind of addicting. When you add fresh finely ground pepper to the beans, not only do you notice the heat from the black pepper, but the taste of the black pepper as well. I don't suggest an amount of black pepper for this recipe, but my method is to add and taste, add and taste and you'll know when you've got it right.  

Ingredients:

2 cans Bush's black beans

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup basmati rice

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

Preparation:

Place the water, rice and salt into a rice cooker and let the rice cook while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Take the black beans and add to a medium sauce pan. Heat the beans to medium and then take a potato masher and mash up half the beans. Let the beans cook until the liquid is reduced making and nice thick sauce.

The sausages are already cooked so you just need to heat them up on the grill. Once heated you're ready to plate.

To serve, take a small bowl and use as a mold for the rice. Once the rice is on the plate, add the pepper black beans and then the sausage. Garnish with diced green onions and chopped Italian parsley.

Black Pepper White Beans and Rice with Chipotle Chorizo Chicken Sausage

While this recipe is close to my red beans and rice dish, the black pepper white beans have a completely different flavor because there is no tabasco sauce in the beans, just lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Interestingly, when you add 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper, you don't really notice the spiciness of the pepper, but rather the flavor of the pepper. Pair the black pepper white beans up with a chipotle chorizo sausage for an awesome meal.

 

Ingredients:

1 package al fresco chicken sausage

2 cans Bushes white beans

Salt to taste

1 - 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

Dice green onions

Preparation:

Preparation: Rice

Start the rice off in a rice cooker first and it will be done just as everything else is coming together. 1 cup of white basmati rice to 2 cups of water and teaspoon salt.

 

Preparation: Beans

Drain and rinse the beans and add to a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Once heated take a large fork or potato masher and mash 1/2 of the beans. Add 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and some salt. Taste the beans and if you can't taste the pepper add another teaspoon. Mix in the olive oil and turn off the heat while preparing the rest of the dish.
 

Preparation: Sausages

The sausages are usually already cooked so all you want is to heat in a sauté pan until golden brown.
 

To serve, place some rice on the plate, use a mold for presentation if you like. Add some beans to the plate and top with a sausage and garnish with fresh ground black pepper and diced green onions.

Red Beans and Rice with Cajun Andouille Sausage and Garlic Toast

 

I love red beans and rice with spicy hot Andouille sausage and garlic toast. I have a favorite lunch spot in Monterey California called Ferddies and I would order this dish everytime. I've made this dish a couple of dozen times over the years and I think I've got it to a perfect match to Ferddies.

The key ingredient is that it's got to be Bush's red beans. You can substitute other brands or even red kidney beans, but it won't be the same. Second is the pork fat, you've got to have some pork fat to make the dish work.

Historically red beans would be cooked for a long period of time with ham hocks for the pork fat. I've found that real bacon bits will get the job done with no additional cooking time. Lastly, the tobasco is what brings the whole dish together and you can add more or less depending on how hot you like it.

Ingredients:

2 cans Bush's red beans

2 tablespoons crumbled bacon

1 tablespoon tobasco

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 Aidells andouille sausages

1 cup white basmati rice

garlic toast - sour baggette, garlic, butter

Preparation: Rice

Start the rice off in a rice cooker first and it will be done just as everything else is coming together. 1 cup of white basmanti rice to 2 cups of water and teaspoon salt.

Preparation: Red Beans

Drain and rinse the beans and add to a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water, bacon bits, tobasco and bring to a boil. Once heated take a large fork or potato masher and mash 1/2 of the beans. Mix in the olive oil and turn off the heat while preparing the rest of the dish.

Preparation: Garlic Toast

Cut a french baggette into slices and put on a baking sheet. Add butter and 3 cloves crushed garlic to a small microwavable bowl and cook in the micro for 30 - 40 seconds. Brush the garlic butter onto the sliced bread and bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.

Preparation: Sausages

The Aidel's suasages are already cooked so all you want is to heat in a suate pan until golden brown but not burnt.

To serve; take the red beans and spread out on the plate. Use a small bowl as a mold to put the rice on the plate. Add the sausage, garlic toast and you're done.

Black Beans

Well there nothing that kicks my can more than black beans that are actually brown. Therefore, when it comes to black beans I'm a little fussy on which brand I buy. My favorite black beans are by Teasdale, though Bushes are excellent. The reason I like these two is because the liquid they use to pack their black beans makes the best sauce when you mash up some of the black beans. Add a little tobasco sauce, salt and pepper and you're golden.

 

Ingredients:

1 29oz can Teasdale black beans

1 teaspoon tobasco sauce

Salt and pepper to taste
 

Preparation:

Pour the contents of the black beans into a medium sauce pan and heat to high simmer. Take a potato masher and mash some of the black beans to make a thick sauce. Stir in the tobasco and salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of cotija cheese.