New Orleans Style RED BEANS & RICE | How to cook RED KIDNEY BEANS

I love the creamy, deep bodied taste of New Orleans style red beans and rice. This dish is cheap to make, feeds multiple people, is relatively hands-free, and one of the easiest examples of Creole food. It floods my mind with nostalgic memories of my childhood when Grandma Bessie would cook up a large pot and serve it with a side of Cajun fried chicken. Yes, fried chicken was the side dish while red beans and rice was the star. In New Orleans, this dish is traditionally eaten on Mondays but in celebration of Mardi Gras I'm cooking them for Fat Tuesday, and I invite you to do the same. If you choose to try this recipe, just remember to soak your beans in water overnight before the day you decide to cook them. I can biasedly say that Grandma Bessie cooked the best red beans and rice. My version differs from her version in three ways: 1. I only use one pork ingredient that is added to the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking as opposed to adding multiple pork ingredients (see notes below). 2. I substitute olive oil instead of using butter, and 3. I use the cooked beans with a little added all-purpose flour as the thickening agent to make the beans super creamy. These substitutions allow me to enjoy the added pork flavoring while reducing the total calories in the dish. If you like what you see, please give this video a THUMBS UP and SHARE it with your family and friends. Also SUBSCRIBE to our channel and enable NOTIFICATIONS to stay informed of any new content. SUBSCRIBE    / @grandmabessieshouse   SHARE    • New Orleans Style RED BEANS & RICE | How t...   RECIPE THE NIGHT BEFORE COOKING: Soak the beans. 1 lb dried red kidney beans 2Tbsp olive oil plus nonstick spray 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp Creole seasoning 1 tsp Italian seasoning 2 - 3 large bay leaves 1 large onion, diced 1 large bell pepper, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 4 large cloves garlic, minced Broth or water (You can use vegetable or chicken broth or water. Cover by 1-2 inches above beans. In video referred to as liquids.) 1 or more Tbsp all-purpose flour (I prefer to use 2 - 2 1/2 Tbsp. You can use more or less. It just depends on how thick you like your beans. The more you use the thicker the end result.) 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced additional pork meat (optional, see noted below) 1 cup rice, cooked flat-leaf parsley, enough to garnish Rinse (wash) and drain the beans. Set aside. In a pan, toast salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning on low-to-medium heat for about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Constantly shake pan so the dry ingredients DO NOT burn. Take off heat and set aside after toasting. Over medium heat, spray a large pot with nonstick spray and coat with olive oil. Heat the oil and sauté vegetables until wilted. Add bay leaves and dry seasonings. Sauté and stir for about 1 minute. Add beans to the pot and cover with broth or water (liquids). Bring to a boil and once reached, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. About 30 minutes (at the 2 1/2 hours mark) before beans are finished cooking, remove 1 cup of the beans, set them aside to allow them to cool. This usually takes about 15 minutes. While the beans are cooling add smoked sausage to the pot, stir, and cover. Allow beans and sausage mixture to cook for 20-30 minutes. While the beans and sausage mixture are cooking place the cooled cup of beans in a blender along with all-purpose flour and blend. Add to beans and sausage mixture. Allow to cook until the end of the 30 minutes. Remove beans from heat. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. Beans thicken a little as they cool. Serve with cooked rice and garnish with parsley. NOTES I tend to cook beans the day before I plan on eating them. The flavors will deepen overnight and taste even better. You can keep this recipe vegetarian and vegan friendly if the liquid that you add to the pot is either vegetable broth or water. Also, skip the meat. If you decide to use more than one pork ingredient like adding ham, a ham bone, pickled pork, or tasso, brown them in the pot after you heat the oil. Remove meat from pot. Add all seasonings to the pot while scraping meat drippings from the bottom of the pot. Once vegetables are wilted, add the meat back to the pot, stir and continue with the recipe. DO NOT use your blender to blend hot foods or liquids. Allow them to completely cool before blending. Enjoy eating New Orleans style red beans and rice with your loved ones. Thanks for watching and cooking, Dana Music Attributions: 1. Zydeco Piano Party by Media Right Productions (YouTube free music library, attribution not required) 2. Busy City by TrackTribe (YouTube free music library, attribution not required)