Fit Fare

This will be the first article in a series about Cajun and Creole cooking. Growing up in South Louisiana it is safe to say that most of what we ate was not considered “fit fare”. My mother prepared all kinds of rich etoufees and stews, hearty gumbos, vegetable casseroles (with plenty of cheese and butter), sandwiches dripping with gravy, and anything that could be fried. Fried shrimp and fried eggplant were staples in our home. The food my mother prepared most often was red beans and sausage. Many restaurants serve this dish every Monday. It’s a tradition. To me this represents the ultimate comfort food. My mother likely cooked it because it was economical and easy to prepare. Beans are a good source of dietary fiber and protein. The USDA nutrient database lists 4.5 grams dietary fiber per 1/2 cup kidney beans. An article on fiber in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that “Fibers that lower blood cholesterol levels include foods such as…beans…” and “…a diet of foods providing adequate fiber is usually less energy dense and larger in volume than a low fiber diet which may limit spontaneous intake of energy.” Translated, fiber helps us feel full and helps us to limit our overall caloric intake.

The sausage adds some additional protein, but unfortunately it adds a lot of saturated fat and significantly increases the calories in the recipe. In the past, I have made red beans with soy sausage, turkey sausage, lean ham or with no meat at all. All of these recipes are acceptable, but to make a traditional pot of beans and rice my preference is to just reduce the amount of sausage in the recipe; 1/4 pound versus 1 - 2 pounds. This reduction results in a significant improvement in the nutritional profile. To do this successfully you need to use a good smoked sausage. When I moved to Long Island a few years ago I panicked because I couldn’t find smoked sausage anywhere. I settled for supermarket sausage but the dish wasn’t the same. I recently came across a locally made smoked kielbasa that works great in the recipe. If you are lucky enough to live in Louisiana (or nearby) the sausage choices won’t be an issue for you. Some of my favorite Louisiana brands are Manda and Savoie’s.

Two other products make the dish spectacular. I always try to use Camilla Brand Red Beans (my mother sends them to me by mail). You can use any light red kidney bean. I have used Goya beans and these work well. The other product I really like is Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning. Most grocery stores (even here in New York State) carry this product. There is a nice link to sources for Louisiana products at the Gumbo Pages website.

Red Beans and Rice

1 lb Camilla red beans
1/4 lb smoked sausage, sliced
4 cups of water (to be added after beans have been soaked)
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 pieces chopped garlic
1 large bay leaf
Season to taste (approximately 1-2 tsp salt + pepper or Tony’s)

I always rinse and soak my beans overnight. I soak the beans to help make them tender and creamy. This just involves rinsing the beans a few times, then adding enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches (about 6-8 cups.) If you are short on time rinse the beans and add the water; then bring the beans to a boil. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let them soak for 2 hours.

Pour off water. Add the 4 cups water and all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook slowly for 2 hours. Most of the time I just put everything into the crockpot (use only soaked beans), cook for 1 hour on high heat, then let it cook all day on low heat. When you make this in the crockpot add just enough water to cover the beans or they will be watery.

Serve over rice. To further increase the fiber content you can serve the beans over brown rice.