It’s 38 days to Mardi Gras
(The photo of the beads is compliments of News 33)
We’re living 2013. It’s here.
Let’s do a review of all we’ve covered about Mardi Gras and New Orleans.
Mardi Gras Music – check
Musicians – check
Food – check
Mardi Gras Indians- check
Second Line Dancing – check
It’s all captured in this YouTube video compliments of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. If you can’t make it to Mardi Gras, consider heading to the Jazz and Heritage Festival on April 26 – May 5th.
Do you remember the significance of this Sunday?
Yes, it’s Twelfth Night. The twelfth night after Christmas. It’s the kick-off to the Carnival Season.
It’s time for King Cake and beads. It’s time to party, baby!
So send a shout out to your friends, neighbors and family. Start your own Twelfth Night tradition.
THEN — Cook up a pot of Red Beans and Rice for Monday.
Here’s how I do it:
Red Beans and Rice
Serves 6
2 onions – diced
1 green bell pepper – seeded and diced
1 stalk celery – diced
2 TBS olive oil
1 pound dried red kidney beans
1 lbs smoked sausage
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable Broth – can or carton
Green onions – chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crystal Sauce
3 cups cooked White Rice
Start on Twelfth Night and clean, wash and soak beans overnight.
Monday, sauté onions, bell peppers, and celery in olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
Add beans and smoked sausage of your choice. Add bay leaves, and cayenne, then add broth to cover mixture by at least 2 inches. (DO NOT ADD SALT until Beans are fully cooked. Salt will ruin the cooking of the dish.)
Bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours or more. Periodically stir the beans to ensure no sticking on the bottom of pot. Add more broth as needed.
Cook until beans are soft and falling apart.
Add green onions, salt and pepper, and Crystal sauce.
Serve over rice.
Try it. Invite me over and I’ll cook with you. We’ll make it a party.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Linda Joyce
www.linda-joyce.com
Happy New Year Linda….
Hilal,
Happy New Year to you, too!
Smiles,
Linda Joyce
I love red beans & rice, except for the green pepper. I use a recipe without the peppers. Thanks for sharing yours. Theresa
Theresa,
Thanks for the note. There used to be a little place in Westport- LaCroix Creole Bistro – and they had Great! RB&R. I always keep some RB&R in the freezer. I’m not crazy about green pepers either, however, we grow our own organic ones and I do like their taste. I saute the green pepers separately from everything else, then put them in.
smiles,
Linda Joyce