New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

By Tangie2010

Red beans and rice is one of the best-known dishes to come out of Louisiana. The pairing of ham and beans creates a delicious gravy that flavors every kernel of rice. Legend has it that the musician Louis Armstrong signed correspondence "red beans and ricely yours" because he so loved this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 tsp healthy oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-lb) boneless ham steak, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 (15-1/2 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting any fat.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, 4-5 minutes. Add the beans and Cajun seasoning; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add the broth and cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Per serving (1/2 cup bean mixture with 1/2 cup rice): 297 cal, 7g fat, 2g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 40 mg chol, 8611 mg sod, 36g carb, 6g fib, 22g prot, 41 mg calc. (makes 6 servings)

**PLAN AHEAD: Double the bean mixture and refrigerate half in an airtight container up to 3 days for another meal. When ready to serve, spoon the mixture over 3 cups cooked whole wheat couscous (you'll reduce the per-serving POINTS value by 1).