Louisiana Beans and Rice

If you ate anything like I did for the last few days (er, weeks), you are probably ready for something without sugar, fat, loads of salt and so on...  Possibly something that is easy to prepare as you have probably spent the last few days in a state of semi-controlled chaos.

This vegetarian crock pot recipe delivers high nutrition and low hands-on kitchen work.  Something we all need to help recover from the holidays.

Recipe: (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins)
1 large onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
6 cups kidney beans (or 3 15-ounce cans)
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 - 4 cups water
3 cups cooked rice
optional: hot sauce, cheese, sour cream etc for toppings

Add all ingredients in slow cooker, except water and rice.  Stir well.  Slowly add the water, being sure it fully covers all ingredients, about 3-4 cups, depending on the size of your slow cooker.

 Cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours or LOW for 10-14 hours.

Once done cooking, remove approximately 2 cups of the beans and puree using an immersion blender.  Return to crock pot and stir well.

Serve mixture in a bowl with rice and desired toppings.

Verdict:
Definitely a vote for quick and easy.  I made this dish on a day when I would be at work for eight hours and then had another hour or so at the gym.  It took about 15-20 minutes to chop it all up and throw it in the pot in the morning, and when I came home dinner was ready and the house smelled wonderful!

It was not the best recipe I've ever had but then again it's just beans and rice, so you're probably not expecting culinary perfection here anyway.  It was edible.  It scores healthy points.  And it reheated well the next night.  Tastewise though, I think I prefer this recipe for a slow cooker beans and rice dinner.