Last week, I wrote about biscuits and how they can be reworked into a healthier alternative to the pre-packed store bought version. What prompted that was a craving for red beans and rice with sausage. I guess it’s possible to have one without the other, but why would you?
So, today is the companion piece to the biscuit recipe, or keeping with the Kung Fu theme of last week, the yin to last week’s yang.
Red beans and rice is a favorite that I have not had in a long time. I guess I was associating it with how I made it in my previous life, which was out of a box with freeze dried hard little angry beans and an over-salted powder of “flavoring.” I am glad I left this in the past.
The instructions would say to mix the rice and rock beans with some water and some margarine or oil, boil it and simmer for 25 minutes, and et voila, a cajun meal you cooked! In reality, what I had was mushy rice with crunchy beans that could break a molar, and the only seasoning I could taste was salt. The serving size on this box was 1/3 of a cup… yeah, right. I would load up a Jethro bowl or fill up a dinner plate with this slop.
The box stated I was getting 34 grams of carbs and a heaping 620 mg of sodium in 1/3 cup, so we need to at least triple that for the amount I was actually eating. This doesn’t even take into account the kielbasa sausage I was frying up and chunking in there.
The sad thing is that I really thought I was doing some real cajun cooking. Justin Wilson would not “gha-rawn-tee” that meal, I’m sure. Remember him?
If you were like me growing up in the 80’s without cable, you watched a lot of PBS, since they were the only tv station not showing idiotic soap operas. Justin was the Cajun tv chef I could barely understand, but somehow kept a bored 8 year old highly entertained during summer break. He might even be the reason I get the cravings for gumbos and cajun style cooking. I’m glad he wasn’t around to see me get red beans and rice out of a box.
Cooking a gumbo, and really, that’s all red beans and rice is, is a fairly simple concept. That makes it easy to incorporate swaps to keep the simple carbs low and up the quality protein. Swap out regular rice for cauliflower rice, add some pasture raised yard birds, and bring your own seasonings to the party, and that’s really all it takes to overhaul it.
It’s also very flexible, so you can throw in anything you like and omit anything you don’t, again going back to last week’s article regarding Jeet Kun Do. There is no reason to leave foods you love behind and forget about them to maintain a healthy eating habit that promotes lean body mass.
As long as you keep an open mind, make a few smart swaps, and aren’t afraid to fail every now and again, you can end up with a version that not only is better for you, but tastes better as well. There is no comparison to what I make here versus the boxed store bought offering.
Fresh veggies, chicken stock instead of water, slow cooked chicken thighs…it’s bringing some serious flavor that doesn’t rely on a dissolved salt lick in the mix. Whenever you want some serious good bayou flavor, I say geaux for it and make this with some Kung Fu biscuits.
You will love it, I gha-rawn-tee it.
Beans and Rice with Chicken Thighs and Sausage
Ingredients:
- One package pasture raised chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- One package cajun style Andouille chicken sausage
- 2 cups chicken stock with no sodium or low sodium
- 1 bunch celery
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 package mushrooms of your choice
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 bunch green onions, whites and greens chopped and seperate
- 1 24 oz package frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cans beans of your choice, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder and onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano, basil, and thyme
- 1/2 – 2 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want it
- 2 tbsp grass fed butter
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions:
Cook your chicken thighs the day before in a slow cooker. Season the thighs with 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder, and cayenne pepper depending on just how cajun you are. Slow cook for 6 – 8 hours, then shred and store in the fridge:
The next day, wash and dice your veggies. Melt a tbsp of butter and saute the onion, celery, and mushrooms until tender. You can hit with a sprinkle of salt and pepper:
Add the spices to a big soup pot or slow cooker. Drop in one can of rinsed beans and mash with a potato masher:
Add the chicken stock, shredded chicken thighs, and sauteed veggies, set on low or the soup setting on your slow cooker:
Drop another tbsp of butter in the saute pan and cook the diced garlic and whites of the green onion, stirring constantly. Add the white wine and cook until reduced down to a syrup, then add to your soup pot. Heat the avocado oil until it starts to shimmer and then add the cauliflower rice, stirring often. Cook until the cauliflower gives up all of its moisture and just starts to brown:
Slice your chicken sausage and either fry in an air fryer or pan fry until golden brown and delicious. I used an air fryer and it works great:
Add the rice and sausage to the pot, stir, taste taste and add more salt and cayenne if needed for your personal tastes. Serve with Kung Fu biscuits with a drizzle of raw honey and enjoy:
See the list of all Jason Murphy’s recipes at www.mysaline.com/jason-murphy.