Red Beans and Rice

This is one of our favorite cold-weather foods!

1 lb dried red beans

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp cajun or creole seasoning (we use Tony Chachere's)
kielbasa
rice (about 1 cup per serving)

Rinse the red beans, then put them in a pot of water to soak overnight.

Drain the water, cover the beans with water again, then put them on to boil. Once the beans are boiling, turn down to a simmer.

Add the onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning to the pot early on so it can cook down. (You can also add celery and/or a bell pepper.) Cook the mixture for about an hour to an hour and a half. Slice the kielbasa and add it about 15 minutes before the beans are done.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in a separate pot.

Serve the beans over the rice, and drop on a few drops of Tabasco sauce.

It takes a while to make, but it's worth it, and we usually have leftovers for days!