So many celebrate around the country. Some with beads and beer. Some with Southern cooking.
This Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is also celebrated as Fat Tuesday. Typically, fat and sugar food items were used up before the beginning of Lent. That custom continues with pancakes and their sausage & bacon counterparts being popular ways to clean up that fat and sugar.
Our family has that pancake meal on Fat Tuesday evening. I have the pancake batter resting as I write this.
The recipe that I want to share with you though is one that I made over the weekend. It's a typical New Orleans, Red Beans and Rice. The nice part is that it is make in the slow cooker!
I watched Food Network's Valerie Bertinelli make it and it really is as easy as she made it seem.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
8-10 servings
1 lb. dried red beans
1/2 lb. andouille sausage, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 smoked ham shank
1 med onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbls. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
4 green onions chopped for garnish
Cook the ham shank in the 2 cups water on low overnight. Remove bones and gristle then add the beans, andouille, celery, ham, spices brown sugar and chicken stock. Cook on high 6-8 hours.
(I had to add more water towards the end to get the saucy consistency that I wanted)
Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.
