Unused grape tomatoes equals relish?

It has been a very busy week for me! I started a part time job working from home on top of my full time job outside the home, plus taking care of my family and my other obligations! WHEW!

I was unable to make dinner last night but was determined it was going to happen tonight.  I did NOT want to go to the grocery store so I did what I always do and stood in the kitchen looking at what I had to determine what I could come up with.  Fortunately with some forethought during my grocery store shopping last week, I had some Polska Kielbasa in the fridge already! I decided to mix up a batch of Red Beans and Rice again!

I started with the usual ingredients of chopped onion, chopped and smashed garlic cloves and some olive oil.  That went into my frying pan while my rice was boiling happily away.  I sliced my kielbasa and threw it in the skillet along with a can (don't faint people....I have discovered I LIKE canned beans and they are SO much easier than having to make them from dried....my mother would shoot me!) of red kidney beans that I rinsed first.  In went the rice, some Kitchen Bouquet, chipotle chili powder, Soul Seasoning, fresh ground pepper and sea salt.

As that was perking along on the stove I noticed I had a container of grape tomatoes that were going to go bad very soon if I did not use them.  I almost threw them in with the red beans and rice but my middle daughter convinced me that would be a bad idea.  I decided I had to use them so why not a little relish on the side?  I chopped them in half and tossed them in a bowl with some more smashed garlic (I swear I smell so Italian right now!), some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, dried oregano and some more chipotle chili powder.  I served it along side my rice and beans.  Well....at least that was the intent.  I ended up mixing  a rather large spoonful into my rice and beans! It was good but I have to admit my daughter was right, it would have been weird if I had thrown them into the mix.

Now I am off to finish up my part-time work so that I can go to bed! I have been staying up past midnight the last two nights in a row and still getting up at 5:30 in the morning.  I am not as young as I used to be so I better knock that off right now.

NIGHT!!!

Red Beans and Rice

Okay....right out of the box I will admit this is not the best picture I could have taken.  It is dark.  That is because instead of taking it with my awesome camera, I took it with my yucky phone that does not have a flash.  BUT in my defense, teenagers were hovering and I knew if I did not snap a picture soon that it would be gone.

This was tonight's dinner.  I was sad.  I was not sure what to do but I knew I needed to make dinner.  I leaned back to my favorite and busted out the rice.  As the rice boiled away nicely, I chopped up two medium sized sweet onions and about eight cloves of garlic.  I threw the onions and garlic into my large skillet with some olive oil to get all soft and yummy.  While the onions got tender I chopped up a large package of Andouille sausage.  I added this to the pan.  Of course, the next item to hit the pan was some of my favorite Soul Seasoning and then the Chipotle chili powder. I really love this stuff and it is worth every penny!

Next I added a rinsed can of red kidney beans.  Rice was finished so it was dumped next into my large skillet where the onions, garlic and sausage were cooking.  I mixed it well and through in a healthy dose of Kitchen Bouquet and stirred well.

Now, I know that the above is not some Cajun secret recipe for red beans and rice.  It was mostly just me doing what I do best:  going into the kitchen and throwing stuff into a pot and making dinner!

It turned out well!! And, quite frankly, I don't think I have ever tasted authentic red beans and rice anyway!