A Mild Recipe for Red Rice and Beans

Hello, hello. Today I was craving food with a touch of spice, but not enough to blow fire. So, after looking in the cupboards, I decided to make some red rice and beans.  It's filling but also very healthy. Red rice and beans also has a soup feel, so it's a perfect alternative for the winter months when you need a change. This recipe of red rice and beans is something I whipped up on the fly, but it turned out so well I thought I would share it. Let's start. Ingredients: 5 cups of water2 1/2 cups of rice1 can of dark red kidney beans, 15.5 ounces.1 can of black beans, 15.5 ounces.5 garlic cloves, minced2 Tbls olive oil2 Tbls avocado oil1 tsp. chili powder1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt1 tsp. onion powderA single bay leaf1/4 tsp. celery seed1 can of diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounce1/4 tsp. of mustard powderSalt and pepper to taste Directions: Bring your 5 cups of water to a boil, and then add your rice.Once you add your rice, turn the burner to simmer or low and place a lid on the pot. Occasionally stir for about 20 minutes until the rice is soft.While the rice is cooking, drain and add your beans to a medium-sized pot with your burner turned to medium-low. Next, add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir. The mustard powder is not shown You want the beans to cook so they become a little thick. Once they have thickened and the flavors have combined, the beans are ready to serve.Taking a bowl or plate, scoop some cooked rice, and then top it off with the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. For added flavor or extra protein, cook andouille sausage and add it to the bean mixture before topping your rice.You now have a bowl of mild red rice and beans. Leftovers taste even better as the flavors mold into each other. You can also use the bean mixture as a chip dip. This recipe is easy enough that my kids and yours, too, can make it when we can not make it home in time to start dinner.  As an easy way to prep, be sure you have all of your ingredients on hand to make several batches.  That's it, enjoy and stay healthy and free. Heather EarlesHeather is married to a retired Special Forces Officer, and they live on a sustainable farm with their four children. She is an established author of inspiration, fiction, and children’s books; a journalist, a stay-at-home mother, and an advocate for healthy living. She publishes a weekly blog and podcast (Herb ‘N Wisdom™) and writes for two newspapers to aid and inspire others. “I want to make people feel good about life.” Learn more about the author