Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

1 cup kidney beans (dried)
5 cup water
1 smoked ham hock
2 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 cup rice

Soak the beans overnight in 5 cups of water in the refrigerator. Drain the beans and place in a large pot. Add in 4 cups of water, the ham hock, salt, red pepper and thyme. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until beans are almost tender (about an hour). Stir in 1 cup of water and the rice into the beans; heat to boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until the rice and beans are tender and the liquid is absorbed (25-30 minutes). Check the seasonings (*Do you like how it tastes??) and if measures up, Serve;-)

*Johnna's tip: Gotta love the benefits of red beans...fiber, protein, iron, and the list goes on and on... Adding red beans to a salad is a great idea also...of course, you would want to use the canned kidney beans (drained) for this type of endeavor;-) Mix with rice, a salad or whatever you see fit. They are such an asset to our diet so add them in some way, some how.

Picture source: http://guidrysfoods.com/recipes/rice_beans.cfm