Dairy-Free Red Beans and Rice

Growing up in the South for the most part, and being very close to my grandfather who was born in Louisiana, I have a fondness for Southern cooking.  Here is a great non-dairy recipe for Red Beans and Rice.

2 cups water
1 cup uncooked rice (try using brown rice for added nutrients - just cook according to package directions)
1 package beef kielbasa or smoked sausage sliced diagonally in 1/4 inch slices (check your packages for milk derivitives - they can be sneaky)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove chopped garlic
2-15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1-16 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (or you can sub tomato puree if you're not a fan of the texture of cooked tomatoes, like me!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a saucepan, bring water to boil.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In a large skillet over low heat, cook sausage for 5 minutes.  Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic.  saute until tender.  Add beans and tomatoes.  Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.  Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

I pair this with a nice green salad and some dinner rolls (see my recipe for dairy-free bread).  If you're looking for a little kick to your meal, substitute Ro-Tel tomatoes with chiles instead of the regular tomatoes.