New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice (Well, Red Beans and Quinoa) – With Some Tweaks, This Recipe Will Be a Keeper!

I haven't always been a proponent of red beans and rice, but over the past few years — especially with my recent trips to New Orleans — this Louisiana staple has been becoming a meal I think (and talk) about more and more.  I attempted my own version by taking a look at a few different recipes on the Internet (thanks Carlos for the recommendations!) and trying to make alterations to fit what I thought would best fit my tastes and requirements – particularly that the dish be completely vegetarian.  The recipes I ultimately followed the closest were from the Gumbo Pages, Emeril Lagasse, and Fat-Free Vegan.  

My first attempt turned out pretty well though the red beans were a little too spicy, and I definitely should have just gone with rice instead of the quinoa.  Unfortunately the quinoa didn't complement the red beans as wonderfully as I thought it would.  Also, something else seemed like it was "missing" but I am not quite sure what — perhaps the dish was not just too spicy, but also just plain over-spiced with my use of too many spices?  Maybe some lime juice or something would help bring out the flavor?  As you can tell, I need to give this recipe another go – with less spice – and will report back with any updates!

Completely Vegetarian New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 3 ribs celery, or 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 large green bell pepper and 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped or 1 cup chopped bell pepper in total
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound red beans, soaked in cold water for 6 hours
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped, or approx. 2 tsp. chopped pepper and 1 tsp. adobo sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Chef Paul Prudhomme Vegetable Magic seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
• Cayenne
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red chili powder 
• Water
• Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in large pot on medium-high heat, and when hot, add celery, onion and bell pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper, and saute vegetables until the onion is translucent.
• Add bay leaves, thyme, and garlic, and saute for two minutes.
• Add the rinsed, soaked beans to the pot with three cups of water and the Chef Paul seasoning.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for one hour.
• After one hour, add another 1/4 cup of water (or to maintain a thick, but soup-y consistency), chipotle in adobo and Tabasco. 
• Cooked for another two hours, or until beans are creamy, stirring occasionally.  At end, add, salt, pepper, chili powder, and Tabasco to taste.
• Serve with cooked rice (preferably not quinoa!).