Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Prechopped vegetables and canned beans keep this version of red beans and rice simple yet satisfying. Because this recipe begins with oil-sautéed aromatics, it contains more grams of fat per serving than its boxed counterpart—but the calories and sodium are significantly lower, and the taste is terrific.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup bean mixture and about 3/4 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2  (3-ounce) chicken andouille sausage links, chopped
• 1  (8-ounce) container prechopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (15-ounce) can red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 4  cups  hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion mix to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Partially mash beans with a fork. Add beans, 1/4 cup water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pepper. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

336 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

8.4g (sat 1.8g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:

12.7g

Carbohydrate:

51.6g

Fiber:

5.9g

Cholesterol:

36mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

698mg

Calcium:

90mg