Creole'ish Black Beans and Rice

I was in the mood for Creole red beans and rice, but Trader Joe's didn't have any kidney beans. No biggie, as I'm also a fan of black beans, which they did have. 

I like to improvise in the kitchen, so instead of just the usual Creole spices, allspice and turmeric were also included. The allspice gave the beans a bit of a Caribbean flavor, but the trinity kept the overall flavor profile closer to Creole.

Creole'ish Black Beans and Rice

1 lb. black beans, dry
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 tbsp oil

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne 
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

6 cups water

black pepper and salt to taste
1 cup rice, cooked

Fry the bell pepper, onion, and celery until the onions and celery become translucent, but before they get heavily browned. Turn off the heat. Add all the spices and stir vigorously. The residual heat will toast the spices without burning them. After a minute or so, add the beans and the water. Cook in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes or in a standard pot for 2-3 hours... yeah, I LOVE my pressure cooker. You can add salt before cooking the beans in the pressure cooker, but if using a regular pot, wait to add the salt later. Serve hot with rice.

Makes 6 portions with 3 servings of vegetables each.

Daily Summary

• 0 servings, $0 - Breakfast: 3 oz peanuts
• 4 servings, $3 - Lunch: work lunch + 3 oz peanuts
• 1 serving, $0.79 - Snack: apple
• 3 servings, $5.06 - Dinner: Creole'ish black beans and rice 
• 2 servings, $1.58 - Dessert: 2 apples

10 servings of fruits and vegetables on $10.43

$0.43 over budget for the day

$23.64 over budget overall