Dirty Tom’s Rice

Dirty Tom’s Rice. Yes, I realize it’s an odd name for a dish. I blame my husband. This was the name he jokingly gave it as we were working on this recipe creation….and it stuck!  He’s arguably as good of a home cook as I am, and spends plenty of time there since I work late three nights a week. He is the resident master of meats, risotto, fish, and his delicious Jamaican jerk creations. This is a recipe was the results of his efforts to find the perfect side dish for grilled Jamaican spiced meats.

In our house, Sundays equals grill day. It’s the perfect end to the weekend as we tend to stay at home to prepare for the week. We catch up on housework, run  errands,  take our dog Zion on a walk, and usually spend a good chunk of time in the kitchen.  Of course, you need something to go with the grilled meat and there enters Dirty Tom’s Rice. It started with weeks of sampling different recipes but nothing wowing us. We decided to take the highlights of all the recipes we tried and make it our own. We’ve worked and tweaked this recipe to get it to this point…and I’m pleased to say that after our final run-through on Sunday night, it is DELICIOUS!

Dirty Tom’s Rice & Beans

Ingredients:
A lug of olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ lb. smoked turkey kielbasa
1 TBSP garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 can kidney beans (or black beans?), rinsed
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried sage
½ TBSP dried parsley
½ tsp Cajun seasoning
1 cup brown rice

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook kielbasa until browned. Add in onion, bell pepper, and celery over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for one additional minute.

2. Add spices, beans and water to the pan. Bring to a boil and add brown rice.  Return to boil then reduce to simmer.

3. Cook for 45 minutes, or until rice is cooked.