Red Beans and Rice with Turkey Sausage

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 (16 ounce) package turkey kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 2 (15 ounce) cans canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• a few teaspoons oil
• Franks Red Hot to taste (several tblspns if added to whole batch) or hot sauce of choice

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tsp oil and once heated, add sausage. Cook until sausage is browned on outside, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently so both sides of sausage pieces get cooked.
3. Add another 1 or 2 tsp of oil, red pepper flakes (if using) and garlic, sauté a couple minutes and then stir in onions. Sauté until tender.
4. Pour in beans and tomatoes with juice. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and hotsauce. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

Note On Hotsauce: I prefer franks Red Hot as it has a lot of good flavor without excess spice. Hot sauce of any type can be added to either individual servings or to the whole batch during cooking. I will typically taste the batch as it gets close to being done and add more sauce to taste. I think the hot sauce adds some really important flavor but this is only my opinion.