Posted by Emily  Print Recipe

This is my favorite new recipe.  What’s really surprising about that is:  (1) it’s dead simple (or at least I made it that way) and (2) it’s from the Weight Watchers cookbook.  You wouldn’t think something like that would be so good, but I swear I could eat it every single night.

The main thing to note is that this my version of the recipe.  I took some shortcuts and also switched the meat (but I’ve had it with the original meat and it was good that way, too).  I’ll make notes where the changes are, though.

Garlicky Red Beans and Sausage

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

The Ingredients

1. 4 tsp. olive oil
2. Sausage of your choice. I like the pre-cooked turkey sausage that you can find in the deli meat/hot dog section at your grocery store.
3. Original Ingredient: 10 oz. lean boneless pork loin, cut into 1.5 in. cubes
4. 1/4 tsp. pepper
5. 1 red onion, chopped (though I usually use yellow because chopping red onions make me go blind with tears)
6. 6 garlic cloves, minced (the more garlic the better!)
7. 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
8. Original Ingredients: 2 chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup chopped chiles
9. 1 can kidney beans, drained
10. Original Ingredient: dried kidney beans that have been soaking over night (who has the time to plan that far ahead?)
11. 1/2 tsp. cumin (reduce to 1/4 tsp. if you don’t like overly spicy food)
12. 1/2 cup of water

The Process

1.  In a large saucepan, hear the oil.  Add the sausage and pepper; brown over medium heat, stirring as needed, about 5 minutes.  (If using pork instead cook until the meat is cooked through and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes.)

2.  Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are tender, 5-8 minutes.

3.  Stir in the tomatoes, beans, cumin and water; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 15-20 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Makes 2 heaping servings or 4 smaller ones.

I find the dish to be really spicy, so I like to serve it with a fruit salad to give my tastebuds a break.

Dead Simple Fruit Salad

1. Start with a can of fruit cocktail (if I’m feeling really crazy, I’ll use tropical fruit cocktail) and add in chopped up pieces of whatever fresh fruit you have on hand. I like: apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, pineapple.  Mix in some marshmallows to make it extra yummy.

[rating:5]