Red Beans

Hey hey! Today I’m going to talk about red beans, and why I think you should definitely try making them, especially as a college student (Hint: this recipe is super cheap to make!). Growing up one of my favorite dishes my mom made for my brother and I was red beans, rice, and chicken. Today we’re focusing solely on the red beans.

To me, red beans are like taking the perfect nap. For me personally, I suck at taking naps. I’ll say just 30 minutes, which either results in me feeling worse after 30 minutes, or sleeping for another 2 hours. But every now and then, I’ll hit the perfect nap. Not conking out for 2-3 hours, but only for half an hour to 45 minutes. Not waking up with that really uncomfortable post-nap taste in my mouth, but feeling like I didn’t even nap in the first place. Not disoriented, but fully energized and ready to take on everything else that I need to do for the day. Perfection. These red beans can give you that feeling every time, guaranteed. They’re so warm and comforting, and are packed with flavor that will fill you up ready to get back to work.

If I’m ever having a bad day, red beans are the go to. Good day? Red beans. Realllyyyy hungry? Red beans! Red beans have been there for me through thick and thin, for all the ups and downs, and will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I’ve been eating red beans ever since I was little, just like my mom. These red beans are my grandmas recipe, who used to make them for my mom, who now makes them for me. Hopefully I can do these red beans some justice and teach you how to make them. Without further ado, here’s what you’re going to need:

-any sort of oil (I use olive oil)
-1 can of Goya red kidney beans (or the dark red ones, they taste the same but look prettier once everything’s put together)
-scallions
-1 tomato
-a few cloves of garlic (or garlic powder if you’re lazy)
-Ketchup
-1 packet of Goya Sazón

All of my familys recipes are done based off of feel, not measurements, so feel free to adjust any of the above ingredients to your own liking. For me, I always start with cutting my tomatoes into thick halves, chopping my scallions, and finely dicing my garlic.

I pour some olive oil into a pot on medium heat, and start with putting my garlic in the pot. After a minute or so, I add my scallions, and after another minute or so, my tomatoes. I add them in this order so that the softer ingredients don’t get too mushy from the heat, especially the tomatoes. We’re going to want them to keep the majority of their texture.

At this point, I’ll add my can of red beans along with the juice in the can. Don’t drain the juice in the can! At this point I’ll add my packet of sazòn and s good amount of ketchup, and stir everything up. I’ll leave the beans on the medium heat for a few minutes, just until I can see that the sauce that’s formed isn’t liquidy and has thickened up. Depending on how hungry I am, I’ll either take the beans off the stove and dive in, or crank the heat down to low and let them sit for another minute. And that’s it!

Pair these beans with some plain white rice and I guarantee you your life will change forever. Enjoy!