Jamaican Rice and Peas

You can’t entertain a man who has no food — Bob Marley

Fun fact:  “Beans” in Jamaica are actually referred to as “peas”, so this blog post is about Jamaican Rice and Peas which are actually beans.

Still with me?  Good.

In doing a little research for this post, I discovered that some variation of rice and beans is a staple dish in most cultures, likely due to the fact that the ingredients are cheap and relatively easy to find pretty much anywhere on Earth.

In New Orleans where I live, red beans and rice is a traditional dish, but don’t serve it any day but Monday, because then it will not honor the tradition for which it was created.

Why Monday?  Quick history lesson: Back in the day, the “ladies of the house” would put on a pot of red beans to cook while they did the laundry.  Since the laundry usually took all day, and so did the red beans, this was a good meal to have since it required little hands-on attention.  These “wash days” were on Mondays. Still, why Monday?  Evidently, Victorian advice on housekeeping included, “They that wash on Monday have all the week to dry…”

I don’t know about you, but I am extremely grateful wash days are no longer a thing.  I am equally thankful for the invention of Blue Runner Red Beans.  My version of Red Beans and Rice is a large can of Blue Runner Red Beans, which I heat on the stove after browning turkey smoked sausage.  I serve the mixture of beans and sausage over hot rice with a side of Le Sueur peas. I don’t really have time for all that slow simmering.

But this is a post about Jamaican Rice and Beans – sorry – Peas… which, to me. has an equally interesting history which can be found here.  Like Red Beans and Rice, Rice and Peas are traditionally served on a particular day, but instead of Monday, the tradition is Sunday.

Whether you choose to make Rice and Peas on Sunday, or an entirely different day, is your prerogative.  Regardless, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Jamaican Rice and Beans

I have to admit, I am not really a fan of coconut flavored anything, but the coconut milk in this dish really makes it, in my opinion. I sort of developed the recipe for my rice and peas after looking for ideas for sides to serve with my jerk pork chops.  You can also brown smoked sausage and mix in after cooking the rice and beans, for a complete meal, sort of like Red Beans and Rice.

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Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in medium to large sauce pan.
• Add diced onions, minced garlic, thyme and pepper flakes, and saute for about 1 minute, until the ingredients become fragrant.
• Add rice, stir and let cook for about 1 minute and then add the kidney beans.
• Next add the coconut milk, bay leaves and creole seasoning.
• Stir in the chicken stock, let come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Cover pot with lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
• Discard bay leaves and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve warm.