Red Beans and Rice: The Secret to a Great Recipe

Do an Internet search for red beans and rice and you will have so many hits it will make you dizzy!  The variations of the recipe are many.  Is one better than the other?  I suppose that depends on your tastes (buds).

Considering the fact that I walked around for a week with bronchitis and didn't know it, which is strange because I get it at LEAST 3 times a year, and being on antibiotics, has messed my taste buds seriously up!  I may as well be eating card board!  Anyhoo, back to the red beans and rice.

I have done this the long way, by using dried red beans, cooking them all day, using long grain (and long cooking) rice and I have done this recipe the short way.  Canned red beans, instant rice, and the such.  The secret is in the seasoning.  No matter what you cook, if you do not season it properly, it will taste worse than card board!

So here is my take on the red beans and rice recipe.

The Stars:
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
15.5 oz. can EACH Light red kidney beans and black beans
13 oz. pack of beef smoked sausage

The Supporting Roles (Seasonings):
1/2 onion
1 package onion soup mix
1 tsp. minced garlic
pinch of basil
2 pinches of cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (or to your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Chopped olives
Green onions
sour cream
Hot sauce
Jalapenos

The Movie:
1. Start Rice
2. Dice onion
3. Saute onion in oil, add sausage and onion soup mix.
4. Add beans and tomatoes in skillet with sausage and onions
5. Add in the seasonings and stir.
6. Let simmer until rice is done.
7. Mix sausage mixture and rice together.  Let sit for a few minutes so the flavors can play.
Plate (or use bowls), add optional items as desired.  Enjoy!

Chop up the sausages.  I cut mine into 4's, then half and dice.  The boys think they are getting twice the amount of meat.

Dice up the onions and saute

Get the rice cooking

After the sausage and onion have cooked, dump it all together and let simmer.

Chopped black olives

As I said, if you do not season properly, your food will be bland.  Unless your doctor has ordered a bland diet, it's always a good idea to learn which seasoning go best with foods.  This can be found in most cook books, cooking magazines, or the Internet.  Once you learn this, you will see a huge difference in how you cook and in what you cook. 
I don't know every seasoning, and there are a few that I have tired and just refuse to use.  My taste buds rebel against them (ginger, to name one). 

Let me know if you tired this recipe and how it turned out.  And, if you have any suggestions, let me know those too.  I'm open to any ideas to better the taste of food.  Especially when sick.