Feed Me.

So a little bit of an obscure title, I know but I had to get your attention. After perusing a boat load of food blogs, I was thinking of changing the format of my blog. I of course wanted some reader feedback, since that's who really matters! Instead if having each category be it's own tab, I was going to have a "recipes" tab, and have a list of all of them, split up by category. What do you think?? Or any other ideas/suggestions for a new layout?

Also, being a complete drone to the pinterest cult, I was thinking of posting the recipes as one of my boards. Would this be of any "pinterest"? Haha cleva, cleva.

Helping me out with any suggestions and feedback would be great! : )

Now on to the important part of any food blog..the food. I have to admit sometimes I just skip over all the narrative mumbo jumbo, and just scroll down to the recipe and pretty pictures, like any mature adult would do. Skip over the reading, and just look at the pictures. So I'm assuming a lot of you do the same, and probably aren't even reading this. But for those of you who are, I whipped up a batch of my take on red beans and rice. Not technically an "Alabama" recipe, but it does pay tribute to the South. I was going to look up a recipe to follow, but then thought, "Who am I kidding?! I can make some rice and beans!" And thus, I was pleased with the outcome.

Red Beans and Rice
serves 4 (1 cup each)

1 cup quick brown rice, dry
1 can dark kidney beans, undrained
1 cup diced tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
dash hot sauce

Start by cooking the rice by the package directions. I like to give the dry measurement, because if a recipe says the amount of cooked I need, I never know how much I have to start out with. In case you were wondering, rice usually doubles in size so you will get about 2 cups cooked rice.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. I used my cast-iron in true Southern style, so I didn't need a lot of oil. You may need a bit more if using a regular skillet. Add chopped onions and garlic, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Next, add the spices, cooking for about 30 seconds, then add in the tomatoes, hot sauce, and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer until the liquid has reduced and thickened (about 20 minutes).

Now add the rice, and cook another 5 minutes or so to let the flavors mingle. Give them time to get familiar. No one likes to be the rice of the party, so make them feel comfortable!

Voila! This is a "stick to your ribs" hearty dish, wish is lower enough in calories (about 160 per serving) for a side dish, or bulked up with additional veggies for a healthy main dish. I served mine up with a collard salad and oven fried okra. Who is this Southern girl?!

Remember, comments and suggestions are required to read this post : )

Happy cooking!