Food of the Gods

It's taken me only about 15 years, but I finally got my recipe for red beans and rice down right. And I'm so excited, I'm just going to give it away to the world!

Monkey Beans & Rice

1 1/2 lbs. red beans (sorted, washed, quick soaked, drained)
6 cups hot water
2 whole jalapenos (poke holes in them with a knife)
2-3 celery stalks (diced)
5 dried bay leaves
1 tsp. ancho pepper powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chipotle pepper powder
1 c. chorizo sausage (browned, drained)

As indicated, do a quick soak on your beans first, then after draining put in a large crockpot. Add the hot water (cold will halt the cooking process - microwave or boil it to a decently hot temperature but not boiling). Add remaining ingredients except for chorizo. Cover, turn crockpot to high and let simmer for 2-3 hours. Add chorizo, stir and cook another hour. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and a good sour cream on the side. Tabasco optional (though preferred).

This is even better the next day. Enjoy, kidz!

OPTIONS: Add more jalapenos and spices if you want it hotter, but it's so hard to tell how hot a jalapeno will be without trying it first. I love it really hot, but this recipe was plenty for me without any extra. You can also add onions, but I rarely cook with them. They can upset the tummy sometimes.