Shortcuts: A slimmer New Year’s meal

Red beans and rice are a Louisiana staple traditionally made on the first day of the week using the leftover ham bone from the previous Sunday's ham.

There are infinite recipes for red beans and rice—recipes using smoked sausage, andouille sau-sage, bacon, salt pork, ground beef or ground turkey instead of ham. I recently read a biography on a new chef who recommended using smoked turkey to cut down the fat in this native dish. This made sense to me, and I set out to convert my traditional recipe.

You can save time by using canned kidney beans. I prefer soaking red beans overnight in the same Crockpot™ I use to prepare this entree. Referencing, New Orleans by the Bowl (Ten Speed Press, 2003), a local cookbook by New Orleans food writer John De Mers and Chef Andrew Jae-geran, I adapted their authentic recipe to save time and cut the fat.

For convenience, I store a bag of tricolored bell pepper strips in my freezer so they are handy when making chili and other entrees requiring fresh peppers (available in the frozen food section at Tackett's Mill Safeway). Begin cutting fat by not sautéing the vegetables. Simply combine all raw ingredients in the Crockpot, add one large smoked turkey drumstick, skin removed, and you're good to go.

Beware when deboning the meat after it is cooked. The drumstick has delicate splinter-like bones you'll want to remove. Use a slotted spoon to extract the drumstick from the beans. Place it in a large clean bowl, pick off the tender morsels of meat, and discard the bones. Going one step further to cut calories, I place the cooled-down Crockpot mixture covered in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Once chilled, any remaining fat solidifies and can be easily removed before reheating and serving. This recipe makes eight generous servings when served over a fluffy bowl of rice.

SLIMMED DOWN RED BEANS AND RICE

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight and drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped onio

1 ½ cups chopped bell pepper (any color)

2 bay leave

3 cups water

½ tablespoon liquid smoke

3-4 tablespoons hot sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¾ tablespoon chile powder

1 smoked turkey leg, skin removed

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups cooked white rice

In large Crockpot, combine drained beans, garlic, celery, onion, bell pepper, bay leaves, water, liquid smoke, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chile powder. Mix well. Immerse turkey leg in mixture. Cook 10-12 hours on LOW or overnight. Remove turkey leg before serving; debone meat and return to pot. Remove bay leaves. Serve in shallow bowls over steamed rice. Makes 8 servings.

Mary Ann lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Salt & Pepper Books in Occoquan. Send questions or comments to .