Jim’s Faux Jambalaya

1lb polish sausage, sliced
1 package Lipton Cajun Rice and Sauce
1-2 large onions, diced
8-10 garlic gloves, sliced, chopped or pressed
1/2 – 1 can kidney beans (can use hot/chili beans)
2 cups water

Sauté sausage and onion until onion is caramelizing. Add garlic and sauté to briefly cook the garlic and develop its aroma.

Add other ingredients and cook, uncovered, until rice is done.

Kielbasa-Rice Pilaf

4 cups julienne green pepper
2 cups ringed onion
fresh minced garlic to taste
20 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained
10 oz frozen black-eye peas, partially thawed
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 lb polish sausage
2 1/4 cups hot water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauté green pepper and onion, in olive oil, until tender-crisp.  Remove from pan.  Add rice and stir to absorb oil.  Add water, garlic, salt, pepper and black eye peas.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans.  Slash polish sausage at one inch intervals around outside edge.  Place atop pilaf and continue cooking an additional 10-15 minutes.

Variation:  I like slicing the sausage into rounds and sautéing to brown.  Then removing from the pan to continue with the recipe as above.  Then add the sausage back to the pan with the rice.  A chopped red pepper can be added for color enhancement.