Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

cocoa red beans & rice

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Victoria Meyers
Hot Springs National Park, AR

I came up with this recipe when I was trying to trick my finicky daughter into eating beans. She has no idea why she finally likes beans :) but she actually eats seconds! The cocoa is just enough to make the broth rich and stimulate the part of your brain that makes chocolate so irresistible to women, but no sugar means its not sweet- trust me, you won't want to stop eating it!

(1 rating)
yield 8 -10
prep time 15 Min
cook time 6 Hr 40 Min

Ingredients For cocoa red beans & rice

  • 2 c
    dry red beans
  • 1 Tbsp
    salt
  • 1/2 lb
    smoked ham, cut into bite size pieces
  • 3 Tbsp
    organic cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    dry parsley
  • 1 Tbsp
    italian seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 1 tsp
    cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 c
    brown rice, raw

How To Make cocoa red beans & rice

  • 1
    You can either soak the beans overnight and cook for 3 hours, or you can begin in the morning, bring beans salt and ham to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 6 hours.
  • 2
    Add spices, cocoa, and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 30-40 minutes to cook the rice. So easy and all done!
  • 3
    A Note about Gluten and Casein Free Ingredients: Since my family began this diet, we have discovered that you always have to read the labels on the foods you buy. This week when shopping I may buy something that is clearly gfcf and next week when I look for the same item I will notice they have changed the ingredient list adding dry milk, or maltodextrin, or some other questionable ingredient. I find that it's best to stick to unprocessed foods whenever possible- make it from scratch. My son is on the autism spectrum, its not the end of the world if he gets a little gluten or casein, while it may ruin his day, it isn't life threatening. I always watch him for symptoms and note the offending food. Please keep this in mind while selecting your ingredients for my GFCF recipes. Happy Careful Shopping! :)
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT