Dinner Tonight: Vegetable Creole

10/7/2013

This recipe for Vegetable Creole, thoughtfully submitted by Nancy Kelly of Holland, is “easy, flavorful, [and] thrifty,” she wrote. She very much recommends using whole canned tomatoes for this dish, adding that “diced or flavored tomatoes will affect the flavor and texture.”

Vegetable Creole

• ½ cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup sliced onions
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (2½ cups)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cooked frozen peas
• ½ cup canned dark kidney beans
• 3 cups cooked white rice

Add a small amount of water to a large pot over medium-high heat, and simmer celery and onions in it until tender. Drain the water and add the oil. Sauté the celery and onion over low heat for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, celery salt, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and kidney beans, cover, and cook 5 minutes longer, until thoroughly heated. Serve over the white rice.

— Nancy Kelly

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