Week 2 Friday Night - Sausage Bean Casserole with Curried Tomato Rice

This is a bit of a modified baked bean recipe.  To be honest - baked beans are definitely my least favourite food, but I adore this recipe.  As do my kids who gobble this up so incredibly fast it's frightening!  I am also not a big fan of sausages, but they are a cheap meat option and generally I can pick up 10 sausages for $5.  I buy soy sausages for my vegetarian daughter and prepare a separate bean mix for her.  She then tends to have it for lunch at school.

The curried tomato rice recipe is something I just pop into my rice cooker.  You could just serve the casserole with plain rice, but I'm a bit partial to flavours...

SAUSAGE BEAN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 yellow capsicum, chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
10 sausages
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme
125ml white wine (and a glass or two for the chef!)
2x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tin cannellini beans

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onion.  Cook until almost transparent and add the celery and capsicum.  Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the sausages and fry for 5 minutes then add the garlic, spices and dried thyme and continue cooking for 1 - 2 minutes.
3. Add the wine and use your wooden spatula to remove any residue in the pan.  Add tinned tomatoes and fresh thyme.
4. Simmer for 40 minutes and add the beans.  Cook for a further 5 minutes.

CURRIED TOMATO RICE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup long grain rice

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp salt

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tbsp butter

METHOD

1. Pop all ingredients into a rice cooker and press start. 
2. Takes about 30 - 40 minutes depending on your rice cooker.  Stir everything once rice cooker is finished.
3. If using a regular oven, put everything into a dish and cover with tin foil.  Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.