Red Beans

Pick through beans to remove bad beans. Rinse thoroughly.
In a 5-quart pot, combine beans, water, onion, celery, and bay leaves.
Bring to boiling, cover and reduce heat.
Cook over low heat for about an hours or unitl beans are tender.
Stir and mash beans against side of pan.
Add green pepper, garlic or onion (garlic doesn't grow everywhere in the South) parsley, theyme and seasonings to taste. Cook uncovered over low heat until almost creamy for about 20 minutes.
Remove Bay Leaves.
Serve over hot cooked brown ride, if desired.
This is a recipe from the Kwanzaa Southern Cuisine Vegetarian Recipe Treasury submitted by Cassandra Meroe Wimbs, Founder and President of the International African Vegetarian Network and Friends. The Network has won 3 governmental proclamations from elected officials for activities conducted during National Black Health and Fitness Month-May 2000.
The recipes that I am submitting are customized for soul food/African-American Southern tastes.
There are 25 recipes to celebrate the 25th year of the group which was founded in 1976 as the Black Vegetarian Society. Also in 1976, the author also conducted the first ever Kwanzaa at Howard University in Wash., DC.
These recipes are also customized to address African-American health issues, i.e. low fat content.