Jagacida (Portuguese Jag)

My mother came from a mixed family because my Grammie was married twice, the first time to a Portugue...Mom's sister Susan is one of her half-Portugue siblings...When I was a kid, Aunt Sue used to make this Portugue Jag all the time...I used to beg her to make it and invite us (my siblings and I) for lunch...Sometimes she said NO, but when she said YES it was heavenly...I never got the recipe, much to my disappointment, but I think I've been able to reconstruct it...Here it is!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4 -5  cups water
• 2 -2 1⁄2 cups long grain white rice
• 2  large bay leaves
• 1 (1 1/2lb) package  linguica sausage (or the turkey sausage equivalent)
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste (no salt added preferred)
• 1 (10 ounce) package lima beans (from the freezer section)
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 -2  tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 2 quart saucepan; Fry linguica, seasoning with salt and pepper.
2. Add onions and garlic, sauteeing until onions are tender and translucent; be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add water, tomato paste, and bay leaves, stirring until the tomato paste is dissolved. Add lima beans and rice, stirring to combine; bring to a boil on high temperature
4. When it is boiling, turn to medium low heat and cover, cooking 20-30 minute
5. Check occasionally, stir to avoid sticking, lowering the heat a smidge further if needed; rice should be fairly dry when cooked completely.
6. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
7. NOTE: if you'd like to lower the fat a little, try Gaspar's turkey linguica, it's sold in the same section as the kielbasa, chorizo, etc.
8. NOTE: Can this be done with brown rice? I don't know -- but if some kind soul is willing to try, please post a review with your results!