Black Beans with Chorizo and Spinach

Ingredients
2 poblano peppers
10 oz. Mexican (not Spanish) chorizo sausage
10 oz. spinach
2- 15oz. cans of black beans
1/2 cup queso añejo (sometimes called queso cotija)
1/2 cup sliced red onion


Instructions
1. Wash the poblano peppers and place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until the skin begins to blacken and blister, then turn them over and blacken the other side.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.


2. Remove the casing from the chorizo and cook over medium heat in a large soup pot.  Stir regularly and break into small pieces, about 8 to 10 minutes.  It can be hard to tell when the chorizo is finished since it looks the same before and after cooking, so keeping a timer on is a good idea.


3. While the chorizo is cooking, place the spinach in a microwaveable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in it, and cook on high for 2 minutes to wilt the spinach.  Set aside.


4. Once the chorizo is ready, add the beans with their liquid, and 1 cup of water.  Simmer for 10 minutes.


5.  Remove the stems and seeds from the poblanos, and peel off as much of the skin as possible.  Cut them into thin strips, about 1/4 inch, and add to the beans.  Add the spinach, and return to a boil for 5 minutes.


6. Remove beans from heat and add cheese and onions.

Zucchini and Andouille Sausage

Zucchini and Andouille Sausage

½ c. brown rice, uncooked

Chicken broth

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. andouille sausage links (preferably precooked), sliced into disks

2 large zucchini, large diced

1 (14 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes

Parmesan cheese



1. Cook rice according to directions, substituting chicken broth for water.

2. In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté onion ‘til soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.

3. Add sausage and sauté, stirring occasionally until all the sausage pieces have nice crispy brown edges. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper.

4. Stirring occasionally, sauté until zucchini is crisp-tender. Add diced tomatoes and rice and simmer for 4 minutes. Note: it will look very “soupy” at this point. Don’t fret. That fixes itself once it has a chance to rest.

5. Turn off heat, and allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes. Ladle in bowls and shower with parmesan cheese.


Lauren