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.

Stromboli & Calzones

For the dough we use Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe, except that we don't split it like the instructions say.  It is best to prepare this a day ahead of time.

Italian Stromboli
5 oz. Genoa Salami
5 oz. Large Pepperoni
5 oz. Cappicola
5 oz. Ham
6 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

Veggie Stromboli
2 cups spinach
1 cup broccoli
6 oz. Crimini / Baby bella mushrooms
4 oz. roasted red peppers
4 oz. Sun dried tomatoes
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500°.

1. Make pizza dough and stretch into a rectangle.

2. Layer ingredients one at a time leaving some room around the edges.

3. Roll the dough and seal all the edges.  Cut slits into the top so it doesn't explode.

4. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.


Calzone

6 oz. Mozzarella cheese
6 oz. Ricotta cheese


1. Preheat oven to 500°.

1. Make pizza dough and stretch into a circle.

2. Place cheeses on one side of the dough leaving about an inch of dough around the edge.

3. Fold the dough in half and seal the edge.  Cut slits into the top so it doesn't explode.

4. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.


Sauce (called gravy in South Philly)
Olive Oil
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2 cans stewed tomatoes
Fresh Basil- about 8 - 10 leaves
2 tsp. oregano
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

1. Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a stock pot over medium heat.

2. Sautee onion for about five minutes, then add crushed garlic cloves and sautee for another minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, chopped basil, oregano, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.  To achieve your desired consistency use an immersion blender or food processor to puree some of the sauce.

Spinach Pie

1/2 c sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T butter/margarine
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/2 c baking mix
1 c milk
3/4 c egg product or 5 egg whites
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t pepper
3 T grated parmesan cheese topping
1/4 t nutmeg

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 9 inch pie plate.  Cook and stir onions and garlic in skillet 2-3 minutes.  Stir in spinach.  Layer spinach mixture and cottage cheese in pie plate.
Stir baking mix, milk, eggs, lemon juice and pepper until blended. Pour into pie plate, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and mutmeg.
Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired.

Johan

So, I used 5 egg whites and in the future I will use either egg product or 3 full eggs (rather have the pie look more yellow than white), and I thought it needed some salt.  Also, I would mix the parmesan and nutmeg first before sprinkling.