“Spanish” rice and Sausage

2 posts in 1 day? Mon Dieu!

I’ve been trying to shake off a rut of making the same things I always make (and eating out too much).  I also don’t make many good rice dishes, especially ones that reheat well.  So I got the idea I’d like some hearty “Spanish” rice.  I have no idea who I would offend if I took away the quotes, but it came out pretty great.  H/T to Martha (and Lu) for getting me started. Here ya go.

Calorie Estimate: 2300

Ingredients

• 3 T cooking oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/4″
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into bite-size rounds (“fully cooked” hot links or andouille, (or kielbasa, portuguese, lop cheong(?)….))
• 1 1/2 cups rice (white, light brown)
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 2 cups water
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 t ground red pepper
• 2 t white (or black) pepper
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1.5 T dried oregano
• salt to taste
• (You should also keep at least 2 cups of water near a boil in case the rice is slow to cook, especially if not using white rice.)

Preparation

1. In a large (12″, walls at least 2.5″ high) skillet, sautee the onions and garlic in the oil.  Add a small pinch of salt to start releasing the water.
2. After a few minutes, add the sausage rounds and diced bell pepper.  Sautee until the sausage starts to brown.
3. Add in spices and seasoning and cook the spices for a couple minutes.
4. Add in the tomato sauce and cook a few minutes.
5. Fold in the rice.
6. Mix in broth and 2 cups water. Lower the heat to a simmer (between 1 and 2 on my stove), stirring occasionally.
7. Simmer until the rice is cooked.  If it’s starting to dry out before the rice finishes, add water a half-cup at a time like a risotto until it’s done.  Salt to taste (although I doubt you’ll need more).

Note: I used a light brown Thai rice (brand Aroy-D Extra Quality AAA) and needed to add about 1.5 cups of water from the hot water pot.  Somehow this took 90 minutes from start to finish.  I should consider using a covered cooking vessel next time.

Eggplant Tomato Sauce with Tortellini

This sauce pairs very well with cheese tortellini – the sauce has some bitter (eggplant) and acidic (tomato, capers) flavors that go with the richness of the cheese.  I could see this dish be great with some pork roast cooked with plenty of garlic until it was falling apart, but that’s where the lazy part comes in…

Ingredients

1 eggplant

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Italian parsley, minced

2 T basil, minced

1 T capers

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 T olive oil

cheese tortellini

To Do

1.  Peel and cube the eggplant.  The eggplant has excess moisture that is best removed before cooking, so either salt it – generously sprinkle salt on the eggplant and let sit between paper towels for ~15 minutes, brushing any excess salt away after – or microwave it for a few minutes first.  I’ve never tried to microwave it, but apparently it works.

2.  Saute the eggplant in the olive oil over medium heat for ~10 minutes, until soft throughout and golden.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Add the garlic and let simmer for ~5 minutes until you’re ready to serve.

3.  Meanwhile, cook the tortellini.  A couple of minutes before serving, add the parsely, basil, and capers to the sauce.