Pots & Plots

My husband loves red beans and rice, but I am very much not a fan of red beans. I do, however, love black beans, so tonight I threw this together. We decided it was a keeper.

Serves: 4 (if served with a side, such as a salad), 3 if served alone

Ingredients

• 1 pound smoked turkey sausage (I prefer Oscar Meyer), sliced
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 can of rotel, undrained
• 1-1/5 cups of brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 cup diced, roasted red peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• cumin
• cilantro
• paprika

Directions:

1. Saute the garlic and onion over medium high heat until onion is just translucent.
2. Add in sausage and roasted red peppers. Cook until sausage begins to brown.
3. Add black beans, rotel, and chicken stock. Bring to a bubble then reduce heat to medium low.
4. Add 1 tsp cilantro, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin (and these are guesstimates, as I wasn’t measuring, just dumping and sniffing!)
5. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half (about 15 minutes?).
6. Add brown rice. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes?).
7. Serve with a crusty French bread to mop up the flavors left on the bottom of the bowl.

Bon appetite!

As a quick update: This dish serves 4 at 430.5 calories and 13.5 grams of fat per person.

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Mix well in a medium sauce pan. Heat on medium-low for 15 minutes. This makes enough sauce for 3 or 4 large pizzas. Leftovers freeze well. I normally divide up into 3 small freezer bags.

(These pics are from DH’s latest calzone efforts!)

Ingredients:

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2.5 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup milled flax
• 4 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and honey in the warm water. Let sit about 10 minutes or until cloudy.
2. Stir in the olive oil, whole wheat flour, milled flax, and salt. Mix in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a slightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (don’t skip this step–it’s what holds the dough together–which is especially important if you’re making calzones) about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place ball of dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume (about an hour). I like to put mine in the oven with the light on.
3. Deflate the dough and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes. If you aren’t planning on using all the dough at once, you may place each round in a quart or gallon size bag and refrigerate. I’ve had them still rise properly up to 1 week.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
5. Using a rolling pin (or your hands if you prefer), roll the dough into the desired shape, then place on a pre-warmed pizza stone (use corn meal to prevent sticking), cover with your favorite toppings, and bake at 450 degrees for approximately 18 minutes on a pizza stone, or until the crust and cheese are golden brown.

Favorite toppings in our house include roma tomatoes, fresh basil, turkey pepperoni, and mushrooms.