Spanish Rice with Chorizo ~~ Better known as Yummness in a Bowl ~~

So we tried a new recipe tonight. I heart new recipes (most of the time =)

There is a little history with me and Chorizo (which is Spanish Sausage). My BFF Carrie (Spanish teacher extraordinaire =) told me about it last year. Well, I went and found some at the store and was reading the ingredients (because, well, that's what I do), and lo and behold if it didn't say saliva glands ~~ what? Yes you read that right: saliva glands. Like those things in a pigs mouth that makes their mouth water, kind of saliva glands. Okay so, yeah I don't eat saliva glands.

So Carrie and I have gotten a big laugh out of that, and when her and her hubs eat Chorizo in anything, he'll pat his stomach and say, "MMMMM good saliva glands." There is just something messed up about that but,........moving on =)

Well, needless to say I have never fixed it for my family. Well, I was in the store in the vegetarian section and saw they had soy-chorizo, with NO saliva glands. So I bought it, because frankly I dig me a good vegetarian dish. Well today I was looking through some recipes and found this recipe. So when my BFF came by this afternoon to pick me up and take me to her new, beautiful house, I told her I had a recipe for saliva glands and asked her if she knew they made Chorizo in soy. Well she didn't and frankly I think she thought that was weird. And truth be told, it is kind of weird, because Chorizo is made with pork and well there is no pork in soy, you get it, anyway.......... =)

When I got home I made this recipe and it was actually delish even with the soy chorizo. So whether you use soy or regular chorizo, you should try this one out. It is yummee and spicy, and now you have a good story to tell about your friend in MO and her problem with eating saliva glands......just sayin' =)


Spanish Rice with Chorizo

1/2 package Chorizo Sausage (fully-cooked)
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 cups instant rice (I use brown ~~ yep just the way we roll around here =)
1/2 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze Chorizo out of casing and cook with bell pepper and yellow onion in skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until pepper and onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add rice, tomatoes, chicken broth (or water) and green onions. Mix well.

Increase heat to high. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with torilla chips.

Side note: Dak likes his served with hot sauce too. (That's a little much for me, but what can I say, the boy likes his hot sauce =)

Enjoy.

Happy cooking,
Dawn