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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

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For whatever reason, this dish stood out to me when my June issue of Cooking Light arrived a few months ago. Though I've never cooked with chorizo at home, I've enjoyed it in restaurants--most memorably on pizza at Pi in St. Louis and fajitas at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place near us. There are certain foods I stick to letting restaurants make, but chorizo is no longer on that list!

This baked bean dip came together easily, though as I was prepping it, I got very nervous that it would be overly spicy. I had purchased the hot chorizo from the grocery store and with a full jalapeno and other spices in there, I wasn't sure the friends I was sharing it with would appreciate the end result. When it was all said and done, though, the dish was well-flavored, with a slight kick. If you want to keep things on the mild side, just don't buy hot chorizo.

Served with tortilla chips, this makes an easy and relatively healthy appetizer, especially when it comes to Mexican food. You could also bake the dish and use it as a filling for tacos, quesadillas, or burritos. Thank you Cooking Light for another great recipe!


One Year Ago: Okra, Zucchini, and Tomato Saute
Two Years Ago: Pear and Blue Cheese Spinach Salad and "End of Summer" Medley Pasta


Baked Black Beans with Chorizo
from Cooking Light, June 2011


Ingredients:
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 cup diced Spanish chorizo
-cooking spray
-1 1/2 cups chopped onion
-1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1/4 tsp ground red pepper
-5 garlic cloves, minced
-3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 cup chopped seeded tomato
-1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and chorizo to the pan, sauteing for 2 minutes. Remove chorizo and set aside.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency.
4. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with chorizo, tomato, and cheese. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with green onions and serve with tortilla chips.

This content was originally posted on Honest Cooking in my featured column "Cooking the Magazines".
This post is linked to Eat at Home.