Chorizo | I Can Cook That

Black Eyed Peas Hash with Chorizo and Eggs

NOTE: I was sent a Deiss 5-Piece Nylon Utensil Set in order to write this post and host a giveaway. All opinions are mine alone.

Happy New Year! There are a bunch of food traditions for New Year’s Day, including eating Black Eyed Peas to bring prosperity in the new year. Last year, I made Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens. This year, I thought I’d make a brunch recipe that’s hearty enough for New Year’s Day – Black Eyed Peas Hash with Chorizo and Eggs.

This recipe for Black Eyed Peas Hash is made with potatoes, onions, bell peppers, black eyed peas, chorizo, eggs, and tomato.

To start the New Year off right, Deiss Kitchenware was kind enough to send me a 5-Piece Nylon Utensil Set that includes a Soup Ladle, Slotted Turner, Spaghetti Server, Serving Spoon, and Slotted Serving Spoon.

I ended up using 3 of the 5 utensils in this recipe and found them to be really handy. Made of BPA-free nylon, the utensils are both flexible and sturdy, so they adapt nicely to different types of cooking. The utensils can withstand temperatures up to 480° F and are non-stick, so they won’t scratch your non-stick cookware. Nylon utensils are easily cleaned, and don’t stain or accumulate odors.

Deiss is also providing a second 5-Piece Nylon utensil set for a giveaway! Details after the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz chorizo, diced
4 russet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (about 2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (check brand to ensure gluten-free)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 large eggs
1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, for garnish

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Sheet Pan Paella

Over the last few years, my husband and I have moved too many times. Since 2014, we have lived in five different apartments/houses. Somehow in one of those many moves, I lost (or threw out) my paella pan. Sigh.

Paella is a favorite of mine. I love the combination of crispy rice, seafood, and spice. So when I saw this Epicurious recipe for a sheet pan version, I knew I had to try it.

I didn’t exactly stick to the original recipe, given what I could find in my post-snow supermarket. But one of the best parts about paella is you can basically throw in whatever you may have on hand to make the recipe yours! So here’s my adapted version – Sheet Pan Paella!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup rice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon saffron, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 links of Spanish chorizo (about 6 oz)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
6 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deviened, tails left intact
~2 dozen clams, scrubbed
1 (14 oz can) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
1/4 cup green olives, pitted
1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

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Cheesy Skillet Eggs and Hash

September is National Breakfast Month, and what better way to celebrate than with breakfast for dinner?

Nellie’s Certified Humane Free Range Eggs sent me some coupons and other goodies so that I could make a recipe with their yummy eggs.

In the past, I’ve made Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs, so I went a bit more traditional this time with a Mexican inspired Cheesy Skillet Eggs and Hash.

This recipe is easy to make but has a ton going on: potatoes, chorizo, eggs, cheese, salsa, and avocado all together to make a truly delicious breakfast (or breakfast for dinner)!

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
~10 oz uncooked chorizo, cut into bite sized pieces (I used 3 chorizo)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 oz shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
4 Nellie’s Certified Humane Free Range Eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pico de Gallo or Salsa, to taste
1 avocado, sliced
1 green onion, sliced

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Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

You can never have too many party appetizers in your cooking arsenal. I wanted to try something a little different than the apps I’ve been posting recently. This dish is a layered dip with black beans, chorizo, tomatoes, and cheese and would be perfect for watching the game or any other party!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced Spanish chorizo

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 jalapeño pepper, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

5 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped seeded tomato

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

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Spanish Rice with Saffron Cream

Have you ever started a recipe only to find that you are missing an ingredient? And not just any ingredient, but a key ingredient? This happens to me more than I’d like to admit. Recently, I wanted to make Cooking Light’s Spanish Chicken and Rice with Saffron Cream, went and bought the ingredients, and came home to realize the person who checked me out never put the chicken in my bag! Blargh. so. Here’s a recipe for Chicken-less Spanish Rice with Saffron Cream

I was pretty annoyed, but we still had to eat. So this rice became more of a paella without the crispy bottom. And because of the chorizo, it still felt like it could be a complete meal. Anyways, this Spanish Rice with Saffron Cream was still tasty despite my grumbling for wanting some chicken.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped white onion
2 ounces cured Spanish chorizo sausage, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
16 pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
Cooking spray

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Paella

I wanted to challenge myself this weekend, so I decided to try to make paella. I don’t own a paella pan, and I honestly have no idea how to cook paella, so this should be quite the experience. I used a mixture of a recipe from Tyler Florence and one from Cooking Light, keeping my personal taste in mind.

Ingredients:

2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced

1 Spanish onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons parsley (fresh if you have it)

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 cups rice, whatever you have (long, short, doesn’t matter)

2 quarts plus 2 cups water

1/3 cup flour

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice

1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

2 pounds mussels, debearded and scrubbed

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed (optional)

Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Begin by cleaning and de-bearding the mussels. I couldn’t handle doing this, so thankfully my boyfriend was willing to help.

That wiry-looking thing on the right side of the mussel, that’s the beard. To remove, pull towards the hinge part of the mussel and tug.

yuck

The beards won’t hurt you if you eat them, but they don’t look particularly appetizing. Scrub the mussels to remove any gook that might be left on them. Discard any mussels that are open or cracked. Do the same with the clams. Put the clams and mussels in a mixture of 2 quarts water and 1/3 cup flour for 20 minutes. This helps to remove any sand that may still be in the mussels and clams.

Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1 cup white wine, clam juice and saffron to a pot over medium heat. Simmer, without boiling, then reduce to low to keep warm.

Heat a tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the cut chorizo in the pan and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, garlic and parsley. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook for 5-10 minutes until fragrant.

Add the rice, stirring to coat the rice.

Pour in the saffron broth, simmering for 10 minutes.

Add chorizo, clams and mussels, tucking the clams and mussels into the rice.

Cook for 15 minutes without stirring, until the rice is fluffy and you can smell the rice at the bottom beginning to toast. (This is known as socarrat… paella is supposed to have a toasted bottom.)

Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes (it will be really, really hot). Serve with lemon wedges and peas if desired. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

I have to give myself a little pat on the back for this one (as well as my boyfriend for his wonderful de-bearding skills). Although I was craving a bit more saffron taste, this dish really turned out well overall. It is quite a bit of work, but it produces a whole lot of food, at least 8 servings. As always, don’t eat any clams or mussels that don’t open. A bunch of my clams didn’t open, kind of a bummer. I also think the next time I make this, I would reserve the liquid from the tomatoes and add that in as well for a little extra flavor.

All Gone.