Review: Fiery Chipotle Rice and Sausage (CL March 2001)

[lindrusso]

Made this for dinner tonight and hubby and I liked it quite well. It's a touch of New Orleans with a twist of chipotle. The ease of preparation made it even more attractive. The only thing I did differently was to use the sausage I had made (from CL's Atsa Spicy Pizza Sausage) that I had on hand and I also added some leftover black beans that were hanging around.

One of the things that made this dish more attractive was that I could envision substituting chicken for the sausage or making it with no meat at all (instead using almost any type of veggies and/or beans). Very versatile!

[BosunsWife]

Sounds like this receipe is right up my alley. Now if I could only get my March issue so I could make it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[lindrusso]

BosunsWife (I always think you're "Bonus Wife", silly me!) -

I posted this into my Mastercook last night, so here you go if you want to get a head start!

Fiery Chipotle Rice and Sausage

Cooking Light note: Unless you like things hot, one chipotle will probably be enough. Don't be tempted to skip the 10 minutes of standing time in this recipe, though; it's necessary for the rice to soak up all the flavorful juices.

1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage (about 5 links)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) package frozen pepper stir-fry with yellow, green, and red peppers and onions, thawed (such as Bird's Eye)
1 cup uncooked converted rice
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10.5-ounce) can beef broth
1-2 drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

1. Remove the casings from the sausage. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the sausage; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from the pan, and drain.

2. Add the pepper stir-fry mix and the remaining ingredients to the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the sausage. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

3. Calories 323 (27% from fat); Fat 9.8g (sat 2.4g, mono 3.9g, poly 2.5g); Protein 21.8g; Carb 35.3g; Fiber 3g; Chol 75mg; Iron 3.2mg; Sodium 872mg; Calc 58mg.

Enjoy!!

[BosunsWife]

Mmmmm! Thank you. Still no magazine!

[valchemist]

I think I am going to have to try this one too. I am a new subscriber to CL and I have yet to receive my first issue. Sounds like I shouldn't hold my breath.

Lindrusso -- I always think (or thought) it was "bonus wife" too. And then when you mentioned it, I looked at it closer and laughed.

Valerie

[Tiger]

My DH and I thought this was OK. It was easy to make, but I'd won't make it again.

[KellyD]

I made this last night and my DH asked me 3 times if it was a CL recipe. We loved it. I used hot instead of sweet italian sausage, fresh peppers and onions rather than frozen and it needed more liquid at the end to soften the rice, so I dumped in the last of a bottle of cabernet. My DH will never ask for leftovers, but has already asked if we are having it again for dinner tonight. So this was a big winner with us, and there is lots you could do to add to it - add chicken, shrimp, okra - it's kind of a basic jambalaya.

[phantomcg]

I also made this for dinner last night and I LOVED it. Lindrusso - you hit it on the head: the dish definatly reminds me of New Orleans and I can see adapting this recipe to include so many different substitutions. The leftovers were really good for lunch today too.

Cheryl

[SoCal]

This was next on my list to try so I'm glad to read the good reviews. I have some Healthy Choice sausage (kielbasa) on hand and was going to use it but I'm thinking now I should go ahead and buy the Italian Turkey Sausage or Italian flavored ground turkey. It would probably add to the flavor better than the kielbasa. Sorry, I just started thinking out loud! Thanks for the reviews!!

[valchemist]

After reading so many posts about chipotle and after seeing so many good recipes, I put them on my shopping list. Went to the store today and I could not find any chipotles at all, never mind chipotles canned in adobo sauce. I looked in the Mexican food section and even in the bottled peppers section, but there were none to be found. Where are they in the Grocery Store? What is the (or a) brand name?
I ended up buying roasted red jalapenos. Are those similar since chipotles are smoked jalapenos?

HELP!!!

I am planning to make the "Fiery Chipotle Rice and Sausage" tomorrow night. Do you think the roasted jalapenos will be okay? Should I use more, less, or the same amount?
(BTW, I bought the hot turkey sausage as opposed to the sweet.)

If you have made this recipe (or even if you haven't but you know your chipotles), please give me some advice.

Thanks,
Valerie

p.s. On second thought, I decided to put my post here, since this is the thread where this dish was discussed. sorry for the double post.

[eks]

valchemist-just wanted to let you know i ran into the exact same problem this weekend-i even checked 3 different stores. i ended up buying roasted red jalapenos as well. i would like some advice on this matter as well!!

[goldilocks]

I haven't made this dish yet, but I have purchased roasted jalepenos. At one point I think Trader Joe's carried them in a jar. I think the one thing that distinguishes these and chipotles is the adobo sauce that the chipotles are packed in. It is smokey and hot. The jalapenos have heat, but not that smokey flavor. I think the dish would still be good with the jalapenos, but it will have a different taste than it would with the chipotles. It won't be as smokey. As for the amount of jalapenos, I would do it to taste. I don't think they loose their heat after they are roasted, so I am sure a little goes a long way. So, if it were me I would try the dish with the jalapenos. Please post how it is.

[This message has been edited by goldilocks (edited 03-14-2001).]

[KellyD]

You are correct about the difference in flavor with the roasted jalapenos rather than the chipotles. The smokey flavor permeates the dish - so it would definitely taste different using the different peppers. That's not bad - I just think then it's really jambalaya.
It's so weird to me that you guys can't find these peppers - that they would carry roasted red jalapenos, but not chipotles!! In every grocery store in our area, they are in the mexican food section - in a small can - a little larger than the ones chopped chilis come in. Our store has 2 different brands - and I can't remember either - but they're imported from Mexico. I used two in this dish - and that was definitely the most I would ever use. They're HOT!

[tammy/MN]

would shrimp work as a sub? thinking of different lenten dishes.

[lindrusso]

tammy - I think that shrimp would do very well in this dish. Great idea for Lent!

[valchemist]

Thanks Goldilocks and KellyD for the info. I really want to wait, now, to find the chipotles in adobo becasue I love "smoky" flavors.

I went to two more grocery stores today and they were nowhere to be found. eks and I are in the same sad boat.

In another post, someone said I could buy them on line at ethnicgrocer.com. I was so excited and I immediately went to their website only to find they were out of stock. Oh well. I am going to use my hot turkey sausage to make the spicy sausage chili from march 1998 instead.

I will make this fiery chipotle rice and sausage dish when I find an online place that has the chipotles in stock.

Val

[This message has been edited by valchemist (edited 03-15-2001).]

[phantomcg]

The Spice House also carries the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Their website is: www.thespicehouse.com (http://www.thespicehouse.com) and the peppers are $2.49 for a 7.7 ounce can (I happen to have my catalog at work today). I think that you will love this dish.

Cheryl

[valchemist]

Thanks, cheryl. I have bookmarked that site too.

Turns out that the ethnicgrocer.com site did have the chipotles in adobo in stock, so I have alredy placed my order. But this site will certainly be a good resource for me.

I can't wait to try the recipe.

[kirkbyky]

One thing you might consider is using dried chipotle peppers. Here in MI, one of the stores carries several varieties of dried peppers, just rehydrate (in whatever will match your recipe) and go. I dont happen to like adobo sauce but love the smokey taste & fire of chipotles.

[Donna P]

I've got this cooking on the stove right now. Smells and tastes great. Modifications I made were to add some fresh garlic, used 2 large green bells and one large onion instead of frozen, sliced my sausage instead of crumbling, and used less (3/4 cup) rice based on comment above about it being too dry. I think I would like this better with smoked sausage instead of italian and would also be great with shrimp.

[ebobbitt]

Valchemist & Eks -- I purchased the peppers just last weekend but I had to go to a health food store to find them. I just knew my Kroger would but they were no where to be found. The brand I purchased was San Marcos. The can is approximately the size of a small can (I think 8 oz) of tomato sauce.
Elizabeth

[valchemist]

thanks, ebobbitt.

Let us know what you make with them and how the dish turns out.

I ordered mine from ethnicgrocer.com and I am expecting them in the mail today.

[BarbaraL]

I looked for chipotle peppers in adobo for at least a year (never got around to ordering from mohotta mobetta website). Finally, the local ShopRite had them! I tried the chipotle chicken stew that this BB raved about, but found it too hot for my taste. DH doesn't mind hot, but said, except for the heat, it was flavorless. Now I have to look into some other recipes using this ingredient (maybe the recipe I'd originally planned to make -- it was in the March 99 CL issue, in an article that included Lemon-pistachio chicken over greens, which I LOVE. Maybe I'll try 1/2 chipotle if it calls for 1, then work my way up.

[SoCal]

Yum, I made this tonight and really enjoyed it. A couple of things I did differently:

* Could only find bag of frozen pepper stir fry without onions so I added fresh onions to the sausage as it was cooking.

* Used brown rice instead of white.

* Poured in the can of beef broth then discovered that the recipe called for a 10 1/2 oz can and I used a 14 1/2 oz can (do they make a 10 1/2 oz can?). Just added a little more rice but it probably would have been fine without it.

* When I went to get the Thyme I didn't have any so I used about 1/2 the amount of Oregano. When I put the Oregano back, I found the Thyme so I added a little of that too!

* Didn't quite use 1 chipotle chili since my son thought the Chipotle Chicken Stew was TOO HOT (poor thing!)! I would have wanted a little more heat.

I agree, this is a versatile recipe. Will make it again trying chicken or shrimp.

[This message has been edited by SoCal (edited 03-21-2001).]

[eks]

SoCal-Thanks for the tips. I was planning on making this Friday night, your advice made things even easier for me!

[Abby]

I made this last night and everyone really liked it. It was also quite easy even though I used fresh bell peppers and onions, because the frozen mixture was nowhere to be found. I will definitely make this again.

ebobbitt - I live in LR and have seen the chipotles in many of the grocery stores. I think I got this last batch at the old Harvest Foods on HWY 10 - it's some sort of discount, sack-it-yourself store now. This is the only store where I could find the turkey italian sausage. I must have looked in 5 or 6 different stores!

[eks]

This is delicious! It was very spicy, maybe because I used 2 chipotle peppers. I couldn't find the Bird's Eye Stir-fry vegetables so I used Bird's Eye Seasoning Blend vegetables and some fresh chopped onion. I also used instant brown rice. A definite keeper!

[SoCal]

eks - Glad the tips helped out. I couldn't find the peppers in the grocery stores where I live either. My son got them for me at Trader Joe's. I may use fresh peppers next time although I think the frozen added extra moisture to the dish.