Rice with Corn, Chickpeas, Green Beans, and Chorizo

The recipe? Rice with Corn, Chickpeas, Green Beans, and Chorizo. Yes, I kind of just picked a recipe with five ingredients that I love in the name. This recipe also happened to be a two-fer, since you had to prepare the Green Beans with Bacon recipe separately to be included in the rice dish. Two done. Both recipes were solid – well-balanced flavors (and nutritional profiles), simple techniques, easy to execute quickly and well.

Rice with Corn, Chickpeas, Green Beans, and Chorizo

Serves 6-8 as a side.

• 2 c. long grain rice
• 3 TBS achiote-infused olive oil [I subbed regular olive oil this time around]
• 6 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
• 4 medium plum tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled if fresh, drained if canned, and finely chopped either way
• 1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 2 c. plain cooked chickpeas
• 4 oz. Green Beans with Bacon [see below]
• 3 1/2 c. chicken broth

1. Rinse the rice in cold water, swirl with your hand, then drain in a sieve. Repeat several times, until water runs clear. Set rice aside.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and saute until golden brown, about  5 minutes. Then add the onion, green peppers, and garlic, and saute until the onion is translucent, another 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, corn, chickpeas, green beans, rice, and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. At this point, fluff the rice gently, cover, lower the heat, and cook on the lowest possible setting for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice again before serving.

Green Beans with Bacon

Serves 4 as a side.

• 3 tsp salt
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and sliced on a bias into 1 inch lengths
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped [I used drained canned whole San Marzano tomatoes with good results]
• 1 TBS minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Add 2 tsp of the salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and blanch for 2-3 minutes, until bright green. Drain, and immediately place the green beans in ice water to stop the cooking process.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crispy. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for a few minutes just to meld the flavors. Stir in the green beans, then season with remaining tsp of salt. Serve immediately, or use in other recipes as required.