Torta de Cochinita Pibil con Frijol Negro {Black Beans and Cochinita Sandwich}

Hello there, I'm sorry I haven't been able to post lately... I've been so busy, and my mom went to surgery and then my hubby and I went for a quick roadtrip... but here I am. Ready to share with you this delicious recipe, and very easy to cook.

First, you will need:

• 4 French bread pieces (or 8 bread slices if you prefer)
• 1 package or can of refried (crushed) black beans
• 1 package or can of cochinita pibil (roasted pork)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp Knorr Instant Beef Mix (if you don't have, you can use Seasoned Salt, but only 1/2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato puree

First, you need to heat a skillet, place the beans there and let them heat a little. Then, add the tomato puree, beef instant mix (or seasoned salt) and pepper. Blend well at low heat, stirring occasionally. I added 1/4 cup of regular water because the beans were very solid. 

Blend well and when they are ready, remove them from heat.

In a deep skillet add the package of cochinita pibil (or finely chopped roasted pork). This oneis already seasoned and ready, so I just had to heat it and stir. 

Now, cut the French bread in half horizontally, and in the lower part spread black beans (plenty, you won't regret it). Then add plenty of cochinita pibil (roasted pork).

Now, place 3 tbsp of sour cream on top and place the other half of the bread on top.

OMG!! This is looking so good!! Yum. My husband decided to drink a beer with this delicious torta (sandwich).

Looking good right? He even asked me for half more for dinner, and one extra for tomorrow's lunch!

Enjoy!

* December 4, 2011 update: 

I'm attending Michelle's Linky Party 14 , and !!

December 6, 2011:
I'm attending Stacy's Show Me What Ya Got #52 

Veggie Cream

  

So, using the Veggie Soup leftovers, I prepared a Veggie Cream.

Actually, it's real simple. Once you have already prepared your Veggie Soup.

You will need:

• 1 tsp chicken broth bouillon
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I used Chipotle flavor)
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic (I used jarred)
•  6 cups Veggie Soup

Place Veggie Soup, chicken broth bouillon, pepper and half of the cream cheese in the blender.

Heat the garlic in a deep pot.

Add the blend and heat in low heat.

Add the other half of cream cheese and stir until well blended. Let it simmer for 40 minutes, covered.

It tastes really good, but I couldn't get nice pictures =(

Italian Sausage Mix

I want to try new recipes with Johnsonville sausages, which I love. The Italian Sausage, the breakfast sausage, the cocktail sausage, all of them! So, I invented this recipe. And now, I'm gonna share it with you.

You will need:

• 2 Johnsonville's Italian Sausages
• 1 egg
• 4 bacon strips (cutted in big chunks)
• 1 tbsp chopped canned jalapeños chiles (with juice)
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 1 tbsp Knorr's chicken broth bouillon
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups tomato puree (natural)
• fresh oregano
• 1/2 finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• pepper to taste
• 1 small tomato chopped in squares
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (I used jarred)

First, heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot and cook one of the sausages in there. It doesn't need to be perfectly cooked, but it needs to be cooked enough so you can chop it.

Take that sausage away, wait until it cools a bit and cut it in big chunks. Now, cook the garlic in the same vegetable oil.

After maybe 30 seconds, add the onion.

Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and stir again. Cook the bacon.

Now, take out the filling of the other (raw) Italian sausage. 

You can dispose the "skin"; now, place the filling in the pot.

"Break" the sausage filling (as if it was ground beef). Cook.

Add the big sausage chunks. Stir.

Let it cook for maybe 5 minutes.

Add the tomato and celery.

Mix, add the jalapeños (with no juice) and add the egg.

I started stirring the egg, with fast movements, so it would cook in the pot spot and then, when cooked, stir everything again.

Add the tomato puree and jalapeños juice and stir until evenly mixed.

Add the chicken broth bouillon, oregano and pepper.

Stir.

Bring it to a boil, cover it, lower heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, covered. Now, add the corn, stir and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring every 5 minutes.

Looks yum! You can eat this with crackets or herbed buttered toasted bread. Or just like that. 

I really hope you like this recipe. I gotta say, every time you reheat it, it will be more spicy than the last time. That is the effect of canned jalapeño chiles.

* November 16 update:

 Linked to Stacy's Linky Party

* November 28, 2011 update:
 Linked to Michelle's Linky Party 14

Almond-ed Rice

I prepared this rice as a side for the Chicken in Mushroom Cream I prepared last night. I invented the recipe myself, in that moment. Another thing: It is not too salty because I didn't want it to taste more than the chicken, but you can add salt to taste.

So, basically, this recipe is the same recipe I use for regular rice... just added cinnamon, almonds and cranberries.

You will need:

• 1 handful of almonds (I used toasted and salted)
• 1 handful of dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon's juice
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (I used jarred)
• 1 cup rice (I used regular white rice)
• 1 tbsp Knorr's chicken broth bouillon
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups of water

First, I wash the rice under cool water. Of course, drain it.

Now, in a small deep pot heat vegetable oil and add garlic. Immediatly start stirring the garlic and when it starts changing its color, add the rice.

Stir and fry rice. When it becomes white (not transparent anymore) it should look something like this:

Add 2 cups of water, cumin, cinnamon, chicken broth bouillon, salt, pepper, lemon juice. And stir.

Ok, you should be wondering... why does she uses LEMON JUICE?! I use lemon juice because of three reasons: 

1. The rice won't have a lemon flavor, at all.
2. It helps the rice to become "fluffy".
3. It helps the rice grains not to stick together, to be appart one from each other.

Stir and bring it to boil.

When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Let it sit there and DO NOT STIR IT EVER AGAIN. 

In the meanwhile, cut the almonds. I could have used the food processor, but really, I didn't want to do more mess than necessary. So, I just cutted (see picture) in big pieces the almonds.

 

Then the cranberries.

Rice will start absorbing water. When you see that your rice looks something like this (you will see just a little bit of water still in those holes), it's ready to receive the add-ons: in this case, almonds and cranberries.

Just top it with the add-ons and cover it again. If you feel like it needs more water, dont hesitate and add 1/2 cup of more water. Under any circumstances: DO NOT STIR THE RICE. Cover it, and wait around 5 minutes. Remove it from heat, and leave it covered, so it will finish cooking in the steam (inside the pot). Wait around 10 minutes and serve.

Probably after serving you can stir it... haha, just kidding. The thing is, if you stir while cooking, it can break and won't cook evenly. 

As I said before, I served this rice with Chicken in Cream Mushrooms and salad.
For the salad I used lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, tomato, black olives, celery, fresh cheese and Ranch dressing.

Check out the recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

November 16: 

 Linked to Stacy's Linky Party