Still Hatin' Monday - Arroz Rojo con Chorizo, AKA "Havana Red Rice"

Ten years ago

I was looking through some family pictures, and picked these out because they featured Cary and me together at difference stages of our lives.

This picture is old - close to 30 years ...

Well, this post will be published on Monday, and Monday is the day my cousin Cary is having surgery. This isn't the first or even second surgery he has had to undergo the past few weeks.  Please keep him in your prayers; I know they will help.

... but not as old as this one.  Whoa ... (just ignore the annoying little brother in front)

Rob and I finally got to our little gardening chore before the skies opened this morning.  Our goal was to cage several tomato plants, along with a rogue cucumber.  

Ideally we would have done this a long time ago, but it's all part of the gardening learning curve.  The okra is going to have to stand on its own, I'm afraid.  At this point, no cage can contain it.  The cucumber is another matter, however.

That cucumber plant has a death wish.

My husband was snapping pictures of me while I was manipulating the recalcitrant tomatoes.  Keep in mind that these were not taken in the anarchist wilds of Holopaw, but one block from the courthouse, right outside my kitchen door.  Speaking of kitchens ...

Mi espanol is pretty stinky, despite the best efforts of my wonderful paralegal Brenda.  I've been studying Spanish since 1964, with choppy results.  Apparently I retained just enough to find a Spanish title for this dish.  This is the rice dish I pulled together to accompany those ridiculously easy tamales.  It is based on one of my favorite Paula Deen recipes, Savannah Red Rice.  Look folks, I still adore Paula Deen and both of her sons.  Her brother, not so much.  In my opinion, ol' Bubba started the chain of events that pulled his sister down to the seventh level of hell.  Gratitude, uh huh.  But that's just my opinion.

Because I have a twisted sense of humor, I initially called this Havana Red Rice, not because it has anything to do with Cuba, but because it's a Spanish-language city that rhymes with Savannah.  I know, it's weak, but so am I. Anyway that's how I ended up digging deep into my fractured Spanish memories and christened the dish "Arroz Rojo con Chorizo" - Red Rice with Chorizo.  A dull name, but a mouth-warming dish, and very easy to put together. Thank you Paula Deen, for the inspiration.

1 cup sliced green onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper

4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 - 4 oz. link chorizo fino (La Banderita brand) 
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
1 cup Goya Tomato-Based Sofrito
1 cup water
2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes

1 guajillo chili
kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
thyme, fresh or dried, to taste
1 cup uncooked white rice (Uncle Ben's converted)

honey (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the chorizo until it browns and falls apart, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Sauté the onion and bell pepper in butter, then add the garlic. Add back the chorizo and heat until mixture is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, sofrito, water and bouillon cubes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme as needed. Remove the seeds from the guajillo pepper and place the whole pepper into the pan. Stir in the rice and drizzle over a very small amount of honey; stir again. Pour mixture into a greased casserole and bake for 45 minutes.