Guiso de Garbanzos Con Chorizo (Cuban Chickpea, Sausage and Pork Pot)

This is a simple, quick, Cuban dish. Chickpeas are married with smoked Spanish chorizo and pork through a fragrant tomato based Cuban creole sauce. If you use canned chickpeas you can make this stand alone dish in less than 30 minutes. You can prepare some rice, and while the rice is cooking make this dish, by the time your done you'll have steaming hot rice, and a flavorful filling stew to serve over it.

You can actually make this from scratch using dried chickpeas (about 1 lbs. which is 2 cups raw) by soaking the chickpeas over night, then draining and boiling them in water til tender, when tender drain well, and use them in this recipe :) however this will take longer to do and makes things more tedious.

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup lard or olive oil
-1/2 lbs. smoked pork ham or bacon/ salted pork or pork meat cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-2 small Spanish Chorizo's cut into thin rounds
-1 onion chopped
-1 green or red bell pepper chopped
-4-6 cloves garlic minced
-2 cans 16 ounces Chickpeas/ Garbanzos drained
-1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
-salt to taste
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional my grandmother doesn't use it I do however)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 cup water

Directions:
(1) Heat lard or olive oil in a pan on medium high heat, when hot add the smoked ham or bacon or fresh pork meat (whatever you choose), when slightly browned add onion, bell pepper, and garlic saute 5-7 minutes until tender and onion is translucent

(2) Stir in sliced spanish chorizo, when the oil turns slightly reddish and so do the onions, add drained chickpeas, cumin, black pepper and stir 30 minutes, add tomato sauce and water bring to rolling a boil on high heat to heat through.

(3) Turn off heat and serve over white rice. It can stand alone with rice, or you can serve it with a salad (something simple like cucumber, tomato, onion, lettuce tossed with lime or lemon even vinegar, a little olive oil and salt)
PLEASE NOTE:
(1) My Tata (grandmother) likes making this with bacon or cubed salted pork that she renders in olive oil then starts the recipe. I didn't have any and had two fresh pork shoulder steaks that I cubed, which is perfectly fine.

(2) I know Spanish chorizo isn't available everywhere here in the USA, so if you must substitute it with a smoked sausage like Keilbasa.

(3) If you want to stretch out the dish to feed more people, you can form the sauce BUT don't add the chickpeas yet and instead simmer about 2 potatoes cut in chunks in the sauce, then add the chickpeas towards the end. It will take longer, but is a way to stretch out the dish to feed more people ha ha.


I'm submitting this recipe to Ruchikacooks who is hosting this month's "My Legume Love Affair" which is a Susan's brainchild Event. If you want to participate too, just take a look at Ruchika's blog or go to Susan's MLLA past, present and future to get all details.

Sonia's Potaje de Frijoles Colorados (Sonia's Red Bean Stew)

This is another hardy, nutritious, and delicious Cuban bean stew. Red beans are married with meat, chorizo, orange fleshed squash, potatoes, kicked up with a cuban sofrito, and some spices. Comfort food served over rice or with bread :)

Something I probably haven't admitted to my readers is that I generally don't like red beans when prepared AS a STEW or SOUP.. I eat them fine but in my opinion there's this very subtle earthy mustiness I dislike about them... the only times I truly enjoy them is in "Congri Oriental" (red beans and rice) and "Congri Con Coco" (coconut red beans and rice) as well as in the form of the central American "Frijoles Rojos Volteados" (pureed, and refried red beans which is a type of savory thick red bean paste, something i have yet to post and it delicious). I do however prepare red bean stews in my house occasionally, but am never satisfied, and my parents and family aren't much fans (except for my grandmother) I generally make them out of "tradition" as in to "not lose the dish" and for variety.

HOWEVER and it's a big HOWEVER Sonia R. Martinez has changed my mind with her version of this traditional Cuban red bean stew, I consider Sonia R. Martinez a friend, and a role model, she is a cuban woman originally from Cienfuegos, Cuba now residing in Hawaii, she is Cookbook author and freelance food writer, has a food & garden blog at www.soniatasteshawaii.com and has other writings at http://foodiesleuth.gather.com as well as being the contributing writer to www.ediblehawaiianislands.com and monthly columnist for http://www.hamakuatimes.com

What makes Sonia's red bean stew so special? Well for one I fell in love with it, because it doesn't have that earthy mustiness I'm used to in red bean stews, I think her secret to cleansing the beans of this taste is by kissing the beans with a touch of dry sherry and vinegar, it gives the beans a deep-complex taste, a sharpness that I love, yet doesn't over power the flavors of everything else. The other secret may be the use of fresh diced tomatoes. Either way they are delicious, I highly suggest if you are looking for a red bean stew recipe GIVE THIS ONE A TRY, trust me it will be a hit at your house :)

Ingredients:
-1 lbs (2 cups) small dried red beans
-water (enough to submerge beans about 2 inches deep)
-1 bay leaf
-1 1/2 lbs. smoked ham, beef, or pork stew meat cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 small or 1/2 a large spanish chorizo sliced
-1/4- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1 large onion minced
-1 green bell pepper minced
-6 cloves of garlic minced
-2 medium or small tomatoes diced (I'm sure canned tomatoes can work)
-1 tablespoon red wine, balsamic, or white vinegar (your choice I used balsamic)
-1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
-2-3 medium potatoes cut into 1-2 inch chunks
-1 lbs. calabaza (I used 1 lb. banana squash, butternut, hubbard, kabucha, and carribean squash will work fine) cut into 1-2 inch cubes
-salt to taste
Directions:
(1) Soak beans over night, first wash beans, cover about 1-2 inches deep in water, bring to a boil 20 minutes, turn off heat and allow to soak overnight.

(2) Next day bring to a boil, add bay leave meat or chunks of smoked ham, spanish chorizo, and bay leaf. Cover and reduce heat to medium low for about 1 1/2- 2 hours or until beans are tender.

(3) While beans are cooking prepare the sofrito, sautee onions and bell pepper in olive oil on medium high until onions are translucent and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes, add garlic sautee another 3 minutes until fragrant, add diced tomato sautee another minute, add oregano and cumin stir 30 seconds, and finally stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar then add the dry sherry or white wine. Allow everything to cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes until wine and vinegar reduce significantly. Turn off heat set a side.
(4) When beans are tender add the sofrito (meaning the sautee you just made) to the tender meat and beans, stir well, add chunks or calabaza and potato. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat, then lower heat to medium low and cover simmer for about 20- 30 minutes until calabaza and potato are tender.

(5) Enjoy! Serve over rice or in a large bowl with bread. If you wish a nice salad would go well with this.
Here's the stew sitting over a delicious mountain of fluffy white rice :)
PLEASE NOTE:
Sonia let me know that for her version of this traditional Cuban red bean stew, if Spanish Chorizo isn't available Keilbasa sausage may be used. Also in my opinion if Spanish Chorizo can't be found where you live I have had success with dishes using any variety of Lousiana type suasages, like Louisiana hot links.

If your interested in this recipe you may be interested in:

(1) Sopa de Frijoles Colorados (red bean soup) I make this soup with large red kidney beans, I prepare that one more simple, as in it is not a stand alone meal, I serve it over rice with other meat dishes and make it when I don't want one stand alone hardy red bean stew, but still want to cook red beans :)

(2) Tata's Potaje de Frijoles Colorados this one is my grandmother's version, but I prefer Sonia's :)

I almost forgot to add that when these hot bean stews are served over rice (specifically more often than not red or black bean soups and stews) we like to sometimes eat it with small slices of regular banana or those miniature bananas. Like we will but the stew over fluffy white rice and place small slices of banana on top and spoon a little of the thick red bean or black bean broth over it and eat it together YUMMY! Those are the very home-style comforting things you won't see outside Cuban homes and will not find in any restaurant :)

Sopa de Calabaza (Pumpkin Soup)

The "Calabaza" (squash) used in Cuban cooking is the "Caribbean Squash" which is meaty, starchy, and sweet. However since it isn't readily available here where I live I often use Kabucha Squash (a Japanese variety of squash), butternut and Hubbard squash are also great substitutes.

In Cuban cooking we use "Calabaza" in most of our bean stews, steamed on it's own often served with "mojo de ajo" (garlic citrus sauce) spooned over it, and less commonly as a mash or soup, which here in my post I'm presenting it as a soup.

What makes this soup Cuban? Well doesn't use the "mirepoix" typical of creamy soups, instead what I believe sets it apart from other soups is that it sautee's garlic and onions in olive oil and is spiced with cumin, flavors which are very common in Cuban cooking, which in my opinion sets it apart from other cream soups in other cultures.

This is my version and I hope other's enjoy it :)

Ingredients:
-about 4 lbs. peeled cubed Calabaza (I used Kabucha Squash, butternut, Hubbard, and Caribbean squash are all good choices)
-1 onion minced
-4 cloves garlic minced
-1/4 cup more or less extra-virgin olive oil
-1 teaspoon of ground cumin
-salt to taste
-chicken stock or water with bouillon enough to cover squash (I used about 2 heaping teaspoonfuls of chicken powder)
-3-4 tablespoons butter (optional)
-heavy whipping cream, or half-half even whole milk to add richness (optional anywhere from 1/2- 1 cup)

Directions:
(1) Heat olive oil on medium heat, add minced onion and garlic, meanwhile peel and cube your calabaza (depends what you use, peeling a Kabucha squash is a pain in the @$$ for me, I use a potato peeler, cut it in half, scrape out seeds and cut into chunks)

(2) Keep an eye on your onions and garlic, you don't want it to burn, when caramelized and golden and add your ground cumin and stir about 30seconds until fragrant, add your squash, and add enough chicken stock or water or water with bouillon to barely cover the squash, season with salt to taste, raise heat to high and bring to a boil, lower back to medium and cover.
(3) Allow to simmer on medium heat until Calabaza is tender this took me about 20- 25 minutes. When tender, use a hand-blender to make the soup smooth and creamy, or in small batches blend it in the blender or food processor. I used my hand blender my aunt Helen gave me as a gift :)

(4) Bring back to a simmer, cream or half n half or whole milk if using and butter as well is using. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 more minutes.
(5) Enjoy, you can serve this soup to compliment any meal :)