Rice & sausage skillet

Rice makes an excellent base for one-skillet dinners. Italian or chorizo sausage adds plenty of flavour with very little meat; if you like, substitute ground chicken, turkey, beef or bison.

Ingredients:

canola or olive oil, for cooking
1/2 lb. (250 g) mild Italian or chorizo sausage (1-2 large sausages) or ground meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (or 1 can diced green chilies) – optional
1 tbsp (15 ml) chili powder
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
pinch salt
3 cups (750 ml) cooked brown or white rice
1 14 oz. can (398 ml) chickpeas or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup chunky tomato salsa
1/2 cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese
1-2 chopped green onions

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and cook the sausage and onion, breaking up the meat until it’s no longer pink and the onion is soft. Add the jalapeño and cook for another minute or two.

2. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil and add the rice to the skillet; add the chili powder, cumin and salt and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until it starts to brown. Add the beans and cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the meat mixture back into the pan along with the tomato and feta and stir until everything is heated through and the feta begins to melt a bit around the edges.

3. Stir in the green onions and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Per Serving (made with 1 Tbsp. canola oil and brown rice):

370 calories, 17.6 g fat (6.6 g saturated, 8 g monounsaturated, 3 g polyunsaturated), 39 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein, 5.1 g fibre.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2012.