theme: Bobby Flay

Chef Bobby Flay cooked these baked black beans, spiked with chorizo and rum, on one of his television shows, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, to compete with a more-traditional batch of Carolina baked beans. We adore the results. If you bring them along to a summer party, reheat before serving or bring them in a crock-pot and plug it in when you get to the party. Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay’s Throwdown! by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Miriam Garron (Clarkson Potter, 2010).

Recipe
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Bobby Flay’s Honey-Rum Baked Black Beans
Makes: 16 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours (not including bean-soaking time)

NUTRITION PROFILE
High fiber | Low saturated fat | Low cholesterol | Heart healthy | Gluten free |

View Our Nutrition Guidelines » INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried black beans (about 2 3/4 cups), picked over and soaked in cold water for 8 hours (or see Tip)
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 ounces dried chorizo (see Note), cut into small dice (about 2 cups) (I used 2 smoked turkey legs)
1 medium Spanish onion, cut into small dice
1 medium carrot, cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dark rum (I used Gosling)
2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 cup Mesa Grill Barbecue Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided
1/4 cup clover honey
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more taste

PREPARATION
Drain beans. Place in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover the pot and simmer until very tender, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

I’m not saying this was the best method but I took the beans out and boiled them with the smoked turkey legs and 2 poblanos. It was a pain. It would have been better if I had made the stock in advance and then cooked the beans in the stock.

Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Reduce heat to medium, add onion and carrot to the pan and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rum, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the beans.
Add 2 cups stock (or broth), barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup cilantro, honey, molasses, brown sugar and the reserved chorizo to the beans. Mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and cover. Bake for 30 minutes.
Check to see if the bean mixture is dry; if it is, add a little more stock (or broth). Bake for 30 minutes more. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more to thicken slightly.
Garnish the beans with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tip: To soak beans using a “quick-soak” method, place in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Note: Dried, Spanish-style chorizo is a seasoned, fully cooked, smoked pork sausage. Find it near other cured sausages in well-stocked super markets or online at tienda.com.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 261 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 12 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 12 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 6 g fiber; 418 mg sodium; 443 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (26% daily value), Magnesium (16% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 carbohydrate (other), 1 medium-fat meat

Servings: 8

“Baby spinach is topped with a colorful array of fruit in this easy salad.”

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) bags baby spinach (I used a little more than half)
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 12 fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 (10 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained (I doubled this)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup poppy seed salad dressing (I used a bunch less than this)

Directions

1. Place spinach in a large bowl.
2. Arrange bananas, strawberries, mandarin oranges, cranberries, and pine nuts on top.
3. Toss with poppy seed dressing before serving.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Servings: 14

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar (recipe called for 3/4 but 1/2 was plenty)
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons grated onion
• 3 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
2. Slowly add oil, while whisking briskly.
3. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups instant couscous
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, peeled, segmented and diced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 head radicchio, shredded
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted slivered almonds

Directions

1. Put the couscous in a large bowl, add the 2 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt and orange zest, then cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
   Remove the cover and fluff with a fork.
2. Whisk together the orange juice, vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl.
   Add half of the dressing to the couscous along with the onion, orange, mint and parsley and gently combine with a fork.
3. Put the radicchio in a bowl, add the remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
   Transfer the couscous to a large platter, top with the radicchio and garnish with slivered almonds.