Checking another ingredient off the list...

In the interest of trying to expand what foods we have, I'm always looking for recipes that will use an ingredient that we've never had, but still looks like something we should end up enjoying. For example, in tonight's dinner - Black-Eyed Peas and Rice with Buffalo Chicken Sausage, it had plenty of things going for it that we already like, however we just have never had black-eyed peas before!

The original recipe called for boil-in-bag rice, but I went ahead and prepared some fragrant brown basmati rice instead - just take it off the stove about 4 or 5 minutes before it is done. This way it can finish cooking and soak in a bit of the flavorful liquid you add later on. Besides the longer cook time for making the brown rice, this one-pot dish really comes together in a flash. Once some chopped onions have softened with garlic and Cajun seasoning, coin-sliced pieces of spicy Buffalo chicken sausage are added and cook for just a couple of minutes to warm up. Chicken broth, black-eyed peas, fire-roasted diced tomatoes and the almost-cooked rice go in and simmer until the rice is tender and the dish has thoroughly heated through. Right at the end, a couple shots of cayenne pepper sauce (I always use Frank's Red Hot) go in for a spicy kick. While it was somewhat hot, I did think it could use a bit more heat for us - but we like things spicy! We did like the body and texture the dish ended up having - it was just saucy enough to swirl around the bowl, but not so loose that is was soupy.

Recipes
Black-Eyed Peas and Rice with Buffalo Chicken Sausage