Tacos de Chorizo & Tostadas de Frijoles con Chorizo

Chorizo...I first fell in love with Chorizo when I was 5 years old.  (Well, that's the first memory I have of eating chorizo.)  Gramm and her sister-in-law Jessie, would get together a couple times of year for the sole purpose of  making homemade chorizo.  Their recipe called for ground pork, ground sausage, vinegar, chili powder and spices.  My only regret is that I didn't pay more attention to how they prepared it.  Actually, making my own chorizo sounds like a good project for after the holidays.  I digress.  I don't recall how many pounds of chorizo they would make, but it was enough to last for 3 or 4 months.  I never grew tired of eating chorizo.

When I was younger, Gramm used her chorizo in 3 dishes; chorizo con huevo (chorizo with eggs), chorizo con papas (chorizo with potatoes) and chorizo con frijoles (chorizo with beans).  It wasn't until I got married that I discovered the endless culinary possibilities of chorizo.  I could even write a book...101 ways with Chorizo.  But I prefer to share my recipes with you, here on my blog!

The first recipe is Tacos de Chorizo.  Tacos can be eaten at anytime of day; breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Yes, even breakfast.  My eldest daughter, Hope, loves having Tacos de chorizo for breakfast.   

Tacos de Chorizo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound chorizo
• 1 cup Cooked Beans* (with bean broth)
• Corn tortillas
• Chopped onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Red and Green Salsas

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the cooked beans; set aside.

Remove outer casing from chorizo, if necessary.  Brown the chorizo in a non-stick skillet until completely cooked.  There's no need to add oil to the skillet because the chorizo releases it's own fat.

While the chorizo is browning, heat a griddle or comal over high heat.  Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil on griddle.  Heat 2 corn tortillas per taco on griddle.  (For those of you in Mexico, you can order taco-sized corn tortillas at your local tortilleria.  Taco-sized corn tortillas are 4 inches in diameter as opposed to  the normal 6-inch corn tortilla.  Either size can be used!)

Stack 2 corn tortillas on a plate.  Place desired amount of chorizo in center of tortilla.  Top with cooked beans.  Fold tacos in half and transfer to a serving plate.  Repeat with remaining tortillas. 

Garnish tacos with chopped onion and cilantro and top with Red and/or Green Salsa.  Enjoy!!!

*Canned beans can be used!

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Tostadas de Frjoles con Chorizo

This next recipe is a great way to use any leftover chorizo and cooked beans.  My grandmother prepared Frijoles con Chorizo (Chorizo with beans) often.  Again, this dish can be served anytime of day.  Frijoles con Chorizo wrapped in a flour tortilla make for a delicious breakfast burrito.  They can also be served as a side dish.

Seeing that I also had  leftover taco-sized corn tortillas, I made mini-tostadas.  Tostadas de Frijoles con Chorizo are great for lunch, dinner or even as a snack while watching a football game.  (Or should I say futbol?)

Tostadas de Chorizo con Frijoles

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ounces Chorizo
• 2 cups Cooked Beans* (with bean broth)
• Corn Tortillas or Tostada shells

Directions:
To make the tostadas, heat enough oil in a large skillet to measure 1-inch, over high heat.  Fry corn tortillas in hot oil until golden and crisp.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.  Season tostadas with salt.

Remove the outer casing from chorizo, if necessary.  Brown the chorizo in a non-stick skillet until completely cooked.

Add the cooked beans.  Cover and let cook until beans begin to boil.

Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, mash the beans until desired consistency.  Season with salt, if necessary.

Spread bean mixture over tostadas.  Enjoy!!!

With Love,

Leslie Limon