cassoulet espagnol.

Why are French words so much prettier than English ones?  Our runty translations have taken madame to ma'am, frites to fries, cassoulet to casserole.  Okay, casserole doesn't sound horrible, but the American version of a cassoulet is.  Try telling someone you are bringing over a casserole for a pot luck and I am sure there will be a sigh in response.  Tell them a cassoulet - like what I brought over to my friend Angela's for a little pre-movie bite (Hunger Games - yes!) and it was great.  

This one has a spicy and Spanish twist - the original recipe is here but I tweaked it a bit to make it a little easier and weeknight friendly....

cassoulet espagnol.

1 can white beans (or lima or gigantic beans if you can find them - I couldn't), drained and rinsed

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes with liquid

1/2 package soy chorizo

1/2 onion, carmelized

1/2 cup leaks, carmelized

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup panko 

Tip - I cooked the onions the day before so they were ready to go and it cut down on cooking time.  

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, pour in beans to form a single layer.  Top with tomatoes and spread evenly.  Top tomatoes with chorizo and then onion/leak mixture.  In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with panko, stirring to combine.  Finally, pour on top and add a bit of cracked pepper.  

 

 Bake for about 15-20 minutes until mixture is bubbling and breadcrumbs are toasted.  Remove and cool about 3-5 minutes before plating.  Great with other side dishes, alongside a main course or with a big glass of wine and crusty bread.