Vegan Goodies Package Exchange / Chipotle Spanish Rice

Over at VeggieBoards, the Internet Vegetarian/Vegan Discussion Forum I belong to; we have several package exchanges throughout the year.

Members in good standing, exchange boxes of fun vegan stuff with each other through the mail, and then share photos and amazement as we unwrap our surprises. It's rather like Christmas, really!

I don't always participate, but decided on a whim, to add my name to the list for this fall's Vegan Goody Exchange. And I am so glad I did.

My package was from the far-away deserts of Arizona, and completely STUFFED with awesomeness! (See the picture!!) It's always fun to sample things from different parts of the country and this package seemed tailor-made for me, my Sprouts and our spicy tastes!

Spicy nuts, seasonings, spices, chiles, jalapeno jelly, chipotle olives, spicy chocolate, wasabi peas - crazy good!! And check out the darling fleece underneath the goodies. Yes, my sender MADE me a blanket and included that as well. Oh, and sunshine-yellow potholders too! Talk about royal treatment!!

As you can see, my youngest Sprout dug into the chipotle olives before we had the package unwrapped all the way, she's that big an olive/spicy-foods fan!! Can't blame her, they were amazing!!

So how to use some of this bounty of spicy-chile-loveliness in some of our meals?

I decided on a chipotle-pepper seasoned Spanish rice and threw in some Field Roast (also Chipotle flavored) sausage and zucchini. It made the most incredible burritos we've had in ages.

And since the Field Roast sausages are a bit spendy, and thus, a special treat in this household, it stretched two of them into at least five large servings. An extra bonus!! Totally have to repeat this meal again VERY soon!!! Please don't tell me this is unauthentic, not-Mexican, not-Spanish, not-burritos. It was good.

Spicy Spanish Rice with Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Grain Sausage

• 4 cups cooked rice - cooked with three dried chipotle peppers in the cooking water (did that in my rice cooker and the rice got all smoky-spicy-orange-ish tinged)
  
  
• 2 Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Grain Sausage, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 small zucchini (about the same size as the sausage) cut in medium chunks
• 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped small
  
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced green pimento-filled Spanish olives (or in our case, Chipotle Spanish Olives! OH YUM!)

In a large skillet/wok, stir-fry the sausage, zucchini and onion in oil until vegetables are cooked. Add the chipotle peppers from the rice and mash around with:

• 1/2 cup water or white wine
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or salsa)

Add rice to the pan, and stir vegetables/sausage into rice until everything is nicely incorporated and heated through, if too moist, leave over heat for a bit longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in green olives.

Serve wrapped in warm flour tortillas, with avocados on the side, if you like.