Brazilian Black Bean Soup With Sausage

I made a couple soups today, partly to experiment, partly to have some food in the fridge that I could heat up.  This soup is really nice as it has some nice spice, but mellows really well with a dollop of sour cream.  If you want to lose the sausage, you can, but I like the little extra flavor it provides.  You will note this isn't in the "new" recipe format, as I am revisiting that from a variety of data visualization angles...

Anyway, this will warm you up on a cold day.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup with Sausage

First, let's go shopping.  You might have most of this on-hand (at least if you cook a lot), or could substitute if need be.  Regardless, you are going to need the following (amounts estimated, adjust to taste):

About 1 lb of pork sausage (I get the non-cased stuff at my local italian market)
4 cups of chopped red onion (couple good sized onions)
4 cloves of minced garlic (or a couple tablespoons of pre-minced)
3 cups water
2 30 oz cans of black beans, drained
2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth ( I actually prefer to make my own, tastes better.  Better yet, use pheasant broth... )
4 or so tablespoons Cholula hot sauce (or Franks, but Cholula is better)
4 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro
4 Teaspoons ground cumin
4 Tablespoons rum (I use Captain Morgans)
2 Tablespoons dry Sherry

Okay, in a big pot, I like to use an enameled, cast iron dutch oven, toss in the sausage over medium - high heat and cook it up so we don't get sick.  When it is done, pull it out of the pot and set it aside, but leave the grease in there.

Chop up your onion and toss it in that sausage grease over medium-high heat with the garlic and cook it up until they get tender, 4 or 5 minutes.  You might need to add some olive oil or the like, depending on how much sausage grease was still in there.  It's okay, you can add some fat, I won't tell.  About this time the people in the house will start smelling it and begin peeking into the kitchen, kick them out.

Okay, now it gets complicated...

Dump in all the other ingredients EXCEPT the sausage, rum and sherry.  Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, partially cover and cook for about 20 minuted, stirring every few minutes.  Don't rush it, let the flavors blend.

Now, ladle about 1/2 the soup into a blender or a food processor and blend it until smooth.  Pour it back into the pot, stir in the sausage, rum and sherry.  Taste it, love it, adjust it as you see fit, make it your own...

I like to serve it with some shredded queso cheese and a spoonful of sour cream on top.  Some folks might like a lime wedge too.  This makes a good sized pot of soup, probably 8 - 10 servings, so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

All told, it should take you about 45 minutes to an hour to make this, with prep and cooking.

Poor puppy...

I think I have been walking Reggie too much.  Today I was going to up the mileage to 6 miles (3 2-mile walks).  However, at the end of the second walk, Reggie was limping a bit.  We have been concerned about his hips for awhile, as they seem really loose, but I think I will have him take a couple days off from the walks.  I know my legs are sore, so his must be too.

Anyway, Threw the fivefingers in the wash, they are hanging dry.  Considering running to REI tomorrow to get a pair of KSO Treks to wear to CO later this week.  You know, to annoy my coworkers :-).

On Altered Strides and Constantly Falling

Okay, I tried the "Constantly Falling" running style recommended by those into the whole barefoot running thing.  It is not easy to do.  It's almost like learning to walk again but it certainly is nicer in the Fivefingers.

The thing to do is to think about not pushing off with the trailing foot, instead, bring your foot off the ground from the knee, using your upper leg.  I imagine that this running style looks like the old cartoons where the character spins his legs in place before going anywhere...

I couldn't do much running today, as I am dealing with that blister on my right foot.  However, I can see that, with practice, I will be able to adopt the new stride and it should be more comfortable as I developed no new hot spots.

Reggie was pretty good on the walk.  He now only gets really distracted by seeing dogs he has never seen before or by people in their yards.  He is the biggest wuss on the planet in his own yard, but out and about he wants to greet everyone.

Have I mentioned he is handsome?  He is.

UPDATE:  I should also mention that in the very short bursts of running, my calves are super-sore.  So, I don't think I can emphasize enough to take it slow or you won't be walking for a couple days...

The First Tentative Strides...

On this morning's walk with Reggie we worked some more on his short attention span (SQUIRREL!!!) and his heeling, at which he is getting pretty darn good. As this was a gorgeous Saturday morning, all of the dogs were out with their invisible fences, so it was like going through the Gauntlet of Distraction for Reggie. I have to say I am pretty proud of him though. For the most part he stayed in his heel and only paid a little bit of attention to the other dogs.

As a part of this, I decided to change up my pace when he started getting distracted. So, I began some unplanned jogging in my Fivefingers. Let me tell you, it is a whole different experience. In regular running shoes, I am a total heel-striker, which causes me issues in the shins and knees and my lower back. So, I don't run. With these, you completely alter your stride and take much choppier steps so that you take the impact on the ball of your foot and then settle into your heel. However, I didn't really put any weight on my heel as when it made contact, I was already starting to bring it back up for the next stride. A much quicker cadence.

I liken it to a running style we used in the military called the "Airborne Shuffle". A very short stride meant for being done in boots and so annoying instructors would have more time to yell at us (it was a slower pace). But, this isn't like the shuffle in the fact that while you are taking shorter strides, there are a lot more of them and they flow into each other a lot better. It is a smoother run than I am used to.

Now, I didn't do much running today, but I can tell you it will mess with your calves. They simply won't be used to this. In the little bit of running I did, I can feel them burning more so than when I would do calf raises at the gym. So, take it slow if you go this route.

All-in-all, still very happy with the shoes, and very happy with Reggie.

Stay tuned for further updates.

The First Walk...

Reggie (my klutzy boxer, who is handsome and good) and I went for a walk this morning to accomplish two things:

1) Get him more used to walking on leash.

2) Test out the Fivefingers.

We walked for ~2 miles. I am not sure of the exact distance because the Fivefingers definitely alter your stride. You are much more aware of heel striking and the shoes almost force you to shorten your stride and make initial contact with the ball of your foot. This certainly throws off any pedometer calibration you might have done in the past. So, be prepped for that.

My initial reaction to the shoes after a couple of miles is very positive. If you aren't used to walking barefoot or in thin moccasins, don't push it as I can see how the balls of your feet might hurt a lot (I am used to mocs though, so not really a problem). Also, be prepped for calf soreness. I just finished my walk about 20 minutes ago and I can already feel them tightening up. I was aware of this from the reviews I had read, but it is a bit more pronounced than I expected.

The shoes themselves were great, Wearing them makes you much more cognizant of what you are stepping on while still protecting you from the pointy bits one is sure to encounter while barefoot. I thought the marketing fluff around being more in contact with the earth was, well, marketing fluff. However, you really do connect with the ground better in these shoes. Also, after about 100 steps, you don't even notice you are wearing them (until the previously mentioned klutzy dog steps on your foot and forces a toe out of its pocket).

On the negative side, I had some concerns around the fact that my feet were cold when I started out. However, once the blood got going, that went away. Also, if you do get a toe out of pocket, once you get it back in place it feels weird for a bit.

All-in-all, I have to give these a very high initial review. Over the next few days, I am sure I will post additional thoughts, but I can see me wearing these more often than not (which should make my wife happy, considering their dork factor).