Black Beans & Brown Rice

Sauté about 2/3 of one whole baseball-sized onion, one jalepeño, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add crushed garlic once the onions cook down a bit and sauté for another few minutes stirring so nothing sticks to the pot.

Add Tomatoes & Green Chilie

Normally I prefer fresh tomatoes, but mine are still green, so chopped canned tomatoes suffice. I use about 8oz of tomatoes. Since I don't live in New Mexico access to proper green chilies limited (non-existent), so canned Hatch green chilies suffice; I prefer mild green chilies. Stir the pot for a minute or two to blend all the contents. Add salt & black pepper to taste at this time.

Add Beans

Purists will criticize me for using canned beans, but I really don't taste any significant difference between starting with dry beans; and it takes much more prep time. Anyway, rinse the beans and dump them into the pot and stir.

Add Water And Simmer Uncovered. Start Brown Rice.

I like to let the beans simmer for at least one hour, more time is better. 90-120 minutes is plenty. Add enough water to cover the beans - the longer you plan to simmer, the more water you'll need. About 45-60 minutes before you intend to serve prepare one or two cups of brown rice. Use a 2:1 ratio of water:rice and bring to a rolling boil. Stir then cover the rice and cook over low-medium heat for 25 minutes. DO NOT OPEN LID!!!! Reduce heat to lowest setting and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat and leave lid on until you're ready to serve.

Chicken!

Spatchcock a whole roasting chicken by cutting straight down the breast plate with a sharp knife. Open the chicken like a book. Season liberally inside and out with your favorite rub, or marinade. Cook over low, indirect heat (275 degrees F) for about 90-120 minutes. It's best if you flatten the bird (see my fancy technological contraption above - cast iron skillet and 10# chunk of granite). Cook insides down and the flip the bird half-way through cooking.

Crisp the skin

My grill has the ability to reach 700 degrees. For the last 15 minutes of cooking I turn the bird so the skin is out, open the vents and chimney 100% and let the fire rage with the lid closed and no skillet. After about 15 minutes the temp reaches 600-degrees and I remove the bird. The meat is moist and tender and rich with flavor and the skin is crisp from the searing heat.

Turnip Greens

Thoroughly rinse and coursly chop the greens. In a nice sauté pan heat some olive oil and chopped garlic and salt & pepper. Before the garlic browns add bottom portion of greens - the part with the thickest stem first.

Flash cooking Turnip Greens

Mix the first portion of greens with garlic/oil mix over high heat. After a minute or two of stirring add rest of greens and continue stirring. Then reduce heat and cover for three minutes. Serve immediately thereafter.

On the Table

After removing the chicken from the grill allow it to stand for five or 10 minutes and then cut it into standard pieces.