Grilled Sausage & Black Rice Salad

Nothing about this meal is typical for me, and I think that's why I love it:

• I rarely cook sausage, unless it's for a big BBQ
• I rarely do a salad that doesn't involve greens
• I rarely make a salad that doesn't have goat cheese
• I rarely make meals that have 5 ingredients or less (not counting S&P and olive oil of course)

 Sometimes, necessity forces us to break out of our comfort zone, and in this case, I'm so glad it did! After a long weekend driving to Tyler and back to celebrate a friend's wedding, I was not at my best when we arrived home Sunday afternoon and had no intention of going to the grocery store or spending hours in the kitchen. Luckily, a well-stocked pantry, an over-zealousness for cherry tomatoes the week before and 2 frozen sausages saved the day. (Well,  that and a wonderful husband who agreed to grill in the 100 degree weather).  I used some turkey sausages made in house at Whole Foods Market with fresh cherries, and they were SO sweet and flavorful. Use whatever sausage you have, but if you can get your hands on this one - DO IT!

Grilled Sausage and Black Rice Salad

1 cup black rice (or other whole grain)
1 yellow bell pepper (any color pepper works though)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cherry turkey sausages

If you have a charcoal grill like us, get your coals going in the chimney starter. Meanwhile, cook the rice to package instructions and set aside. At this point, I like to place a grate over the chimney and actually flame cook the bell pepper while the coals heat up. Of course, you can always grill it the old fashioned way too :) Either way, after charred on all sides, place in a paper bag for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, peel and slice the bell pepper.

Create a foil packet with a few layers of foil and place cherry tomatoes inside. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 minutes, until cherries begin to burst. Grill sausages 10 minutes as well, or until cooked through.

In a large bowl, combine rice, bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes with oil and juices and sliced sausage. Enjoy!

Here served with grilled chicken and okra