Chorizo & Roasted Pepper Sausage Gravy over Herbed Biscuits

This isn't a summer produce recipe.  In fact I made it in the cold weather, but I really thought it made a great weekend breakfast and don't want to lose it.  Biscuits are one of my favorites.  I also discovered I love sausage gravy over biscuits.  Definitely not something I grew up with.  It isn't always easy to get good sausage gravy and biscuits in northern  restaurants.  This recipe steps it up a notch and adds herbs to the biscuits and chorizo to the sausage gravy.  If you aren't able to get chorizo, Italian sausage also works well in this recipe.

Herbed breakfast biscuits (12)
 
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour (or more all-purpose flour)
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar, to taste
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons trans fat-free vegetable shortening, very cold
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or chives (or a combination)
¾ cup whole milk or half-and-half, very cold
 Milk for brushing on top

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put flours, baking powder, sugar and salt into a food processor or into a large bowl. Pulse or stir to mix. Drop diced butter and shortening randomly over the flour mixture. Pulse or use two knives to cut the butter and shortening into the flours until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in herbs. Sprinkle the milk over the mixture. Pulse or stir until the mixture barely gathers into a ball.

2. Remove from food processor and gently roll or press into an even 1/2-inch thick circle. Use a floured 3-inch round biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut into circles. Place the circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Very gently gather up the scraps; roll into a 1/2-inch thick piece and cut more biscuits.
3. Brush the tops with milk; bake until tops are golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Chorizo and roasted pepper sausage gravy
 
Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounces) Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed (1# bulk Italian sausage also works well in this recipe)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups whole milk or a combination of skim milk and 1/2 & 1/2
6 tablespoons flour1/2 cup diced bottled roasted red bell pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Crumble chorizo sausage into a cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet. Add onion. Cook until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage and onion with a slotted spoon to a plate.
2.  Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Mix 1/2 cup of the milk and the flour in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into pan drippings; stir in remaining milk. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in sausage, diced red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Heat to warm through, 1-2 minutes. Serve over biscuits; sprinkle generously with cilantro.

Adapted from the Chicago Tribune