Quick Tomato and Sausage Stew

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Recipe from Healthy Food

This was a really good stew, and very easy to throw together.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 Italian sausages, sliced
14 ou diced tomatoes
1 c water
1 t ground cumin
1 t chili flakes
14 ou chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 c frozen peas
Parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pan, add garlic, onion and sausage and cook until sausage is browned.

Stir in tomatoes, water, cumin and chili and cook for about 10-15 minutes over medium heat.  Mix in chick peas and peas until heated through.  Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

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Recipe from Cooking Light

This was a simple recipe to throw together on a busy Sunday.  I let this cook while I did some work around the house.  The house smelled delicious as it cooked! 

Ingredients:
3 c water
1 c dried kidney beans
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped green pepper
3/4 c chopped celery
1 t thyme
1 t paprika
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t black pepper
14 ou smoked sausage, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
3 c hot cooked rice
1/4 c chopped green onions

Directions:
Combine ingredients through the garlic in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.  Discard the bay leaf and then mix in the salt.  Serve over rice and sprinkle servings with green onion.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

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Recipe from What's Cookin', Chicago?

As much as I really don't like cold weather, a part of me is so excited that it is finally cooling down, because I'm been craving soups and stews lately.  And, since up until recently it's been in the 80s around here, hot soups and stews weren't really the way to go. :)

This week, we're seeing weather in the 50s and 60s.  A perfect time for these cool weather meals!

J and I loved this gumbo.  It does take a few hours to cook, so give yourself some time.  But it's pretty simple to make overall.

Two things to point out.  One - check your Creole seasoning.  It may have salt in it (ours does) so watch how much salt you add to the dish.  You may want to just add the Creole seasoning, then taste as it cooks to see if it needs more salt.  Ours ended up just slightly over-salted because I didn't check the Creole seasoning ingredients when I first started cooking.  Luckily - it was still perfectly edible, with only a minor salty taste.

Two - this thickens up A LOT overnight.  So if you are making this a day in advance, either add extra broth when you cook it, or plan to add more when you reheat.  We did eat it the same day, but had quite a bit of leftovers.

Oh, and I fully intended on cooking my own rotisserie chicken, but they were completely out at the store!  So I ended up buying one pre-made.  It was good, but it wasn't mine! :)

I served delicious Rosemary & Garlic Pretzels with the Gumbo - recipe to come soon!

Ingredients:
1 c vegetable oil
1 c AP flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 lb andouille or smoked sausage, sliced to 1/4" thick (I used smoked as I couldn't fine andouille)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste (see note above about salt)
Creole seasoning to taste
6 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 2-3 lb rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions:
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Once hot, whisk in flour and continue to whisk for about 8-10 minutes, until the color of chocolate milk.  Be careful not to burn it or you'll have to start over!

Stir the onion, celery, bell pepper and sausage into the roux and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 5.  Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and mix well, then add the chicken broth and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for one hour (uncovered), stirring occasionally.

Stir in the chicken and then simmer for one hour more.  Serve hot.

Tomato Basil Sausage Soup

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Recipe from Picky Palate

This soup was delicious and super easy!  It took me about 15 minutes to cook it from start to finish.  I also added in some garlic, onion and orzo.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloved garlic, minced
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (stacked, rolled, thinly sliced)
1 26 ou jar of pasta sauce
1 c water
1 1/2 c half and half
Pinch salt and pepper

Directions:
In a heavy pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion for about 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.  Then add the sausage and garlic.  Cook until sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cook until heated through.  Serve with thick slices of crusty bread!

Fire Roasted Creamy Tomato Sauce w/ Chicken Sausage

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J and I were having pasta last night.  And I decided to try something different than my typical 'pour pasta from jar and heat'. :)

So I had some chicken sausage in the freezer, Italian style, and some diced tomatos and decided to throw something together and see how it came out.

This was really good.  It was a bit spicy from the fire-roasted tomatos and the sausage, and had really good flavor.

Ingredients:
1 14 ou can fire-roasted diced tomatos
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 c onion, chopped
Dried basil and oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c half and half
2 links chicken sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces
Pasta of choice, cooked

Directions:
In a food processor combine the diced tomatos, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Pulse about 8-10 times, leaving some small pieces of tomato and onion intact.

In a saucepan, cook the sausage over medium heat until heated through.  Pour the tomato mixture over it and mix.  Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste to thicken.  Simmer for about 2-3 more minutes, mix in the half and half, and remove from heat.

Serve over pasta.

Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup

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Recipe from Picky Palate

This was a great weeknight recipe, especially on a cold one.  I think this took me about 15 minutes to make, start to finish.

I added in some diced tomatos, green onions, garlic and orzo to make it heartier for us. :)

Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
1 lb Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy, it's up to you)
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
26 ou jar of your favorite pasta sauce
2 medium tomatos, diced
4-5 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c orzo, cooked
1 c water
1 1/2 c half and half
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.  Cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes.  Mix in remaining ingredients and cook until heated through. Simmer until ready to serve.

I served it sprinkled with some Parmesan cheese with a side of crusty Italian bread.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta w/ Chicken Sausage

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Recipe from Cara's Cravings

This recipe was delicious!  And I loved that the creaminess comes from cottage cheese instead of some heavy cream. :)

I used a roasted garlic and herb flavored sausage, which I thought worked really well.

Ingredients:
4 ou pasta of choice (whole wheat or whole grain)
2 t olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
About 2 t dried sage
2 links cooked chicken sausage, sliced
1/2 c low fat cottage cheese
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c low fat milk
Pinch nutmeg
5 ou baby spinach
Grated Parmesan

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and then add the onions over medium-low heat.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes until soft and beginning to carmelize.

Add garlic, sage and chicken sausage.  Continue to saute until chicken is heated through.

Blend together the cottage cheese, pumpkin and milk in a blender until smooth, then add to the saute pan.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and continue to cook over low heat until heated through.

Pour the pumpkin/sausage mixture over the pasta and mix well over low heat.  Add the spinach and allow it a few minutes to wilt.  Serve with grated Parmesan.

Grilled Portobellos Stuffed w/ Sausage, Spinach, Mozzarella

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A Bobby Flay recipe by way of Annie's Eats

I love portobello mushrooms. And I really love to stuff them and grill them - so this recipe sounded perfect to me! :)

These turned out great - J and I were both really happy with these. I cut the filling in half for 2 portobellos, and really stuffed the mushrooms, but I still had a bit left over. Probably enough for one more mushroom - and if you stretched the stuffing a bit more, you could've had enough for 4.

I used Italian flavored chicken sausage for these. The sausage really comes through as the main flavor, so make sure you get the good stuff!

The only real change I made was in using frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh. I just put it in enough to heat through, and completely skipped the water.

Ingredients:
6-8 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
3/4 lb sausage - whatever kind you like
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/2 c dry red wine
8 ou frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 T chopped fresh basil
3 T chopped fresh parsley
8 ou fresh mozzarella, diced
Olive oil
1-2 tomatos, sliced

Directions:
In a medium saucepan cook the sausage until browned. Add the onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until translucent and tender.

Meanwhile - preheat the grill to medium-high heat, and oil the grill grates.

Add the wine to the saucepan and cook until evaporated, then add the spinach, salt and pepper until heated through.

Remove saucepan from heat and mix in the mozzarella, basil and parsley.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Brush mushroom caps on both sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place mushrooms on grill cap side up, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove mushrooms to plate, cap side down, and fill each with some of the sausage mixture. Top each with a tomato slice. Gently place them back on the grill for about 5 minutes, until mushroom is tender and tomato is soft.

Remove from grill and enjoy! I served these with steamed broccoli fresh from the garden.

Portugese Kale Soup

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Recipe from Jenn Cuisine

This was an excellent soup. I needed to use up some remaining kale from when I made Kale Chips, and Jenn posted this soup in my comment section. I am so glad that she did!

I did make a few small changes - used more sausage & carrots, no celery, can green chiles instead of red, and added rice to make it a more substantial meal. View the original recipe at the link above.

Ingredients:
16 ou spicy sausage, non-link if you can find it
3 T EVOO
3 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped (I forgot to buy this, so it was left out)
3 carrots, chopped
1 can red kidney beans, drained
9 c chicken broth
Can green chiles, drained
Paprika, to taste - I used a lot
Crushed red pepper, to taste - I used about 1-2 t
Ground pepper, to taste
1 bunch kale
3-4 servings rice, cooked (I used brown)

Directions:
Roll the sausage into little balls about 1/2"-3/4" diameter and place them in a large pot with EVOO, onions, garlic and carrots. (Celery here as well if you have it.)

Cook until sausage is browned on the outside. Add the beans, broth and seasonings (sausage will finish cooking in the boiling broth).

Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Rip the kale into bite-sized pieces (no stems) and add them to the pot. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

To serve, place a spoonful of rice in a bowl, then ladle the soup over it.

Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup

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From 300 Slow Cooker Favorites by Donna-Marie Pye

This was a really good soup - it has some great flavor. I added a bit of crushed red pepper to spice it up a bit, and used about 3 more ou of tortellini from the original recipe, but other than that, no changes.

Ingredients:

1 lb mild or hot Italian sausage (casings removed if you buy with them on)

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 c beef or chicken stock

1/2 t dried Italian seasoning

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper
Crushed red pepper, to taste (if desired)

1 can (7.5 ou) tomato sauce

1 can (19 ou) diced tomatos, with juices

2 c sliced mushrooms

1 package (10 ou) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have fresh, so just used dried)

2 T freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, cook your sausage until browned, about 8-10 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. With a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker. (I cooked the sausage the night before and put it all together in the morning.)

Add onions, carrots, stock, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, tomato sauce, tomatos and mushrooms. (I also added the dried parsley here.)

Cook on Low 6-10 hours or High 3-4, until veggies are tender.

Cook tortellini according to package directions and drain. Add tortellini, zucchini and parsley and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes on High, until zucchini is tender.

Serve with grated Parmesan and some good bread.

J's Crockpot Randomness

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As I said in the Deviled Eggs post, my husband is now known in the blog as J.

I went out yesterday afternoon to come home to something in the crockpot. Now, 9 times out of 10, when J cooks, it's something with pasta, so I was very surprised to find this concoction cooking when I got home.

He basically threw in some random ingredients that we had sitting around the house. I don't really know quantities, and, to be honest, I doubt if he does either.

This actually turned out pretty good. I think it seemed a bit like a very thick potato soup. If we had them, carrots and celery would've made a nice touch.

He ate his over pasta (surprise, surprise :), I just ate it as is.

For some reason the pierogies kind of disintegrated into the dish. There were small chunks of them to be found - but they definitely were no longer whole.

Ingredients:
12 homemade pierogies (frozen)
1 can cream of potato soup
Frozen broccoli
Sausage, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on high for about 5-6 hours.

J, let me know if I'm missing anything!

Sausage, Cabbage and Potatos

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I know... really original name. :) But that's basically what it is.

I got the original recipe from Sing for Your Supper. I added a few things. But this is extremely easy, and, better yet, it's a one-pot meal! I love easy clean-up!

Ingredients:
One head cabbage, roughly chopped
1 pound fully cooked sausage (I used turkey sausage), sliced into bite sized pieces
4-5 red-skinned potatos (original recipe used yukon gold)
1 can diced tomatos
1 onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add about 1/2 c water to the bottom of a large stockpot. Then place the sausage, then potatos, onion and tomatos, salt and pepper to taste, then cabbage into the pot.

Cook over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, or until potatos and cabbage are softened.

Check once or twice to make sure there is still water in the bottom of the pot. If it is gone, add more immediately.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

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I had a lot of buttermilk left over from the Italian Herb bread that I made at the beginning of the week, so I found this recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits and decided to try my hand at biscuits and gravy.

I've never made either of these before, but it was actually quite easy and it turned out really well. The only critique from my husband was that he likes the gravy to be a bit thicker.

I started with the biscuits.

Ingredients:
4 c self-rising flour
1 t white sugar
1 t baking powder
2/3 c shortening
2 c buttermilk
2 T buttermilk, for brushing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease a baking sheet. (I just threw some parchment paper on a baking sheet.)

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in 2 c buttermilk, mixing just enough for mixture to come together.

Roll out dough until about 1 inch thick, cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter (or, if you're like me and don't have one, use a plastic cup - makes perfectly round biscuits :).
Place biscuits on baking sheet and brush with buttermilk.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. (I actually left them in closer to 20 minutes to get them golden brown.)

The recipe claims it makes 8 servings - I got to 12 and probably could've gotten another 4-5 out of it. But I filled up my sheet and was too lazy to get another out.

Sausage Gravy Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork sausage (we picked up some (non-frozen) Italian sausage patties and used those)
2 T margarine
1/4 c flour (I ended up using more)
4 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet cook sausage over medium high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned (about 10 minutes).

Stir in the margarine until well blended, then stir in the flour until mixture is thick and pasty.
Reduce heat to medium low and slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly and to desired consistency. (The mixture wasn't really thickening up for me, so I actually added about another 1/8 c flour.)
Season with salt and pepper to taste, pour over your biscuits and enjoy!