Pork Sausage & Bell Pepper Risotto

 INGREDIENTS

• 7 tsp Chicken Stock Concentrate
• 4  Scallions: sliced and separated (or 1/2 onion or a shallot)
• 2 Bell Pepper: ½-inch-thick strips
• A soup bowl of spinach, chopped small (optional)
• 2 cloves Garlic: minced
• 1 Lemon, quartered
• 18 ounce Italian Pork Sausage: removed from casing (or chicken sausage half-moons)
• 1.5 cup Arborio Rice
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1+ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 4 teaspoon Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce.
2. In a medium pot, combine stock concentrate* and 7 cups water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. 
3. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving as much oil in pan as possible. 
4. Heat pan with reserved oil over medium heat; add scallion whites, garlic, rice, and 1 tsp Italian Seasoning. (If pan is dry, add another drizzle of olive oil.) Cook, stirring, until scallion whites are softened and rice is translucent, 1-2 minutes. 
5. Add ½ cup stock; stir, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until liquid has mostly absorbed. 
6. Repeat process with remaining stock—adding ½ cup at a time and stirring until liquid has mostly absorbed—until rice is al dente and mixture is creamy, 25-30 minutes. 
7. While risotto simmers, toss bell pepper on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of Italian Seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. Roast on top rack until softened and lightly charred, 15-20 minutes. 
8. Once risotto is done, stir in sausage, roasted bell pepper, and chopped spinach. 
9. Divide between bowls and sprinkle with scallion greens and Parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

*I got the water hot and added a 1/2 tsp of stock concentrate to the risotto with each pour - keeps a pot clean

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Original recipe: HelloFresh
Posted by Jasmine

Pan Sausage and Veggies

Servings: 4 if served with rice/quinoa

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups red potato
• 3/4ths pound green beans
• 1 large head of broccoli (~ 1 and 1/2 cups)
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers 2 large or 6-7 mini sweet bell peppers
• 9 ounces smoked sausage - I use turkey or chicken, not ground sausage
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Serve with: fresh parsley, quinoa/rice, lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
3. Prep the veggies: chop the red potatoes (pretty small pieces here so they will be tender in time), trim the green beans and halve (see video above recipe), chop the broccoli, chop the peppers into thick squares, and coin the sausage in thick slices.
4. Place all the veggies and sausage on a sheet pan. Pour the olive oil and all the spices on top. Toss to evenly coat all the veggies and meat. (I use this 15x21 inch sheet pan)
5. Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven and flip/stir all the veggies around. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and sausage is browned.

If desired, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the veggies and sausage as soon as they come out of the oven.

Enjoy with rice or quinoa and fresh parsley if desired.

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Original recipe: Big Oven
Posted by Jasmine

Acorn Squash stuffed with Brown Rice and Sausage

 Ingredients

• 2  acorn squash each cut top-to-bottom in half and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound pork breakfast sausage - the kind that comes in the big roll for cutting patties*
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups precooked whole-grain brown rice, cooled
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Lightly grease microwave-safe large plate; place squash halves, cut sides down, on plate (it's OK if halves overlap slightly). Cook squash in microwave oven on High 8 to 9 minutes or until fork-tender; set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a pan with foil. 
3. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking up sausage with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl.
4. To same skillet, add onion, red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally; add to sausage in bowl.
5. With spoon, scoop out squash, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shell. Add scooped-out squash to bowl with sausage; stir in rice and parsley until combined.
6. Spoon sausage mixture into squash shells; place in prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

*The original recipe called for turkey or chicken sausage, or Italian sausage, but I like it this way better

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Original recipe: Good Housekeeping

Posted by Jasmine

Oktoberfest Stew with Lager and Smoked Sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (14 ounce) package beef smoked sausage, cut into bite-size slices*
• 1 1/2 onion, sliced into thin semi-circles
• 1/2 head small cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• Pinch salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup German-style lager beer (Oktoberfest variety)
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed to bite-size pieces
• 2 1/2 cups hot chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

 Preparation:

1. Place a medium-large pot over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil;
2. Once the oil is hot, add in the sliced beef smoked sausage, and allow the slices to caramelize and brown in the oil, for about 4-5 minutes;
3. When the sausage is browned, add in the sliced onions, stir, and allow the onions to caramelize with the sausage for another few minutes, until golden-brown and softened;
4. Once onions are caramelized, add in the sliced cabbage, stir to combine, and allow the cabbage to soften and take on the flavors of the sausage and onions for  few minutes;
5. Once the cabbage is softened and golden, add in the black pepper, ground caraway seeds and the pinch of salt, and stir to combine;
6. Next, stir in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the cup of lager, and stir the mixture to combine; allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 3 minutes or so;
7. Next, add in the cubed potatoes and the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the mixture to come to the boil; once it comes to the boil, place a lid on (slightly askew to allow just a little steam to escape), and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer the stew for about 40 minutes;
8. After the 40 minutes, turn the heat off, and finish the stew by stirring in the apple cider vinegar and the chopped parsley (add more salt if necessary, too).

Serve in large bowls with some hearty, rye bread or rustic rolls with butter or cream cheese.

* Type of sausage: A good quality beef smoked sausage is perfect for this; but you could certainly substitute pork or even bratwurst, as well, if you'd like to go even more “Oktoberfest”.

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Original recipe: The Cozy Apron

Posted by Jasmine

Sheet Pan Low Country Boil

Ok, I know it's called a "boil," but forget that. This method is way better. The shrimp come out perfectly cooked, there's less mess, and everything tastes a little more distinct, rather than all sort of tasting like each other.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound baby Dutch yellow potatoes

• 3 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces each

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon Cajun* seasoning

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if necessary

• 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 10-13 minutes. Stir in corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking time; drain well.

3. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic and Cajun seasoning.

4. Place potatoes, corn, shrimp and sausage in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Stir in butter mixture and gently toss to combine.

5. Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and corn is tender.

6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnished with parsley, if desired.

*Originally Old Bay, but I don't like Old Bay and I would eat Cajun seasoning or curry powder on everything, if I thought I could get away with it. Or Penzy's Ozark seasoning, that's excellent.

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Original Recipe: Damn Delicious

Posted by: Jasmine

Italian Funeral Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried white beans*
• 1 ½ pounds bulk Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup white wine
• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups beef stock
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups cleaned fresh spinach leaves
• 3 tablespoons dried Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

 

Preparation:

1. Cook beans according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Break up sausage and fry in a large kettle or soup pot until nicely browned. Drain off grease. Add onion, celery, carrots and red bell pepper. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, herbs, pepper and wine and sauté another 3 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes, stocks, reserved beans and bay leaf and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Using a potato masher, mash vegetables and beans slightly to thicken soup. Stir in cream, spinach and cheese. Remove bay leaf and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

*Don't do this.  Get canned.  Dried beans are of the devil.

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Original recipe: No idea - I did a quick internet search and found nothing

Posted by Jasmine

Gumbo

Ingredients

1. 5-6 Lbs Meat * (Suggested: 2-3 lbs chicken, cut up or boned and/or 1 ½ lbs Andouille and/or 2-3 lbs shrimp
2. 1c fat (butter, lard, bacon drippings)
3. 1 c flour
4. 1 TBS chopped garlic
5. 8 C stock
6. 2 c green onions
7. 4 c onions
8. 2 c celery
9. 2 c green pepper
10. 4 tablespoons tomato paste
11. 1 pound okra, sliced into discs
12. Cajun seasoning
13. 3 Bay leaves
14. cooked rice
15. filé

Procedure

1. In a large soup pot, season and brown chicken in oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and ½ the onion, green pepper, and celery to the pot and sautee with the chicken.  Remove all from pot.
2. Make a roux with equal parts fat (must be free of food particles to avoid burning) and flour to desired color (Blonde for crab; ‘Peanut Butter’ for chicken, crawfish, shrimp; Chocolate brown for darker meats. This whole process can take 30 minutes.). ** 
3. Add remaining onion, green pepper, and celery and garlic and stir continuously.  
4. Meanwhile heat up the stock in another pot or microwave.  
5. After vegetables reach desired tenderness, return chicken mixture, tomato paste, okra, and bay leaves to the pot and cook, continuing to stir frequently.  Gently stir in hot liquid and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for an hour or more.  Season to taste with cajun spice.
6. Approx. 10 min before serving, add shrimp and green onions to the pot.  Remove Bay Leaves.

Serve gumbo either as a soup, or over rice.  Make filé available to individuals, ¼ to ½ tsp per serving for thickening and flavor.

Makes 15-20 servings

*You have some leeway in making gumbo, as it is really just a melange of meats and veggies. Most gumbos use a lot of the "Holy trinity," i.e., celery, green pepper and onion, but not too many other vegetables. But there is no reason you can't make a vegetarian gumbo. As for meats, any will do. As you use more than one you'll be fine. Chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp are a common trio. Beef, for some reason, is rare in gumbo.

**Most Louisiana gumbo relies on a roux that's almost the color of dark chocolate. Beyond the roux, you usually have a choice of a second thickener — okra or filé powder

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Original recipe: Went to a cooking class in New Orleans and saved the recipes

Posted by Jasmine

Crockpot Low Country Boil

You guys, I found a better one

Ingredients: 

• 7 cups of water
• 2-3 TBS cup of cajun seasoning (OG was Old Bay, but I don't like Old Bay. YMMV)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 head of garlic
• 1/2 large yellow onion, largely diced
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into large 1″ chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds of small redskinned potatoes, washed and skin left on
• 2 ears of corn, shucked and cut into quarters
• 1 pound of sausage (I used smoked, but andouille or kielbasa would work too), cut into 3″ pieces
• 1 pound of medium shrimp, deviened with shell on
• 1 pound of lemons, halved (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Add water, seasoning, bay leaf, garlic, onion, celery and potatoes to Crock-Pot
2. Cook for 4 – 6 hours on low, until fork pierces potatoes easily.
3. Add corn and sausage.
4. Cook on low for additional 1 – 2 hours.
5. Add shrimp.
6. Cook on low for additional 20 – 35 minutes. You want the shrimp to be pink, but not overcooked.
7. Scoop out with slotted spoon and serve immediately with halved lemons for squeezing over meal. The easiest way to serve is to spread several layers of newspaper onto you table and evenly spread out the contents from the crock pot so that everyone can help themselves.

I cut the recipe in half because it was just for my family.  The writer of the original recipe said it served 6-8, but it was 7 Lbs of meat and potatoes, not counting everything else, so I think that's a low estimate.

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Original recipe: cpb

Posted by Jasmine

Chorizo Crepes with Lemon Tahini

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CREPES:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 large eggs, whisked
• 3 cups soy milk (you can use regular milk too)
• 2 tablespoons melted vegetable shortening (or butter)

FOR THE CHORIZO**:

• 2 chorizo sausages, chopped (you can use chicken, pork, or beef, whatever you like)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped

FOR THE TAHINI:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sprouts and tomatoes to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat up a non-stick pan or skillet, pour a tiny bit of oil and wipe it with a paper napkin (keep oily napkin nearby for when you need to wipe again). 
2. Add all the crepe ingredients in a blender and blend for a minute. Scrape the sides and blend again for a few seconds. Pour into a bowl and ladle some of the crepe mix into the hot pan and swirl the pan with your hand to form the crepe, no worries if it’s not perfect. 
3. Once brown on one side, flip it and cook for 20 seconds or just until slightly crisp. Place cooked crepe on a plate. Repeat this process until you finish the batter. Keep crepes near the stove so they stay warm.
4. Place all the chorizo in a skillet with some oil over medium heat and fry for about 15-20 min until sausage is completely cooked and crispy. 
5. Remove the chorizo from the skillet and use the remaining fat to sauté the kale. Sautee over medium heat for about 5 minutes until kale starts to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
6. Place all the tahini ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If needed, add a splash of water to get it going.

To assemble, grab a crepe, smear a good amount of the tahini, add kale, chorizo, and top with tomatoes and sprouts.

**The original recipe called for all kinds of spices to be added to the chorizo, but Queen of Spices though I be, it was kind of a lot.  Chorizo has a lot going on in it already.  The link is obv below if you want to try them out.

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Original recipe: La Crema

Posted by Jasmine

Bouneschlupp (Green Bean Soup)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces (about a pound)
• 2 cups waxy potatoes, cleaned and medium diced (about two, medium-sized ones)
• A bunch of mustard greens (optional)
• 4 pieces of thickly sliced bacon, diced
• 6 cups of cold water or broth
• 1 medium-sized  carrot, finely diced
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream
• Chives, minced
• Sausage (optional). Non-spicy, humble, German-style sausage.

Preparation:

1. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook bacon bits over medium heat until browned and crispy. If using sausage, throw that in, too, and brown. Drain meat, reserving the fat. Set bacon and sausage aside.
2. Return meat fat to the pot, add carrots and shallot, and cook gently until translucent– about 3 minutes. You’re not looking to give them color, you’re just mellowing them. Add garlic at the end, stir a moment or two, then add beans and potatoes. (If you want your greens blended, add them here)
3. Cover vegetables with cold water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, covered with a snug lid. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
4. Take an immersion blender and process the vegetables until smooth.
5. If you want your mustard greens leafy, add them here, If using sausage, bury it within the Bouneschlupp, and bring them up to warm, maybe 15 min to wilt the greens. 
6. Before serving add sour cream. Though some people prefer to thicken their soup with flour, I find that the starch from the potatoes, plus a little help from sour cream, gives the soup all the body it needs.
7. Remove sausage from pot and slice. Ladle soup into bowls, top with sliced sausage, and sprinkle with chives. 

Serve with crusty bread.

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Original recipe: KQED's Bay Area Bites column, apparently? I had to google a unique phrase to find it, no idea how I got there in the first place

Posted by Jasmine

Cuban Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz chorizo 
• ½ of 1 large onion, diced
• ½ of 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 3 carrots, sliced in rounds
• salt and pepper
• 1 large russet potato, cubed
• 1 1/2 Lbs sweet potato
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• (Optional) 1 bundle of chard, ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Throw everything except chard in a slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours
2. Add the chard in the last 30 min

or

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chorizo, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. 
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and carrot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add the potato, sweet potato, ham hock, tomato sauce, broth, garbanzo beans, and bay leaf. Cook until the potato and sweet potatoes are fork tender. 
4. Remove the bay leaf and ham hock
5. Shred the meat off the ham hock, and return to pot.
6. (Optional) Add the chard, and continue cooking until chard wilts.

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Original recipe: My Jewish Learning 

Posted by Jasmine

Cream of Green with Sausage and Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 crowns broccoli, cut small
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut small
• 1 package of frozen Quinoa and Kale (from Aldi) (optional)
• 1 package sausage (I used a tomato basil chicken sausage)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken broth
• a bunch?? of Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup 2% milk

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven, heat butter until melted. 
2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and paprika and cook 1 minute.
4. Gradually stir in broth. Add everything except the milk, bring to a boil, then turn it to low and simmer 20 min or so.   (It would probably be better to add the quinoa later, with the milk, but I added it here and it turned out fine, just a bit mushy)
5. Stir in milk (and quinoa?), bring up to temp, and remove from heat.

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Original recipe: Spicy Southern Kitchen

Posted by Jasmine