Sausage & Peppers

Phew what a busy day it has been! 

I know it's crazy late, but you know me... had to get a post in.

After work today, I headed over to register for classes.  CULINARY SCHOOL CLASSES.  Oh yeah.  I don't think I've ever been so excited to receive a stack of textbooks and binders.  I think today it's really starting to sink in.  I'm actually going to culinary school.  I'm following a dream.  And it is awesome.

So now that I've gotten my excitement out of the way, let's talk food.

I recently received a package in the mail from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's program to try a sample of an upcoming line of Birdseye Chef's Favorites.  They're a variety of side dishes that include Mushroom & Green Bean Risotto, Creamy Primavera Risotto, and Lightly Sauced Creamed Spinach. 

I paired the Mushroom & Green Bean Risotto with this sausage and peppers meal and it was okay.  It was a tad bit "mushroomy" for my taste - but I mean, it was Mushroom and Green Bean Risotto after all.  I tried the Creamy Primavera Risotto as well and I found it more appetizing.  My only real complaint was that the packaging said there were 2 servings per package.  Now, I don't know if Andy and I just expect big servings of things or what, but there was definitely only 1 feasible serving on the package.  But other than that, if you're looking for a quick side without the hours of labor - then this might be for you, so look out for it!

Now, these sausage and peppers are a different story.  Quick, easy, and tasty.  No complaints on this one!


Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 purple bell pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 mild italian sausages, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet under medium to medium high heat.  Add onions, jalapeño, and bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until starting to soften.  Season with salt.

Add sausage slices and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and mozzarella cheese until heated through and cheese is melted.


This was definitely a winner in my book.  Almost doesn't even need a side dish accompanied with it.


Well, I'm off to bed.  Have an early morning at work again tomorrow!  See you all in the afternoon!

*I received a free sample of Birdseye Chef's Favorites through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's Program.  All opinions shared in this post are my own.

Beets & Bowties

It's Friday!  And boy am I glad!  The week seemed to fly by, but it definitely had it's ups and downs.  But now that it's Friday, I'm looking forward to getting my 8-hour shift at work over with and on to my weekend off! 

I plan on hitting up the Farmer's Market, getting some sushi with friends, and possibly kicking Andy's butt in a round or two of tennis.  Full of myself much?  Yeah, maybe just a little. 

Anyway, on to today's post.

Andy doesn't like beets.  We kept getting beets in our CSA for a few weeks, and while I didn't mind, Andy was getting a little perturbed.  But what's a good fiancee to do in moments like these?  Well, I force-feed.  I couldn't let the beets go to waste just because he claims not to like them!  I honestly think deep down, he actually adores them - but just doesn't want to admit it.  Why?  Because I'm pretty sure he ate this pasta without any complaints - and it's chock full of beets.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Jeanette's Healthy Living's recipe

5-7 small to medium-sized beets, cleaned (I used a combo of golden and red)
1 cup water
1/4 cup roastes peanuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
8 oz. farfalle pasta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place beets in a medium sized baking dish and add cup of water.  Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until beets have softened and can cut easily.

Let cool until safe enough to handle.  Peel away skin with a paring knife or your hands (don't be afraid to get messy).

Cut beats into 1/2 inch cubes.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering.  Saute onions on medium heat for about 15-18 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute or so.

Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add pasta to the pan and mix well.  Add mozzarella and stir until melted.  Stir in additional pasta water if desired.

Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with roasted peanuts.

This was definitely one of my better beet dishes.  And don't worry - I'm not through with beets yet.  I've got something special coming up next week... you won't be sorry =)  And you may think I'm evil, but that's nothing new!  I'll keep you in suspense until then.

Have a safe weekend everybody!

Potato & Endive Soup

Happy Monday guys!  How was everyone's weekend? 

We were pretty relaxed on our end.  We watched the Superbowl last night with a couple of friends, but considering I didn't care for either team, I didn't quite pay attention very much.  And the commercials... I thought were a major disappointment this year.  I think I maybe laughed once, at a Doritos commercial.  But besides that, all were pretty lame.

And the half-time show.  Don't even get me started.  The best thing about it was the short appearance by Slash.  And then that was quickly ruined by Fergie's failed Axl Rose impersonation.  Seriously Fergie.  Major Fail. 

But this is not a "complain about how much I disliked the Superbowl" blog.  It's a food blog.  And this soup, as weird as the combination of Potatoes & Endive sounds, it was a 'super' bowl of soup.  Yes, I made that corny joke, but seriously...  It was shear awesomeness in a bowl.  Unlike the actual Superbowl,  it does not disappoint.



Ingredients:

4-5 red potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup pecorino-romano

1 large endive, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken stock

4 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)

In a large dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add garlic and anchovies.  

 

Once garlic starts to brown, add potatoes, raisins, bay leaf, pine nuts, and escarole. Cover with chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

 

Puree with immersion blender.  Slowly stir in heavy cream and cayenne pepper.  Then stir in pecorino and cheddar cheese until melted.  You can go ahead and serve the soup now as is, or you can take it to another level and place soup in oven-proof bowls, cover the top lightly with mozzarella cheese, and broil for a few minutes, until cheese is browned.  

 

Now that's heaven in a bowl.  I loved all the different flavors in this soup.  They all melded perfectly together.  Seemingly random ingredients, came together for a flavor party.  And it was a tasty party, at that.  So if you're looking for something new and different, this soup is totally for you!  Enjoy guys!

Manicotti a la Crepes

Last March, I took my little sister and her boyfriend out to our favorite restaurant, Varanese, for her birthday. We had an amazing dinner and when it was time for dessert, the two of them ordered crepes. Being the immature boyfriend that Andy is, he kept making jokes about crepes in relation to a certain bodily function we all have. Yes, it was 30 minutes of crepe jokes. And so every now and then when I see my sister and her boyfriend, someone will bring up one of the crepe jokes and it seems like it will be an ongoing thing. Well... now that I've made these manicotti out of crepes, I'm sure the jokes will roll again, but hey... it was delicious. So laugh all you want, but as long as it's good going down, bring it on.


Ingredients:
Adapted from My Gourmet Connection's recipe

4 eggs, lightly beaten and divided
1 cup flour
1 & 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
handful of mixed greens
12 ounce package of ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup parlsey, chopped
about 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a medium bowl, mix together 3 eggs, flour, milk, butter, and salt. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for about an hour so it can thicken.

While you're waiting for the batter, you can start on the sauce and the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet under medium high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, just a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste and simmer until sauce slightly thickens. about 10 minutes. Then add half & half and wine. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and basil. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the mixed greens, ricotta, remaining egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella and all of parmesan cheese. Set aside until you finish making the crepes.

To make the crepes, spread 1 tablespoon of oil on an 8 inch round skillet and rub all over the sides and flat of pan. Heat the pan under high heat and add 3 tablespoons of batter. Remove from heat and rotate pan so batter can spread out. When crepe has "set" (about 30 seconds), flip over and return to heat for another 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter and make sure to separate crepes with wax paper to avoid them sticking together.

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Line a large rectangular roasting pan with nonstick spray. Spoon a small amount of marinara on the bottom of pan so crepes do not stick to pan. Place the crepes on a flat surface, spoon a nice helping of the filling onto each crepe, and roll up. One by one, place each crepe into the pan. I had about 10 good sized crepes fit into my pan. Then top the manicotti with the remaining sauce and top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

Uncover foil and bake for another 7-10 minutes, when cheese is slightly browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This was a pretty good dish, not to mention VERY filling. We had plenty of leftovers and it tasted pretty good. The original dish called for frozen spinach, but I had mixed greens on hand, and they still tasted pretty good, but I'm sure spinach would have been great also. The marinara originally didn't have the cream or the wine, but I added them to add more depth of flavor and it sure did. Every bite was tasty and I highly recommend this dish! Enjoy!

Twice Baked Loaded Sweet Potatoes

I'm telling you, these past couple of weeks, with flu season and all, have made for some quite hellish days at work. I'm so stressed out from the pharmacy that after coming home from a late shift, I don't want to spend hours preparing a great meal. I can settle for a quick, mediocre one. And this was just the case the other night with these potatoes I found over at Mango & Tomato...

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2 medium sized chorizo pork sausages
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
6-8 fresh mozzarella balls
salt and pepper to taste

This is pretty much a no brainer recipe: just cook potatoes, fry filling, and bam, but I'll go into the details just in case...

Preheat oven to 475 degrees and bake potatoes for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Mine were pretty hefty, so it took all of about 45 minutes to get them good and done.

While you're waiting for the potatoes, remove the chorizo from it's casing and fry in a skillet until browned. Then add your garbanzo beans and mix well. The chorizo gives the filling a pretty decent heat, but I found that I had to add a little bit of salt and pepper just to add a little more flavor.


When potatoes are finished, allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Make a slit in the middle of each one and carefully remove the filling and add it to the sausage/garbanzo mixture.

Shred some fresh mozzarella into the mixture, as much as you'd like, and mix well. Then add the mixture into the potato skins. Top with bits of mozzarella (I did this in layers by putting some cheese on the bottom of the potato skins, then add some filling, then more cheese in the middle, and more filling, and then top with cheese, but I like mucho cheesy things so you don't have to do this). Bake the potatoes for about 5 minutes, until cheese is nice and melted and dig in!


This didn't take considerably long to make, especially since I made Andy start baking the potatoes a little before I left work so they would be done by the time I got home! Smart eh? Overall, it was okay... would have been great as a side dish of loaded mashed sweet potatoes, but it was quick, easy, and relieved a little bit of my stress so I can't complain! Enjoy!