Category Archives: PORK RECIPES

CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Leave a reply

Because of the coronavirus and being quarantined for God know how much longer, I am being super diligent about cooking with ingredients that need to be used right now! I simply don’t want to go to the grocery store any more often than is absolutely necessary. Even though I was a really good girl this morning and learned how to make masks for us using Mr. Cs handkerchiefs and rubber bands. I still don’t want to leave the relative safety of our home for purchases that could be saved for a later date. I figure the more I stay away from people and places, the more likely I won’t either contract the disease or God forbid, unknowingly spread the disease to my fellow Camano Islanders. (And yes I know there is every likelihood that I will eventually contract the disease. I haven’t been burying my head under my pillow. I read the news and various articles daily. But I have confidence that in time the medical community will come up with a vaccine. And hopefully before that, ways to relieve symptoms and save lives. But for now, I am using the ingredients that I have on hand. Period!)   

The other evening I made stuffed green peppers and used half a pound of bulk Italian sausage from our freezer in the filling. Our local grocery store makes and sells bulk Italian sausage (really good BTW), but only by the pound. (See where I’m going with this?) So I decided to work up a recipe using the remaining half pound that kept calling to me every time I opened the refrigerator door. And because I love Italian food and it being Italian sausage after all, pasta immediately sprang to mind. (The greater question being, when doesn’t Italian food come to mind?) Anyway – I came up with this dish and we both enjoyed it. And it was very easy to prepare. Enough said.

I guess the main thing I want to leave you with, is that this is a perfect time to be inventive. Really delicious dishes often times come from what’s already in your fridge or freezer. And now more than ever, use what you have on hand. I’m not saying you should stop buying groceries. Our economy needs shoppers. But be wise about it. And please be kind. Don’t hoard. Chickens don’t stop laying eggs during a pandemic. Cows still need to be milked. And truck drivers are on the road every day of the week bringing products to our stores, including toilet paper. What the heck was that about anyway? Now chocolate, I could understand hoarding chocolate. But a paper product! Anyway, as always – peace and love to all. And of course – happy eating.

  • 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lb. bulk Italian sausage
  • ¼ c. finely chopped onion
  • 1 lg. garlic clove, finely minced
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • pinch kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian brand)
  • ¾ c. whole milk
  • ⅓ c. chopped fresh basil, or more to taste
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago cheese – plus more for passing
  • ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 6 oz. al dente pasta of choice*

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and break it apart with your spatula or a wooden spoon as it browns. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes or until nicely softened. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened a bit. Stir in the fresh basil and al dente pasta. (Use a bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add pasta water a tablespoon at a time.) Remove from heat and stir in both cheeses. Serve immediately. Pass additional cheese as garnish.

*As always, the success of most hot pasta dishes is in the quality of the pasta. Not necessarily the brand, but more how the pasta is cooked and when the pasta is added to the sauce.

My number one pasta rule: Never make the pasta wait for the sauce to finish cooking. If anything, the sauce can wait for the perfectly cooked al dente pasta to be added right at the last minute.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE, MUSHROOM, SPINACH, AND CHEESE STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Leave a reply

Well I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. I LOVE stuffed bell peppers. Love them I tell you. With a passion even. Could eat them every week for the rest of my life! So there. Now you know how I really feel about stuffed peppers. But have I ever mentioned that I like preparing them too? No, probably not. But it’s true. I like fixing them as much as I like eating them! And why is that you might wonder? Well……they are quick and easy to prepare. And really you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose to plop into the mix. Oh OK, chocolate chips might not work so well. But anything in the savory, cheesy, meaty, vegetative, starchy arena most likely would work. Stuffed peppers are kind of the quintessential “clean out your refrigerator baby!” dish for the masses. (Can you really ask more from a lowly vegetable than that? I think not too.)

So yesterday, while I was wondering what to stuff the last two beautiful green peppers I had in my fridge, I decided to “shop” my freezer and fridge. (God knows I don’t want to go to a grocery store any more than absolutely necessary during this coronavirus crisis. I don’t want Mr. C. to have to go either. We only have 3 masks to our name, and we want to save them in case of an emergency. But I digress….)

Anyway, I started with some frozen bulk Italian sausage I had been meaning to use for a while now. The sausage led to mushrooms, which led to the scant remains of a large plastic container of spinach, which naturally paved the way for cheese to enter the game. The rest as they say is history. But unlike some of the horrific history that is currently being made, I plan to repeat this dish in the future. Maybe not until I can get my well-scrubbed hands on more bell peppers, but as far as I’m concerned, the sooner the better!

So if you happen to have a couple of bell peppers in your fridge (who cares what color they may be), stuff those suckers with either this mix of ingredients, or go shopping in your freezer or refrigerator as I did and come up with your own combination of ingredients. Just don’t add chocolate chips. Trust me on this one.

As always – peace, love, and happy cooking to all.

  • 2 lg. bell peppers (green, red, orange, or yellow)
  • 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lb. bulk Italian sausage
  • ¼ c. finely chopped onion
  • 4 medium sized button mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • ½ c. dry white wine
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  • ½ c. cooked rice (I use whatever leftover rice mix I have in the fridge)
  • ⅓ c. grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago cheese
  • 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for on top

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds. Place in a lightly greased shallow baking pan, preferably one with a lid. (If you don’t have a pan with a lid, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil.)

Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan. And the sausage and crumble as it cooks until it’s nicely browned. Add the onion and chopped mushrooms. Cook until the onion is starting to soften. Add the garlic and parsley. Cook for one minute. 

Add the tomato paste and white wine. Cook until no liquid remains.

Add the paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, spinach, and cooked rice. Stir to blend all the ingredients.

Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stuff the half peppers with sausage mixture, dividing equally and gently packing the mixture down.

Bake covered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Remove from oven, remove lid, and add a bit more mozzarella on top of the peppers. Return to the oven uncovered, and bake for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve hot out of the oven.

Bonus – pictures of 2 of our cats

Squeaky (on stairs) and Max (behind bars) diggin’ the sunshine. And yes, the sun does shine in this part of the world!
Max thinking – “yes I am a good boy. After all, I’m “letting” her sleep on the carpeted stairs while I have to sit on the hardwood. Heavy sigh….”
Suns gone away – might as well just sleep on mom and dad’s bed.
Later on – Max (forefront) and brother Miles enjoying the sunshine on the guest bed.
Close up of Miles

CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI

Leave a reply

I love bulk Italian sausage. That’s why you will find it featured in several dishes on this site. It’s relatively inexpensive and the flavor just can’t be beat when it comes to a pasta recipe like this one. I’m even considering creating my own mix of herbs, spices, vegetables, and meats to help me better maintain control of the quality of ingredients used in the process of making Italian sausage. (I’ll publish the results if and when I figure it out!) But for now, I’m going to stick with the bulk sausage that is always available at our local IGA. Because, it’s affordable and dependably good. And they use enough fennel seed, which in my opinion should always be of utmost importance. But back to this recipe.

We were hungry for pasta the other evening, but I was short on time. So I threw this dish together and we both agreed that it was blog worthy. Now if you are new to this site, you need to know that I am picky about food. Not picky when it comes to trying new dishes, but picky about whether or not I would enjoy eating any new preparation again. If I have any doubts, you never hear about the recipe. If you find the recipe on this site, it’s because I look forward to eating the dish again. Of course as Mr. C. often remarks to friends, with me always trying new recipes, he may never have a new dish he loves prepared for him again. But such is the life of any spouse married to a recipe developer. With time he has learned to adapt. And starvation has never been a worry. But in all honesty, he will get a chance to enjoy this dish again because I truly loved it too. And it was easy to prepare.

So if you too would enjoy an easy to fix, relatively inexpensive new take on spaghetti in a creamy, meaty sauce, give this recipe a try. Make a simple salad to go with the pasta, open a nice bottle of wine, light a couple of candles, and sit back and enjoy the flavors all of us associate with lovely days and nights spent in a sunny clime. Cheers to Italy and all the flavors it has brought us. And cheers to you for all you do in the kitchen for your loved ones. Love and peace to all.

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
  • ½ onion, finely chopped  
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. flour
  • ½ c. white wine
  • 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes with juices (preferably Italian canned tomatoes)
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • ½ c. whipping cream
  • 8 lg. basil leaves, sliced (chiffonade*) 
  • 8 oz. al dente spaghetti (reserve some of the cooking water)  
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large covered pan. Add the sausage and cook until brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and cook until soft. Don’t let the onion brown. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the oregano, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, a smidge of black pepper, and sugar.

Whisk in the flour and let burble for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the wine. Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover the pan and gently simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes.

Stir in the whipping cream and cooked sausage. Adjust seasoning. Bring back to just under a boil. Just prior to serving, add the basil chiffonade and al dente pasta. Add some of the pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

*Chiffonade (pronounced “shif-oh-nod”) is a knife technique used for cutting herbs and leafy vegetables such as lettuce into thin strips or ribbons. To chiffonade leaves of basil, stack the basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Then carefully cut across the end of the tube with a sharp knife to produce fine strips.

BACON, SPINACH, MEXICAN SHREDDED CHEESE, AND GREEN ONION QUICHE

Leave a reply
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This quiche recipe calls for a homemade crust. But I know what it’s like to be short on time (and energy) in the kitchen. So if you must – start with a crust you purchased at your favorite grocery store. Or use your own favorite crust recipe. It really makes no never-mind. But if you intend to make your own crust or want to try a new recipe for crust, the recipe below is about as easy as it gets. So much so, that I never plan to build another quiche with any other recipe. (You heard it here first folks!)

Anyway, what drives my choice of what to cook for dinner a lot of times is what’s in my fridge. And the other day what I had at my disposal was a half-pound of bacon, a big container of fresh spinach, a couple sad looking (starting to get kind of slimy) green onions, and part of a large bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese. OK Patti, you’re fairly smart (on a good day), so what to do with these prime ingredients?

To my astonishment, quiche popped into my mind. I consulted Mr. C. about my choice for our dinner that evening, and as usual he was receptive to my suggestion. No dummy Mr. C.! But, and here’s the interesting part, I didn’t have any Crisco for my pie crust. Horror of horrors. How could this have happened? So now what to do? Well – when times get tough, the tough get going. So I got on line and did me some research. And I found an abundance of recipes for pie crust that were made with a fat other than Crisco or lard. Imagine my delight! But do I dare make a pie crust not using the same recipe I’ve been making for 55 years? Would a bolt of lightning hit me? (We do live on Lightning Way after all!) Or would I have to turn in my Girl Scout baking badge? I even feared retribution from some unknown deity. (There could be a God of pastry. Well there could!!) But I decided to flaunt my desire for quiche in the face of whatever unknown force might take exception. And I’m proud to say, I came out the other side unscathed. And, this is the good part too, a lot wiser about pie crust in general.

Not that I am going to throw away my old recipe. Because in 55 years it has never failed me. Never! But, for something like a quiche, this new recipe is going to make it possible for us to enjoy quiche more often. It’s just that much less effort to prepare.

I guess I should mention that not only was the crust really tasty, the filling stood up to our demanding standards as well. So if you love quiche as much as we do, get thee to your kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. And remember, you don’t have to use all the same ingredients I used. Be bold. Use ham or smoked salmon, cooked breakfast or Italian sausage, or whatever you happen to have on hand. And vary the type of cheese you use. Swiss, Gruyère, or Emmenthaler cheese are absolutely perfect in quiche. And the true beauty of quiche is that it is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Pretty cool huh?

And if you are interested in preparing my No-Fail Pie Crust, I have printed it at the bottom of this post for your convenience. And yes I know it’s a strange recipe. You have only to consider the source and all will make perfect sense. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

8-inch pie crust (see recipe for No-Roll Pie Crust recipe below)

8 slices thick, meaty bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp

1½ c. chopped fresh baby spinach

1½ c. Mexican-blend shredded cheese

1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions

freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp. dry mustard

1 1/3 c. milk (whole milk is best)

4 eggs

ground nutmeg

Scatter cooked bacon over pie crust. (If you are using the recipe below, remember it has to semi-bake before you add this filling.)

Layer spinach and cheese on top of bacon. Add sliced green onions. Whisk together the pepper, dry mustard, milk, and eggs. Hint: Place pepper and dry mustard in bowl and add just a tiny splash of the milk. Whisk until there are no mustard powder lumps. Then add the remaining milk and eggs; whisk all together. (If you add all the ingredients together at once, you often end up with mustard lumps that, trust me, are very hard to incorporate with the other ingredients.)

Pour liquid mixture over all. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until set, about 30-40 minutes.

NO-ROLL PIE CRUST

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour   

heaping ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

scant ¼ tsp. baking powder

7 T. vegetable or canola oil

¼ c. cold water + 1 T. if the mixture seems dry

Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together. Whisk the oil and 1/4 cup water together. Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened. Add additional tablespoon water if necessary.

Pat the dough across the bottom of the pie pan and up and a little over the sides. Crimp or mold the pie crust around the edge to make it pretty.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling for your quiche. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

For great “how to crimp piecrust” instructions visit www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-crimp-pie-crust-4123830

NO-FAIL PIE CRUST (makes a double crust)

¼ c. very cold water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

heaping 2/3 c. Crisco

Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl.

Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside.

Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.)

Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust 8-inch pie, or one large bottom crust with a little left over for pastry cookies or a free-form small tart.  

Helpful hint: Use a pastry cloth to roll out your pie crust. It really makes a difference. You can find pastry cloths in almost any kitchen wares shop. Well worth the $10 or so.

ĆEVAPČIĆI (SERBIAN GRILLED SAUSAGES)

1 Reply

Although this is basically a Serbian recipe, Ćevapčići – pronounced chae vap chee chee (or something like that) is served in some form or another throughout the Balkan States. Basically Ćevapčići is just a wonderful combination of 3 types of ground meat, spices, and veggies. When formed into patties, or into the more traditional shape of small sausages, grilled, then laid in a warm pita and smothered with Tzatziki, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and chopped white onion, there is just nothing finer.

And who told me about this wonderful dish? My PA (Randy) at my dermatologist’s office. (You just never know when you might meet a foodie.) Life is wonderful. Right!

Anyway. You need a new taste sensation? You need a new way to fill a pita bread pocket? You need an amazing new way to justify eating an inordinate amount of Tzatziki at a single meal? Well thanks to Randy, you now have it! And while you’re at it – make some hummus to go along with the meal. (You can never have too much “Mediterranean” food around. In all our travels, we have never found anything that was made, grown, or served around the Adriatic and Mediterranean oceans that we didn’t love!)

So go a little out of your comfort zone, and treat yourselves to some Ćevapčići. Even if you just grill this mixture up and serve it like you would a regular all beef hamburger, you will not be disappointed. Even go without a pita pocket or bun of any kind! Set a new trend. Be the first on your block! So stop balking and go Balkan in the near future. You will thank me. I know you will.

Oh, and sorry I haven’t posted any new recipes for a while. We were on vacation and posting our trip report when we got home took precedence over posting a new recipe. But I have some fun recipes to share with you, so keep tuning in.

1 lb. pork sausage

1 lb. ground beef  

1 lb. ground lamb

1 egg white

1 T. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. baking soda  

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. finely chopped Italian parsley

warm pita bread, opt.

Tzatziki (recipe below), opt.

shredded lettuce, opt.

chopped tomato, opt.

chopped white onion, opt.

Combine the pork sausage, beef, and lamb together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg white, garlic, onion, parsley, paprika, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and black pepper together in another bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the meat and mush together with your hands.

Form into fairly thick patties about 3½-inches in diameter. Place on a waxed paper lined platter. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Grill over 350 degree heat, 4-5 minutes per side, or until nicely browned and kind of spongy. Serve in warm pita bread with Tzatziki, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and chopped white onion.

TZATZIKI  

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 c. plain Greek Yogurt

3 small or 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced

½ tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded, grated, and allowed to drain for a few minutes in a colander

Combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

GARLIC AND GINGER GLAZED STICKY PORK

Leave a reply

I really love Chinese food. Well, maybe not all Chinese food. For example, I don’t ever want to even try chicken feet! I’m really just talking about loving the kind of Chinese food that is more American than Chinese.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love traditional dim sum, but even then my tastes run to the little dishes that I feel certain only contain ingredients that I can buy at my local IGA. So call me a coward, sissy, or your favorite term for someone who lacks courage when it comes to edible unknowns, but the reality remains the same. I prefer to know what ingredients are contained in the dishes I am being served. In an Italian restaurant, I have no qualms. In an authentic Chinese restaurant, I tend to feel less confident.

So how do I assuage my love of Chinese food with the fear of unknown ingredients? Easy. I build the food myself. (Or I stick with restaurants I’ve known for decades, like Tai Tung or House of Hong in Seattle’s International district.) And yes, these restaurants have dishes that are authentic, or to me they appear authentic, but I have learned through experience which dishes to order and which to avoid. But back to the real reason for this post. Sticky Pork.

I love pork. But if I’m honest with myself, pork can be a bit bland. And some people don’t appreciate pork for that very reason. But if you combine pork with the other ingredients listed below, there is enough flavor going on to make a believer out of even the most ardent pork critic.

So what are you waiting for? Give your family a treat for dinner. Go Chinese for the evening. Or better yet, go totally ethnic and serve Sunomono (Japanese recipe on this site) as a side dish.   

Serving different ethnic cuisines, even in the same meal, is a wonderful way to travel the world. Makes for a lovely topic of conversation around the dinner table too. Enjoy

½ c. honey

1 T. Sriracha, or more to taste

1 T. rice wine vinegar

2 T. Tamari or soy sauce

1 T. water

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. cornstarch

1½ lbs. boneless pork chops, loin, or country style ribs, cut into ¼-inch thick pieces, then ¼-inch thick strips, about 2 inches long

2-3 T. vegetable oil, plus extra if necessary

3 garlic cloves, finely minced   

2 T. finely minced fresh ginger

toasted sesame seeds, opt. garnish

4-6 thinly sliced green onions, opt. garnish

Mix the honey, Sriracha, rice wine vinegar, Tamari, and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the salt, pepper, and corn starch in a large plastic freezer bag. Add the pork and shake until the meat is thoroughly coated.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Carefully add the pork to the pan, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Let the first side brown, flip the pieces with tongs or a spatula, and brown the second side. Transfer the pork to a bowl. Repeat until all of the meat is cooked. 

Reduce the heat and stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in the sauce mixture; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the sauce is very bubbly and somewhat thickened, add the cooked pork and simmer until the sauce is reduced to a thick, sticky glaze. Serve over rice.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Pass the Sriracha bottle for those who like more heat.  

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE, WHITE WINE, AND FENNEL

Leave a reply

Yesterday was devoted to stripping our trailer of our travel clothes, dirty towels, perishable items, cameras, binoculars, and other assorted “things” after our recent trailer trip to Yosemite National Park. (A couple of pictures at end of blog if you’re interested.)

By the time we had finished with the trailer, and gone to the grocery store for a few staple items, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a bunch of time in the kitchen preparing dinner. Plus Mr. C. had a homeowner’s board meeting last evening so I was under a time crunch.

While I was at the store, I happened to have picked up 4 beautiful Portobello mushrooms, a package of Italian sausage, and a fennel bulb. So while putting away the groceries when we got home, I decided to make something using these three ingredients. I already had a lovely recipe for stuffed Portobello mushrooms on this blog, (Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms) but when I looked it over, I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. And I sure as heck wasn’t going back to the grocery store. So I sat down at my computer and came up with this version.  We loved the mushrooms, so now you are up-to-date with not only our lives, but part of the reason this recipe is now being posted.

A couple other reasons this recipe made the cut, and believe me, about 30% of my culinary endeavors never get posted, is that the mushrooms were easy to prepare and only took me about 35 minutes to get them in the oven. That time even included getting the white rice going in the rice cooker. (And no, I don’t usually serve white rice, but I was in a hurry last evening. And steamed white rice takes less time and effort than almost any other side dish. Sometimes you just have to cut yourself some slack! And last night was one of those times.)

So I would recommend that you give this recipe a try. The filling is perfect with the delicious taste of the mushrooms. (Sweet Italian sausage and fresh fennel are simply a match made in heaven.) Add a little white wine, garlic, and Parmesan, and truly, what’s not to like? Buon Appetito

And for those of you who possess enquiring minds, the steamed white rice was ideal with the stuffed mushrooms. Of course it was!

  • 4 lg. Portobello mushroom caps
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
  • ½ med. yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 chopped fennel bulb
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 c. dry white wine
  • 1 T. finely minced fresh parsley
  • 4-6 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • non-stick cooking spray or butter, for greasing the baking pan
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Using a slightly damp paper towel, wipe the mushroom caps removing any dirt. Cut the stems off and finely chop. Set aside. Use a spoon to remove the dark gills on the underside of the mushroom caps. Discard gills and set mushroom caps aside.

In a large fry pan, heat the olive oil, break up the sausage, and cook until only a small bit of pink remains. Add the chopped mushroom stems, onion, and fennel. Cook until both the onion and fennel are starting to soften. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, wine, and parsley; cook for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese.

Place the mushrooms in a greased baking dish. Evenly divide the sausage mixture as you stuff the mushrooms. Top each stuffed mushroom with Parmesan cheese.

Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the Parmesan cheese is crisp on top. Serve immediately.

Yosemite – Half Dome from Glacier Point

Interesting “fossil” in front of interesting rock formation

CHUNKY ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, SHRIMP, AND CHICKEN SOUP

Leave a reply

So what do you do with half a pound of andouille sausage, 1 chicken breast, and 8 ounces of frozen, uncooked shrimp? You make soup, of course. And that’s just what I did the other evening. I made soup. Middle of summer and all. With garlic toast on the side, it turned out to be a perfect mid-summer meal! And yummy, oh my goodness yes!

Based on a recipe I found on the Genius Kitchen site, I added some ingredients, changed the amounts here and there, and adjusted and simplified the preparation instructions. But the bones of the soup are basically from that site. (Great site BTW.)

My only regret after dinner was that I hadn’t had enough of the main ingredients to prepare a full recipe. But by all means, you can halve the recipe very easily. Just don’t blame me if you halve the recipe and wish you hadn’t. But enough about blame. Let’s get back to the “soup in the middle of summer” part.

It just came to me while I was writing this recipe preface, that I have displayed terribly misguided thinking in the past. And frankly, I should have realized my archaic opinion of serving hot soup in the summer was just that. Archaic! After all, what’s just about the first thing I discuss with our waiter, after I order my martini of course, when we go out for dinner? “What’s the soup of the day?” Winter and summer, I ask that same question. And I don’t let the temperature outside have any part of my decision. (You can just about make bet on my saying yes to any type of seafood bisque, regardless of the time of year.) So to date, why have I not served more hot soup in the summer? Because I’m a total idiot, that’s why!  

Of course there are many wonderful cold soups, but I’m going to start serving hot soup in the summer too. And yes I get the whole thing about cooking over a hot stove. But not all soups take hours to simmer, and many soups are a one dish meal. And let’s not forget about the abundance of fresh veggies in the summer. That and the fact that many soups are low in calories and easily warm up the next day in the microwave.

So my friends, don’t make the same mistake I’ve made the last 54 years of my life. Don’t wait until fall to serve hot soup. After the other evenings meal, sitting on our east facing deck, enjoying this delicious soup and garlic toast, I’ve become an advocate of hot soup in the summer. Well that, and one dish meals. (I’m not counting the garlic toast as another “dish”, because I dunk it in the soup, which clearly indicates that it’s just another aspect of the soup. Right!?!?)

Enjoy the rest of your summer. And one more thing. Please don’t leave out the green and red peppers. The soup would simply not be the same without these two key ingredients. And yes, this dish has definite Cajun influences. But there-in lies its basic appeal. I need say no more!

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/3-inch pieces (I use Johnsonville Andouille Smoked Sausage – not too spicy)
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces  
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. uncooked lg. shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 lg. yellow onion, chopped 
  • 2 green bell peppers, chopped  
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped   
  • 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes (Italian canned tomatoes are best)
  • 3 c. chicken broth
  • 1 c. dry white wine
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T. dried oregano 
  • 2 tsp. dried thyme 
  • 4 tsp. sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian paprika)
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes  
  • Garlic Toast, opt. (see recipe below)

Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a large covered soup pot. Sauté sausage until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and transfer to a small bowl.

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan and sauté until completely cooked. (Don’t over-cook.) Transfer chicken to another small bowl and set aside.

Add shrimp to the pot, and sauté just until fully cooked. Remove from pan and add to the bowl with the cooked chicken. Set aside to cool. Once cool place in refrigerator until needed.

Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, peppers, and celery to pot; sauté for 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Return half of the cooked sausage to pot. Stir in the canned tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes, add the remaining cooked sausage, chicken, and shrimp to the pot and simmer about 3-4 minutes or until the soup has come again to a hearty simmer. Adjust seasoning, and serve with garlic toast.

GARLIC TOAST   

  • 4 T. unsalted butter (½ stick), room temperature
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ of a crusty Italian or French baguette, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into serving size pieces

Place the butter, garlic, parsley, and salt in a small bowl and mix with a table fork until well blended. Place the bread on a baking sheet, crust side down. Spread the butter mixture evenly over all of the pieces. Bake the bread in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the top is a very light golden brown.

 

 

ASIAN SALAD WITH GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN SLICES

Leave a reply

As promised, this is another recipe to help you feature leftover pork tenderloin. In this case, the pork tenderloin I used was from my recipe for Grilled Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Tenderloin on this site. And it all came together beautifully.

First of all I should tell you once again that I love main course dinner salads. And if the meat or protein is already cooked, all the better! One less step for me. Of course the hacking and slashing of the veggies (my friend Vicki’s term for cutting vegetables) still has to occur, and the dressing still has to be prepared, but what the heck, there’s still one less step to construct. (I’ll take all the help I can get on this one, because I do get tired of chopping veggies and building salad dressings!) But I love salads, so I guess it’s a small price to pay to eat a dish that’s healthy from all the veggies and dressed with a vinaigrette that’s not only tasty, but doesn’t contain ingredients I can’t pronounce! Like I said, all the better.

So next time you have leftover meat of any kind, use it in a salad. Have leftover roasted veggies, they are wonderful in salad too. Dried fruit, nuts, and seeds can also add a wonderful touch to an otherwise boring combination of lettuce and dressing. Let your imagination be your guide.

And please do make your own salad dressings. Homemade dressings save money, and help insure that only quality ingredients reach the lips of the ones you love. Of course, the shelf life on homemade dressing is very short in comparison to that bottle of dressing you purchased how many months ago? I rest my case!

  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 2 T. sesame oil
  • 1 T. finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 2 T. white vinegar (not white wine vinegar; the old fashioned inexpensive vinegar)
  • 1 T. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 c. chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 c. thinly sliced red cabbage
  • ½ c. finely diced celery
  • ½ c. sliced green onions
  • 1 med. carrot, grated
  • ½ c. frozen edamame, thawed
  • 2 T. toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ c. toasted slivered almonds
  • thinly sliced grilled pork tenderloin (I use leftover Grilled Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Tenderloin on this site.)

Whisk or shake together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Combine the romaine, cabbage, celery, green onions, carrot, edamame, sesame seeds, and almonds in a salad bowl. Pour on enough salad dressing to moisten. Avoid adding too much dressing or the salad will taste heavy or over-dressed. (It is meant to be a light and refreshing salad and just perfect for a warm summer evening.)

Scoop salad onto individual plates and top with pork. 

 

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN AND NOODLE CASSEROLE

Leave a reply

OK, yesterday I promised to post a couple of recipes to help you use up some of your leftover grilled pork tenderloin from my 2 recent posts starring this fabulous cut of pork.

Now I realize, having leftover meat is not a bad thing, in fact it’s a great thing. But what to do with it can sometimes be daunting. So this is what I did to utilize the leftover pork tenderloin from my recipe for Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon BBQ Sauce. I made a casserole. And oh boy was it good. And no, I didn’t use the leftover BBQ sauce. But the pork itself was seasoned perfectly for the other ingredients in this casserole. (You’d think I actually planned it that way. But boy would you be wrong. Just a lucky coincidence!)

For the rest of the casserole, I only used ingredients I happened to have on hand, so no trip to my local grocer was necessary. So if you decide to try this recipe, you too can use what you happen to have on hand. No red bell pepper, no problem. Swiss cheese, but no cheddar – knock yourself out. Hate peas – who cares! It’s a casserole using leftover meat – make it your own. This recipe is just a suggestion for what to do when staring at leftover pork tenderloin in your refrigerator and not wanting to serve it exactly like you did the previous evening.

Of course, you could always just thinly slice the meat, then gently warm it in the leftover BBQ sauce, and slather it between two halves of a lovely, crispy bun. But what fun would that be, when instead you could empty out your refrigerator veggie bin and have leftover casserole for your next days’ lunch? Your welcome!

  • 5 T. butter, divided
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1½ c. milk (I use whole milk)
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes, opt.
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ c. diced onion
  • ½ c. finely diced celery
  • ¼ c. red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 6-8 sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ c. sour cream, or more to taste
  • 1½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ c. frozen petite peas
  • 2 c. egg noodles, cooked al dente and drained 
  • 2 c. thinly sliced cooked pork tenderloin, cut into narrow strips  
  • ¾ c. Panko breadcrumbs

Melt 2 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour and stir for about a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce is thick and creamy. Take off heat and stir in the salt, pepper, parsley, crushed red pepper, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, red pepper, and mushrooms; sauté until the onion turns translucent. Don’t allow the veggies to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.     

Remove pan from heat and stir in the prepared sauce and sour cream until well combined. Then add the cheese, peas, cooked noodles, and cut pork. Adjust seasoning.

Dollop mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish (preferable glass) or ceramic casserole dish.

Melt the final 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan. Stir in the Panko. Sprinkle topping evenly over the casserole.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly and the topping is a nice golden brown.