Author Archives: wadennis42

Classic Creamed Spinach – comfort without the cream!

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Finally I post again.  I have quite a backlog of posts but I had to get this up right away – it is a great way to enjoy spinach, even if you don’t like it very much.  And, for those of us who do like spinach, this recipe compliments, rather than masks the flavor.

I was looking for a creamed spinach recipe to go along with my favorite Garlic Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters. I had some sweet potatoes I needed to use up and wanted some greens for contrast, but also wanted a more “comfort food” texture than  steamed veggies.

As I perused the Internet, I found many recipes that looked very tasty, with heavy cream and nutmeg often featured.  But, I didn’t want use cream so as to save a few calories.  And, I’ll go for shallots over onions almost any time.

Finally, I found the following recipe for creamed spinach, courtesy of sgrishka via Bigoven.

Classic Creamed Spinach

2 pounds fresh spinach, washed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated (optional)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Coarse salt, to taste

Remove tough stems of spinach. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain. Using the back of a large spoon, press spinach to release as much water as possible, then chop coarsely.

Using a medium sauté pan over medium heat, heat the butter. Sauté shallots until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon, add the flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Slowly add warm milk and simmer, whisking, 3 to 4 minutes to thicken. Whisk in cheese (if using) and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

NOTE:  I used a 10 oz bag of fresh spinach and halved the ingredients.  Next time, I’ll use two bags – Steve and I won’t have any trouble eating twice as much, next time.  🙂
I especially liked the addition of a pinch of cayenne.  It gave a nice little bite to it, and also inspired me to add cayenne to my sweet potato.  Now, there is an easy and nutritious side dish!  Here is how I prepare sweet potatoes, or as they are often called in the USA, yams.
After rinsing them off, I foke a few holes in them and cook them on high in the microwave for about 5 minutes per potato.  [NOTE: I prefer to roast them at 400 in the oven for about an hour – maybe 45 minutes, but when in a hurry, nuking sure is handy.]  Let cool a bit, then peel and mash, in a bowl or saucepan, adding some olive oil and a bit of water to make less dense and also add  maple syrup, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a touch of cumin and cayenne, to taste and your liking.  I usually add enough water to give the mashed sweet potatoes a texture closer to mashed butternut squash.   I also usually mash potatoes or squash in the top pan of my double boiler so I can then keep them warm while I finish preparing the rest of the meal.
Anyway – this combination of the garlic chicken, creamed spinach, and mashed sweet potatoes was excellent. Definitely a keeper at our house.  And, for vegetarians, I can see something made with tempeh or lentils going well with the vegetable dishes.  Something for everyone.  🙂

Rosemary Cauliflower Soup

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Get ready to die, as in “this is to die for!”  A BIG thank you to Béatrice Peltre, the author of La Tartine Gourmande.  I am not even going to post the recipe ingredients or procedure here,  just the link to the details.  If you love to cook, you should check out her blog!

Rosemary Cauliflower Soup.  Just click the name to go to the recipe.

This soup is exquisite enough for company or a very special romantic dinner for two.  It is also quite suitable as the main course or vegetable of a quick weekday meal.  Truly a winner.

The total prep and cooking time is not much over an hour,  with more cooking than prep going on, leaving plenty of time to prepare and/or cook  the rest of the meal, whether it be something along the line of the rosemary chicken leg quarters I paired with my first batch, or perhaps just some substantial  crusty bread and a light dessert.

Here are a few pictures of my first time making this soup, followed by the results of my 2nd go-round when I used a homemade but not recipe-specific vegetable broth and a combination, about 1/2 each, of broccoli and cauliflower.

The ingredients for the broth.

This made a most wonderful broth or stock.  And, even for those who think they don’t like fennel, you won’t dislike this.  The fennel adds depth without contributing a specifically “fennel” taste.

Main Soup Ingredients

Just a picture showing the amounts/proportions.  Of  course, for soups, casseroles, and the like, proportions are not as crucial as they are when baking.

1st saute

Shallots add such a nice color to things, along with a smoother texture than most types of  onions provide.

2nd batch of ingredients done!

It is time to add the broth when the bottom is getting a bit browned.

Ready to simmer for a bit.

This is the last picture I took when making this soup for the first time.  I am hoping to remember to take a picture after finishing up my second batch, which I have been making as I FINALLY write up and post this recipe on my blog!  Of course, it will look different, since I used half broccoli…

Well, here is the picture:

the 2nd time - broccoli and cauliflower with standard broth base

Well, it looks pretty and all, but…no way as good as when I followed the original recipe.  FYI, I had lots of both leftover broccoli and cauliflower florets from the veggie tray we did for the Wakefield UU Church auction last week, which is why I used both veggies.  Here is my take:

I added the requisite chopped fresh parsley (about a HEAPING tablespoon) salt (1 tsp) black pepper (1/2 tsp freshly ground) after adding a tsp of salt, and “dash” of nutmeg (about 1/4 tsp freshly grated) PLUS a tsp of coriander power to make up for not using the original vegetable broth recipe and…certainly pleasant and edible, but NOT to die for.  To live forso as  to enjoy, yes, but NOT the great shakes of the original recipe.    …  Okay, I am letting it stay at just below a simmer on the stove for a bit.  Then I will see if I can fix it up a bit….  1/2 an hour or so later…

Hey!  It’s very good after some low temp simmering, beyond the just “pleasant” flavor.  Yes, the broccoli is too strong for this recipe as to getting the exquisite results obtained from the original version using just cauliflower. But, I really like that this is a “creamy” soup that does not use dairy for that special texture.  Nothing against dairy from me, but it is nice to have a way to prepare a veggie dish or soup that has a comfort food taste and texture without the usual comfort food fat and calories – or lactose tolerance issues.

Anyway – this recipe is a keeper for me, in both the original and experimental formats.

Vegetarian Chili – quick and easy!

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A thank you to Emeril Lagasse for this one. I’ve never watched TV all that much, but my impression is that, beyond Julia, he is one of the first to have realized that a cooking show can be entertainment and thus helped get the whole Food Network thing going.  Or, maybe I am wrong – but he does have some good recipes.

Anyway – I needed a vegetarian chili recipe to test for our church auction.  I didn’t include the words “quick” and “easy” in my search terms, but I might as well had.  Here is what I used as the basis: (My adjustments follow)

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
  • 1 cup chopped red bell peppers
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 to 3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste
  • 1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
  • 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespooon ground cumin
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cups cooked black beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup vegetable stock, or water
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • Cooked brown rice, accompaniment
  • Sour cream or strained plain yogurt, garnish
  • Diced avocado, garnish
  • Essence, recipe follows, garnish
  • Chopped green onions, garnish

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

———————————–

For the seranno peppers, I used what the tags says are “salsa chili” peppers that we have, still producing fruits in November after having brought them in before the first frost last month!

You’ll see them in this picture:

Veg chilie ingedients

The fresh veggies for the chili

I also used only 1 Tbsp chili powder (for those around Wakefield, the dark kind from Farmland) and two teaspoons of the cumin powder.  BUT, I used a trick that I learned from Lorna Sass and toasted a tablespoon of cumin seeds in the oil for about a minute before adding the first ingredients at the beginning of the process.  I also added a heaping  tablespoon of  cocoa powder when the other powered spices were added.

I made two batches.  One with one 15 oz can of black beans and one 15 oz can of red beans (like pinto) and the other with same sized cans – one each pinto and garbanzo.  I think I like the second combination better, but that is a matter of taste.  I used three chili peppers in the first batch but only two in the second.  I like my chili pretty spicy, but these batches are for the public so I didn’t want to blow anyone away!  And, frankly, this chili is so flavorful, it doesn’t need to blow your socks off.

I will probably add some dried oregano to the final version, also.

I’ll end with pictures of the chili cooking process – great colors!

seeds

Toasting the seeds - the scent is fabulous!

veggies

First batch of veggies: onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and chilis

more veggies

More veggies - this is after the liquid has sweated out

done

final spices added and ready to simmer and thicken!

Anyway – that’s it.  I still have three or four more recipes from the past month to post… One is for a cauliflower soup to die for!  Soon, soon….

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

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Easy Eggplant Parmesan

(NO PHOTOS – Sorry!  I am really starting to want to get the cooking show going.  Hard to document when wanting to just cook.)

I made eggplant parm a few other times and only in the past year or so, if memory serves.  Which, of course, it may not.  But I do!  …..  I think I  had always come across fussy looking recipes for any kind of parmesan.  Also, I was biased against frying because of added fat.

I have used a Rachel Ray recipe that calls for coating and then baking the eggplant rounds.  It is tasty, but nothing to write home about.  My theory?  It just ain’t parmesan if you don’t fry whatever it is you are parming!  I’ll add that I think there needs to be some kind coating on the eggplant before frying and my current preference is  a dip in milk and then flour so the taste and texture of the eggplant does not get masked.  But, I will try it with breadcrumbs sometime, too.  Hard to not like anything with breadcrumbs.

ANYWAY – here is the recipe I started with, from Allrecipes.com:

Eggplant Parmesan I

  • 1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  • 8 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 4 cups pasta sauce
  1. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.
  3. Rinse the eggplant in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Place one layer of eggplant in the pan, brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.
  4. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

_______________________________________________________________________

The only things I did differently was to slice the eggplant about 1/3 an inch thick and dip the slices in milk and then flour before frying.  Oh, I tried the “salting and sweating” thing but no liquid came out.  My eggplant came from  Farmer Dave’s in Dracut (got it at the Wakefield Farmer’s Market) a week before I made the parm, so it was not “just picked.”  I have read conflicting theories about sweating eggplant.  I think I may not bother with it in the future.

OH – upon copying and pasting the above recipe into this post, I  realized that I did not beat the egg before adding it to the cheese mix. Actually, I just threw everything in all together although it says to add the egg and basil after mixing the cheeses. It came out fine, though.  I am thinking, however, that I will next time try an egg bath for the eggplant and beat the egg used for that.  hmmm.   I might want to just duplicate what I did here to make sure it is a winner. We will all have to wait and see what I actually decide to do next time.  🙂

The other variation is that I made my own pasta sauce, using a Cooks Illustrated recipe using canned crushed tomatoes and varying it by adding mushrooms and 4 fresh tomatoes from, in this case, the plants in our bedroom and dining area.

Yes, we still have homegrown tomatoes, as well as bell and chili peppers.  And, my sage, rosemary, and thyme plants are happy, the two former ready to winter over in the bedroom for a second time.  Now I need parsley to start that off.  And basil for a second verse.  🙂  Steve and I are working on greenhouse action off the south side of the house to grow some “vitals” year round that need more room than a portable pot.

Bottom line on this recipe – super!  I was pleased with the texture – thanks to the milk and flour coating.  Thank you for that tip, Yvonne!  Now, there is another great cook!  Once I get my cooking show going, she’ll be a repeat guest, for sure.

Be sure to use a REALLY tasty pasta or marinara sauce.   I’ll put my version of the quick homemade from canned tomatoes sauce in another post.

NOW I have to find time to post the stuffed eggplant, corned beef, and great way to do a whole chicken recipes that I have documented but have not yet been able to post.  Always something cooking!

Stuffed Cabbage

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The one other time I attempted making stuffed cabbage, I ended up with a bit of a mess because I didn’t know the trick to geting the cabbage leaves off the head intact and also pliable enough to roll and stay rolled.  But, this time – success!

I started with this Stuffed Cabbage recipe from Allrecipe.com, but, I made some changes, as noted.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 medium head cabbage
* water to cover
* 1 pound ground beef  [I used 2/3 beef to 1/3 pork.  Farmland grinds them together for you if you ask, but you have to order at least 1.5 lbs, total. I got 2 lbs total and froze the other lb for a later date.]
* 1 cup cooked rice
* garlic powder to taste [1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic and 1 tablspoon chopped fresh parsley]
* 1 egg
* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can tomato juice [a 26 oz jar of pasta sauce in lieu of the rest of the ingredients, except for a bit of water to cover.]
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* water to cover

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the head of cabbage in a large pot over high heat and add water to cover. Boil cabbage for 15 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft. Drain and allow to cool completely. Remove the hard outer vein from the leaves.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic powder and the egg, mixing well. Place a small amount, about the size of your palm, into the center of a cabbage leaf and fold leaf over, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep meat mixture inside.
3. Pile up the filled leaves in a large pot, putting the larger leaves on the bottom. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and sugar and enough water to cover. Simmer over medium low heat for about 60 minutes. (Note: Keep an eye on them, making sure the bottom of leaves do not burn.)

The instructions for getting the cabbage leaves off really works.

the one cabbage from my garden

the one cabbage from my garden

First, I cored the cabbage.  Not a major operation, but just some of the inner stem.

kind of hard to see, but some of the core removed

kind of hard to see, but I removed some of the core

Next, I brought a pot of water to boil and gently place the cabbage in the pot.  Within a minute or two, the leaves started getting really loose.

peelaway1

peelaway

I kept carefully peeling off the leaves as they loosend and, once I had about 14 leaves peeled off, I removed the rest of the cabbage and let the removed leaves simmer for another 5 minutes.  Then I drained and rinsed them in cold water.

In the meantime, I had to cook some rice.  I was disappointed that I had not thought to put the rice on sooner because I wanted to use brown rice and that takes longer than white rice.  But, I then noticed that there were microwave instructions on the long-grain brown rice package.   (Obviously not Lundberg brand – at least I can’t imagine they have microwave instrcutions on their rice.  I’ll have to double check one of these days.)

Anyway, I decided to try microwaving the rice.  Click HERE for the instructions I used.

Here is the deal.  It was passable for use in stuffed cabbage and the stuffed eggplant I make a few days later, but it really didn’t cook much more quickly than if I had cooked it stovetop.  And DO NOT microwave brown rice for use as a side dish!!!!  YUCK!  The texture is awful.

Okay, back to the stuffed cabbage.  After cooling the cabbage and mixing up the meat with the other stuffing ingredients, I put it all together. As noted in the recipe, just a plam-full is enough for each roll.

palmfull

Then, roll away!

roll1

roll2

roll3

rolled

manyrolls

And here they are, ready to go into the pot.  By the way, that god-awful looking cookie tray and that scratched up red plastic thing is my “raw meat” cutting board.  I really need to get a regular board to dedicate to raw meat! But, in the meantime, it works and contains any straying liquids.  BOB, don’t read this!  Bob is is friend of mine who is vegetarian.  For a vegetarian option, tempeh, bulgar wheat, and/or ground/finely chopped seitan (wheat gluten) would be excellent in a stuffed cabbage.

The final step is to coat the bottom of a big pot (I used my 6 quart dutch oven) with a thin layer of sauce/juice, add the cabbage rolls, cover with sauce/juice, and add a bit of water if you need to have the liquid cover, or just about cover the cabbage rolls.

simmering

Then, simmer for an hour or so until tender.

I was pleased with the results, although both my husband and I noted that these were not like our Mom’s.  I will try it with the tomato juice/vinegar/sugar next time – unless I borrow back my Mom’s recipe box from my sister-in-law Lorraine and try my Mom’s recipe first.  (We take turns having the recipe box at each of our homes.) I am pretty sure her “Glopskies” had stewed tomatoes in them.  Hey Lori – remember Glopskies?  (Long story….BUT, that reminds me, I need to get the “girls” together to make what my Mom called Chris Chickies, a Polish version of bow pastries. )

ANYWAY – this is a great basic recipe for stuffed cabbage.  And the possible variations are endless for all, whether you are omnivore or vegetarian. A winner, all around.

[Disclaimer – I am way too tired to proofread this.  Please ignore typos unless they could cause an grievous error in the kitchen.  🙂 ]

Chicken Breast With Eggplant, Shallots and Ginger

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This was really tasty! I was unsure when I first viewed the recipe, but I am really glad I tried it.

I bought a Sicilian eggplant from Farmer Dave at the Wakefield Farmer’s Market and didn’t feel like doing the usual garlic, olive oil, and/or tomato-based thing, or even cheese, but did want a “one pot meal” with some kind of animal protein.  I found this nifty  Chicken Breast With Eggplant, Shallots and Ginger recipe by Matt Bittman via  Bitten, Recipe of the Day, in the New York Times. Click the title to see the original post.

Chicken Breast With Eggplant, Shallots and Ginger

Here is the original recipe with my adaptations added in brackets.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces shallots (about 6 large) [I started with 8 oz but one was partially rotted, so 6 ounces is more like it.]
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed [I used grapeseed]
  • 1 to 1 1/4 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons dried ginger [I used fresh ginger]
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 half breasts) [I used Bell & Evans]
  • 1/4 cup or more minced fresh cilantro [I used mostly flat parsley and some chocolate mint because I could not get any cilantro that day from Farmland and I found a suggestion online calling for a bit of mint added to parsley as a substitute for cilantro.]
  • everything but the chicken

    everything but the chicken

    It is hard to see here, but the mint leaves in with the parsley have a purplish hue that went nicely with the eggplant in this picture.

Method

  • 1. Peel shallots. If they are small, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half the long way. (Most large shallots have two lobes and will naturally divide in half as you peel them.) Heat the broiler or a gas or charcoal grill. [I used the gas broiler in my oven]
    peeled shallots

    peeled shallots

    Half of one my big shallots had rot. Plus, you lose a lot when peeling.  Here is what was left to use, which was quite enough to do the trick.  Don’t they look lovely?  I just love shallots.

into the frying pan

into the frying pan

  • 2. Place oil in a large nonstick skillet, and turn heat to medium high. Add shallots, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Add eggplant, salt and pepper, and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant softens, about 15 minutes.
next, add the eggplant

next, add the eggplant

  • 3. When eggplant begins to brown, add half the ginger, and cook 3 minutes or so more, until eggplant is very tender and the mixture fragrant.
  • [In lieu of steps 2 and 3, I did not use a nonstick pan.  I used my 12″ stainless steel All Clad pan.  I covered the pan after 5 minutes, and added 1/2 cup water after 12 minutes, and then cooked for 10 minutes more with the water, adding the ginger for the last 5 or so minutes.  I did this because I didn’t peel the eggplant and I didn’t think the called-for cooking time and method would soften the skin enough.]
ginger sliced

This was one "leg" of the ginger and made one Tbsp minced

Here is a trick for mincing ginger: slice it one way, then turn 90 degrees and slice again. to get the results in this picture.  Next, slice crosswise in tiny increments.  Finish up mincing to desired size.

the eggplant "relish" all cooked and ready to go

the eggplant "relish" all cooked and ready to go

  • 4. Meanwhile, rub chicken breasts with salt, pepper and remaining ginger. Grill about 4 inches from the heat source for 3 minutes a side or until done. [All our broilers vary – preheated the broiler as called for and cooked the chicken breast halves about 4 inches from the heat source, but it was more like 4 minutes, each side, then another 4 minutes each side, with a quick finish of a minute or so on each side.  I think I have a really lame broiler…Just cook until nicely browned, turning every few minutes,  and check with an instant-read thermometer to confirm that it is done enough if you are not sure.  160 degrees or so.]
chicken ready for broiler

chicken ready for broiler

chicken done

chicken done

  • 5. Stir half the cilantro into eggplant mixture. Serve chicken breasts on a bed of eggplant. Garnish with remaining cilantro. [As noted in the ingredient list, I used 9/10th flat parsley and 1/10th chocolate mint that I have growing on my deck.]
ready to eat!

ready to eat!

Okay, I’ll admit it.  I was so excited to serve and eat the meal that I forgot to take a photo of it plated the night I first made it.  But, I had leftovers and took the above picture before creating the meal for the next evening.  But, it looks about the same.  <grin>

I am really glad I took a chance on this recipe.  While I like just about anything, even I was not sure about the flavor mix, whether or not I would use cilantro or when I had to find a substitute and decided upon the parsley/mint mix. And, I had no idea what Steve would think.  Steve actually had a little trouble with the mint the first night, although he admits it was because it was such an unfamiliar flavor to him in a main course.  But he really enjoyed it the second evening.  I, on the other hand, was not at all sure about the cilantro and obviously have yet to find out how that works in this recipe.  However, I was very comfortable with the mint, being used to Middle Eastern food and having used chocolate mint in my hummus in the past.  [Note to self: now that I have a chocolate mint plant, it is time to revive that hummus recipe – and the tabbouleh!]

Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers, and Onions

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Here is another “wicked good” one!  I served this with the recently posted Mashed Potato Casserole and it was just an amazing combination of flavors, both within each recipe and among the two. Talk about comfort food with a complex flair!

And, just a reminder – I don’t have tons of time to post, never mind proofread, so please forgive typos and grammar errors – but feel free to point them out to me, also.  Thanks!

I made the recipe exactly as presented.  Here it is, followed by more discussion by me.  🙂

Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers, and Onions Gourmet | April 2008
by Melissa Roberts
The fennel bulb we’ve added to this Little Italy combo is a natural complement to the fennel seeds in the sausage.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 40 min

4 Italian frying peppers (Cubanelle) cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large fennel bulb, bulb quartered, then cut into 2-inch-wide pieces and 1/4 cup fronds coarsely chopped (discard stalks)
1 large onion, quartered and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage links, halved crosswise
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat broiler.
Toss together all ingredients except fennel fronds with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat until sausage is browned and vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Turn over and stir, then broil until sausage is just cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

_____________________________________________________________________

I believe I mentioned in my previous post that I made this because I had fennel in my fridge that I had bought the week before.  I now remember why I had fennel in my fridge.  While I don’t remember what recipe I was going to try, I know it called for a bulb of fennel.  I went to Farm Land, which is my favorite grocery store,  and found….a bulb of what was called “anise.”  Hmmm, I said to myself, is it the same thing?  I bought it, but then got sidetracked and didn’t research fennel and anise until this week.  Turns out that the plant that is officially known as anise is used only for its seeds, whereas the names fennel and anise are used interchangeably when referring to the fresh bulb of what is actually fennel.  SO, if it looks like this, it is what you want, providing you are looking for fresh fennel!

Fresh fennel, aka "anise" or "sweet anise"

Fresh fennel, aka "anise" or "sweet anise"

This recipe asked for the bulb and fronds, only.  Save the stems and munch on them like a stick of celery  for a tasty snack.  I am munching on a stalk as I write this.  Very refreshing.

chopped fennel bulb and fronds

chopped fennel bulb and fronds

This recipe calls for another ingredient with which I was not really familiar, although it turns out I have been seeing them for years at, you guessed it, Farm Land!  Cubanelle peppers are long and thin like chili peppers, but are mild in flavor, considered to be a sweet pepper.  To me, the flavor is lighter yet also more intense than bell peppers.  Does that make sense?  Hmmm.  I’ll have to buy some more and think about it.  Anyway, I forgot to take a picture of them whole, but here there are chopped and ready to go into the dish:

Cubenelle peppers

Cubenelle peppers

Along with cutting up the onion (I used 1 and 1/2 of regular size rather than one large), I used 2 sweet and 4 hot Italian sausages from Farm Land.  The total of 6 came, conveniently, to the 1.5 pounds called for in the recipe.

While I would prefer to use meats from animals that have NOT gone though the typical “manufacturing process used by the bulk of our food industries, I do feel better about using sausages and ground meats from Farmland because they make/grind their own so you are not eating a mixture of meat from god knows how many cows or pigs in each bit, and don’t add lots of unnecessary ingredients.   Plus, they make really delicious sausages!

Ready for the broiler

Ready for the broiler

Once all the ingredients are chopped – just toss with the olive oil and salt and pop in the pre-heated broiler, turning one part way through, as directed.

the finished product

Then, eat.  It is really, really good!  And, it is even better when matched with those Mashed Potatoes with collards.  Just a great blend of flavors.  Both recipes and the combo are keepers at my house!

To my vegetarian readers – try this with a vegetarian sausage or maybe even with flavored tofu or tempeh and let me know how it comes out.  🙂

Mashed Potato Casserole with collards, cheese, and caramelized onions

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WOW.  This was, to quote the native Wakefield MA person that I am, “wicked good!”  (Should I add “Menga?  I have no idea how to spell it, but the last time I heard it (other than from some long-lost and quickly again forgotten person I ran into last year) was at Lanie Island in the 1980s.  Scary times.  However, I digress.  <grin>

It was time to use up things in the cupboard and fridge.  I had lovely potatoes from Farmer Dave and exquisite carrots from Flats Mentor Farm, both via the Wakefield Farmer’s Market, and collard greens from the garden I help with by the lake.  By the way, the best way to keep greens such as collard, kale, and chard, is to put them like cut flowers in water, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and store in the fridge.

This is after TWO weeks in the fridge!

This is after TWO weeks in the fridge!

So, I started by searching for “potatoes and collards” and found this:

Collard-cannon with ale-braised onions & raw milk cheddar

I pretty much followed the directions, although I added grated carrots and I didn’t happen to have a block of high-test cheese in the fridge.  I actually did have a small amount of super cheddar from the Farmer’s Market, but not enough for the recipe and better savored with a cracker or two, anyway.

The original recipe didn’t have any set amounts of ingredients, but it was easy enough to wing it.  Here is what I used for ingredients:

About 3 cups  chopped collard greens, not tightly packed:

(See Simmered Greens – Collard, Mustard, and Arugula for tips for chopping collard greens)

chopped collards, one- cup measure on right for scale

chopped collards, one- cup measure on right for scale

The original recipe calls for steaming the greens, but I opted to blanch in boiling water for just under 3 minutes.

Not shown here, but I also grated a few small carrots – maybe 1 cup loosely packed after grating.

About 2 and a half pounds or so of potatoes with skin left on
1/2 cup or a bit more low-fat plain yogurt
2-3 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup or more hot water:

Potatoes getting the pre-mash cook

Potatoes getting the pre-mash cook

After cooking to fork tender, I mashed the potatoes with a few dollops of low-fat yogurt and some olive oil, along with a bit of hot water to get the right texture.  Next, I caramelized the onions to be folded into the mashed potatoes.

Here are the results: about five cups of mashed potatoes.

three favrorite tools

Three of my favorite tools

As aside, here.  I just love pyrex measuring cups.  This is my quart – or 4-cup one.  I have the 1, 2, and 8 cup versions, too.  Really handy!  And, of course, the knife my Mom gave me years ago.  Just a treasure.  And, my new handy-dandy heat-resistant up to 400 degrees  “spoonula.”    Okay, on to the onions.

Three medium to large onions, sliced
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup or so beer

Just starting to brown

Just starting to brown

First, I heated up two TBSP or so olive oil in my saute pan.  (Yes, it’s All-Clad and I love it!)  I sauted the onions on high, stirring frequently, until they started browning nicely, as shown above – up to 10 minutes. Then I cooked them for another 10 or so minutes on med-low until they got really brown:

Ready to deglaze!

Ready to deglaze!

The next step is to deglaze the onions with beer.  I’ll just quote the original recipe:  “When they were nicely browned, we deglazed the pan with a cup or so of brown ale — gathering up all those delicious browned bits that clung to the pan and granting the onions a bit of that delicious beer-y flavor.”  I couldn’t say it better myself.  🙂

before reducing the deglazing liquid

before reducing the deglazing liquid

After scraping the pan to loosen all the tasty bits, I let the onions stay on a low simmer for a few minutes until just about all the liquid evaporated.  Then, I folded them into the potatoes:

Taters and onions. YUM!

Taters and onions. YUM!

Next it is the layering game.  Put 1/2 the taters in a greased baking dish and cover with all the collard and carrots.  I used my 10 inch square corning ware pan.

great colors!

Great colors, don't you think?

The last ingredient is about 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese.  I just used regular New York Sharp.  I then sprinkled half the cheese on the veggie layer:

Half way assembled

Half-way assembled

Next,  I added the rest of the potatoes and topped it off with the rest of the cheese.

Ready for the oven

Ready for the oven

I used my toaster 0ven.  I have the Cadillac of toaster ovens.  It is a Krups 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven, as recommended by cooks Illustrated, and it rocks.  I just used the regular oven setting versus convection for this dish.  1/2 an hour at 375 degrees did it. (Pre-heat first if using a regular oven.)

YUM:

Ready to eat!

Ready to eat!

Okay – here is the list of indgredients and the instructions all together so you can copy and paste to a file for printing:
I pretty much followed the directions, although I added grated carrots and I didn’t happen to have a block of high-test cheese in the fridge.  I actually did have a small amount of super cheddar from the Farmer’s Market, but not enough for the recipe and better savored with a cracker or two, anyway.

The original recipe didn’t have any set amounts of ingredients, but it was easy enough to wing it.  Here is what I used for ingredients:

About 3 cups chopped collard greens, not tightly packed
1 cup grated carrot
2 and a half pounds or so of potatoes, peeled or not
1/2 cup or a bit more low-fat plain yogurt (or sour cream)
2-3 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup or more hot water as needed for mashed texture
3 medium to large onions, sliced thin
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup or so beer
2 cups grated cheddar or other type of cheese

1) Chop up the potatoes and set to boiluntil soft.
2) Slice onions and saute in olive oil until caramelized.
3) While potatoes and onions cook, chop collard greens and grate carrots and cheese.
4) Add beer to deglaze the onions, and simmer for a few minutes until most liquid is gone.
5) Mash potatoes with yogurt, olive oil, and hot water as needed.
6) Fold onions into mashed potatoes
7) Lightly grease a shallow baking dish and spread with 1/2 the potatoes.
8) Cover with collards and carrot (and/or any other veggie) and top with 1/2 the grated cheese.
9) Spread on the rest of the potatoes and top with the rest of the grated cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees in a pre-heated oven.

To accompany, I also prepared a very interesting dish that I will blog about the next time I have a moment.  My reason for this dish?  I had fennel in my fridge.  Why?  I don’t remember why…well, last week I was going to try a recipe that used it but never got around to it.  I don’t remember what the recipe was…BUT, the good news is that the dish I made was super.  You can find it here:

Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers, and Onions Check back later for my post about it.  Enjoy!