Sausages & Peppers with Polenta

An Italian classic.  Ease to throw together, and excellent for entertaining.  The sausages and peppers can be made completely ahead of time, then just reheated before serving.

Sausages & Peppers

1 t vegetable oil

1 lb Italian sausages (mild or hot)

1 onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, de-seeded and sliced

227 g button mushrooms, cut in half (or quartered if large)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 t red wine vinegar

1 t sugar

½ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 T tomato paste

¼ c chicken stock, if needed

Cut sausages in half crosswise.  Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat until hot; add the oil, tilting the pan to cover the surface.  Add the sausages, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Brown all four sides of each sausage until golden; remove to a plate.

Add the onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic to the frying pan (reduce heat if pan seems too hot).  Continue cooking slowly until the mushrooms have released their liquid and most of it has evaporated.  Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and tomato paste.  If sauce is too thick, thin out as necessary with up to ¼ c chicken stock.

Return the sausages to the frying pan, increase heat to medium, and stir through until heated.  Garnish with fresh basil, if you've got it.  Serve with polenta (either soft or hard).

Polenta

1 c fine cornmeal (I like medium grind)

3 or 4 cups of liquid (I use 50/50 chicken stock & water)

¾ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 t chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

1 T butter

¼ c grated Parmesan

If making soft polenta, use four cups of liquid.  If making hard polenta (to cool, slice and grill or sauté), use three cups of liquid.

Combine cornmeal and cold liquid in medium saucepan, and whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often.  Reduce heat to medium-low as mixture begins to thicken, stirring every two minutes or so.  Total cooking time will be 20 – 25 minutes (20 for soft and 25 for hard). 

Remove from heat, add herbs, butter and Parmesan.  Serve immediately for soft polenta, for stiff polenta, pour into lightly greased 8 X 8 or loaf pan; spread out evening.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill.  Slice as desired, and either grill or sauté until browned.

White(ish) Chili

This is a white chili in the sense that there is no beef or tomatoes in it; the colour comes from the ancho chili.  True, it’s not very white, but who wants to eat white chili anyway?    

1 large ancho chili, split and deseeded*

2 t vegetable oil

650 g ground turkey

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

227 g mushrooms, sliced

1 t salt

1 T chili powder

1 t cumin

1 t oregano

¼ t cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 c chicken stock

2 - 540 ml cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

1 T lime juice

Sour cream and chopped cilantro to serve (optional)

Lightly toast the ancho chili halves in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, and colour changes slightly.  Put the chili into a bowl and pour over recently-boiled water just to cover.  Cover with plate and put aside for twenty minutes. 

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat; add turkey, breaking up with spoon.  Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated, and cooking sound has changed from bubbling to sizzling.

Add onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, mushrooms and salt.  When mushrooms begin to release their liquid, add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne and black pepper.  Cook, stirring regularly, until cooking sound once again changes to a sizzle.

Remove chili from water and discard water.  Put chili into a blender, along with the chicken stock and half of the beans.  Blend until smooth.  Pour mixture into Dutch oven and stir well.  Add lime juice.

Bring to a boil; reduce to medium low.  Cook, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens (about an hour), stirring regularly.  Check seasoning.

Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro if desired.

Serves four.

* If you can’t find ancho chili, substitute a canned chipotle, very finely chopped, and exclude the cayenne.

Tofu Parmigiana

I can see those looks on your faces from here.  Wipe them off!  You will be absolutely amazed how good this tastes; think firm ricotta with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  Everyone who’s tried this has liked it; in my opinion, it’s the best thing you can do with a package of tofu. 

420 grams firm tofu, sliced into six slices and dried between paper towels

1 egg

½ c (approx) seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

1 c or more of your favourite tomato sauce (homemade or otherwise)

227 g mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in 1 T butter (optional)

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

½ c grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400F; line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray foil with vegetable oil.

Break the egg into a shallow bowl and mix until combined; put the breadcrumbs into a pie plate.  One by one, dip the slices of tofu into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs.  Turn well to coat.  Put the tofu slices onto the baking sheet, leaving space in between each piece.  Spray the tops of the tofu slices with additional vegetable oil. 

Bake for 30 minutes, turning pieces at half time, and rotating the baking sheet.

Reduce heat to 350F.  Put the pieces into an 8 X 8 pan, top with tomato sauce, mushrooms (if using), Parmesan and mozzarella. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and golden brown.

Sausage Orzotto

I don’t know why we don’t hear of this northeastern Italian dish more often.  Everyone knows about risotto, but its cousin, orzotto, doesn’t seem to be as well known in North America.  I prefer it over risotto; it’s less finicky, better for you (a much higher source of fibre than short-grained starchy rice), and the texture is pleasingly chewy. 

When I plan on eating this on it’s own, I add the spinach; if I’m serving a vegetable side with it, I omit it.  Incidentally, beets are a great accompaniment.

       

2 c chicken stock mixed with 2 c water

200 g mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t chopped fresh rosemary

¼ c white wine

¾ c pearl barley

1 bunch baby spinach (optional)

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Combine the chicken stock and water, and heat until hot but not boiling.  Cover and put aside.

In large dry saucepan over medium heat, brown whole sausages.  Brown on all sides, then transfer to cutting board and chop finely.  Return to saucepan, add the onion, and continue cooking until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.  Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute. 

Add the barley, stirring through well until it’s well coated with the oil.  Add the wine and cook until absorbed.  Add all the stock/water mixture, bring to a good simmer, and continue cooking, uncovered, stirring often (no less than every five minutes) for 45 minutes.  By this time the barley should be tender, but the mixture should still be quite moist.

If using, add the baby spinach and stir through until wilted.

Remove from heat, add the Parmesan, black pepper, and the olive oil.  Stir through well, and serve, garnished with parsley if using.

Makes 3 servings.

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole

Have a craving for cabbage rolls, but the thought of making them puts you off?.  This casserole provides all the flavour, for a fraction of the effort.

1 lb lean ground beef, turkey, pork or sausage meat

1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 398 ml can diced tomatoes*

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 soup can water

½ medium head cabbage, cut in 1 cm slices

½ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-1/2 t caraway seeds (optional)

3 T lemon juice

½ cup long grain rice

Preheat oven to 300^o.

In ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat, brown meat.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine.

Cover and bake for 1-1/2 hours, stirring twice during the cooking process.

*If your tomatoes are in juice as opposed to puree, add 2 T tomato paste

Potato, Cabbage & Bacon Bake

This serves four as a main course, or six as a side dish.

½ lb bacon, cut into lardons

½ head small cabbage (either green or Savoy), halved & sliced

1 medium yellow onion, halved & sliced

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled & sliced

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

100 g cheese of your choice

½ c low-sodium chicken stock

In Dutch oven, brown bacon over medium heat until the fat becomes foamy.  Remove bacon to paper towel to drain.  Discard all but 1 T bacon fat.

In the bacon fat over medium-low heat, cook the cabbage and onion, covered, until its volume has decreased approx 50%.  Season well with salt & pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter an 8 X 8 pan well.  Cover the bottom of the pan with the potato slices from one of the potatoes, overlapping slightly as needed.  Season with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle with half the thyme, half the bacon, half the cabbage/onion mixture, and half the cheese.  Repeat.  Pour chicken stock over all.

Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on full power for 5 minutes.  Remove plastic wrap, replace with foil, and bake for one hour.  After an hour, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Allow to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes before cutting & serving.

Poor Man’s Cassoulet

I love beans; they’re my desert island food.  Very few foods are so nutrient-packed that you can actually live off them (although you may not be the most pleasant person to be around).

Considering cassoulet’s origins are peasant, I’ve always been perplexed by the quantity and expense of the meats called for in modern-day recipes.  Surely, the dish began as a way of making a little meat go a long way.  Bearing that in mind, my cassoulet incorporates affordable meats, in modest quantities.  Think beans with meat, not meat with beans. 

You could easily start this a day or two before you serve it; the taste will only improve on standing. 

 

Brown separately in Dutch oven:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 lb Italian sausages

½ lb bacon, cut into lardons (cook until not quite crisp)

Remove meat, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.  Discard excess fat.

To pot, add:

1 lb navy or great northern beans (soaked overnight & drained)

1-2 carrots, diced (depending on size)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

½ head garlic, peeled & chopped

½ c white wine

1 large bay leaf

1 t dried thyme

Chicken stock and/or water to cover

A few stalks parsley (lay on top of liquid)

Bake in a 325^o oven, covered, for 2-1/2 hours (check for doneness at the 2 hour mark), stirring at half time.  Remove parsley & bay leaf. 

Add:

398 ml can diced tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1-1/2 t kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bacon

Sausages, diagonally sliced

Chicken thighs, diced

You can stop at this point if you want to make this ahead of time.  Cover & refrigerate, then proceed with the next steps on the day you’re serving.

Bake, covered, in a 350^o oven for 1 hour. 

In food processor, combine:

2 slices bread

the remaining half a head of garlic, peeled

a small handful of parsley

Pulse until evenly combined.  Toss with:
3-4 T melted butter or olive oil until it's the texture of damp sand.

At the end of the hour, remove from oven and increase temperature to 400^o.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the crumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown & crusty.  Allow to sit for ten minutes prior to serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ham & Potato Bake

2 large baking potatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced and sautéed in butter

¼ lb mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter

Small fully-cooked ham (650 g. +/-), diced

1 c frozen peas

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 c milk

1 t dry mustard

Ground black pepper to taste

1 c shredded old cheddar

Paprika

Put diced potatoes into a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, and cook in microwave on full power for 10 minutes, stirring well at the half way point.  Once done, add the onion, mushrooms, ham and peas.  Toss well and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour, and cook slowly for 1-2 minutes, stirring often with whisk.  Add the milk, mustard and black pepper.  Increase heat to medium, and cook, whisking often, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

Turn the ham and potato mixture into a greased 9 X 13 pan.  Spoon the white sauce over it, top with cheddar, sprinkle with paprika, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until bubbling and beginning to brown.  Allow to sit for at least ten minutes prior to serving.    

Broccoli & Salmon Bake

Wednesday night is usually fish night in our household, and this has more substance to it than serving a piece of fish with broccoli on the side.  Rice makes a perfect side.  Serves 2, but is easily multiplied.

1 medium head broccoli, washed and cut into small florets (include stems)

½ lb salmon (fresh or frozen and thawed)

1 T butter

½ lb mushrooms, halved or sliced

¾ c milk

2 T flour

¼ t dried thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt & pepper to taste

1 T grainy mustard

1 T lemon juice

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 T dry bread crumbs

All the preparation can be done in the same saucepan if you’re not in a rush, provided you have a saucepan with a steamer insert.

Steam the broccoli over rapidly boiling water for two minutes (making sure you have a good 2” of water in the pan).  Remove broccoli from steam basket onto a dinner plate and allow to cool.

In the residual hot water remaining in the saucepan, add the fish fillets, cover, and allow to sit off the heat for five minutes.  At the end of five minutes, remove the salmon from the poaching liquid and put it with the broccoli.  Allow to cool. 

Dump out the remaining water.  Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat, and add the mushrooms, sautéing until they’ve released their liquid and it has evaporated.  Add them to the broccoli and salmon pile.

In a small jar, combine the milk and flour, cover with lid, and shake until smooth.  Add this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened.  Remove from heat, and add the thyme, garlic, salt & pepper, mustard and lemon juice. 

Flake the fish with your hands over the saucepan, allowing the flakes to fall into the sauce.  Tip in the broccoli and mushrooms, and mix gently until combined.  Turn into a lightly greased 8 X 8 pan.

Mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs, and sprinkle evenly over the top. 

Bake in a preheated 425^o oven for 20 minutes.