Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

You can't go wrong with a classic combination. My husband made these the other night and they were so good we had two each - plus a bit extra at the end. He decided to keep the bread soft which turned out be a nice contrast to the crisp sausage. You can use either hot or sweet Italian sausage, or any combination of the two. We decided on sweet, but he added a bit of crushed red pepper flakes for heat.

For this recipe you will need: 8 large Italian sausage links, 2 red bell peppers, 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and bakery fresh sandwich buns.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat and add sausage links whole. Turn until all sides are browned and remove from pan. Slice peppers and onions and add to pan. Add red pepper flakes and oregano to vegetables and cook them until tender, about 6 minutes. Slice the garlic and add to the pan until fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir to coat peppers and onions and then immediate add wine to deglaze the pan and dissolve tomato paste. Return sausage links to pan. Reduce heat to low and cover. When the insides of the sausage are done (internal temp of 165), remove cover and either allow extra liquid to cook out or fill buns with sausage link and top with peppers and onions. They're very messy and very fabulous! Enjoy!

Edited to add: My husband just reminded me that he added sliced garlic to the vegetables a few minutes before deglazing. I've updated the recipe above. Thanks, Honey! =)

Homemade Tomato Meat Sauce

This sauce tastes great on any pasta. I love to add red pepper flakes and a ton of grated parmesean cheese to serve.

For this recipe you will need: 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add the beef and break it apart with a spoon, stirring occasionally until it is browned. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine with meat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. Ideally, this sauce should simmer for a few hours for the best flavor and texture. But if you're in a hurry, you can thicken with some tomato paste and have it ready in 20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Rotini and Cheese (with Broccoli)

It takes a bit longer to make homemade mac-n-cheese, but it's well worth it. The boxed stuff is super high in sodium and it doesn't even taste that great. Although the box is simple to make and in a pinch can definitely get the kids fed when time is an issue - when I've got a few extra minutes I like to make it from scratch.

Usually I use regular pasta (any kind I have on hand) but I recently decided to give whole wheat pasta a go with my family (or more specifically a whole wheat pasta blend.) The blend is a bit easier to eat and while the taste is still different from regular pasta, it's something that I think the family can get used to and then will eventually never notice the difference.

For this recipe you will need: 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup stock, 2 cups broccoli florets, 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese, 3 slices american cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Four minutes before the pasta is done, you will add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot, so get the broccoli washed and ready to go. I like to set a timer for the pasta cooking time less four minutes so that I don't forget.

In a separate medium size pot, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a rue. Whisk in the milk and stock and bring to a slow boil and reduce heat. Continue stirring until thickened. Add the cheddar and whisk until melted and well combined. Add the american cheese, one slice at a time, until melted and combined. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and broccoli and add to large bowl. Pour cheese sauce over and mix well to combine. Serve immediately. Note: add a splash of milk or stock when reheating leftovers.

Don't Forget the Easy Stuff - Eggs

As a mom, eggs have become my go to meal - that is, I can make them for any meal and be sure that my kids are getting a healthy source of protein. Serve any of these dishes with a side of fresh fruit and some turkey sausage (always have handy in freezer) and you've got yourself a complete meal that is done before you have a chance to order in.

Here is a quick list of my favorite uses for eggs for a quick, healthy and homemade meal.

• Hard Boiled Eggs - Place eggs in pot large enough so the eggs are not on top of each other. Fill to cover with cold water. Place on stovetop over high heat until a gentle boil begins. Immediately cover and turn off heat. Set timer for 15 minutes. Remove eggs after 15 minutes to ice bath or refrigerator to stop cooking. To Serve: Shell and eat as is, mash with mayo for egg salad, slice on top of salad or deviled eggs.
  
• French Toast - Scramble 3 eggs with 1/2 cup milk, pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat a pan over medium high heat and melt enough butter to coat the pan. Dip bread into egg mixture and cover completely. Immediately place in hot pan and lower heat to medium low. It will be done when brown on both sides. To Serve: Drizzle with warm syrup, sprinkle with confectioners sugar or spread with thin layer of cream cheese and sliced strawberries (my son's favorite).
• Egg Sandwich - Heat pan over high heat and melt butter to coat pan. When hot, crack one or two eggs in center and immediately lower heat to medium low. Season as desired (I like Tabasco, salt and pepper) Break yolk or leave intact (my kids like it broken and I'm over easy) and flip after a few minutes. To Serve: Place fried egg on buttered toast with any or all of the following: cheese, tomato, bacon, baby lettuce, ham or hot sauce.
• Scrambled Eggs - Scramble 4 eggs in a bowl and add 1/4 cup water, salt, pepper, parsley and cook in pan over medium low heat, moving eggs around in pan until they are cooked to desired doneness.
  

Garlic Soy Marinade

I made this marinade for a piece of steak we planned on grilling. I left it to marinade for over a day, but you can get away with a few hours if necessary.

For this marinade you will need: 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 5-6 garlic cloves (minced, grated or finely chopped), salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag with meat and seal without air. Refrigerate until needed and cook as you would like. We used a 2 pound piece of beef top round and grilled for about ten minutes a side. It was great that night, and even better as leftovers the next day. For lunch I sliced some up to top a salad and for dinner I reheated the slices with crushed garlic cloves slowly cooked in butter. I splashed some soy sauce on it to finish. Mmmmm!

Homemade Chicken Fingers

You'll swear off store-bought frozen chicken nuggets after you taste these. They're quicker to make and taste a lot better! These aren't just a treat for the kids - my husband and I love them too, and they are wonderful dipped in Cholula hot sauce.


For this recipe you will need: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup water, 3 cups bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, salt and to taste and about 1/2 cup vegetable oil.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, about 4-5 inches long and 2 inches across. Set up an assembly line to bread the chicken. On the first plate, put flour and paprika and combine gently with your fingers. In a bowl, scramble the eggs and water. On the next plate, put bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper and combine gently with your fingers. The final plate should be empty so you have a place to put the breaded chicken.

Dip each chicken piece into flour and shake off excess. Next, dip into egg mixture and then place on bread crumb plate. Using your fingers, push into the bread crumbs on each side so they coat the chicken piece well. Put breaded chicken on extra plate.

In a large frying pan, heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil until swirling. You can also test the heat by dropping a small piece of the breading and see if it fries quickly. Once the oil is at the proper heat, add chicken (be sure not to overcrowd the pan, you can always do another batch). Cook the chicken about 4-5 minutes on each side and be sure to lower the heat if it is browning too quickly.

Put cooked chicken on paper towel to absorb excess oil and sprinkle with additional salt to taste.

This chicken is great on it's own, but is equally wonderful on sandwiches and salads and makes the perfect appetizer. You can really get creative with the dipping sauces. Try my avocado vinaigrette as a nice alternative to dipping in ketchup or ranch dressing.

There's Nothing Better Than...

...sweet Italian sausage cooked on the grill. Go ahead, I dare you to challenge it.
Skin...crispy. Inside...tender. There's nothing better than sweet Italian sausage cooked on the grill.

Think you've got a better method for cooking Italian sausage? Please let me know in the comments!

Sesame Orange Chicken Marinade

Yesterday I suggested to my husband that we grill something for dinner (a.k.a. I'm too tired to cook and would love for you to BBQ) and he came up with this excellent marinade for boneless, skinless chicken thighs using stuff we had on hand in the refrigerator and pantry. The chicken turned out juicy and well flavored, which is sometimes difficult on the grill. I've been known to turn out some pretty dry chicken after over cooking it on the grill.

For this recipe you will need: 2 pounds chicken pieces (anything will do here, we used boneless, skinless chicken thighs), 2 gloves diced garlic, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/4 cup olive oil, and lots of parsley.

He only marinated the chicken for less than an hour and it still turned out full of flavor and moist. You can marinade the chicken for up to 24 hours if you have the time. Mix all of the ingredients in a plastic storage bag and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.

Set your grill to medium/medium-high heat and once warm, put the chicken pieces on and don't move them. Turn the chicken when ready and remove when the internal temp is 170 or you can cut a piece in half to make sure it's no longer pink.

Optional: Heat the remaining marinade in a pan over medium heat until boiling, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Pour over finished chicken pieces or have on the side for dipping.

Chorizo, Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork

I made this up as I went along, and wasn't quite sure it would work. But after tasting it, my husband said he would pay for it in a restaurant. Thanks, Babe! ;)

What I liked about it was that I used a small number of ingredients (6-9 including seasonings) and the cooking time was short (under 30 minutes). And the finished product looks fabulous, although I'm not sure my picture does it justice.

For this recipe you will need:
One pork tenderloin, one box frozen chopped spinach, one cup chicken stock, two Chorizo sausage links, one small onion, 3/4 cup goat cheese and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika).

To prepare:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Chop sausage links and onion.
  
• Defrost spinach in microwave.
• Add sausage and onion to fry pan over medium heat to brown sausage and cook onions. You can add some olive oil if you want here, but I found the sausage released enough oil while browning.
  
• While that is cooking, take defrosted spinach and drain as much water out as possible (I used a clean kitchen towel to wring it dry) and add to fry pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon to combine with sausage.
• Add chicken stock and goat cheese to fry pan, and remove from heat once combined.
• Butterfly the pork tenderloin.
  

Here's where I went a bit off of my original plan to stuff and roll the tenderloin. I realized I made too much stuffing, and instead of adding only half and reserving the remaining, I dumped the entire spinach/sausage/cheese mixture on top of the butterflied tenderloin. Read on for how I finished it...

• Place the tenderloin into a baking dish with sides (like Pyrex) and make sure half of the tenderloin fits on the bottom of the dish (it's OK if the other half hangs out, we'll fix that in a minute).
  
• Pour the stuffing mixture on top of the tenderloin, using the back of your spoon to spread it all over the bottom half.
  
• Bring the top half of the pork tenderloin over the top, making a taco-like fold. Some of the stuffing will spill out, and that's OK.
• Season the top of the tenderloin with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika to taste.
• Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165 (be sure to take temp of pork and not the stuffing).
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

I decided to cut it into about 3 inch across slices, and plated by spooning some of the extra stuffing that spilled out into the pan on top of each slice. It was delicious and I will definitely make this one again.

I just love it when a plan goes wrong but turns out so right! ;)

Recipes for Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken - Healthy!

I recently posted on HubPages a few of my recipes for ground turkey. You can certainly use ground chicken in it's place if you prefer. Just remember to use extra vegetables to compensate for the leaner (and therefore potentially drier) meat. They will add much needed moisture to make your dish delectable! Enjoy...


Healthy Recipes Using Ground Turkey

Pork Tenderloin Cutlets with Chorizo and Apple

I just make this tonight, and it turned out great! I was surprised, because I had purchased these cutlets to grill, but time was running out on them and it's been too cold to grill so I went with plan B.

Season 2 inch thick pork tenderloin cutlets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Dice one chorizo sausage and 1/2 apple into 1/4 inch pieces. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add chorizo to pan and cook until crispy - remove from pan and set to the side. Add pork cutlets to pan and sear on both sides, about 4 minutes each, until brown. After the second side is seared, add 1/2 cup chicken stock to pan along with cooked chorizo and apple. Place pan in preheated oven to finish cooking the pork - about 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

Allow pork to sit before serving. Ladle sauce with apples and sausage on top of each cutlet to serve.

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin - 3 Different Ways

OK, I'll admit it - I'm a bulk store junkie! On Saturday I came home with a 4 pack of pork tenderloins. I usually freeze half of it uncooked, but I decided if all of them fit into my slow cooker at once, then why not save some time later on?


This recipe is for 4 pounds of pork tenderloin, but it's easily halved if you need it to be:

• Chop two apples and put into bottom of crock pot
• Chop one large onion and put into bottom of crock pot
• Pour 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup white wine to crock pot
• Add pork tenderloins to crock pot, on top of apple/onion/liquid mixture
• Season the top of the tenderloins with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika

Set the slow cooker to low/8 hours. When done, the pork will be fork tender and practically falling apart. Here are a few ways to serve it:

1. Sliced Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy: Slice one of the tenderloins (about 1 pound) into 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices. In shallow pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and allow to cook for a few minutes until soft. Add 2 tablespoons flour and cook until light brown. Add 1 cup reserved liquid from crock pot or stock until at desired consistency. Add pork slices and warm through in gravy.
2. Pulled Pork: Take half of the pork (about 2 pounds) and pull apart with your fingers into strands. Add some of the reserved crock pot liquid. Serve with BBQ sauce or hot sauce and fresh rolls to make sandwiches or serve alongside a vegetable side.
3. Pork Fried Rice: This is a healthier version of your favorite Chinese food. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in medium shallow pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scramble two eggs and push to side of pan. Chop 1/2 onion or 1/4 cup of green onion and add to pan for 3-4 minutes. Add cooked rice and mix with onion and egg. Chop pork tenderloin (about 1 pound) and add to pan with 1/2 cup frozen peas. Once warmed through, season mixture with salt, pepper, a few splashes each of soy sauce, teriyake sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar. Optional - add diced carrots with onions until soft.

This is a great make-ahead recipe. Once the tenderloins have cooked in the crock pot, separate them into freezer storage bags in the condition you will ultimately use them in. For example, pull apart 2 pounds of pork and label in bag as "pulled pork" so when you need to use it, it will be quick to defrost and add additional ingredients.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken in Crockpot

For this recipe, I begin with frozen chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) but you can easily substitute chicken pieces or breasts if you like. The sauce is easily doubled, so I try to fit as much chicken into my slow cooker as possible so I can have extra to use throughout the week. For the sauce recipe below, I use about 10 chicken thighs, or about 2 pounds.

Since I rarely work from a recipe, my Honey Teriyake sauce changes each time. But it is basically:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons ginger dressing or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons teriyake sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
  

You can easily increase or decrease or even omit any of these ingredients and still have a wonderfully flavorful sauce. Just make sure you test it before adding to the crock pot.

Add chicken thighs (still frozen if you like) to crock pot, then pour sauce over chicken. Set to High (4 hours min if using thawed chicken or 6 hours min if using frozen). After a few hours, work the frozen chicken apart with a spoon and redistribute sauce over all chicken.

This chicken can be sliced and served over fried rice, regular rice, noodles or a garden salad. Extra chicken is great on sandwiches or stir fries later in the week.

Shrimp over Green Salad w/Avocado Vinaigrette

That's a mouthful - literally! This is a quick and easy dinner for anyone, especially those watching their carb intake.

• Marinade about a pound of medium size shrimp (vein and tail removed) in the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper for 30 minutes before next step.
  
• Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium high heat.
• Crush 3 garlic cloves with the flat part of a knife or your hand and toss into the butter until fragrant and remove before they get too brown.
• Add shrimp to pan until pink. Set to the side.
• Prepare garden salad - I used cucumber and carrots over romaine and radicchio.
• Create dressing - Add to coffee mug (I use coffee mug because I can easily hold it and my hand blender fits nicely) one avocado, juice of one lime, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons white wine (optional), 2 tablespoons water (increase if omitting wine). Mix with hand blender until creamy.
  
• Toss the salad with the dressing, and plate. Add the warm shrimp on top.

Enjoy!

Beef Cubes - From Freezer to Tender in 6 Hours

Whenever I need to go from frozen to dinner in under 6 hours, I usually call upon my crockpot. I can take meat right from the freezer, without needing to defrost it first, and drop it in my slow cooker with a few root vegetables, wine and seasonings. I didn't have the brain power this morning to put together a full meal in the crockpot, but I thought if I could get the beef cubes cooked and tender by dinner time, I could easily throw together a side or two a few minutes before dinner.

Here's what I did this morning:
Rough chop one onion and 3 carrots (unpeeled) - these are just for flavor while the beef cubes slow cook. Toss these vegetables in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour 1/2 cup of wine - anything you have on hand. Strangely enough, I only had a white zin in the fridge, so I went with it. Add 2 bay leaves to liquid. Take beef cubes from freezer. I had about 1.5 pounds frozen in a flat layer in a plastic storage bag, and when I eyed the crockpot, I knew I wasn't going to fit the lid over the frozen maze of cubes - I quickly held the beef under warm water until I was able to snap the mass in half (about 1 minute). Add to crockpot and season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place lid on and set to High or 6 hours.

Here's what I plan to do tonight:
Remove beef cubes from crockpot and cut into smaller chunks (easier for the kids to eat). They will be really soft and tender at this point. In a medium skillet, heat 1 pat of butter and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add 2 cups of mushrooms - any variety - sliced or rough chopped. Once they are tender - about 5 minutes - sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour on them and allow flour to cook and brown slightly. Strain the liquid from the crockpot and add to skillet while whisking to combine with flour. Add enough liquid so the consistency is slightly thinner than gravy. I f you need more liquid, use stock, water or wine. Once bubbling, add the beef cubes to the skillet and toss to combine.

What can you do with this beef/mushroom mixture?

• Serve over egg noodles, pasta, rice or baked potatoes
  
• Serve on it's own with a side of vegetables and/or garden salad

Variations

• Make It Low-Carb: Use cream cheese or sour cream instead of flour as a thickener.
• Make It With Chicken: I recommend chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because they will stay moister in the slow cooker.