8 posts tagged “chicken sausage”
My few and far between updates lately have probably clued you into the fact that things around here have been pretty busy. I think we've spent half the month of July out of town and this will probably be my only post this week, too, because we have some dinner plans and also are going to Lollapalooza this weekend. Hopefully if I make it back (I'm getting too old and it's far too hot for me to be going to a 3-day outdoor festival), things will start picking up around here in August.
A torta Giada made inspired me to make this dish because I had all the ingredients on hand. Well, okay, that's not actually true. I discovered just as I was about to throw my spaghetti into the boiling water that I really only had 6 oz. of pasta. And then I realized I just had about 1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes. And I never have parmesan cheese - I always opt for more flavorful romano. And, well, you guessed it. I didn't have fontina, either.
But no matter. This torta or spaghetti frittata or pasta quiche or whatever you want to call it (my husband, who always comes up with really unappealing names for dishes regardless of them being good, has dubbed this "spaghetti frisbee") is a really basic, versatile dish that you can pretty much throw anything you want into.I decided to replace some of the egg with half and half because I needed to use it up before it spoiled. I also added some chicken sausage to bulk this up and add a little protein. And of course I added nutmeg because I personally do not think a white or egg sauce is complete without nutmeg. This was simple and good. A nice crispy outside with a creamy inside. I increased the sundried tomatoes in the recipe below because I do think mine needed a few more. I think some caramelized onions would also be a great addition to this.
Spaghetti Frisbee
Serves 4
6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and cooled
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 links (1/2 lb.) Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 oz. smoked gouda, grated or shredded
2 oz. pecorino romano, grated
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup half and half or cream
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper (I actually used zero salt - odd for me - because of the cheese & sausage)
Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a pan and then crumble the sausage into the pan, cooking until done. Set aside to cool.
Mix together the cheeses, nutmeg, half and half, eggs & some freshly ground pepper. Toss the mixture with the cooled pasta and then stir in the sausage and the sundried tomatoes.
Preheat the broiler. In a nonstick skillet (mine was 10"), heat the remaining tsp. of olive oil and the butter. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the broiler to finish cooking and crisp up, about 5 more minutes. Allow to cool slighly before inverting onto a platter and slicing into wedges.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (with whole wheat pasta & Trader Joe's chicken sausage): Calories: 389 / Fat: 18.4g / Saturated: 6.5g / Carbs: 36g / Fiber: 5.7g / Protein: 24.1g
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Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast has been hosting Presto Pasta Nights for a whole year now. Thanks, Ruth! I really wanted to participate in this week's roundup--the big PPN birthday--so hopefully I am not too late!
Speaking of events, for those of you who have posted your entry to Eat to the Beat, thanks for participating! I have seen some really delicious and really creative things. If you haven't emailed me your info, please do that. I am using my emails to do the round-up so I don't want to accidentally forget anyone. If you emailed me your info and you didn't hear back from me that either means I didn't get your email or I did, but you didn't get mine. The interwebs is crazy like that! So either way, please email me again. Thanks!
Anywho, like any "presto" kind of dish, this meal came together with ingredients I always manage to have on hand (OK, I did have a minor panic attack on Monday when I made pizzas and realized, to my horror, that I was out of goat cheese but I have since remedied that situation). It's a dish that's easy to prepare but definitely not lacking in flavor. The goat cheese gives this pasta a creamy consistency (and makes it a pretty color!) and is a *little* better for you than heavy cream. Plus, it just gives that little tang of extra flavor. I'm really glad I made enough to take leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Penne with Goat Cheese-Tomato Sauce (and peas, mushrooms, and chicken sausage...)
Serves 4
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 (4-5 oz) hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I use chicken sausage)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
a few tbsp of wine or broth (not necessary but it's good for deglazing)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (more for garnish if desired)
1 small (4oz) log goat cheese
salt and pepper
10-12 oz. penne, cooked
Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When shimmering, crumble in the sausage and saute until browned. Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms and onions are tender, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute before adding a few splashes of broth/wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits.
Add the crushed tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer to combine the flavors, 10 or 15 minutes. Add the peas and heat through for a minute or two. Stir in the basil and the goat cheese. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the goat cheese has melted into the sauce. Season to taste if necessary and combine with the cooked pasta.
I love risotto but I don't make it too often because I try to limit my intake of "whites" and, well, I'm pretty sure that whole grain risotto doesn't exist. Even if it did, it would be an abomination! I've been wanting to try Giada's dirty risotto for a while now because it's a very hearty risotto, fit for a main course serving. Since it has a protein, veggies and a starch it's pretty much a meal in itself...but I did pair our dinner tonight with a baby spinach salad.
I did adapt the recipe (of course). I bulked up the veggies and the sausage a little bit, but used chicken sausage to lighten it up. I'm pretty certain you can find leaner chicken sausage but the spicy Italian from Trader Joe's I had on hand (which is SO good) was 190 calories a link. I added garlic, too (a Giada recipe without garlic? Almost as preposterous as an Elly recipe without it!). I was a little nervous about adding this into SparkPeople. Even with my modifications I thought it was going to be a calorie bomb. But, it's really not that bad at around 450 calories. It is slightly high in fat, but you can modify that by using leaner sausage, something in place of the pancetta, etc.
Tom and I both really liked this dish. I mean, what's not to like about a creamy, comforting meal like this? Definitely one to make again.
Dirty Risotto
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 2
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. butter
1 link (4 oz.) spicy Italian chicken sausage, casing removed
1 oz. pancetta, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
4 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup pecorino romano
Add the chicken broth to a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Keep it on the stove, simmering, as you prepare the risotto.
Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the chicken sausage, crumbling it as you stir it in, and the pancetta and cook for a few minutes until browned. Add the onions, red pepper and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes before adding the minced garlic. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the rice and stir to coat, "toasting" it a little. Add the wine and cook it off until it's almost completely evaporated.
Add a ladel of the simmering chicken broth to the pan and stir continiously until almost absorbed. Continue adding chicken broth by the ladel, every time the rice has nearly absorbed it, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite. Remove from heat and stir in the romano.
Nutritional Information, Per Serving, using Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: Calories: 451.5 / Fat: 19.5g / Carbs: 39.5g / Dietary Fiber: 2g / Protein: 24.8g
I really don't know why we don't eat breakfast for dinner more often. Breakfast food has got to be some of my favorite stuff, and we rarely go out to eat breakfast. Eggs, waffles, biscuits and gravy...you name it, I love it.
Since I was craving breakfast, I decided to make a hash with some odds and ends I had in my fridge.
Originally, I was going to cook the eggs separately, place them on top of the hash and make the dish all pretty-fied. But....a) sometimes a pretty picture is not worth an extra dirty pan; and b) some things are not meant to look pretty so much as they are meant to look "rustic" and homey :)
Hash Scramble
Serves 2
1 Italian sausage link (I used chicken sausage), casing removed
2 slices bacon, diced
1 Tbsp fat (olive oil, butter, margarine...pick your poison)
1/4 cup diced onions
1 large potato, cubed
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-6 eggs (I used 2 eggs + 3 egg whites)
1-2 Tbsp milk, cream or sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper
In a large skillet, brown sausage, crumbling as you brown. Remove from skillet.
To the same pan, add the bacon and cook. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pour off all but about 1 tsp. of the bacon fat. Add butter/oil to the skillet.
Add onions and cook for about a minute before stirring in potatoes. Cook potatoes, stirring to brown on all sides, for about 3 minutes. Add peppers and cook for a minute. Saute garlic until fragrant, and then season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover skillet and cook over low heat until potatoes are tender (should just be a few more minutes). In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and add salt and pepper to taste.
To the skillet, add the sausage, bacon and eggs. Stir frequently, just as you are making scrambled eggs.
When eggs are slightly undercooked, stir in the cheese to melt. Remove from heat and serve.
Often times when you are specifically cooking for two, you don't end up with leftover meals but you do end up with leftover ingredients. That's what happened to me today, so I decided to throw them all into one thing and call it a day.
This is part marinara, part cacciatore, part sausage and peppers. Completely healthy :) This is what went into the clean-out-yer-fridge chicken dish.
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 links chicken sausage (I used mushroom asiago), sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- a handful or two of baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 can (a little less than a cup) diced tomatoes with their juice
- basil and oregano
- salt and pepper
- one cup hot cooked brown rice
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chicken sausage slices and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon.
To the pan, add the diced onion and green pepper and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the mushrooms and zucchini, and a pinch of salt, and cook until tender.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
Stir in diced tomatoes, spinach, salt and pepper, basil and oregano to taste. Add chicken sausage back to pan and simmer on low to warm through and mesh flavors.
Serve over brown rice.
Go grocery shopping again.
Nutritional info per serving, including the rice (may be off by a calorie or two because I threw out the original packaging of the chicken sausage but by using the packaging of a different flavor of the sausage and my memory I think it's pretty accurate): Calories: 400 / Fat: 14g / Carbs: 45g / Dietary Fiber: 4.5g / Protein: 21g
Tonight I decided to go ahead and do my LiveStrong Taste of Yellow dish, which is referred to in an earlier blog post of mine. I encourage everyone with a food blog to do the same!
Yellow foods provide excellent benefits, like supplying carotenoids, which can improve your eye health as well as protect against cardiovascual disease and some cancers. When I really think about it, I don't eat enough yellow foods, so I will definitely try to add these to my diet more often!
Typically when I make stuffed peppers, I make the standard "gemista" I grew up on, which are basically ground beef, tomatoes, rice and seasonings stuffed into a green pepper. Today I decided to make stuffed yellow peppers, and I made them sort of Mexican/southwestern in flavor. I have to say, they were delicious!
I also wanted to make sure they were very nutritious. I used chicken sausage (TJ's chipotle flavored) instead of pork, brown rice instead of white, and salsa and chicken broth have basically no calories. So there is a good protein, a complex carb, and some veggies!
Stuffed Yellow Peppers
4-6 yellow peppers
EVOO
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 links chipotle chicken sausage, or other Mexican-style or spicy sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup salsa (I used a chunky version, use less if you are using a smoother/more liquid type)
1/2 cup chicken broth
cumin/chili powder/salt & pepper to taste (this will depend on how flavorful your sausage already is)
1/2 cup rice, cooked or par-cooked
1 cup cheddar/Mexican/manchengo/whatever kind of cheese you want
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut lids off peppers. Remove core, and place on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan sprayed with oil. Spray peppers lightly, too.
Heat EVOO in a skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and sausage. Crumble and brown sausage.
Stir in salsa, chicken broth and seasonings. Add rice and simmer for a couple minutes, absorbing some of the liquid. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Fill peppers with mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.
For a side, I made some black beans. I have to say that only in the past couple of years have I really started eating beans. I used to dislike them (or think I disliked them) but I have slowly introduced them into my diet and I really enjoy them. However, I tend to throw beans in something, as opposed to making them a side of their own. Tonight I went for a side dish and I think this is probably my new favorite way to eat black beans.
Black Beans
olive oil or canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil to a shimmer. Stir in the onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and tomato paste and saute an additional minute. Add half the beans and mash them slightly, with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
Add remaining beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, cumin, chili powder and oregano. Simmer 15 minutes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
You'll have to excuse the terrible picture of this. It's not the prettiest looking thing but it tastes great.
I had to do a little Easter shopping after work today so I knew I wouldn't want to make a dinner that took a while when I got home. I remembered I had half of my pizza dough from TJ's frozen, so I decided to thaw it and make a stromboli.
I used half a package of TJ's whole wheat pizza dough, rolled it out and topped it with about 1/2 cup shredded lowfat mozzarella, 1/4 cup smoked gouda (which I always have on hand but for some reason never thought to use in a pizza until I read canarygirl's blog), a link of spicy chicken sausage that I browned in a little EVOO with a clove of garlic and fresh rosemary, and prosciutto. Rolled it into a log with the ends tucked in, brushed it with an egg wash and baked at 425 for about 20-25 minutes.
With the stromboli, I made some zucchini sticks. Basically, zucchini dipped in a beaten egg then in some breadcrumbs that I seasoned. Normally I would add parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs but I already had enough cheese in the stromboli. I then placed the sticks on a sprayed cookie sheet, sprayed the tops with a little more oil, and stuck them in the oven for the same time as the stromboli. Served both with a marinara dipping sauce.
About a month ago, I bought some chipotle flavored chicken sausage from Trader Joe's. I had never tried chicken sausage before (and to be honest, didn't know if I wanted to) but I wanted a new lean meat in our dinner rotation, so I picked up a pack. I froze it when I got home and finally got around to using it tonight, in a dish that used up some of my most common pantry ingredients. The sausage had good flavor (sure, it's no pork but I was pleasantly surprised) and I look forward to trying out some of TJ's additional chicken sausage flavors.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced (I used red)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 links chipotle chicken sausage, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper
2/3 cup corn
Heat oil in a saute pan. Cook onions and bell pepper until tender. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add chicken slices and brown on both sides.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer long enough that ingredients meld and you get the flavor you want. Add additional spices or salt and pepper as necessary.
Stir in corn (I used frozen) and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
We had this over brown rice.
