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this dish is so quintessentially Italian, and it is an excellent source of protein and it is gluten-free (unless you add something wheaty to it). these flavors just “go” together, and when i saw broccoli rabe in the store i knew i would be adding it to something for dinner this week.
ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and ends trimmed, then chopped
3 links or one “roll” pork sausage (i used smithfield mild pork sausage roll as it is gluten-free)
1 block (about ½ a pound) of fontina cheese, cubed
8 eggs
salt and pepper
olive oil
directions:
heat olive oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. add the sausage, breaking it up with the back of your spoon so that it browns evenly. once it is fully browned, add the chopped broccoli rabe and let that wilt down until it’s a dark green and is soft.
preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
mix the eggs, salt and pepper (to taste), and the cubed fontina in a small bowl. pour this over the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture and make sure to evenly distribute the eggs. let this set on the bottom (run a rubber spatula under this to make sure you will easily be able to cut and remove slices of the finished frittata) and then pop it into the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is set. let cool for about 4 to 5 minutes and then turn out and slice into wedges to serve.
notes:
this could be a great meal for breakfast or dinner. if you are serving for breakfast a nice side of fresh berries would be a good compliment. for dinner a green salad would be delicious.
as i was planning my menu last week i decided i wanted a pasta dish that was creamy - but not heavy, full of good vegetables that i love, and filling. i couldn't find a recipe for what i was looking for, so one started to form in my head. this pasta is the perfect winter treat. it's chock full of nutrients and vitamins, and has sweet, spicy, bitter, and umami flavors and is sure to please.
ingredients:
1 large bunch of kale, cleaned, stems removed, and roughly chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 links turkey sausage, casings removed
1 large sweet onion, sliced into half rounds
1 pound penne pasta (we used whole wheat)
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon coarsely ground dijon mustard
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked off
1 block of parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper and olive oil
directions:
preheat the oven to 400 degrees. toss the sweet potato in olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a baking sheet lined with foil (or not, they are your dish pan hands). pop the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft, but not browned.
meanwhile, fill your (clean) kitchen sink with water and place the kale in the water. move the kale around with your hands and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. any dirt that was clinging to the kale will drop to the bottom, so when you are pulling out the kale, try not to disturb the water too much.
bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta per the package instruction.
meanwhile, in a large pan over high heat, brown the sausage, and then remove from the pan. leave the fat in the pan and add in the onions and a pinch of salt. brown these slightly, letting them also render down. once they are cooked down add the kale. you will need to move the kale around to wilt it all over. it's not as bitter as collards, so it just needs to wilt and turn a vibrant green. you may need to add some oil to the pan while the kale is cooking, it will help it wilt. add the sausage back into the pan, and add the pepper flakes if you are using them. check the potatoes and if they are done add them to the pan as well. sprinkle in the leaves of the thyme (no need to chop them).
make a well in the center and add the dijon mustard and white wine and mix them together so that the mustard can be evenly dispersed. let the wine cook down and then add in the cream. mix this through and let it cook down slightly, and then grate in the parmesan cheese. add the pasta, mix together, and grate in more cheese. remove from heat and then top with more cheese. enjoy!
notes:
this pasta is dead simple and could be made with any number of ingredients, these are just the best to use in the dead of winter. kale is one of my favorite vegetables, and i love using it here and there when it's not expected. it's so good for you too, which just makes me feel justified in my choice. play around with your favorite seasonal vegetables though, and see what you come up with.
i've had three major culinary influences in my life; my mother, my paternal grandmother, and my maternal grandfather.
each is (or was) an exceptional cook in their own right, and each had their specialties. my mother has always been adventurous in the kitchen, and it is this that has given me my vast palate and appreciation for the foods of many cultures over the years. my paternal grandmother is southern and her main influence was julia child. she has always had an affinity for fresh vegetables and simple ingredients with touches of complex flavors in her sauces. my grandfather was a bit of a rogue cook, he loved very strong spicy flavors, and was the one who taught me to use chopsticks and introduced me to the wonders of thai food.
it is for my grandfather that these calzones are named. i have many memories of him showing up unexpected while my brother and i were watching tv. his hands would be full of grocery bags, and the bags would have sausages, tomatoes, peppers, onions and pasta. he would destroy my mother's kitchen each time, but he always let my brother and i help. we would stir the onions and peppers while he explained what sweating was. my brother would remove the sausages from their casings, enjoying the ooze of the seasoned meat. i remember my parents faces when they would come home from work, a blend of dread at the site of the kitchen (each and every pot and pan used) and joy at the sight dinner being ready. i believe that the thought of their children cooking with their grandfather also brought them joy, and michael (my brother) and i were always very close with poppy.
sadly, we lost him in 2002, which was hard on all of us. but his love of cooking, and his ability to completely trash a kitchen was passed down to me, and it is in his honor that i offer up these tasty calzones. they stray slightly from his famous sausage and peppers, but i think he'd like them all the same. and it is in honor of him that instead of my usual "enjoy", i'll leave you with one of his most famous quotes: "soup's on!"
ingredients:
1 vidalia onion, sliced thin into half moons
1 red and 1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 or 3 sausage links, sliced (i used aidell's sun-dried tomato and mozzarella, but raw sausage would work fine)
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 small can tomato sauce (or a can of crushed tomatoes)
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, sliced
a handfull of cherry or plum tomatoes, chopped (mine were courtesy of one of my designers gardens - thanks galen!)
just under 2 cups of cheese (i used monterrey jack, but mozzarella or fontina would have been good too)
1 batch basic whole wheat pizza crust (available here)
olive oil
salt
directions:
make the pizza crust per the recipe, and set aside to rise. preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
in a small saucepan heat the olive oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and stir until fragrant, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for a few minutes more. stir in the tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer, then add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low.
in a large pan heat more olive oil over medium high heat and then add the onions and peppers and a large pinch of salt (the salt helps the onions sweat.) stir these until they are soft and glassy, but not browned. add the sausage (if using raw sausage be sure to allow enough time to cook it through, but if you are using the aidell's like i did, they really only need a few minutes to bring the flavors out since they are already fully cooked.) turn off the heat and set aside.
divide the dough into four even balls and flatten out into large discs with your hands. stretch and pull them so that they are thin and even. lay on on a baking sheet (you may want to line it with a silpat) and fill one half of the dough disc with the sausage and pepper mixture, a small handful of cheese, and a little sauce. fold the other half over the first, and then pinch the edges together tightly. make three more and arrange on the baking sheet. top with some salt.
they need about 15 minutes in the oven and should be served with a side dipping bowl of the sauce.
notes:
these would be just as good without the cheese and without the sausage. they can be filled with anything really, and are pretty versatile. if you don't want sun-dried tomatoes in the sauce, just use more cherry tomatoes and some italian seasonings or herbs (oregano, basil, etc.) as the oil the tomatoes are in does add a lot of flavor.
though you will frequently find me spending well over an hour on a weeknight dinner, i occasionally need something that is fast as well as satisfying. quesadillas are ready made for this purpose, being simple in both construction and ingredients. though these ingredients are a classic italian combination, they work equally well in this mexican preparation.
ingredients
2 bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 pre-cooked gourmet sausages (we use aidell's artichoke and garlic), chopped
4 large whole wheat flour tortillas
1 block of monterey jack cheese, grated
olive oil
salt and pepper
directions
heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. add the peppers and onions, and then salt to taste. Stir for about 5 to 8 minutes until the onions are softened and the peppers are beginning to caramelize. add in the chopped sausages and heat through, about 2 minutes.
remove the vegetables and sausage from the pan, and using a paper towel, wipe the pan clean. place a tortilla in the hot pan, add a layer of cheese (being sure to get close to the edges) and then a layer of the vegetables and sausage, and then another layer of the cheese, topping it all off with a tortilla. press down on the top of the tortilla, using pressure to "seal" the two tortillas with the melted cheese. let this cook for about 2 minutes, and then carefully flip. let it cook on the second side for one minute and then slide out onto a cutting board and slice into triangles.
notes
you can top these with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, or anything that suits your fancy. they are fast, nutritious, and delicious...what more could you ask for?
as an alternate, you can also cook these with fresh sausage, but you'll need to brown it before you cook the vegetables, removing it to sautee them, and then adding it back in to heat through.
