Braised Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

Simple and Sweet!

Sometimes I just like to eat simply and cook simply. Just a few ingredients and an easy recipe is perfect for dinner after a busy day. I don't know about you, but I really don't feel like cooking anything too complicated when I get home from work. But I do like to sit down to a hearty and healthy meal. It just makes you feel better after a hectic and stressful day. This recipe was inspired by Rachel Ray. It is a great technique of braising using only 6 ingredients. That I can handle!

Braised Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
Adapted from Rachel Ray

1 pound fresh chicken sausage
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large leek, sliced and washed
1/4 cup dry white wine

Put all ingredients in a medium/large high sided saute pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until broth has evaporated and a glaze has formed. Turn sausages after 10 minutes and continue cooking. Remove sausage and leeks and place in a serving dish; cover with foil. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine to the pan, scrap up browned bits and cook for about 3-5 minutes until reduced. Pour over sausage and leeks and serve.

Lightened Up American Chop Suey

I Got A New Pot!

Before I talk about the American Chop Suey recipe, I must first tell you about my fabulous new Dutch Oven. Although Mario Batali likes to call it an Italian Essentials Pot. I got it in his trademark "orange", he calls it Persimmon. It is cast iron covered in ceramic and it is gorgeous and very heavy.
Ok. Now I can give you all a very serious warning about this pot...
It gets very, very hot and apparently holds an enormous amount of dangerous steam. I used this pot to cook my American Chop Suey and had the cover on for about 10 minutes, when I went to peek in on my macaroni, the steam burned my arm pretty bad. I even had a mit on when I opened the cover, but I lifted the cover open from the front...big mistake. This is the damage.

It is pretty bad burn. I covered it with a bandaid for the photo only, since you are not supposed to cover a burn with a bandaid. I will be more cautious when lifting the cover in the future. I guess the cover should be opened lifting up in the back. Now I know. Lesson learned. Hopefully, my mistake will be fair warning for everyone else. Seriously, be careful...

A New England Classic.

My family ate this a lot when I was growing up. It is definately a comfort food for me.
I never really knew that this recipe was originated in New England until recently. Before I made it, I wanted to check some recipes online for the proportions because it's been a while since either my mom or I have made it. While looking, I found many variations and also discovered it's New England origin.

My mom's original recipe uses ground beef and onion. Since I am not a big fan of either ingredient anymore, I decided to adapt the recipe and also lighten it up a bit. I really like the new lightened up version. I also tried to make it for easy clean up. The pasta is cooked right in the same pot as the sauce... I love that. The only thing is, it tends to get a little dry if you don't use enough tomato sauce, so adjust it with water as needed. And be careful not to overcook the macaroni because it will break up and will not be as pretty.

Lightened Up American Chop Suey
by Mixed Salad Annie

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, washed, dried and finely chopped (or 1 large onion)
1 shallot, chopped (can be omitted if using onion)
1 green bell pepper -- cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey (93% fat)
1 can (28 ounce size) whole tomatoes with their juices, pureed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water, or more depending on dryness of mixture
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese, for garnish

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leek, shallot and green pepper, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for half a minute.

Add the ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink.

Push aside the turkey to make an open space. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add the pureed tomatoes, water, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the macaroni to the turkey mixture and stir to combine. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. Carefully, remove the cover and stir half way through. Add more water if necessary.

It is ready when the pasta is tender but still has some bite.
Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, and serve immediately.

P.S. It's always better the next day, so make it ahead for best flavor!

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme

I HAVE A SECRET...

Did I get your attention? Good, because this is important. It's buttermilk. That's my secret. It is a super ingredient to use in low-fat cooking. I have always used buttermilk in baked goods with great results, and even as a marinade for chicken. But I had never tried using it as part of a sauce until now.
I have to say I was a bit nervous about how it was going to turn out, because I feared that it might curdle or separate. No problems though, it turned out great. The sauce had a nice silky texture and a bit of a tang. Give it a try.

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 pound chicken boneless skinless chicken breast or breast tenders, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
4 cloves garlic, chopped (divided)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespon extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, washed, dried and chopped
1/2 pound egg noodles, or your favorite pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons margarine (suggested: Smart Balance Buttery Spread)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 cup low-fat sharp Cheddar
1/3 cup grated sharp Pecorino Romano cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Place chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag and add buttermilk, chicken seasoning, 2 cloves chopped garlic and salt and pepper. Marinate at least 1/2 or overnight in the refrigerator.

Place a pot of water on to boil for noodles.

Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving 1/2 cup of buttermilk and pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add leeks and cook another 3-4 minutes until leeks are tender and chicken is almost cooked through. Remove from pan and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add kosher salt to season the cooking water and add noodles or pasta. Cook until al dente.

While pasta cooks, re-heat the same pan that the chicken was cooked in over medium heat. Add margarine and melt, then add the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add flour, and whisk together over heat until bubbles form and cook a minute more. Whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds. Whisk in stock, then reserved 1/2 cup buttermilk. Turn up heat a bit and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add cheeses. Stir until cheese melts into sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and leeks, artichokes and simmer another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain noodles or pasta. Add to chicken mixture and stir to combine.

Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Roasted Green Beans with Leeks and Walnuts

My New Candy Fix!!!

I am hooked on these green beans. My inspiration for this recipe came from Cooks Illustrated. They have a recipe for Roasted Green Beans with Red Onion and Walnuts and it sounded really good. So I tried it with leeks (my onion of choice), changed the cooking method slightly(to get softer beans) and now I can't stop making it.

One night I actually ate the whole recipe myself. It is like candy to me. Which is good I guess. It is healthier to eat an entire tray of green beans than a tray of chocolate! Try it, and let me know if you are hooked as well.

Roasted Green Beans with Leeks and Walnuts

Serves 4 (unless you're like me~serves one)

1	tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1	teaspoon honey
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2	medium cloves garlic, thin sliced
1	pound green beans, stem ends snapped off
1	large leek, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1	tablespoon olive oil
	Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
1/3	cup chopped walnuts (toasted)

1. Combine vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic in small bowl; set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; spread beans and leeks on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss to coat, and distribute in even layer. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil and roast 15 minutes or until soft.

3. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, coat beans and onion evenly with vinegar/honey mixture; redistribute in even layer. Continue roasting until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with walnuts, and serve. (Or you can eat them right from the pan, I won't tell if you don't).

My New Best Friend.

Leeks: Lusciously Lovely.

Yes it's true-I have a new best friend. The Leek. It is a vegetable I was not familiar with until recently and now I can't get enough.

Since it is a cousin to onions, shallots, scallions and garlic, it contains many of the same beneficial compounds found in them. Leeks are, however, much milder and sweeter. And that's why I love them!

I have mostly used them in soups, until now. A friend of mine found this recipe for me and it was phenomenal. Give it a try!

Braised leeks with parmesan and thyme
By Steve Manfredi Good Living Entertainment

For 6 people, clean and wash 6 large, plump leeks, slice each down the center then cut each length in half, giving each person 4 half-cylinders. Preheat the oven to 180C.(350 F.)

Place the leeks - cut side facing up - in a baking dish so they fit snugly. Pour chicken stock in the dish until the leeks are not quite covered. Sprinkle the leek faces with extra virgin olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Distribute a generous amount of grated parmesan on top and finish with a little freshly chopped thyme.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the leeks are tender. Serve straight out of the oven.

More Soup Please!

Anyway You Sip It... Soup Is The Ultimate Comfort Food!

The weather has been accomodating my recent soup craving. Or maybe I am craving soup because of the weather. Either way I have really enjoyed the comfort of eating a big bowl of soup for dinner after a long, hard day at work. If I don't feel like stopping for a loaf of Italian bread after work, I usually garnish the top with garlic croutons, which I love. It satisfies my need to crunch.

Turkey and Spinach Soup
Adapted from Sausage and Spinach Soup Recipe by Cooking Light

5 ounces of ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
2 small/med leeks, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash of crushed anise seed
Grated Romano cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the turkey, stir to crumble, cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic, oregano and anise seed; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup water, beans, tomatoes and broth.
Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and add the spinach; cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with crusty bread or garnish with garlic croutons.

P.S. In my opinion, soup is always better the next day. So you can eat it immediately, but for optimum flavor eat it the next day!

Vegetable Soup...Good For You, Right???

Not always. But the Mixed Salad Annie version is!

This recipe is another from my favorite TV chef, Giada DiLaurentiis. I was a little disappointed with her this time though, since the sodium content in this soup is through the roof! The original recipe calls for 10 cups of vegetable broth. Assuming she is using canned broth, the sodium content in one cup is around 950 milligrams. Too much for me or anyone who wants to live another 10 minutes.

All is not lost. I revised the recipe by diluting the broth with water and adding in a few more herbs and flavorings. It was still very good. Very tasty. The trick is to make it a day ahead, so that the flavors have a chance to develop and meld.

By the way, this was my first time using LEEKS. The verdict: I'm a big fan. No nasty onion smell in the house and a sweet mellow flavor!! Two thumbs up!

Healthier Italian Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 zucchini, peeled leaving stripes and thinly sliced crosswise
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed & drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cans vegetable broth
6 1/4 cups water
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and artichokes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Saute until the zucchini are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and water. Stir in the thyme and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors develop, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
At this point I stopped the cooking, let the soup cool, refrigerated right in the same pot until ready to use the next day.
Reheat the soup on medium heat until it reaches a slow simmer then increase the heat to medium-high. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.