Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Over a year ago, I made this risotto and found it to be so disgusting most of it went in the trash. It wasn't the recipe, it was me. Here's what happened...

I bought all the ingredients, super stoked to be making my first risotto. I started stirring and breaking up the sausage, and grabbed the wine to pour in the pot. Mind you, I was being cheap and bought one of those small cartons of wine, and thought it would be fine, my first mistake. I started to pour the wine, and OOPS, it's a red wine, (huge) mistake number two. I decided to keep going, since I was so invested now, and plus, it didn't smell bad. Finally, the risotto had finished cooking, and it was time to add the spinach and cheese. I only had the parmesan in the shaker, and again, thought it would be fine. You see where this is going, right? It was a total disaster. Purple, grainy, inedible risotto. Blech...

I've since learned my lesson, and with this major cold snap we're having (the metal on the frames of my sliding glass doors are frozen on the inside if that gives you any idea), I decided I was ready to give this risotto another go. I used wine from a bottle, which was clearly white, and freshly grated cheese. The result was nothing like the purple mush I made last year, and was truly delicious. Live and learn.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Ingredients

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, in juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10-14 ounces), tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons butter

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon or spatula, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3-5 minutes.

Add rice. Cook, stirring until well coated, 1-2 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice, and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired.

Recipe Source: adapted from Martha Stewart, Everyday Food-Novemeber 2006

Sausage-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Let's just get to the point, shall we? These are little cups of heaven, and you need to make them asap. I'm sad to say that the lone mushroom you see in the pictures is the only one I got to eat! Yes, my mushroom hating boyfriend* ate the remaining FIVE mushrooms, within 24 hours of them coming out of the oven. That is how wonderful they were. Full of sausage, cheese, and veggies, these are the epitome of comfort food. With fall hopefully approaching soon (90 degrees?...c'mon!), this is exactly the kind of meal I want to come home to every day. 

Sausage-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Instructions

6 portobello mushrooms, stemmed (reserve 1 cup minced stems)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

12 ounces hot Italian sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons Essence seasoning

1 egg, lightly beaten

Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Using your hands, lightly rub each portobello mushroom with the olive oil, and place on a baking sheet.

Cook the sausage in a medium skillet until browned, breaking it into bits, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushroom stems and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Remove from heat, and transfer mixture to a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, 1/4 cup of parsley, Essence seasoning, and egg, stirring until well combined.

Divide the filling among the mushroom caps, about 1/3-1/2 cup for each mushroom. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small mixing bowl. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly among the tops of the mushrooms. Bake until golden brown on top and the mushrooms are tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of parsley, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and serve warm or at room temperature.

*Apparently, Chris likes mushrooms, but not "normal" mushrooms. I'm assuming he means white button mushrooms. Gotta love him. 

Recipe Source: adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

It's September. Wow. Where did August go? July? June? Did they actually happen? I don't believe it! For the past few weeks I've been trying to hold onto the last bits of summer, wishing it would stay just a bit longer. However, every time September rolls around, I start to get the itch for cooler weather. School is back in session (bouquets of sharpened pencils!), college football, apples will soon be abundant, I get to where my beloved boots, and comfort food starts to seem like more appropriate dinner time fare.

My teacher has mentioned before that your mom's spaghetti will always be the best to you, which is true. However, I don't think my mom has a set spaghetti recipe (sorry if I'm wrong mom!), and everything she made was (and still is) the best, but I think it's because she made it, not necessarily the recipe itself. I believe my mom would love this version I'm sharing with you today. Tons of peppers and mushrooms, wine, spicy Italian sausage and ground turkey, it's truly delicious, and worthy of your time. This recipe makes a very large amount (I'm guessing at least 10 servings), but that was ideal for me as I am trying to stock my freezer for the semester. Maybe there will be some left when she visits next month and we can enjoy this wonderful sauce together! Happy Labor Day!  

P.S. My Tahini-Dressed Zucchini and Green Bean Salad won last month's challenge for No-Croutons Required (a tie with another beautiful dish). How cool is that!?! 

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

20 oz sliced mushrooms

1.5 lbs ground turkey (or beef)

1 lb hot Italian sausage

1 28-ounce can marinara or tomato puree

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 24-ounce can tomato sauce

BIG splash red wine (in the end, I probably added about a cup)

6 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp sugar

About 1.5 tablespoons garlic salt

Pepper as needed

Spaghetti noodles & additional grated cheese for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about six to eight minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Add ground beef and sausage meat. Cook until meat browns, stirring frequently with a large rubber spatula.

Add marinara, tomato paste, and tomato sauce to the pot. Stir well. Then, add the wine, cheese, spices, bay leaf, sugar. garlic salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring sauce to a simmer.

Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally. Taste it as you cook, adding more wine, spices, or garlic salt to suite your taste buds.

Serve sauce over hot spaghetti noodles with extra cheese. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for up to three months. Sauce will taste better the next day, after flavors have time to meld.

Recipe Source: Eat Live Run

Cajun Jambalaya

That there jambalaya is what I call comfort food. It's warm, spicy, filling, and most importantly, delicious. My sister uses this recipe all the time (hi Becca!), and always sends me pictures, making me incredibly jealous. I'm pretty sure it's one of her favorite things to make, especially when she's trying to impress. I've been wanting to try it for a while, but buying all the ingredients at once (especially the meat and fish) can be pricey for only one meal. As fate would have it, I found a 2 lb. bag of extra large red Argentinian shrimp on sale for $8.99, and almost always have chicken and andouille (so I can make gumbo of course).

Because I was so anxious to dig right in, the bowl I ate was more like a risotto (num), but once it cooled a little bit, the rice absorbed most of the liquid. It made about four servings, so the only thing I would do differently next time is double the recipe!

Cajun Jambalaya

Ingredients

12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper

File powder (optional)

Directions

In a medium size bowl combine shrimp, chicken, and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. 

 

In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs some of the liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and file powder

 

Emerill's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning aka "Bayou Blast"

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. 

Yields: 2/3 cup. It's great on fish or chicken, and you can use it in gumbo as well!

Recipe Source: adapted from Emeril Lagasse's recipe via Food Network

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic

There is just something so wonderful about a piping hot bowl of soup in the winter. I feel like I've really missed out on soup this past month, which is a shame because it's my very favorite thing. I've been eyeing this soup on Smitten Kitchen since it was first posted, and am so excited that I got around to making it. It. Was. So. Good. Simple, yet incredibly flavorful, this soup is a winner. It was also my first time trying swiss chard, and I really liked it. It's hearty like kale, though the flavor is more mild.

I agree with Deb about leftover greens in soup, and only added mine to the bowl instead of the pot, and let the hot soup wilt the greens. Leftover greens = blech. Add them when you need them, and they'll always be fresh! NUM!

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

2 large links of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced (save half for later in the recipe)

Salt, to taste

A pinch of crushed red pepper

1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

6 cups water

Freshly ground black pepper

3-4 cups Swiss chard, shredded or thinly ribboned (you could also use kale)

Grated cheese to finish (she used Pecorino Romano, I used an Italian blend I had in the fridge..Num!)

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water (6 cups is, conveniently, 2 empty 28-ounce cans, so you can get any tomato pulp you missed), more salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.

To finish, divide soup among bowls, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens and hisses. Drizzle this over soup bowls, and top with cheese.

Recipe source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from this book.

Baked Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage

Um...so what happened to October? Is my favorite month of the year nearly over?? NOOOO. I'm pretty sure I just made pumpkin pancakes last week, not two and a half weeks ago, and why have I not been consuming all things pumpkin every day since? I'll have to get on that.

Though I am a sucker for soups and stews when it cools down outside, I gotta say, I love baked pasta. I especially love this baked pasta. I first had this dish when I visited home last year during the Chinese new year, and have been aching to make it ever since. I bought gorgeous pesto chicken sausage from Findlay Market specifically for occasion. It did not disappoint. 

An added bonus about this recipe is that it yields two separate casseroles, and one can be put in the freezer to bake later on...MAJOR perk for a doctoral student. The dish in the photos are of the second batch that was frozen. I didn't read the directions very well and went ahead and baked it, then froze it, which you're not supposed to do. It was just a little more crunchy on top, so if you make this, it'll look a little different. It was of course still delicious. 

Ugh, this is putting my current dinner to shame. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup vodka (optional)

1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces frozen spinach (excess liquid removed)

12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2 inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat; add vodka, if desired, and return to heat cooking until almost evaporated, about 1 minutes

Stir in tomatoes and oregano, and cook until tomatoes are falling apart, about 10 minutes. While that's simmering away, squeeze excess liquid from spinach and add to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add cream, and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed mozzarella to the pot, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dishes. 

Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20-30 minutes. 

Freezer friendly: like I said above, one of the dishes can be frozen for up to 3 months! If you plan on freezing, stop once you put the pasta/tomato mixture in the baking dish. This means do not add the grated cheese yet. Allow the dish to cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer, add the grated cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 400F for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Remove foil, and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until browned. Do not thaw before baking. 

Recipe Source: adapted from Martha Stewart

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Happy (almost) Fat Tuesday! I always miss Louisiana around this time of year. I wasn’t born and raised there, but I did live there for four years, so it is (and always will be!) a place that is near and dear to my heart. 

Gumbo is one of my favorite comfort foods. It's warm, filling, has tons of flavor, and every time I make it, I feel like I'm back in the south with a glass of sweet tea. I have my own recipe I follow, but thought I'd try a different way this time.

The first gumbo recipe I found on Google was of course Emeril Lagasse's, who else? His recipe is pretty close to how I've made mine in the past, except in mine I use butter for the roux instead of oil, I add okra, and I also use chicken that is already cooked to save time. Today I gave oil a try, though I think I prefer butter, as I believe it's easier to make the roux and adds more flavor to the dish. I of course still love my way, but this gumbo was pretty darn good. It was rich, hearty, full of flavor...everything a gumbo should be. 

Unlike Emeril, I didn't have four whole hours to make a gumbo. Instead, I made mine in a way that reduced the cooking time significantly, and I don't think it sacrificed flavor in any way. The only real tip I have is be sure you have EVERYTHING prepped before you start. You're life will be a whole lot easier...I promise. I hope if you make this gumbo, you enjoy it as much as we did today, and I hope ya'll (yes..I just did that) have a happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup vegetable oil

½ pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise in ½ inch thick pieces

½ cup flour

1 cup diced onion, about 1 medium

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup green bell peppers, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups cooked chicken (I shredded the chicken meat I used to make stock. A rotisserie chicken would also work well).

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon parsley

Cooked white rice

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.

To make the roux, combine the remaining ¼ cup oil and ½ cup flour in the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes or until dark brown.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, spices, and bay leaves, and cook for another minute or two. Slowly add the chicken stock, and stir until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat; remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in the green onions, and garnish with parsley. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: inspired by Emeril Lagasse