Sausage, Pepper, & Potato Bake

Original Recipe HERE

 

I made some tweaks to the original recipe - namely, adding turmeric.  It wasn't sure if the dish would have enough flavor for my liking.  And there's only so many times you can dump garlic salt into something before your taste buds start getting immune to the flavor.  I fished around my spice shelf, opened a few containers and sniffed, and decided it was turmeric's night to shine.  I liked the result and resolved to use this unappetizingly colorful spice more frequently.

 

Ingredients

4 precooked sausage links [I used chicken]

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 cups red potatoes, cubed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric [or to taste]

2 peppers, diced [red, green, yellow, or orange]

1 leek [white part], cleaned and sliced

4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

salt & pepper

3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice [I used garlic & herb]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

(2) Slice sausage in half lengthwise and then into thin slices.

(3) Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage; brown.  Remove from skillet; set aside.

(4) Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to skillet.  Add potatoes; cook 6-8 minutes or until a light brown crust forms.  Halfway through cooking, add turmeric.

(5) Add peppers; saute 2-3 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp.  Remove mixture from skillet; set aside.

(6) Add remaining olive oil to skillet.  Add leek; saute 2-3 minutes or until tender.

(7) Add garlic; saute 1 minute.

(8) Add tomatoes to skillet; stir mixture well.

(9) Add broth; bring to a gentle boil.  Season with salt and pepper.

(10) Pour mixture into 2-quart casserole dish.  Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.  Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 10 minutes.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Creamy Pasta with Corn & Arugula [or Spinach]

Original Recipe HERE

A simple and easy pasta dish that lends itself to tweaking based on whatever fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Ingredients

12 oz pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup half-n-half [or cream]
2 cups baby arugula or spinach
1/4 cup grated pecorino or parmesan

Directions

(1) Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

(2) Chop leeks in half, discarding dark green leaves.  Slice white and light green section in half lengthwise.  Slice into thin halfmoons.

(3) Peel garlic.  Slice into thin slivers.

(4) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leeks, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (3 to 4 minutes).

(5) Add corn and wine. Simmer until corn is tender (2 to 3 minutes).

(6) Stir in half-n-half and arugula.  Simmer until arugula is wilted.

(7) Add pasta to sauce; toss to combine OR serve pasta and sauce separately.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Kid Participation: None.

Potato & Leek Soup

Original Recipe HERE

This is a very simple recipe that makes a great basic soup.  Despite being potato-based, it wasn't heavy or "dense."  I served it warm with toasted slices of a whole wheat baguette topped with a roasted garlic/butter/grated parmesan spread.  Both kids had four bowls.  Yes, four.

I had been cautiously optimistic that I'd outgrown my lactose intolerance (or at least a lactose sensitivity).  This soup made me a little worried I had a full-blown attack on the way, but I was able to fight it off and enjoy my meal.

Ingredients

1 pound leeks (approximately 3-5 medium), white and light green parts only

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

5 small Yukon gold potatoes

1 quart vegetable broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

4 Tablespoon snipped chives [optional]

Directions

(1) Melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat.

(2) Meanwhile, thinly slice leeks into rings.  Rinse in colander to remove all dirt.

(3) Add leeks and salt to pot; sweat for 5 minutes.  Decrease heat to medium-low; cook until leeks are tender (10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally.

(4) Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into small chunks.

(5) Add potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until potatoes are soft (30-40 minutes).

(6) Turn off heat.  Puree soup with immersion blender until smooth.

(7) Add cream, buttermilk, and pepper.  Stir until well combined.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

(8) Serve hot or cold.  Garnish with chives after spooning into bowls.

Notes: I will try half-and-half, or even whole milk, to see how well I tolerate the soup.  Also, the soup was a nice consistency but thinner than expected.  Adding a few more potatoes would thicken it up if desired.

Kid Participation: None.

Mushroom & Leek Tart

Original Recipe HERE

This took a bit more time to make than I'd anticipated (probably mostly due to two particularly clingy, attention-seeking little ones that night), but it was worth the work.  I'm sure you could use a store-bought crust to make life easier, but the one included in the recipe was much better than anything Pillsbury offers.

Ingredients

* For the crust:

1 cup flour, plus more for rolling out dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

7 Tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

* For the filling:

3 Tablespoons butter

3 leeks, white and very light green parts halved, cleaned, and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound chanterelles [or any other mushrooms; I used baby bella] cut into about 1-in. pieces

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves *OR* 1 teaspoon dried [I used dried]

3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated gruyère cheese

Directions

* To make crust:

(1) Cut butter into small cubes and place in freezer for 20 minutes.

(2) In medium bowl *OR* bowl of food processor, combine flour, salt, and pepper.

(3) Rub butter into flour until it resembles cornmeal but some larger, pea-size pieces remain *OR* pulse butter into flour until coarse, cornmeal-textured mixture forms.

(4) Drizzle 3 Tablespoons ice-cold water into dough while stirring quickly with a fork *OR* drizzle ice water into food processor (while running) until dough comes together.

(5) Turn dough onto large piece of plastic wrap.  Fold wrap over dough; press into 1"-thick disk.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
(6) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

(7) Lightly flour work surface. Unwrap dough.  Using rolling pin, gently roll it (turning dough 90 degrees between each roll) into 12" circle.

(8) Place rolled-out dough into 9 1/2" tart pan. Trim edges flush with pan edges.

(9) Cover dough with large piece of aluminum foil.  Weigh foil down with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.

(10) Bake crust 20 minutes. Lift foil and weights off crust and bake until beginning to turn golden, about 10 additional minutes. Let crust cool to room temperature if possible.

* To make filling:

(1) While crust bakes, melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and salt.  Cook, stirring, until leeks are soft, about 3 minutes.

(2) Turn heat to high.  Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have given off their liquid, 5 to 10 minutes.

(3) Stir in thyme, cream, and pepper.  Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.

* To bake tart:

(1) Spread half of grated cheese over tart crust. Spread leek-mushroom mixture on top.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

(2) Cover loosely wiht foil to prevent severe browning of crust.  Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Maybe I should experiment and find the best store-bought crust available, just for the sake of this being a quicker-to-prepare weeknight meal.  Other cheeses could also be substituted.

Kid Participation: None...this was something better left to Mom.