Tag: chicken sausage
Sauteed Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
This is the quickest meal I have made recently. It was a rare unscheduled weekend day and we were planning to do absolutely nothing. My daughter usually is very good at keeping herself busy or playing with her Daddy on the weekends. I like to get a bit of a break where I hide in my room to read a book or watch a movie.
My daughter somehow secured herself a play date for the whole day. Her friend came over at 10 and stayed till around 3. She was thrilled. Actually we all were. My husband needed to work from home and I decided to go out with a friend for coffee.
Before leaving, I wanted to make a quick lunch for them. I did have a couple boxes of macaroni and cheese but I wanted make something else. I had a pack of chicken sausages in the fridge- which my daughter loves. I sauteed them quickly and added frozen broccoli florets. I boiled some penne on the side and added the cooked pasta with some of the starchy liquid to make a simple sauce. I topped the pasta with some light shredded mozzarella and that was it.
It was a fast and delicious meal- perfect for a quick lunch for the kiddies. Try the chicken sausage and broccoli pasta- it is yum!
read more …
Sausage and Peppers Bake
Who doesn’t like sausage and peppers? I love the combination of the sweet orange peppers with the savory sausages. I always have them on hand- usually a couple of packs in my freezer. They are extremely handy and versatile. Breakfast, lunch and dinner – all three meals can be delicious with chicken sausages.
I wanted to make a one pot meal- my favorite thing to cook. They are easy, quick and delicious. In this case, I added tomatoes and potatoes with the sausage and peppers. I added garlic and fresh thyme with salt and pepper. It is very simple yet extremely flavorful.
I bought a pack of ‘ready to bake baguettes’ from Trader Joes and baked some with this delicious dinner. I made a delicious arugula salad with orange segments. I made a quick dressing with orange juice, sherry vinegar, honey and extra virgin olive oil.
I gave my daughter just the arugula (which she doesn’t like so much but will eat it since she knows there is no way out). I also gave her the sausage and peppers but left out the potatoes and tomatoes- she doesn’t care for them. She loves the freshly baked bread as do my husband and I.
It was a quick and delicious meal- my favorite kind to eat. The sausage and pepper bake was delicious.
- 1 pack (4 or 5 links) chicken sausage, sliced at a bias (I used a spinach and garlic one)
- 2 yellow skinned potatoes, cut into 2-inch squares
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 2-inch squares
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a lined 9 X 13 baking sheet add the sausage, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, garlic, thyme, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands and bake for 45 minutes or till the potatoes are browned and cooked. Serve with a baguette and a salad.
Penne with Pancetta and Fresh Tomatoes
Family was over and we went into the city to watch the Christmas spectacular. The show was fabulous as usual. We walked around and had a late lunch afterwards. The kids had a ball at Max Brenner restaurant. He is known as the bald man who serves loads of chocolate in every form at his restaurants. The food was delicious and the treats were over sweet yet yummy.
We came back exhausted and after a little while I had to think about dinner. The idea of going out for another meal was not appealing at all. I gave leftovers to the kids but didn’t have enough for the adults.
I looked in my fridge and pantry and came up with this pasta dish. I always have at least a pint of cherry tomatoes- perfect for a quick, fresh tomato sauce. I also have chicken sausages and pancetta from Trader Joes sitting in my fridge. I came up with this dish while using all the delicious ingredients I found in my pantry.
While the tomatoes were cooking and turning soft and delicious, I made a quick salad dressing by squeezing some clementines and lemon juice. I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper- done! It was easy and delicious. I had a bag of arugula in the fridge- which is perfect for salads. I made nice looking peels out of my Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (with a vegetable grater) for the top and there you have it- a wonderful tasting salad.
I finished the pasta with the same beautiful cheese peels and we washed the yummy food down with some nice wine. It was a quick delicious meal- perfect for any weeknight!
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 chicken sausages (I used spinach and fontina cheese)-cut into ¼ inch pieces
- ½ pound penne, cooked al dente and ½ cup pasta water saved
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese shavings
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the pancetta. Saute on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook on low heat, covered for at least 20 to 25 minutes. The tomatoes should begin to get soft and burst. Mash them down with a wooden spatula. Add the cut up sausages and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Mix well, taste for seasonings. Serve with ribbon of parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Healthy Sausage and Peppers Pasta Bake
This is a really healthy dish. I went to the farmer’s market to see what looked good. I bought a large red pepper, some fresh, great looking red onion and a fresh baguette.
I wanted to make a sausage and peppers dish but with pasta and thought baking the dish would be a great idea-so that’s what I did. I had really good quality whole wheat pasta in my pantry and thought it would be great in this dish.
Last week I bought 5 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes and made some delicious sauce and froze it. I took one bag out to defrost and used it in the dish. I also had low fat shredded cheese- why not make it healthy all the way.
I love making these kinds of dishes when it starts to get cold. It was great to smell all the vegetables roasting in the oven. I also made garlic bread with the fresh baguette. I wish we had access to farmer’s market all year round- it is so great to be able to find fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally. The food tastes better and is good for you. My daughter enjoyed the pasta and the garlic bread. I was happy to feed my family and good, wholesome meal!
read more …
Mushroom and Sausage Quesadilla with Gruyere Cheese
Of late, quesadillas are my favorite things to make. I love using the whole-wheat tortillas from Trader Joes. In fact my daughter takes them for lunch at least once or twice a week. I feel good about the low-fat cheese I use and the whole-wheat tortillas. A bag of carrots completes the meal for her.
They make a good snack or even a meal. In this case I made a meal out of them. I wanted to use mushrooms and maybe sausage to add some protein. I bought some cremini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese for the meal. I use creminis because of the brown color, I love the way they look- in terms of taste, they are very similar to the white ones- so use any you want. I love Gruyere, it is typically used for fondues and so it melts really well. I prefer it’s mild, nutty flavor- it goes with any thing!
For this meal I sauteed the mushrooms with chicken sausages I had in my freezer, and some garlic. The mixture took a few minutes to make. In the meantime, I grated the cheese and was ready to make the quesadillas.
I had fresh tomatillos from the farmer’s market. I wanted to make a vibrant salsa to serve with the quesadillas. The processor did all the work for me and I had a yummy tasting condiment in no time.
Overall, it was a simple, fast and delicious weeknight meal. I served a green salad with it and called it a night!
read more …
Delicious Side-Dish Recipe: Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
While I was thinking up the fresh homemade raviolis– I was also trying to figure out what to serve for a vegetable. I had a bunch of broccoli rabe in the fridge- my absolute favorite vegetable. I love it- I think it’s the earthy bitter taste that I adore. I decided to cook it my favorite way- with chicken sausage- and what do you know, I had those in the freezer! Perfect side dish for the ravioli dish since it did not have any meat or vegetables. I am always looking to cook this green in different ways- I recently made Indian lentils with chopped broccoli rabe- it was delicious! I loved combining two of my favorite cuisines- Indian and Italian. I also made a broccoli rabe and spinach pesto- I had this dish at our favorite local pizzeria and HAD to make it at home- really yum! I will be posting the recipe soon on the blog.
I feel my daughter is beginning to enjoy the slightly bitter taste of broccoli rabe- which makes me really happy. I remember when I first gave it to her a few years ago- she was not happy to eat it at all. Now, she will eat it with the sausage which I think makes it more delectable.
She had no problem eating this side dish at all- I am sure the yummy raviolis had something to do with it! The combination was great- the creamy raviolis with the light tomato sauce went really well with the earthy broccoli rabe and savory chicken sausage. The yummy Merlot complimented both the dishes really well and made us extremely happy!!
Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta with Lemon Zest
If I had to pick one pasta dish to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this. I don’t know exactly why I love this pasta so much but every time I think about it, my mouth salivates! I guess it is the combination of the savory golden brown chicken sausage with the earthy bitter broccoli rabe which really excites my palate. A lot of people don’t use this green too much. It’s a combination of not knowing what exactly broccoli rabe is and how to cook it. Contrary to the name, it is not related to broccoli. It is actually part of the turnip family and so it has a very nice nutty flavor with a little bitterness. I actually like the bitterness since it reminds me of mustard greens. The creaminess of the pine nuts goes really well with the bitterness. I also love the fresh citrus flavor of the lemon zest. I use Pecorino cheese instead of parmesan cheese because it has a stronger flavor and can stand really well to the strong flavored broccoli rabe. Overall it’s a light pasta with very strong flavors. My favorite way to eat the dish is with crusty garlic bread and a nice bold red wine!
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4-5 links chicken sausage, sliced in 1 inch pieces
- 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts, roasted
- Salt to taste
- ½ pound cooked penne
- ¼ cup reserved cooked pasta water
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
- Zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup pecorino romano, grated
In a wide frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or till golden brown. Add the garlic and pine nuts, sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Next add the broccoli rabe and cook till the greens are wilted and cooked down, for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta with the pasta water. Add salt to taste and stir well. Finish the pasta with the lemon zest, basil and cheese.