Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad

I'm having a lot of fun participating in the Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swaps, and the main reason I like them so much is that sometimes the recipes I am given are things I wouldn't necessarily choose to make. Like the one I got for the most recent swap featuring One-Pot Cooking. I was given a recipe for Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad.

I like sausage, but had never had it braised in beer so I was intrigued when I first read the recipe. I had also never had warm potato salad - my grandmom made the best cold potato salad that has been passed down through the family over the years. It's a simple recipe, but so good that I really don't eat any other potato salad (even Jon will now only eat my potato salad!). So for that reason alone I wouldn't choose to make another potato salad. But the swaps push me out of my comfort zone and I was excited to try this recipe.

The sausage was SO good - even more flavorful from braising in the beer, juicy, and just delicious. I loved the sauce that came out of the beer once I reduced the liquid. The potato salad was good, just not my thing - I am not the biggest fan of vinegar on hot foods (fries and vinegar, not for me!). I would definitely make this again, however, and would just let the potatoes simmer in the sauce instead of tossing them with a dressing.

The recipe below is the exact recipe with 2 changes noted in italics.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages (I used hot Italian sausages)
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 12 ounces pale ale beer
• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)
  

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and parsley. With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing (reserve cooking liquid) and toss to combine.
3. Return pot to high heat; boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Return sausages to pot and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Place sausages and dressed potatoes on serving platter; drizzle half the sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining sauce alongside.

Sauteed Spinach with Bacon

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Where has this year gone? To get ready, A Taste of Home Cooking hosted a Thanksgiving Sides Recipe Swap. I'm really, really late making and posting this. I tried to get to it twice last week, but with last minute things and my daughter getting sick, and then my husband's surprise birthday weekend, it just didn't happen. I finally got to it tonight - I apologize to those waiting to see the post!!

Anyway, the recipe I was given was for Sauteed Spinach with Bacon from the blog Life and Kitchen; it is originally a Martha Stewart Recipe. I shared my recipe for Green Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Shallots.

I love spinach, and I love bacon, so was really excited to make this. Bacon makes everything better, right? Well, I am really sorry to say that bacon didn't do it for us in this recipe. Spinach is so delicate and light that sauteing it in bacon grease was just too overwhelming (however this technique works great for heartier veggies, like Brussels sprouts or green beans). I even removed half of the grease from the pan, but it was still just too much. I did, however, love the crispy bacon mixed in with the spinach. So while I won't wilt spinach in bacon grease again, I will add crispy, crumbled bacon to spinach.

Please excuse the picture - now that I don't have natural light for taking pictures because it gets dark so darn early, my pictures suffer a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bacon (I used low sodium bacon)
• Bag of spinach (I used baby spinach)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar (I omitted this)
• Added: 1 tbsp light olive oil (since I removed some of the bacon grease)
  

Directions

• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy; about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
  
• Remove some of the bacon grease (about half) from the pan, add olive oil.
• Add spinach, season with salt and pepper. saute 1-2 minutes until wilted.
• If using it, add white wine vinegar
  
• Top with crumbled bacon
  

Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

Last week I couldn't get Salisbury Steaks off my mind...and that's really strange because I have never had them! But I knew what went into them, and I guess I was craving something comforting and with those same flavors.

My friend, the author of the blog Taste of Home Cooking, recommended this recipe - YUM! I couldn't wait to make them! I followed most of the recipe for the steaks and gravy with the exception of the types of mushrooms - I just stuck to white mushrooms. I made my simple mashed potatoes and served them with roasted broccoli.

We both LOVED them. Jon ate 2 and I just had a leftover steak for lunch. They were so easy, so simple (it's really just a hamburger with gravy and no bun), but they were the ultimate comfort food and totally hit the spot. Jon even said they were the best things I have made in a while. Sometimes it pays to keep it simple.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1 small onion, grated or minced
• salt and pepper
• About 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
  
• Handful of white mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms you like), sliced
• One 14.5 oz can of beef broth

Directions

• Mix the sirloin with salt, pepper, onion, and the Worcestershire. Form into patties. At this point I covered them and put them in the fridge until I was ready to cook.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
• Add steaks; cook for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Add butter to the pan.
  
• Add mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes
• Add flour and stir
• Add broth, bring to a simmer. Let simmer a few minutes to thicken. Serve gravy over the steaks.
  

Recipe Remake - Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth

I created this dish a few years ago, and have made it a number of times, but haven't looked at the recipe recently. Well, when I finally went back to the recipe, I realized that I have made a lot of changes and have improved this dish. For that reason I am posting an update - new and improved Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out a bit (not completely thin)
  
• Spices - cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp deglazing liquid: white wine or tequila, depending on what you have on hand
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
  
• Handful of cilantro

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a saute pan
• Season chicken with the spices and add to the pan. Saute 4-5 min per side until cooked through. Remove from the pan.
  
• Add a touch of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic. Saute 2 minutes.
• Deglaze pan with the deglazing liquid, scraping up the brown bits
• Add the chicken broth and lime juice, bring to a simmer.
• Return chicken to the pan, add cilantro, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and let simmer just a few minutes.
  
• Serve over rice or linguine.
  

Whole Grain Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes

Last year for Christmas my dad bought me the cookbook Baby Love - I was so excited to start cooking for our daughter! It's a great book in that it has purees, meals, and even a few things for mom and dad too.

One recipe I tried a few months ago was for Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes with Flax. Making your own pancake mix is so easy that there is no reason to buy the boxed stuff. Plus, you can control what is going in to your pancakes. I loved that this one used both whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed - after eating them we all felt nicely full for a while, something that never happens eating regular pancakes (you may feel full at first, but soon after you get that shaky feeling, right?).

This past weekend I used the pancake mix I already made, but changed it up by adding apples and cinnamon - delicious!!

Ingredients for the Pancake Mix - makes enough for 3 full batches
Mix and store in an airtight container

• 3 cups of whole wheat flour
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

Pancakes

• 2 c pancake mix (from above)
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (flax meal)
• 2 eggs
• 1 pint buttermilk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
  
• 1 apple, shredded (I cooked the apples in a tiny bit of water in the microwave for 30 seconds just to soften them a bit)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees
• Pour the pancake mix and flaxseed into a large bowl
• Whisk eggs in a separate bowl; add buttermilk and melted butter. Whisk again.
• Add the egg/buttermilk/butter mixture to the bowl with the pancake mix and flaxseed
• Add cinnamon and apples
• Slowly whisk together to barely combine the wet and dry ingredients. You don't want it to be smooth!
• Ladle mixture onto the griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides. When I ladle the mixture onto the griddle, I also flatten it out just a bit by swirling the mixture as the pancakes are very heavy and need to cook through without burning on the outside.
  

I just finished using up my last batch of the dry mix, but will definitely be making more to keep around. Another great thing - these pancakes freeze very well. I wrap them individually in plastic, foil, and then store in a freezer bag and then can quickly pull one out for a nice breakfast for my daughter. Enjoy!!

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Soups and Stews - my favorite thing about fall and winter! I love all kinds of soup and have made so many different recipes over the past few years. Check out all of my soup recipe posts here, or go to my Recipe Index and then scroll down for a list of recipes with links to the actual posts.

I was really excited when I saw that the theme for the latest Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap was soups and stews. I submitted my Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere recipe and was given this recipe for Sausage Tortellini Soup by The Frugal Girl.

Whenever I'm making something new, I love to read the recipe, think about the ingredients and cooking method, and figure out how it is going to taste so I know what changes I want to make. After reading this recipe, I decided to make quite a few changes.

The original recipe used sweet turkey sausage; I used hot Italian sausage. The original recipe had me cooking the sausage, and then adding the broth to the pan. I knew the sausage would let off a lot of grease and I didn't want that to be the base of my soup. So I cooked the sausage and then added it to the soup pot. Also, the recipe noted to cook the onions and garlic with the sausage; instead, I sauteed the onions, garlic, and carrots in the soup pot, then added the sausage, then the broth. I also omitted the bell pepper, added spinach, used more garlic, used a different blend of herbs, omitted the wine, and used 8 cups of chicken broth instead of 5 cups of beef broth (so glad I did - I would have had a thick stew otherwise!).

Below is my variation on the recipe -

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed for crumbling
  
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
  
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped (I prefer buying whole tomatoes and chopping them myself because you know you are getting a whole tomato. With cans of diced tomatoes, the quality isn't as good, in my experience)
  
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1/2 c frozen spinach
• Frozen tortellini, about 4-6 oz
  

Directions

• Heat a large saute pan; add tbsp olive oil. Crumble sausage into the pan, cooking until browned, constantly breaking it up into smaller pieces.
  
• In a separate soup pot (I used my Dutch oven), heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onions, garlic, and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saute 2-3 minutes.
  
• Transfer the cooked sausage to the soup pot. Add the tomato sauce, broth, and herbs. Bring to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Add the spinach and tortellini; simmer until the tortellini has warmed, about 5 minutes.
  

This had a really nice kick to it, so if you don't like things too spicy, use sweet sausage. I love the changes I made and would definitely make this one again.

Chicken with an Herbed Pan Sauce

When you need to cook something in a pinch that won't take a lot of time, that doesn't mean that it has to be instant, or unhealthy. These days all I have time for is quick cooking, but we are still eating pretty well. Homemade cooking doesn't have to mean hours spent in the kitchen.

I threw this one together as I went along, and it took 15-20 minutes, max, but didn't taste like it was a quick meal.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Dried Italian seasoning (I like Perfect Pinch by McCormick), salt, pepper, dried thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• Touch of light cream or even half and half - I probably used a few tablespoons

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large pan
• Season chicken with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and thyme. Add to the pan and cook 4-6 minutes per side, until cooked through (it helps if you pound your chicken out a bit to make it thinner = will cook faster). Transfer to a plate. If it's not cooked through, you can throw it in the oven on 400 while you make the sauce.
• Deglaze pan with the white wine, bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer. Add the cream, stir.
• Return chicken to the pan, spooning some of the sauce on top of the chicken.

Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto Dip

Are you ready for some football??? The latest Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap celebrated the beginning of football season with a tailgating/appetizer theme. I was given a recipe for Mediterranean Dip from the blog Mrs. Regueiro's Plate.

After reading the recipe, I decided to both simplify it and change things up a bit, turning it into a creamier spread for crostini instead of a dip for pita chips (although I did also try it on pita chips). Instead of having a layer of feta at the bottom of the dip, I decided to blend my basil pesto with cream cheese and mayo as I thought too much feta would make the dip too salty. Additionally, feta doesn't fully melt, so I wanted something creamy as the base. I also didn't use full sundried tomatoes, but only the sundried tomato pesto. Finally, I didn't have much time so I used *gasp* store bought sundried tomato pesto... it worked just fine.


The result? A perfectly savory, flavorful, creamy, crostini topping/spread/dip..whatever you'd like to call it!

Here is my variation on the recipe.

Ingredients

• Approximately 1/2 cup basil pesto (I made a pesto using one bunch of basil, 3 cloves of garlic, a touch of Kosher salt, and some olive oil - no pine nuts)
• 1 block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 6 oz crumbled feta

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Mix basil pesto with the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Spread it in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate, or small baking dish
• Next, spread a layer of sundried tomato pesto
• Top with the chopped artichokes, then the feta cheese.
• Bake for 15-20 min until hot and bubbly.

I will definitely be making this creation again!!

One Pot Cooking - Spicy Asian Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

I was about to make a chicken stir-fry tonight with broccoli and jalapenos, but last minute (meaning everything was prepped and my pans were on the stove and I was reaching to turn on the burner), I decided to pull out my Dutch oven and turn my stir-fry idea into a simple one-pot chicken dish.

I'm glad I did - I loved this. Jon thought it could benefit from maybe some cilantro or lime juice; I can see adding cilantro, but was also happy with it just how it was.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had 3 small breasts and cut them each in half)
• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1 c uncooked rice
• 1 3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan or Dutch oven
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; add to pan and cook 3 min per side then transfer to a plate
• Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos to pan; saute 3 minutes
• Add rice, stir 1 min
• Mix the broth, soy sauce, and hoisin; add to pan
• Bring to a simmer, then lower heat, return chicken to pan (nestled into the rice), put broccoli florets on top of everything, cover and cook over low heat (make sure it's still lightly simmering) approximately 15 minutes or until rice is cooked and the liquid has absorbed.
  

Baked Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

These little pinwheels look impressive, are delicious, yet are so simple to make. I have made them before using different ingredients for the filling - click here to see both Bacon-Cheese and Alouette Pinwheels. I have also made them using pizza sauce, cheese, and chopped pepperoni...yummy!!

Over Labor Day weekend, my parents had a barbecue and I decided to make an app. I wanted to do something hot since all of our sides and other apps were going to be cold. I mentioned baked pinwheels to Jon, and have to give him credit for coming up with the idea for the ham and cheese filling.

Making the Pinwheels

• Open a can of crescent roll dough - you will most likely have 2 rolls once you open them (mine always split down the center, but this is perfect). Roll out each roll - each one will be a rectangle; keep the long side near you and pinch the seams closed.
• Sprinkle them with a touch of dried thyme (I decided on the thyme because I use it when I make my Chicken Cordon Blue and love the flavor of the thyme with the Swiss and ham).
• Layer Swiss cheese, sliced deli ham, then another slice of Swiss cheese. Roll towards you (you want the roll to be long and skinny, not short and fat) and pinch closed gently.
• At this point you can wrap each long roll in plastic until you are ready to bake and serve them - that's one of the things I love about these.
• When you are ready to bake them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (I liked baking them at 350 instead of the 375 I did last time). Slice each roll into 1 inch pieces and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet with one of the cut sides facing up. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

That's it!

Along with the ham and cheese, I also made 2 others -
- Crescent dough with Yancey's Fancy Jalapeno and Cayenne Cheese
- Crescent dough with a mixture of Laughing Cow Cheese, Italian seasonings, and a touch of garlic powder