Dinner Tonight: Corndog Muffins

Great Pinterest find for a quick mealI was looking around on Pinterest for creative ideas and ran across this one.  They came out great and were super simple.  The original post was for mini-muffins, but I was looking to do these for dinner so used normal muffin tins.  I should have doubled the recipe, as everyone wanted more!  These work well, and will be a big hit for your Super Bowl parties.

 

Dinner Tonight: Oven Roasted Sausages, Potatoes, and Peppers

Great Pinterest find, was a huge hit at our house

This was an interesting find on Pinterest, and the ease of preperation was a definate plus.  This will be an easy winner in any kitchen.  The great flavors combined to make a very comforting dish with an italian flare that was a winner at our house.  I could have made two pans and it would have all disappeared.

 

Source: lilasapron.com via Drew on Pinterest

Dinner Tonight: Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot

I was looking for some good old fashioned comfort food to do for dinner tonight, and stumbled across this recipe for Sausage and Peppers done in  a single pot.  Using a single pot for every stage of this process means you don't lose any of the flavor from the veggies or the pork fat that renders out of the sausage.  It all stays and layers to make an amazing dish.  The only change I made was to use a nice belgian white ale in place of the white wine (Fat Boy's don't keep white wine around the house).  Nice crisp full flavors without a lot of clean-up afterwords, now thats what I call Fat Boy Heaven.

Find the recipe here: Rachael Ray's Official Website - Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot 

Dinner Tonight: Turkey Apple Sausage with garden fresh sautè

We have been dieting, and only eating food at most one meal per day. Tonight I decided another boneless skinless chicken breast wasn't going to cut it!

I stopped at New Seasons Market to get some fresh made sausage. I selected an Apple Turkey sausage and took it home.

I started by adding 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. I sliced up a large Walla-Walla sweet onion and added it to the pan, along with 3 cloves of fresh garlic from our garden.

While the onions were sweating I looked at the fresh veggies from our garden and grabbed a fresh yellow summer squash and a green pepper, both of which I cut into 1/2 inch cubes. I added them after the onions had started to carmalize, adding salt and fresh ground pepper.

While the veggies were cooking I started the sausages browning on a cast iron grill pan for ~5 minutes per side. Once they were browned nicely I added them to the sauté pan and covered it, reducing the heat to medium low giving the flavors a chance to combine. 20 minutes later it was ready to eat. To plate I sliced the sausages and placed vegetables down both sides, then sprinkled with Pecarino Romano cheese to add a nice sharp bite which contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the squash.

This is a great, simple lean meal that can really be done with any kind of sausage and vegetables you have from your garden over the summer.

Dinner Time - Linguica and Potato Stew

I was looking for something easy tonight, and found this great recipe for a stew with a Basque twist.  The flavor combination was incredible, and everyone ate their fill tonight.  The combination of tomato, bacon, linguica and potatoes worked with the zucchini to make magic.  Lots of bacon, lots of pork fat, how could it go wrong?  This was a great fatboy comfort food meal, and I'm actually looking forward to leftovers.

Find the recipe Here.

 

Cooking: Shrimp and Grits

I love cajun food, but have been afraid to mess with perfection to try and stay gluten-free.  Most cajun recipes call for a flour rue, even something as seemingly simple as shrimp and grits.  Tonight I decided to try it, using rice flour in place of wheat flour.  Those of you with dairy issues can also use your favorite milk substitute without worry here (although use plain, not vanilla!).

The spice of Old Bay really spices up the shrimp, and hence the entire dish here.  Add to that the flovor profile of the sausage and you have a nice solid meal.  As with all cajun food, use Tabasco to taste.  I leave it out of my recipes as it is really a personal preference.

The recipe is posted here.  Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Bacon Night! - Alsatian Pork and Kraut

Alsation Pork with Sauerkraut

An amazing one pot meal. A great combination of flavors and textures that will please everyone in your house. Prep takes a bit, but the results make it all worth it.  The sugar and aples take away all of the sourness usually found in kraut, and leave a nice soft flavor from the fermentation.  

Come on, how many dishes have Pork, Bacon, Sausage, and fermented cabbage?  This is a great dish, and makes for amazing leftovers as well.

You can find the recipe here.

Sausage and Polenta Pie

I saw a great recipe for Sausage and Polenta Pie in a rundown of the best gluten-free winter recipes yesterday, and we thought we’d give it a try.

The classic combination of Sausage and Peppers never loses it’s appeal. However, the twist of adding polenta to the top I find much better than the typical bread it is paired with in typical sandwiches.  The creamy and cheesy polenta makes a great counter-point to the spice and earthiness of the sausage and peppers.  A great meal, all in one dish.

Give this one a try the next time you are looking for a healthy alternative to a classic.