Baked Fusilli with Sausage

Remember I said I put this week’s menu together from randomly leafing through magazines… Talk about random – This is from Working Mother, November 1985. Holy cow! I’m a recipe pack rat.

This was actually VERY good. Restaurant quality. Tasty, yummy – will definitely make this one again!

I give credit for a lot of the tastiness in this dish to Hungry Hill Sausage, a local specialty meat store where we buy our sausage.

Ingredients:

4 cups fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pasta)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage
1 teaspoon oregano
1 can (16 ounces) plum tomatoes
1/2 pound grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander and cool under running water.

Meanwhile, over high heat in medium skillet (I used the cast iron skillet) heat olive oil. Add sausage and saute, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Add pepper, onion, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring well and breaking them up.

Add pasta, tossing to coat pasta with sausage mixture. Turn into  a baking dish (you can skip this step and save washing another dish if you use the cast iron skillet) and cover with cheese.

Place skillet on a sheet pan and bake in 350º oven 30 to 40 mins. until bubbly, heated through, and cheese is starting to turn golden.

Now you wonder, looking at the picture, where oh where is the fusilli? Well, I could not find any at my local store. I didn’t feel like running around all over NW Indiana looking for curly noodles. I needed linguine so I bought 2 boxes. Viola! Fusilli into linguine. Actually, I think penne would be the best choice for this dish.

Oktoberfest in January...Bavarian Comfort Food

My German roots are showing. I have roots all over the place; the quintessential Heinz 57 - some Scottish, Irish, French, German, Native American...

I love German food. There is a restaurant at home, Schmidt's Sausage Haus, that I love to go to. It's in German Village. I love German Village. Spending the day there is #1 on my agenda for next time I go home.

If you're in the mood for a hearty, wonderful Bavarian dinner (great for Sundays), this will satisfy that craving.

German Pork Roast (Bavarian Schweinebraten)


One 2-pound pork roast (I used boneless center cut loin)
1 large (or 2 medium) onions, sliced in thick rings
3 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
2 carrots cut into 2 x 1/2-inch pieces or 1 small bag of baby carrots
1 bottle of dark beer
Vegetable oil
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Salt and pepper
Coarse ground spicy brown mustard (like Guilden’s)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Sprinkle vegetable oil on bottom of roasting pan. Arrange onions and garlic over that. Add the carrots and beer, and sprinkle caraway seeds over mixture.

Coat entire roast with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Place roast on top of onion-beer mixture. Cover with lid or foil (whichever fits).

Roast in oven, fat side of roast up, for 60 minutes at 350º. Remove cover. Baste roast. Brush with another light layer of mustard. Increase heat to 400º. Roast, uncovered, an additional 45 to 60 minutes, or until meat and carrots are fork tender. Let roast rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Thicken sauce with cornstarch or serve as jus on the side. Either way, it's heavenly.

Hot German (Potato) Noodle Salad

This is actually a potato salad recipe. We had potatoes last night, so I changed out the potatoes for noodles as a side for this dinner. Tastes just as yummy!

4 cups wide noodles ( or 4 medium potatoes, boiled in skins, if you're making potato salad)
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
1 cup water
3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar

Cook noodles according to package directions. (For potato salad, peel and slice potatoes very thin)

Meanwhile, in large skillet (cast iron is great for this), saute bacon slowly until crisp then drain on paper towels. Set aside. Saute onion in bacon drippings in pan until they are just beginning to caramelize. Blend in cornstarch, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat; mix well. Add water and vinegar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Carefully stir in noodles (drained) and crumbled bacon bits. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand until ready to serve.

*Amish noodles are fantastic in this dish.

And, I did whip up a batch of Snickerdoodles but 5 minutes into baking, they were smelling burnt. Nicely cracked on the top but the bottoms were burned. I used brand new cookie sheets. Wonder if that was the problem or if the temp was too high - recipe said 400º - maybe a combination of both. After I research a bit, I'll try again tonight.

Chicken with Peppers, Onions and Fill in the ________ : Creating Your Own Recipes

How many recipes can you make from trio of chicken breasts (cut in stirfry strips), peppers (red, green, or multicolored), and onions? I think you could round up several hundred if you searched long enough and far enough. You’re only limited by your imagination.

Some of my favorite combos are...

~ with teriyaki sauce over rice
~ with tomato sauce over spaghetti and sprinkled with parmesan cheese
~ with barbecue sauce and macaroni & cheese
~ with teriyaki sauce and pineapple over thin spaghetti or ramen noodles
~ with a wine-butter sauce and mushrooms over herbed wide noodles
~ with taco seasoning and Spanish rice

Shall I continue?

The point is, creating recipes can begin with something this simple and just using your imagination with sauces and switching out ingredients. Change out the chicken for pork or beef and you have something else entirely. Use ground turkey. Your options are endless. Be tastefully creative !!

Smoky Chicken Breast & Veggies

~From Penzeys Spices Catalog (2007)

1-1/2 pounds small new potatoes
1 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 x 1/2-inch strips (I used 2 chicken breasts)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon Smoked Spanish Paprika
1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon thyme, divided
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced

Potato Dressing:
2 teaspoons Country French Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Base
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

Directions:
** Wash and slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. Place in pan of boiling water; boil 6 to 8 minutes until fork tender. Drain. Let dry in a medium bowl. Mix Country French Dressing Base with water; let stand a few minutes; whisk with oil and vinegar. Coat potatoes with dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

** I totally skipped /changed the above step. First, I (gasp) didn’t use Penzeys brand spices and therefore, did not have their Country French Dressing Base on hand.

Rather, I simply sliced the potatoes and layered them up in a casserole dish, drizzled with a bit of olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, tossed to coat well, covered them with foil, and put them in a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes, removing foil halfway through.

To make the Chicken:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large, heavy skillet. When oil is hot, add chicken. Season with half the Smoked Spanish Paprika, half Lemon Pepper Seasoning, and half the Thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is done (nicely browned on all sides). Remove from pan.

While the chicken is cooking, slice onion and peppers into strips. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan if necessary. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes, stirring. Add bell peppers and season with the rest of the spices. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes until everything is crisp-tender. Stir the chicken back in, heat through. Remove to plates and serve with the potatoes.

Okay, here’s the Review:

It makes a pretty plate: Red and orange pepper strips always make for an eye-pleasing plate. The paprika stained chicken, flecks of black pepper, and slightly caramelized onion just add to the appeal of this dish.

However...My first thought on reading the recipe was Spanish Paprika AND Lemon Pepper – Both ?? Really ??

It just doesn’t seem like lemon and paprika play well together but, who am I to say? I don’t think I likely have an exceptionally sophisticated palate (caviar = YUCK) so … well, I thought I would try it.

I was right. They don’t play well together, at least not on my taste buds. One or the other would have been wonderful.

I LOVE smoky and/or sweet Spanish Paprika. It’s really perfect on chicken and I use it ... a lot.

I also love lemon pepper seasoning, and it’s perfectly scrumptious on chicken, too, but I think it’s a better seasoning for fish.

So, although it passed for dinner, this particular recipe won't be included in my menu repertoire again. I would, however, make it with just one or the other, not both, of the seasonings.

Apple-Cherry Pan Crumble ... or raiding the fridge

I had some apples left over from the holiday baking, just sitting out there on the counter. And a small baggie with dried cherries. They looked so lonely. Hmmm...I also had a few cups of brown sugar and some butter I should use up. Dessert for tonight !!

Apple-Cherry Pan Crumble

Filling:
4 medium apples (recommend Granny Smith or Fuji); peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with a little cold water to make a slurry)

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup oats
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F.

In medium cast iron skillet, add apples, cherries, water, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook till apples are just tender (can stick a fork in easily). Add cornstarch slurry to thicken liquid.

Meanwhile, make topping. In medium bowl, mix topping ingredients well. Mixture should be crumbly.

Place topping over apples in skillet.

Place skillet on lined baking sheet. Place in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Cool. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

(Sorry no pictures this time - still fussing with lighting)

Christmas Dinner Stars: Spiced Ham and Roasted Cauliflower

I consulted Food Network for something different to try this year. These were hits.

Ham with Toasted Spice & Honey (Maple) Drizzle
~ Michael Chiarello @ Food Network

At first, I was a little worried as I was toasting the spices in the pan. The coriander has a very strong, distinct flavor and scent; I was afraid it would overpower the rub mix. It didn’t. It made the house smell wonderful, and continued on with a very soft and pleasant spicy aftertaste; almost like a puff of spicy. I did change one thing though, and used 1 cup honey and 1 cup maple syrup instead of 2 cups honey. It was delish!

Roasted Cauliflower
~ Dave Lieberman @ Food Network

Another successful and delicious way to prepare cauliflower. This will go in my recipe collection to add to our meals. A few things I might change, however, would be to mince the garlic. Although the roasting reduces the “bite” of the garlic, we prefer not to get the bite from the slices. Mincing would allow for a more blended garlicky flavor. I might also use grated, rather than coarsely shredded, Parmesan cheese. Parmesan does not melt well and tends to get “crispy” if you will. In its finely grated state, it would, like the garlic, blend in much better. Otherwise, another successful and delicious side dish.

With that, we had the rest of the usual holiday dishes: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes cooked in brown sugar and butter, green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing, rolls.

For dessert, we had plenty of Christmas cookies on hand, and I made an apple pie. I tried mixing Fuji apples (you MUST try Fuji apples; they are wonderful) with Granny Smith. I’m not sure which one, the Fuji or the Granny, did not cook down completely, so I had some crunchy apple bites in the pie. The one I made at Thanksgiving was perfect overall…the crust was flaky and tender, and the apples were cooked just right. It’s a different experience every time.

I did finally get my pie crust worked out so results are consistent every time.

Pie Crust:
Makes two 9-inch crusts

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup COLD unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup COLD shortening (I like the butter-flavored Crisco sticks for pie crust)
4 to 6 tablespoons ICE water

Blend flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut cold butter cubes and shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender or in food processor (best method) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons water into mixture; mix gently with fork. Continue to add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough begins to come together.

Divide the dough into two balls, with one slightly larger than the other. Flatten dough into 1/2-inch thick disks and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

To form crusts: Tear off 2 long sheets of waxed paper. Place disk on one sheet of paper and the remaining sheet on top of disk. Roll out dough outward from center of disk with rolling pin, turning dough 1/4 turns as you go. Roll dough until it is 2 inches larger than the pie plate.

Remove top layer of waxed paper. Carefully place dough side down into pie plate and remove waxed paper.

For double crust pie: Roll out dough as before. Carefully place dough on top of filling, removing waxed paper. Trim edge of dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold or roll dough together and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust to vent.

Bake pie as directed in recipe.

Tip:  I prefer waxed paper over plastic wrap for rolling the dough out. When you put the crust in the pie plate and have to remove the paper, you can simply tear the paper and not damage the crust as might happen by pulling off a sheet of plastic wrap.

Chicken with Lemon, Artichoke, and Grape Tomatoes

My sister sent me a recipe she said I had to try:  Chicken with Lemon, Artichoke, and Grape Tomatoes. It's a variation of chicken piccata, and the original can be found at Viking Range. I made it for dinner last night. Other than using some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (hard to find grape tomatoes in mid December in the Midwest), I made no changes to the recipe.

It was good. I think my only complaint was that the capers made it a bit too salty. The saltiness of the capers and sour bite from the lemon made for a different flavor profile. I served it with mashed potatoes & chives, and honey-glazed carrots. The sauce went very well with the potatoes.

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 1 large clove
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lemon, cut into thin rounds
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 14-ounce can artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into small pieces
1 3-ounce jar capers, drained
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
Sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish

Place one of the chicken breast halves on a flat surface and cut into 2 cutlets with a sharp knife. Continue with remaining chicken breast halves. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Place flour in a pie plate or other rimmed flat dish. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add as many chicken cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Brown cutlets on both sides, remove to a plate and continue until all cutlets are browned (they will complete cooking later), adding more butter and olive oil to the skillet as needed. Place cutlets on a plate and set aside.

Add thyme and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add wine, chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon rounds to the pan, scraping up any brown bits in the bottom. Return all of the chicken cutlets to the skillet, along with the artichoke heart and bottoms.

Simmer until sauce is slightly reduced and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in capers and grape tomato halves and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. To serve, place 1 cutlet on each dinner plate, top with the artichoke-tomato sauce and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Makes 6 servings.

(I took pictures, but they didn't turn out - seems I've got some lighting issues)