Sausage, Kale, and Barley Stew

I made a few changes to the recipe card that was in my veg box, which included a large bunch of cavolo nero, and this is what we ended up with.  A delicious and heartily filling stew that everyone loved.



oil for frying
6-8 sausages (I used a mild Italian, but an apple variety or a traditional English banger would be nice)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup barley
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (start with four and use more as needed as the barley cooks)
salt and pepper to taste
large bunch cavolo nero or other kale, leaves stripped from the stalks and roughly chopped


Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pan.  Add the sausages and fry, turning now and then, until nicely browned all over.  Remove and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and let it heat up.  Add onion and carrots and fry on medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until softened.  Add the barley, stir for a minute, then add the rosemary and stock.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, partially covered.  Return the sausages to the pan and simmer for another 20 minutes, partially covered.  Add chopped kale and simmer until wilted, 5-10 minutes, uncovered.  Add more stock a little bit at a time if the pan is getting too dry.  Check seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed, and serve hot with a crusty loaf.

Curried Carrot, Lentil and Coriander Soup

Making soup for my family is hit and miss.  Even if I place an enticingly warm baguette on the table, I never know how my little gingersnaps will respond.  Thankfully, this nutritious and tasty soup went over great and was a big hit!  The recipe came in our veg box, along with bright orange carrots and potent onions that went straight to the pot!  Personally, I prefer a bit of texture in my soup instead of blitzing the entire batch in my Vitamix before serving.  But it seemed to work with this one so I'll just go with it next time.  Make sure you use a good quality stock and season well.

2 Tbsp oil

1 large or 2 small onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger 

1 Tbsp curry powder

4-5 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

15oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

handful fresh coriander (or cilantro), chopped

plain yogurt to serve, optional

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion and gently fry for 7-8 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and carrots and fry for 2 minutes.  Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes and bay leaf.  Season.  Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the carrots are tender.  Add the coriander then blitz in a blender.  Check the seasoning and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt.

Overnight Egg Sandwiches

I'm all about make-ahead breakfast recipes.  I saw this in a Penzeys magazine and knew it would be a hit.  Similar to a breakfast casserole or soufflé, you can cater the "filling" to your family's taste.  This recipe makes a full 9x13 pan, but the leftovers were good again the second day with a little help from the toaster oven.  

10-12 slices sandwich bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups shredded cheese - your choice

10 large eggs

2 1/2 - 3 cups milk (the amount of milk should be roughly equal to the volume of eggs)

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 tsp seasoning of your choice (I used Italian)

Optional Ingredients - pick and choose to suit those at your table:

1/2 lb. cooked, cumbled bacon

1/2 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage

1 small onion, minced

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup diced cooked vegetables like bell pepper, broccoli, leek, corn

Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Butter one side of the bread slices.  Cover the bottom of the dish with the bread butter-side-up.  Put the cheese and other fillings on top of the bread.  Add another layer of buttered bread.  Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and seasonings together thoroughly.  Pour over the bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Take the baking dish out of the fridge and place in a COLD oven.  Set the temperature for 350F and bake uncovered of ragout 1 hour.  It'll get golden brown and puffy, kind of like a soufflé.  Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I had a photo to go with this, but who knows when I'll get around to actually downloading and getting it on here.  And I'd hate for you to have to wait any longer to try out this festive dip.  Yum!



4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of cloves
caramel sauce to drizzle on top (optional)
graham crackers of gingersnap cookies for dipping


In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on low speed, blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined, then increase mixer to medium and beat for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.  Add in pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves and mix until well blended and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.  Drizzle with caramel sauce, if using, and serve with crackers or cookies.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container (if there's any left!).

Sweet Potato Pie

 I'd only heard of sweet potato pie a few months ago (true story).  It intrigued me.  Then, a few weeks ago, one of my gingersnaps found a book at the library titled Sweet Potato Pie.  We brought the book home, read the delightful story with colorful illustrations, and came to the end of the book to find none other than a recipe for sweet potato pie.  "Let's make it!!"  Ok!

Making it was as easy as . . . ahem . . . pie.  And I'm pretty sure this pie is my new obsession.  I don't know what it is, but I like it so much I've decided I'm making this on Thursday instead of a pumpkin pie (and if you know me, you know how much I love pumpkin).  The texture is similar to pumpkin pie, but the flavor is subtly different, a little less sweet, and so delicious!  So if you're looking for a change on your Thanksgiving table and sweet potato pie is a new concept to you like it was to me not long ago, I suggest this yummy dessert (topped with whipped cream, of course!).


1 pie crust
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (approximately 3 large)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp butter at room temperature
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks.  Boil or steam until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain off water and put hot potatoes into large bowl.  Mash well.

Add all remaining ingredients except cinnamon and beat sweet potato mixture until smooth.  Pour warm filling into pie crust and sprinkle top with cinnamon.

Bake for about 1 hour, until filling is firm and crust is golden brown.  Let cool then serve slightly warm with whipped cream!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

My husband and I really liked this vegetarian version on one of our favorite dishes.  It was delicious with a light hint of cheese and herbs.  And once all the ingredients are prepped (which many can be done ahead of time), the lasagna isn't that hard to put together.  I used one butternut squash and one acorn squash, doubling the recipe to put a pan in the freezer for later.  


2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or purchased
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
2 cups roasted winter squash 
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided


Preheat the oven to 350F.
In the bottom of an 8×10 (I used 8x8) casserole, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and top with three lasagna
noodles.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, salt and pepper together until foamy. Add the roasted squash and beat it into the egg until combined. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps.
Sprinkle the thyme and the Parmesan into the squash mixture and mix well. Spread the mixture over the lasagna noodles in the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Layer another 3 noodles in the casserole and top with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Place the remaining 3 noodles in the dish and spread the last 1/2 cup of sauce over the top of them.
Finish the lasagna with 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Top with 5-7 roasted tomatoes, if you wish.
Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the sides of the lasagna are bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Pumpkin Waffles

My youngest gingersnap was too bothered by the mud from the pumpkin patch and couldn't make it out on her own.  But despite the mud, we are big fans of pumpkins around here - both picking them and eating them!  You can usually find a random amount of pumpkin puree in my fridge these days, just waiting to be used.  And I'm so glad I used some to try out these waffles!  I made them twice in one week and wised up the second time, doubling the batch to freeze some for a quick breakfast in the near future.  The hints of spice are just right and the cornmeal gives the waffles a good texture (less so if you grind the cornmeal very fine).  I like a dollop of yogurt and warm maple syrup on top, but my gingersnaps gobbled them up plain as snacks!


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal, finely ground
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp brown sugar (packed)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (make your own using lemon juice)
1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin purée
4 Tbsp butter, melted (plus a little more for brushing the waffle iron)

Preheat your waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until there are no more brown sugar clumps. Add the buttermilk, pumpkin purée, melted butter and whisk until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Brush a little melted butter over the wells of the hot waffle maker (to make it easier to remove the waffles.) When your waffle maker is hot, working in batches, ladle the batter onto the center of the waffle iron wells, not all the way to the edge, and slowly lower the top lid of the waffle iron. Cook until your waffle iron indicates that the waffles are ready, or until steam stops coming out of the sides of the waffle iron, about 4 to 5 minutes. Open the waffle iron and carefully lift the edge of a waffle with a fork to remove the waffles from the waffle iron.

Serve with warmed maple syrup and a side of apple sauce or apple butter.

Pasta Shells with Mushrooms and Asparagus in Boursin Cheese Sauce

This recipe wasn't on my menu from Jessie last week, but it does come for her site and it is delicious! My husband and I made it together for an at-home date night.  If you haven't tasted the goodness of Boursin cheese, it's worth your attention!


1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (5.2 ounce) package pepper Boursin cheese
3/4 pound uncooked pasta shells
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed


In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. Cut the mushroom caps in half, and slice 1/4 inch thick. Cook mushrooms in the skillet 8 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Season with salt. Stir in the chicken broth and Boursin cheese. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until well blended.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add shell pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Place the asparagus into the pot, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus is tender; drain. Toss with the mushroom sauce to serve.

Toffee Fruit Dip

Mmmmmm . . . this dip was so yummy!  I may have used a spoon to take a few more bites after the fruit was gone.

1 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tbsp. vanilla

Toffee pieces (crushed up Heath candy bar works well)

Blend cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla together.  Stir in toffee pieces.  Voila!  Top with a sprinkling of more toffee bits and serve with fruit slices (apples and pears worked well!).  

Pork Verkenshaas

It was a difficult decision, but this ended up being my favorite meal from Jessie's menu.  The pork is tender and juicy, something I rarely manage unless I use the crock pot.  And the sauce was deliciously rich.  It was simple to put together, but tasted special, especially served next to a heaping mound of garlic mashed potatoes.  

2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 pounds total), trimmed (I only used one tenderloin that was a little over a pound and didn't trim it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1/4 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves (1/2 tsp. dried)

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (didn't use at all)

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat oil and 4 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown pork on all sides. Reduce heat to moderate and cook pork, covered, turning occasionally, 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a shallow baking dish and roast in oven until a meat thermometer registers 155° F. for barely pink meat, 10 to 15 minutes.

While pork is roasting, add remaining tablespoon butter and shallot to skillet and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add wine, broth, and mustard and simmer, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by about half. Add cream and basil and simmer until thickened. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Pour sauce over pork and serve with mashed potatoes.