Smoked Sausage, Potato soup

I saw a couple recipes for potato and sausage soup while wandering online. I thought Kielbasa would be yummy like this. And so today cuz its cold and raining out all day, I decided to make this. This is not the original recipe tho. As always I tweak things to make them mine. But it goes together fast and the only real cooking is the potatoes to get soft. So if your looking for a fast meal, this works good with a nice crusty bread with butter.

My bf said its really good. I asked him if its good enough to make again and he said yes. When that happens, then I post it here for all of you.......why? Cuz hes picky so if he likes it I know many others will too. Enjoy.

Smoked Sausage, Potato soup- Makes 2-3 servings.

1c. diced onions
1tb. butter
2tb. flour
5-6 small or med. potatoes, peeled and diced
1qt. chicken broth ( I used my own that I can)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
S and P to taste
8oz. smoked sausage, diced or sliced ( I used Kielbasa)
1/3 of a bag of frozen spinach
1/2 tsp cajun spice
1/4 tsp. ground garlic
1c. half and half
Parmesan cheese

1. In a large sauce pot over moderate heat, saute onions in butter until very soft (about 10-15 minutes), stirring frequently. Add flour and cook for 3 more minutes.

2. Add potatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very soft (about 30 minutes).

3. Add sausage. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes. Stir in spinach, Cajun spice, and garlic. Add half and half and heat thru. Serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, and my version

(This photo is from the link for the recipe)

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/11/oven-baked-cajun-chicken-and-sausage.html

This is the recipe I used and so I'm posting the link here. But as usual , I change things around. I read the recipe and it sounded really good. I am able to "taste" a recipe by reading the ingredients. I know it sounds weird but I have a good palate and knew this would be yummy. And it was....however, the picture here from that site.......turned me off. I almost didn't make it. IT just looked so pale and unappetizing.

And so I'm going to post here the changes I did with the recipe. And in fact since I made this, I see a few more changes I might do in the future. First I cut the recipe in half because there's only two of us here.

But as I read it , I saw browning the meats in the oven and then I noticed them using another fry pan to do the onions and such. Now Im always looking for shortcuts. And this dish is a good one if you want a yummy, fast, ez meal you don't have to watch much. And so I decided to use my lg. cast iron fry pan. I turned the oven on to the temp. and then put the fry pan in the oven while I was assembling my ingredients. When I was ready to cook the meats I put the oil and butter in it right there in the oven to melt. It called for chicken with skin and bones and I didnt have anything but boneless, skinless breasts here. So I used one of those and cut it in 2 chunks to cook faster. I had about a half lb. of kielasa sausage too. It just didnt look like much meat so I got  a boneless pork chop too. I cut that in half also and then put the meats in the oil/butter mix in the pan, rolling them around to coat them. Then I let them brown forabout15-20min...checking them and turning them over to brown on the other side.
Ive decided next time to use whole chicken thighs and more sausage and no pork unless its a well marbled piece. This was too dry this time. It was tasty but just too dry for my own taste.

After the meats are brown , remove pan from oven and remove meats from pan. Toss in the onion and garlic. I used 1/2 red onion and two garlic cloves, minced. You don't even have to have heat under the cast iron pan since its so hot from the oven. Just stir so they don't stick and burn. Meanwhile cut the meat up into bite size pieces.

Once the onion/garlic mixture is almost done, toss in the spices. I used half the amt. since I was making half the recipe. Stir well to release some of the oils. Sure smells good about now too. I used one of my home canned qt. jars of chicken stock and poured that in. Now you can turn the heat back up to high. Stir a bit then add two c. of rice. When it comes to a boil, add the meats, stir and put in the oven and cover,  to bake for about a half hr.

 (This is what mine looked like, much darker than the original recipe. I like that much better)

I served this with an Italian salad and I'm glad I did. As I said this recipe is a bit dry. And so next time, I'm going to use fattier meats and ones that stay moist. Thighs I think would be much better for this than breasts, the dark meat doesn't dry out. And I didn't have enough sausage to make this but its really good with it. I also think I just might add a bit more chicken stock to this to make it a bit sloppy. But we did love this very much otherwise and doing it this way, the color was much improved. It took advantage of the meat juices that were in the bottom of the pan. If you did it the original way, those would be wasted.

You can buy Cajun spice if you wish but I make my own. Here's my recipe:

Cajun Spice Mix
2 1/2 tb. Paprika (I use Hungarian paprika)
2 tb. garlic powder
1 tb. ground black pepper
1 tb. crushed red pepper or cayenne
1 tb. dried thyme
1 tb. dried oregano
1 tb. dried onion flakes or powder ( I like flakes better)

Mix together and store.
I like to add some to my rib rub, and of course on blackened fish.

Sausage Minestrone Soup

I wasn't sure what to make for dinner today. It was supposed to rain but it never did. They do say tomorrow, but who knows. CA. weather is weird. I'm reading a book about cooking thru a year in Tuscany and came across a general recipe for the minestrone the woman made. It got me thinking about it. So I searched online for some recipes because I know that you can add just about anything to this. But most add cabbage and I hate cabbage in soup, so does my bf.

So after reading a bit and trying to figure out what I would like in a Minestrone I came up with this. Originally I was going to make tiny bite sized meatballs. But when I opened the freezer to take out some beef, I found a package of Vino and Fromaggio Sausage that I put in there. I just loveeeeeeeeee this sausage and no longer buy regular Italian sweet sausage. I use this instead. Now I realize not everyone can get this so feel free to use whatever Italian sausages you can find around your area.

I will say this is a rich, luscious soup and one I will definitely make again.

Sausage Minestrone 4-6 servings

Olive oil ( I use extra virgin)
4 Italian sausage ( I use Vino &Fromaggio from our local store)
4 stalks celery sliced thin or a nice small celery heart chopped up with leaves too
3 carrots, peeled and sliced maybe 1/4in. thick
1 sm. red onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
32 oz. chicken stock
1 can beef broth plus one can water
1 can 15oz. chopped tomatoes
1 can 15oz. white cannellini beans (or small white beans)
About 4oz fresh string beans, cut in about 1 in. pieces
About 4oz. frozen spinach
s & p
A handful of chopped fresh parsley
A small piece of cheese rind (I always have romano here so I used that.......parmesan would be excellent too)
1/2 c. small pasta
Crusty bread, sliced
Provolone cheese sliced

Take sausage from casings and break up in about 1/4c. olive oil. While that's browning chop veggies....add the celery and carrots and cook about 5min. Then add onion and garlic and saute 5 more min. or till onion is getting soft.

Add both stocks, and tomatoes. Drain and rinse beans, then put in pot. Cut up string beans and add. Toss in Spinach and chopped parsley. Add a bit of S & P. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Add cheese rind. Cook till beans are falling apart and thickening the soup. About a half hr. before you think the beans will be done, add pasta and cook till tender. Serve with a nice piece of crusty Italian bread in a bowl, topped with provolone cheese. Pour soup over all and serve.

***You can also speed up the process by mashing the beans a bit before you put them in the pot.

DADS SAUSAGE SAMMICH

This is just a simple sandwich but to me its all about family memories........
When I was little we would go to grammas house after church. Gramma always made some yummy stuff and this was one thing she made that I loved. After she passed, my dad took on the job. I will post his recipe but add my variations after it. Today dad and I still swap recipes. He will tell me the latest he cooked or ask me questions on how to do stuff. ( I'm a chef.) And I will tell him my latest yummy things Ive made. Many times dad takes my recipe then adapts it to his life. My mom used to cook beef stew on top of the stove. When I first married I did too but I hated it because it always scorched. Then I found an oven beef stew recipe that I just loveeeeeeeeeee. A few yrs back I told my dad about it and now hes adapted it to the microwave. And that's how it goes all the time, round and round. He tells people he talks to this chef he knows in California lolol. I had professional photos done once for a food demo I had to do at a big dept. store in the mall. I sent my dad a pic and now he has it framed on his wall. That's "his kid" as he says when I call on the phone. (The picture below the About Me section is the one on his wall.)

DADS SAUSAGE SAMMICH Makes 2

1 dozen breakfast sausages (ok dad uses big dinner sausages, I cant find them out here so I use these but they are the same sausage just different size)

1 large onion, sliced

Kaiser rolls (we called them hard roll on the east coast) or toast

butter

Mustard (we use Guldens spicy)

Saute the sausages in some butter, add the sliced onions when sausages are about halfway done. Cover and cook till done. You want it to be nicely browned and onions caramelized. Fill rolls with sausages and top with onions. Spread on some mustard and eat!

Ok now for my version....

I frequently buy bulk breakfast sausage because the bf loves it. I freeze them in little bags for when I need it. So for me to start this recipe, I take out the frozen sausage and put in pan with about 1/4c water. When sausage seem thawed thru, saute, add a pat of butter and the sliced onions. Cover and cook for about 15min. Onions should be soft by then. If they are take off cover, raise heat to hi and stand there and watch em. They need to be browned and if you walk away you will be eatin out lol. Stir as needed till all liquid is evaporated and sausage is brown and onions caramelized.

I like this on Kaiser rolls too but I don't always have that around. We like it on sourdough toast tho. I use Guldens spicy mustard too but any kind you like will do . I do all as above with dads only we add sliced provolone cheese on it. Its delish! Told my dad about that one too.

This will make the whole house smell like onions!

And yes that's a pic up there of my breakfast today! hehehe

Sausage and Peppers over Rice

Last nite I made Sausage and Peppers over Rice. I created this dish one day, long ago when I was craving one of those awesome Sausage and Pepper sammichs from a NJ boardwalk. Somehow the salty air and breezes always stirred up an appetite and this was what Id want. Last time I had this was maybe 10yrs ago. I went to a chat party in Atlantic City. I was home visiting my folks and planned to drive there for the party. We all had lots to do of course down there but I told the bunch I wasnt going home till I had one of those sammichs. Curiosity got the best of them and many of them followed me down the boardwalk. I found us a place that served ones that just looked delish! It was almost a foot long and only $3.00! Id never find anything like that here in CA. lol. So this recipe is a variation of that sammich I love. My kids love this and now my bf does too.

I will give you the amts. for what I made last nite but you can tweak it to what you need and more or less of something doesnt really matter . So if you dont like alot of peppers only add one, same with the onions.

SAUSAGE 'n PEPPERS OVER RICE serves 4 hearty meals
8 Italian sausages, cut into 1 in. chunks
2 green peppers, cut into 1in. chunks
2 med. onions, cut in half then cut into about 1/2 slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
S & P
1 jar Classico Tomato Basil Sauce
1 1/2c. rice plus 3c. water
Romano Cheese

First get your rice started. Add rice and water and a dash of salt to pot and cook till almost done. The reason for this is , it will continue to steam as you do the other and come out nice and fluffy when you fluff with a fork.
Next drizzle a bit of olive oil in a pan and heat. Add sausage chunks and brown well. I use Italian sweet sausage but if you like spicy then buy the hot. When brown remove from pan into a sm. bowl. Next add onion and saute till beginning to get soft. Add peppers and garlic and saute a bit more till they have a glazed look, maybe 10min. more. Next add tomato sauce, basil, parsley, fennel and S & P. Stir well then add the sausage and stir that in too with any juices that are in the bowl. Cover and cook on simmer for 15-20min. If too thick add a bit of water. You dont want it to stick and scorch.
For each serving put some rice on a plate, top with sausage mix and sauce. Grate some fresh Romano Cheese on top and serve.

This is one of the few times I use jarred sauce. I love the Classico brand and only use the Tomato/basil sauce. It has the NJ tomato taste Ive missed since I moved here and its a plain jarred sauce like I used to make from my garden tomatoes and basil. Its a good basic sauce.

I use dried herbs here but when I have fresh I always use them. Just depends on the season and whats in my refrigerator. You could serve this as sandwiches too on a nice crusty italian roll or bread cut into chunks but its messy. You could leave the sausage whole tho if your going to do that and just top with the pepper sauce.

Because theres only two of us here now, I always have leftovers. I put a layer of rice in a casserole and top with the remaining sauce and freeze. Then all I have to do is put it on a 350 degree oven and let heat thru. Ive even made this as a dish for a potluck and they all loved it! You could use loose sausage meat too but we like getting chunks of it when eating it. Oh and the reason I add crushed fennel seeds to this is because out here none of the Italian sausage has it in it. On the east coast thats how its made. I couldnt for ages wonder what the heck was missing from the sausage here out west. That was the key!