Recipes Discovered

Shallota Pasta Recipe

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Recipe 

Sometimes the simplest ingredients can make the biggest flavors. These two dishes are definite examples of that. Sausage (I used sausage links, but you can also use crumbled bulk sausage), garlic, and broccoli rabe are combined to make a spicy, slightly bitter dish while caramelized shallots, Parmesan cheese, and spaghetti make a sweet and salt dish. Together, they balance each other really well. It may seem like a lot of shallots, but they actually taste amazing and I added extra to the pasta. It’s may be a simple meal, but it has a lot of complex flavors.

Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Rice Soup Recipe

When it’s really cold outside, I love to have a nice, hot bowl of soup. This recipe for butternut squash soup is great because it includes sausage and rice, so it’s a complete meal in a bowl.

First, I peeled, seeded, and chopped a large butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. Then I roasted it with a little olive oil for about 45 minutes, until it was really tender. Once it cooled a little bit, I put it in the blender with enough chicken broth to puree it, about a cup. While the squash was roasting, I cooked some brown rice in chicken broth with some onions. That also took about 45 minutes, so it was done the same time as the squash.

After the squash and rice were cooked, I added some olive oil and the sausage to my dutch oven. Once sausage was browned, I added the rest of the onions and the corn. I was really uncertain about the corn in this recipe, but in the end I was glad I added it. It adds a difference sweetness and texture to the soup. When the onion was soft, I added the squash puree and chicken broth. I added 3 cups of chicken broth, but I like a fairly thick soup. Add as much as you like, and remember, more can always be added later. I covered my pot and let everything simmer for 20 minutes before add the rice and cooking for another 10 minutes. At that point, I seasoned it with a little salt and pepper and served the soup with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

To me, the soup was perfect. It was very thick and creamy, plus it was sweet from the squash, smokey from the sausage, and had a nice texture with the rice and corn. Seth even agreed with me, and he generally isn’t that into soup. I wish I had made more because I hear it’s going to be cold for quite awhile.

Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Rice Soup Recipe

Update: New and Improved Recipe

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage Recipe

Spinach Salad with Apples and Red Onion Recipe

As much as I love to cook, sometimes I don’t like to think about what I am cooking. Enter Rachael Ray. Now I know some people can’t stand her while others think she is the best thing ever, but I will say that usually, she has pretty decent recipes. What I really like about her is that she doesn’t just prepare a recipe, she prepares a complete meal that works together. The flavors compliment each other, and it’s well balanced. For dinner the other night, Seth and I had pasta with pumpkin and sausage along with a spinach salad with apples and red onion. All the ingredients worked together, and, best of all, I didn’t have to think about what I was cooking.

First, the salad, which is really simple. The dressing it simply olive oil, vinegar, grain mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. After whisking it together, I poured it over spinach leaves topped with sliced apples and red onions. >> Read more

Zucchini Kielbasa Soup Recipe

My family enjoyed vegetable soup, but traditional vegetable soup is usually a winter dish that takes all day to cook, as you can read here. My uncle came up with this light, fresh soup that takes advantage of garden vegetables and the unique flavor of kielbasa. Kielbasa is polish sausage that is traditionally made from mixing pork with small amounts of beef or veal, seasoned with fresh herbs, and then smoked. Together, the kielbasa and vegetables make a wonderful, easy soup.
This is a low maintenance soup that requires very little attention. I started with a large soup pot and added chopped onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, and kielbasa. Once everything was in the pot, I added two cans (14.5 ounces each) of low sodium chicken broth, plus about two cups of water. I turned the heat to low and let everything cook for one hour, stirring it occasionally. The soup is really that simple.
The soup is really great. It’s light, fresh and has all the flavors of summer. The kielbasa gives it a spicy taste, but not hot. My Uncle sometimes adds fried bacon to the soup, which makes it a little smokey, but I really enjoy the flavor of the kielbasa on it’s own. Either way, it’s a delicious soup that is simple and light – perfect for summer.