Author Archives for Shannon

Slow-Cooker Beer-Braised Smoked Sausages and Onion

This weekend is the Super Bowl and, as if we don’t turn on the news every single night and have to constantly hear about the Polar Vortex and how cold it is outside, the biggest story surrounding the big game is what will the weather be like. Like the organizers of the Super Bowl didn’t know when they chose East Rutherford, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium that it didn’t have a DOME and that it could be cold, and possibly snowy, in January. So when the news people finally stop talking about the weather and move on to sports, we still have to hear about the weather. Sorry, but isn’t the Super Bowl about football? Anyway, whether you are having people over for the game or sitting at home watching the game alone, why not make some fun food just because you can? These Slow-Cooker Beer-Braised Smoked Sausages and Onion are an easy food to throw together and forget about for several hours.

Smoked sausages with cheese (I used Johnsonville’s Turkey Sausage with Cheddar) are browned in a skillet before being layered into a slow-cooker with butter, grainy mustard, brown sugar, caraway seeds, and onions before being bathed with your favorite beer. After a couple of hours, these sausages take on a completely differently unique – and amazing – flavor. If you are like me and never really knew what caraway seeds tasted like, they taste like rye bread which I happen to love. I’ve eaten these particular sausages before and this recipe completely transforms their flavor. Serve these on your favorite roll or eat them plain for the game this weekend and maybe you might not care a lick about the weather.

The ingredients:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat the bowl of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter, brown sugar and mustard in slow cooker; stir in onions, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Place sausages over onions and pour beer over the top.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Serve sausages on rolls with onions. Top with mustard and cheddar, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Smoked turkey sausage with cheddar

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Family Circle magazine

Chicken Cacciatore

It’s hard to believe that it was so sunny this past weekend and not terribly cold and now it’s freezing and we are getting up to 10″ of snow. Really? Just when I think winter isn’t so bad, things go drastically south. Tonight it’s supposed to be 8 degrees. I don’t even know how to process that. Some people hate being cooped up inside when it’s snowy and cold but I thinks it’s a perfect time to do some cooking. This Chicken Cacciatore is a quick, tasty, and comforting dish to help satisfy that specific hunger that only comes with winter.

Diced chicken is tossed with dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes before being sautéed with fresh red pepper and earthly mushrooms. The secret weapon of jarred tomato and basil marinara sauce helps to keep this dish simple and a little red wine adds an extra dose of bold flavor. As the dish simmers, the flavors meld together to make a perfectly easy chicken cacciatore that can be served with your favorite pasta, quinoa, rice or simply vegetables. Talk about a perfectly warm dinner for a cold and snowy night.

The ingredients:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with oregano, dried basil, and red pepper.

Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in pasta sauce and wine; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Basil

Substitutions:

Baby portabella mushrooms

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond

January 16, 2014
Shannon
1 comment
almonds, curry, food, peppers, rice, vegetarian

I’m not the biggest fast food fan. We ate fast food here and there when I was a kid but for the most part, my mom usually cooked each night. Considering she worked a full time job and then came home to make us dinner, I can understand why we had fast food every so often. But I don’t really have a palette for fast food anymore (unless I’m on a road trip when all I want is French fries and a milkshake) but instead, when I don’t feel like cooking, I instinctively call the Chinese food restaurant for takeout. My guilty pleasure go-to dish is vegetable fried rice which is probably one of the worst things a) on the menu and b) ever. Since homemade fried rice dishes are never as good as the real thing, I’m hoping I’ll find a homemade recipe that I like enough to keep me from picking up that phone. A girl can hope. This time, I tried Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond.

Onion, garlic, red pepper, and sliced almonds are sautéed in peanut oil briefly before adding in precooked rice (a HUGE time saver). Fresh lime juice, curry paste, and cilantro leaves are adding such unique flavors that you don’t even realize that there isn’t a lick of soy sauce anywhere. The curry paste is mild and has a very subtle flavor, much different than curry powder, so don’t be scared of it and don’t leave it out. It really adds a great bold flavor to this rice. The peppers and onions are sweet and the lime juice really gives this a vibrant flavor boost. This vegetarian dish comes together quickly so you don’t have to spend much time over the stove after a long day. Still not your cup of tea? Try one of the other fried rice recipes in the link. You just might find one you like that will keep you from order Chinese food or hitting that fast food restaurant.