Italian Sausage with Veggies

Hi,

I hope you had a lovely Christmas. I think Italian sausage is highly versatile and fast.

1 package Italian Sausage

Place sausage in a frying pan with an inch or so of water. Bring to a boil and cover, if possible. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning sausages over. When the sausages are cooked on the outside, they don't have to be cooked all the way through, place sausages on a "meat" cutting board and slice into pieces.

(I like to keep separate cutting boards for raw meat or fish and another cutting board for veggies and fruit. It is not recommended to use a cutting board for raw meat and then use the same cutting board to make a salad. Trust me, you don't want to do that.)

Olive oil

Drain off any water. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive into the frying pan and return sliced italian sausages. Cook the sausages until nicely brown and cooked through.

Red pepper
Salt and black pepper
Veggies (green or red pepper, broccoli rabe, mushrooms)

Wash and cut the veggies and quickly stir fry with sausages. Add additional oil if needed. Also for a bit of kick add 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of red pepper. Salt and pepper if needed.

Parsley, cilantro, or green onion

If you have some parsley or fresh greens about add in the last minute. Enjoy!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Quiche with options

Hi all,

Well I am finally happy with a quiche recipe. I've tried a bunch of different things, but this one works consistently well. I have included some various ingredients that you can add to make it your own. Yesterday, I made a ham, spinach, caramelized onion quiche with swiss, gruyere, and cheddar cheese. I like quiche because it make great leftovers and you can tweak around the ingredients. I purchased pie crust from Trader Joes which made the quiche very easy.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1 premade pie crust (I like the one from Trader Joes. You have to thaw it ahead of time)

Fit the crust into a deep, 9 inch pie pan. Flute the edges by pinching it between thumb and index of one hand and indenting it between the two with your other index. You can also use a fork to create a striped pattern around the edge. Place a piece of aluminum foil onto the pie dough, pressing it down flat. If you have pie weights (little funny ball things) use those or if you don't, you can fill the bottom with uncooked beans or rice. The idea is to hold down the pie dough as it cooks. Place in 450 oven for 10 minutes. Lift off foil and beans and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned.

While the pie dough bakes prepare the filling and caramelized the onion.

4 eggs
1 cup half and half
pinch of salt and pepper

Whisk the eggs, cream, and seasonings together in a bowl.

1 large onion
1 tablespoon olive oil

Saute the onion until it becomes nicely brown, but not burnt.

1/4 pound (approximate) ham (you can also use precooked bacon, or sausage) cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (swiss is classic, but you can also use cheddar or gruyere)
1/3 package frozen spinach, defrosted in microwave and with as much liquid removed as possible (You could also use broccoli, asparagus, or sauteed peppers. Be creative!)

When the pie dough is brown. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle first with ham, then cheese, then spinach and last the caramelized onions. Give the cream and egg mixture one last mix and pour into the pie shell with the other ingredients.

nutmeg

Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the center is set and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. I think the caramelized onions are a must. Let me know what you think?

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Homemade Granola

Hi All,

I have been taking an online course and my posting recipe rate has dropped down to zero per week. So much for keeping multiple plates spinning at the same time? This is a great granola recipe. It is much less expensive than granola you can buy, plus you can put in all your favorite kinds of nuts and dried fruit. I like to add sesame seeds, it adds a nice flavor. If you can get it at an asian store in a large bag, it's much cheaper than buying those little bottles at the grocery store. This recipe makes quite a bit, but it keeps well in a tightly sealed container.

42 ounces of old fashioned rolled oats (the large "can" of oats at the grocery store
7 ounces (one small bag) sweetened coconut
1 cup sesame seeds
10 ounces sliced almonds
8-16 ounces walnuts
(1/2 cup dried milk optional)

Mixed the ingredients above in a large pot or bowl. You can  mix up the kinds and amounts of nuts to suit your taste and pocketbook. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 cup vegetable oil (I used to use canola oil, but now would probably use coconut oil)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey

Put the above ingredients together and heat over medium heat in a small pot until the sugar melts and the mixture just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Add the vanilla to the liquid mixture. Mix well. Pour onto the oat and nut mixture. Mix well. Pour mixture onto two large rimmed baking sheets. Place in oven stir every 15 minutes until desired toastedness. I usually like the granola light to medium toasted and the total time is about 45 minutes. Remove from oven.

8 ounces sweetened dried cranberries (I have also used dried pineapple or raisins)

Stir in cranberries, cool, store in airtight containers.

If you don't think you'll eat the whole recipe, it makes great gifts sealed in a plastic bag with a ribbon. Or you can make just half a recipe too.

Hope your granola taste great!

Hugs,
Mameekosan