Sausage, Peppers and Onions...O My

I have had this one sitting around for a long time, and I thought of posting it today when I suggested it to a coworker who was trying to think of something to make for dinner tonight. We make this meal a lot during the week because it is quick and easy and really delicious. We also almost always have the ingredients in the fridge. These go well in a roll or with mashed potatoes.


Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Ingredients:
6 spicy Italian sausages
1 large onions
1 large green pepper
1 bottle beer (lager or ale)
salt/pepper
olive oil

Directions:
-Brown sausages in olive oil on medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add about half of the bottle of beer and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through. The beer should simmer down into a thick, brown sauce. If the beer starts to get too thick before the sausage is finished cooking, add a little more.
-In a separate frying pan, saute the peppers and onions in olive oil. When the vegetables start to soften, add a little bit of the beer and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
-Serve.

Tried and True: Chili-changas

Leftover chili? Well even though I fed six people dinner with the pot I made this weekend, and left half the leftovers with a friend, I still had a lot left. I got the idea for this quick dinner from Hard Times Cafe, a restaurant that specializes in chili, serving four different kinds in many different ways, including over pasta, fritos, corn bread and wrapped in a torilla.

To change up the flavor of the chili a little, I cooked a pound of ground turkey and mixed it into the chili. Once it was in the tortilla, I topped it with chopped onions and tomatoes, shredded cheddar and sour cream.

These are one of my favorite meals in a tortilla, second only to fish tacos.

Tried and True: Beef Stew

I almost missed Tuesday's Tried and True! I got distracted baking a cake for my friend's birthday tomorrow and some "power" muffins for carbo-loading for my half marathon this weekend. (Guess what the next few posts will be?)

But here is one I've been holding on to for awhile. This is not a fast recipe, since it has to simmer for a long time, but it is really easy. My mom used to make something similar, but she used veal (eek!). I can't bring myself to use the veal, although it is a lot more tender.


Beef Stew
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. beef
3 tbs. olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs. flour
2 3/4 cups stout (2 bottles Guinness)
1 cup beef broth
6 small potatoes (3 large russet potatoes), cut into 1" cubes
3 shallots
2 carrots
1 6oz. tomato paste
1 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbs. parsley
salt/pepper
2 cups green beans

Directions:
-Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Brown beef on all sides. Add garlic and simmer for a few minutes. Add flour and mix in.
-Add stout and beef broth. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add potatoes, shallots, carrots, paste and seasoning. Reduce to low and simmer for 3 hours or until beef is very tender. Add green beans for the last 30 minutes.

Serve with crusty Italian bread or mashed potatoes.

Tried and True: Mini Pizza

When I made these, I had no intention of posting them. They just seemed so, well, "duh!" But they looked really cute all piled up, and I figured my hopes of this being a gourmet blog probably went out the door when my second post was about cleaning my refrigerator. Then I remembered that LAST Tuesday, the title of my post started with "Tried and True." Hmm, I am seeing a weekly theme coming on, and a theme with alliteration at that.

Everyone could use an idea for a quick, tasty meal that requires about zero brain activity to put together, right? I mean Rachel Ray gets PAID for these kinds of ideas.

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These little guys are on English muffins, but when I want a thin crust pizza, I make them on pita bread (another regular meal in my kitchen that originated from my time in Egypt). When you make them on the English muffins, you have to use a good amount of sauce because it gets absorbed in all those nooks and crannies. But when you make them on pita, you have to use the sauce sparingly or you end up with a mushy mess.

Ingredients:
english muffins, pita bread, bagels or a baguette cut in half
shredded mozzarella cheese
appropriate toppings, my favorites:
diced onion
sliced mushrooms
diced bell peppers

For the sauce
olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
6 oz. can tomato paste
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
salt/pepper
2-3 pinches crushed red pepper (optional)
1 sprig of basil, torn up (optional)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan.
-Brown garlic. (Don't let it get dark!)
-Mix tomato paste into oil and garlic. Let that cook for a minute or two before adding the crushed tomatoes. Add sugar.
-Let the sauce cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until it is hot and thick--thicker than you would normally put on pasta, kind of the consistency of applesauce.
-Add salt, pepper, red pepper and basil.
-Split English muffins in half and top with sauce, toppings and cheese.
-Place on baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts and browns slightly on top.

Tried and True: Greek-ishly Good Salad

Tried and true foods are those staples you just keep going back to. They are quick, easy, and for some reason you tend to have all the ingredients in the fridge or cabinets without a special trip to the store.

For my first tried and true post, I picked my favorite salad to throw together when I want something satisfying and tasty but light and healthy. Great by itself or with a side of soup to round out the meal, Greek salad just tastes too good to be salad.



Greek-ishly Good Salad
Ingredients:
romaine lettuce
red onion
tomato (I like cherry tomatos cut in half)
red or orange peppers
greek feta
olive oil
balsamic vinegar (if use white balsamic vinegar)
salt/pepper

Directions:
Wash all the vegetables. Thinly slice the peppers and onion. Throw the sliced tomatos, peppers, and onion on top of the lettuce. Crumble the feta cheese on top. Dress the salad with a pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper, a drizzling of olive oil, and a splash of vinegar.

A solid salad. Uncomplicated and delicious every time.