Sausage with Fennel and Olives

We have not made this recipe in a while. The recipe is from Lidia's Favorite Recipes. 

I prepared the dish yesterday, so Chris just popped it in the oven to reheat tonight. One dish! Easy cleanup for a Monday night!

Somebody even went back for seconds, so I would say it was a tasty dinner. Personally, I love the flavor of the cooked fennel and the olives add just the right bit of salt. 

Ingredients-
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 sweet Italian sausages (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup large green olives, squashed and pitted
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method -
Pour half of the olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages; cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes or more. Carefully add wine and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Transfer sausages to a platter; pour the cooking liquid over the sausage.

Add remaining olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper in it for a couple of seconds. Add olives; toss and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add fennel chunks and stir to combine. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fennel softens, and begins to color. Add a little water to the pan if the fennel remains hard; you want it to be wilted but not mushy.

When the fennel is cooked through, return sausages and wine to skillet. Toss together with fennel and cook, uncovered for about 5 minutes. Adjust the season to taste.

Escarole and White Bean Soup

Another Lenten Meal. This one is from Lidia's Favorite Recipes, I guess we are still featuring that cookbook! I made this yesterday at my lunch break, 2 soups in an hour, not bad.

I did make a couple of changes in the original recipe, time being the factor. I had bean stock in the freezer so that helped a lot. The taste soup was nice and light. I served this with Italian bread and spreadable Parmesan cheese.

My version of Escarole and White Bean Soup from Lidia's Favorite Recipes.

Ingredients-
1 14 oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups bean stock
salt, pepper and ground thyme to taste
1 head of escarole coarsely shredded, washed and drained
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Method-
Heat the bean stock, which I had in the freezer from the last time I made dried cannellini beans.
Adjust the seasonings.
Add the escarole and cook stirring occasionally until it is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and the beans. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Cacciatore and a New Mixer

So image that you have to make a lot of cookies for a fund raiser. You finish mixing your first batch and you have the second batch ready to be mixed. Then your 24 year old Kitchen Aid mixer dies. There was a sound of something snapping and I could not lift the handle. It just fell. I was shocked. And sad. The mixer had been a bridal shower gift from my Mom. I really could not complain as it had lasted 24 years. But today it dies? I was mixing 5 different cookies! I was screwed. First reaction was of course tears. Next Chris said I should see if I could borrow my sister's until I figured out what to do. I called but she was out. Next suggestion was to buy a new one. Oh I did not want to go out today. I had so many cookies to make! We are 3 exits from a William Sonoma outlet store. I called and they had the 6 quart machine. Off I go. I put the 6 quart mixer in the shopping cart and then I think to myself that the 5 quart would probably be fine. What the hell was I thinking! Idiot. I buy it and I go home and I try to make a double batch of a recipe and the machine is struggling. It has no heart, no soul. I realize I made a huge mi$take in making thi$ purcha$e. My sister calls at that exact moment. I tell her my story and she tells me to return that mixer and get the 6 quart. I am so lucky I have a sister like Lenore. So I called the store and explained that I just purchased the mixer and tried it and it is not large enough for me. They told me I could return it. Oh, it it has started snowing by now. I clean the mixer up and repack it and return it. I purchase my 6 quart mixer and come home and make a triple batch of a cookie with no problem. All is good. I went to put the mixer in the cabinet where the previous mixer lived and it it too wide. This is when I poured my first glass of wine!

Lucy enjoying the 5 quart mixer box.

Now on to dinner. Dinner was an amazing recipe from Lidia's Favorite Recipes. Oh yes I forgot to mention my latest idea. You see I have a lot of cookbooks.

These are not all of them.

So I have decided that each week* I will feature one cookbook. (*And already a disclaimer - Next week, February 29 - March 6, will not be included in this as I will be baking many cookies on Saturday and Sunday and we will be eating from the freezer for that week!)

This week is Lidia's Favorite Recipes and tonight we had Chicken Cacciatore.  Delicious. I added zucchini in place of the mushrooms and added black olives too.

My version of Chicken Cacciatore.

Ingredients-
1 chicken cut up
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
4 tbsp cup vegetable oil
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
One 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. or 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 1 cups total)
1/2 pitted black olives

Method-
Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide braising pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off a very lively sizzle. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching (do not crowd the chicken; you can always brown it in batches). Remove the chicken pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining pieces of chicken to take their place. After browning all the chicken and removing it from the skillet, add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and peppers, and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt.

Add the peppers and zucchini to the chicken pan.  Add the olives.

Cook, covered, until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (Check the level of the liquid as it cooks; there should be enough liquid to barely cover the chicken. If necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as the chicken cooks.) Serve the chicken pieces nestled between the vegetables on a platter.

I'd Like To Welcome Back To Our Stage...

 

We liked this so much the first time I had to make this again.

Sausage with Fennel and Olives

Tonight's dinner was from Lidia's Favorite Recipes. This book is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It will be on the top of my list for possible Christmas gifts! Sausage with Fennel and Olives, Salsicce con Finocchio e Olive. We do not eat a lot of Fennel. Fennel always reminded me of a holiday. It was something my Dad liked to have on the table at the end of the meal. He would cut slices of it for me. He loved it and I of course enjoyed it too.

I was pleased with the result of this recipe. Chris really enjoyed it. The fennel almost melted in your mouth. I made this on Monday and so Chris just had to heat it up when he got home.

Sausage with Fennel and Olives (serves 6)
I did cut the recipe in half and of course did not use the garlic!

Ingredients -
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 sweet Italian sausages (about 2 pounds)
1 cup dry white wine
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup large green olives, squashed and pitted
3 large fennel bulbs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method -
Pour half of the olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes or more. Carefully add wine and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Transfer sausages to a platter; pour over cooking liquid.

Add remaining olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Add garlic cook about 1 minute. Clear a hot spot and cook the crushed red pepper in it for a couple of seconds. Add olives; toss and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add fennel chunks and stir to combine. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover skillet, and cook over medium high heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fennel softens, and begins to color. Add a little water to the pan if fennel remains hard; you want it to be wilted but not mushy.

When the fennel is cooked through, return sausages and wine to skillet. Toss together with fennel and cook, uncovered for about 5 minutes. Adjust the season to taste.

Polpettone di Manzo Con Ricotta

This is the second time I have used this recipe from Lidia's Favorite Recipes. I just love it. And even this time I forgot to heat up the tomato sauce! Heck I even forgot to add the Mozzarella cheese! No harm done it was still delicious.

For a side dishes I made Mashed Potatoes (of course), and I roasted Brussels Sprouts. Just in a little olive oil and salt. Perfect. And I saw someone who will remain nameless go back for seconds of the sprouts!

And I did some baking today ...

Chicken and Rice

 

Comfort Food Alert!!!! From Lidia's Favorite Recipes. Oh this was very good. Perfect for a cold day like today. It was quite easy to make. It required a bit of hands on time but so worth the time spend at the stove.

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. I cut it in half and still had leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients -
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup onion cut into 1- inch chunks
1 cup carrot cut into 1- inch chunks
1 cup celery cut into 1- inch chunks
2 plumb cloves of garlic (I did not add the garlic)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 fresh bay leaf (I used dried)
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken or turkey stock (I used chicken)
2 cups Italian short-grain rice such as Arborio
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
3 tbsp chopped Italian
1 /2 cup grated Parmigiano, plus more for passing


Method -
Trim any extra fat from the chicken and cut the thighs into 1 inch chunks.  In a food processor, mince the onion, carrot, celery and garlic into a fine textured pestata.
Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and set over medium high heat. Stir in the pestata and and season with one teaspoon of the salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pestata has dried. Toss in the chicken and the bay leaf, and sprinkle with one more teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the chicken is browning and caramelizing. Raise the heat and add the wine, stirring and scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Cook until the most of the wine has evaporated. While stirring, pour in the hot stock and the rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to keep it bubbling gently. Cook for 14 minutes (It took me 20 minutes), or until the rice and chicken are fully cooked and the rice is a creamy consistency.

Turn off the heat and drop in the butter, stirring until it's completely incorporated, then stir in the parsley and the 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Serve immediately with additional cheese to pass around at the table.

Lidia'a Amazing Meatloaf

From the book Lidia'a Favorite Recipes I found the most amazing meatloaf recipe. Polpettone di Manzo Con Ricotta. The recipe uses ricotta and fresh mozzarella. The bread was suppose to be be a country farm bread but I used the rye bread I made earlier in the week. It held together perfectly. It was delicious. It was suppose to be served with a tomato sauce, which I had in the refrigerator but forgot to heat it up.

Also from  Lidia'a Favorite Recipes I made Swiss Chard Potatoes, Bietola e Patate.
I have never used the stems of the chard before. Oh I feel so wasteful know that I know how they can be used.
You boil the potatoes for 20 minutes. Add the chard stems for another 10 minutes and then add the chard leaves for 5 minutes and drain. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the chard and potatoes, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes as they heat up. Add more olive oil and season to taste. (The best thing about this recipe is you can make it in advance up to the step where you add the boiled potatoes and chard to the skillet.)

We both love this side dish but I think the whole meal would have been even better if I had heated up the darn tomato sauce!

Veal Ossobuco with Barley Risotto

Tonight we turn to page 169 in Lidia's Favorite Recipes and find Veal Ossobuco with Barley Risotto. Veal Ossobuco is one of my husband's favorite meals.

I have never cooked veal. I once saw a farm that had the pens the veal lived in, literally.
I just felt bad. But I was reading the recipe, it sounded easy enough, and it's not like I clubbed the animals myself and heck we ate smoked pork neck last night so I decided to make this for dinner.

Time consuming... a bit but once everything was in the pot it was left alone to simmer for an hour and a half. And the barley is made in advance so no standing over a stove stirring, not easy to do when you are holding a cocktail glass in the other hand.

The taste was amazing! Of course my favorite part was the marrow and the barley! The only thing we were not over the top about was the orange flavor. It was not bad but just did not think it was really necessary. And of course I added crushed red pepper to my dish!

Happy New Year!

Minestrone with Pork

When I was flipping through Lidia's Favorite Recipes I found the recipe for Minestrone with Pork. I think Chris would put this dinner on his top 10 list for this year. The recipe called for smoked pork shoulder butt. Unfortunately I unable to find it at any of the stores I visited.  I did find smoked pork neck. Yeah I never bought pork neck before but I read that the cut is often used to flavor bean dishes. Perfect! The broth was nice and spicy as the recipe called for a teaspoon hot red pepper flakes.

And this was the perfect meal for a day that started with this weather...

Straw with Hay, My Way!

For Christmas Chris gave me Lidia's Favorite Recipes. I can see myself doing a Julie & Julia type thing because I want to make every recipe. Today I made Rice and Zucchini Crostata. An interesting recipe. The Aborio rice absorbs the liquid from the grated zucchini and is baked. Mine did not come out looking like the one in the book... it was the crust. I need to work on that more. My crust tasted good but I think is should be thinner next time.

For dinner I was going to make Lidia's recipe for Straw and Hay. I made the pasta (used the recipe from Tide and Thyme), but did not make any spinach pasta, just got too tired. I reached for the prosciutto and hey there was none there! Scallions, darn it I only bought enough for the Crostata. But we forged ahead. I had pancetta. And boy was that a good choice. The pasta was delicious and the sauce was better because of the pancetta.

And I did some baking, actually I started the dough yesterday. I made a rye bread and ciabatta using the Jim Lahey 18 hour recipe. It is sooooo easy!

And one more thing....

This is a table runner that I made for my niece. It is made from doilies that my mother tatted when she was young. When I saw this done on Under the Sycamore blog I knew I had to try it. I recently came across quite of few of my mom's doilies so I was ready to go.