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Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage….

Posted by on August 10, 2010

This is so incredibly simple and can be used in omelets, as a pizza topping, in quick pasta dishes, soups, *meat balls, and other traditional Italian dishes, just to name a few.  I like to toast the fennel first to bring out the flavor, this will give a true Italian sausage flavor.  If you like hot sausage, simply add more red pepper flakes.  Enjoy!

Turkey Italian Sausage

1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more)
1 ¼ lbs. 93/7 ground turkey
½ teaspoon salt

1) Heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the fennel seeds for a couple of minutes, watch closely and give the pan a shake every 30 seconds.  You will start to smell a lovely licorice scent.
2) Add olive oil to pan. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Give a quick stir and add ground turkey. Season with salt.  Cook through, stirring often and breaking up meat with a spoon.

*For meat balls, simply toast the fennel, allow to cool, and mix all seasonings and raw ground turkey together in a mixing bowl until well blended.  Add to traditional meat ball ingredients.
*For breakfast sausage, simply add 1 teaspoon ground sage to the raw mixture.  Shape into patties and cook in a hot pan with a little olive oil.  Enjoy with Vanilla Yogurt Whole Grain Pancakes.

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Ten things you don’t know about me….

Posted by on August 7, 2010

1)   Favorite vegetable:  Onion.  I do not use as a condiment!  I ate them as a young child.
2)   I played professional volleyball in 1986 and 1987 for the Chicago Breeze.
3)    Have huge soft spot for babies, elderly people, and animals.
4)   I am intrigued by the medicinal properties of food.
5)   Very first food I prepared were fried potatoes, suffered a pencil eraser size 3rd degree burn, they were delicious!
6)   Love fried foods, try not to eat them.  Do TONS of oven frying.  More recipes soon!
7)   All time favorite seasonings:  salt and pepper
8)   I am in LOVE with nature.  Dream job would be to be an organic vegetable farmer, I look good in overalls.
9)   Would love to go to culinary school just to say I did.
10) Favorite dessert:  chocolate.

Aren’t you glad to know these things? 

Have a happy, healthy day!
Angie

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Simple Grilled Steak with Rub….

Posted by on August 3, 2010

Who doesn’t love grilled steak and potatoes?  It is a summer staple here in the US.  I think the leanest and most flavorful cuts are sirloin and flank steak.  Cook them from medium (warm pink center, sirloin picture above), medium rare(cool redish pink center), to rare (pretty dang red, or “moo-ing”) for the most tender result.  The more well done they become, the less tender.  Marinate the sirloin for 30 minutes to a couple of hours, it is a pretty tender cut of meat.   Marinate a flank steak anywhere from 2-24 hours.  The key with the flank steak is to slice it thinly against the grain.   Be sure to serve with those delicious juices you see on the plate.  Serve with Twice Baked Potato Casserole (below) and a crisp salad with a homemade Creamy Yogurt Ranch Dressing.  Delicious!

Simple Steak Rub

2 ½ lbs flank steak or lean sirloin steak
1 fresh lime, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons canola oil

For the rub:

1 teaspoon salt, I like kosher
1 teaspoon each:
 Dried oregano
 Black pepper
 Garlic powder
 Onion powder
 Sugar
 Paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Zest of the lime you will be using above

1) You will need a large container with a lid, I like to use one large enough that the steak can lay flat. Zest lime, set zest aside and spread out on a small plate to dry. (it will dry quickly on the counter) Juice the lime and rub the juice into the steak. Rub the canola oil into the steak as well, evenly coat.
2) Mix all dry rub ingredients together, add zest. Rub generously into prepared meat, coat evenly. (be careful not to “contaminate” the rub by touching the steak and going directly into the rub)  Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or as long as you like. Save any remaining rub in an air tight container, label with contents and date. 
3) Grill over medium heat on preheated grill. For a 1” thick piece of steak, medium, grill for 5 minutes per side allow to rest tented with foil for at least 15 minutes before carving. For flank steak, slice thinly on a diagonal, against the grain. Serve with the au jus.

The sure fire way to know the doneness of a piece of meat is with an instant read thermometer.  You can pick one up at most any store with a kitchen department.  They cost from $5-10.  You simply insert into the thickest part of the meat and wait for a couple of minutes for it to completely register.  Do not leave in meat while cooking in the oven or on the grill with the cover closed!  Meat continues cooking when you remove it from the heat, so always allow it to “rest” for 15 minutes to retain juices and finish the cooking process.

*Internal temperatures for different degrees of doneness:
Rare-120′ to 130′
Medium rare- 130′ to 140′
Medium- 140′ to 150′
Medium well- 150′ to 160′
Well- 160+

Filed Under: Grilling, Meats | Tagged: Tagged With: , , , ,

Twice Baked Potato Casserole….

Posted by on August 3, 2010

Often times, potatoes on sale in the bag have varied sizes in them. What to do with the small potatoes? This is the perfect recipe for small potatoes you wouldn’t necessarily bake or stuff. I like that that small potatoes don’t require an hour of baking time like the large ones. You don’t have to be particularly careful when scooping out the flesh of the potato like when you are making a typical twice baked potato. The not so perfect skins line the bottom of the dish. If you’re like me and love the skins, you are going to love this recipe!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

2 lbs. small or medium baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter + 2 teaspoons for buttering the baking dish
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onions thinly sliced

1) Preheat oven to 400’. Butter a 2 quart baking dish with 2 teaspoons butter, set aside. Bake potatoes for 30-40 minutes, or until soft.
2) Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3) Line your hand with a clean kitchen towel to hold the warm potato. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out center and place into a medium mixing bowl. Line your baking dish with the potato skins on the bottom and partially up the sides. (You will have an over abundance of skins, if you really love them, break them into small pieces and throw them into the bowl with the flesh, remember the skins contain most of the vitamins!)
4) Add 2 tablespoons butter, sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper to the potatoes in the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat for about 30 seconds. If too thick, add more milk. Fold in half of the cheese. Carefully pour potatoes over skins in baking dish. Spread evenly. Add remaining cheese. Bake at 350’ for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top with chives or green onions.

*If you choose to make these potatoes ahead and go from refrigerator to oven, bake in preheated 350’ oven for 30-35 minutes.
*These do NOT freeze well.
*Feel free to top with crumbled bacon:-)

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Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread, Coffee Talk!

Posted by on July 29, 2010

Good morning!  I’ve had requests for zucchini recipes and the first thing that came to mind is zucchini bread.  This bread is hearty, made with whole grain, and freezes well. 

Imagine a nice visit with your girlfriend on the deck, a hot cup of coffee and a delicious piece of homemade zucchini bread…. (try to block out all the interruptions from the kids, fighting, crying, and questions)  Just be in the moment….

Back to reality.  Make this bread, you and your family will LOVE it!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1) Preheat oven to 350’. Spray 7 mini loaf pans with Pam for Baking. Set aside.
2) In large mixing bowl, mix oil through zucchini, set aside.  Mix all remaining dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture all at once and mix until dry is just incorporated into wet. Divide evenly among mini loaf pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely and wrap tightly in cling wrap. Place into labeled and dated large freezer bag to freeze.

*you may add raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts if you wish. Add them to the dry ingredients. This will prevent them from all settling to the bottom.  You may need an additional pan depending on how much extra ingredient you add.

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Grilled Pepperoni Flat Bread Pizza….

Posted by on July 28, 2010

Who doesn’t love pizza?  How about wholesome pizza, made with real ingredients on a whole wheat flat bread?  No fussing with the dough.  I love to make homemade pizza dough, but working with a potentially sticky anything when it’s so hot is completely unappealing!!!  We will go there in the fall, when we have agreeable temperatures.  Oh, did I mention you make this on the grill?  No need to heat up the house.  Top with your favorite ingredients.

Grilled Flat bread Pepperoni Pizza

1 package whole wheat flat bread (5 pieces)
2 cups homemade pizza sauce or canned (recipe below)
1 package sliced pepperoni
4-6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat grill on high for 5-10 minutes. Turn heat off of one section of grill for pizza.
2) Have all ingredients ready at the grill for quick assembly.
3) Place a flat bread on indirect heat, close lid for 2 minutes, give a flip. Spread a generous layer of pizza sauce over bread leaving a ½” boarder. Carefully top with shredded cheese and pepperoni. Close lid and allow to bake indirectly  for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 5 servings.  (if you have teens, this could be one!)

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Grilled Margarita Flat Bread Pizza….

Posted by on July 28, 2010

Grown up pizza anyone?  This is extremely delicious with the flavorful tomatoes and fresh basil available at this time of year.  This goes together in minutes.  Enjoy with a salad or serve as an appetizer at your next deck party.

Grilled Margarita Flatbread Pizza

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh clove garlic, halved
1 package whole wheat flatbread (5 pcs.)
4-5 ripe plum tomatoes
2 large fresh mozzarella balls, sliced thinly, or 4-6 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 small bunch fresh basil

1) Place olive oil and sliced garlic in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) Preheat grill on high for 8-10 minutes, lower to medium heat and turn off half of the grill for indirect cooking.
3) Collect all ingredients on a tray and have ready at the grill. Place flatbread on the part of the grill without heat. Close lid for 2 minutes. Open, flip flatbread and brush with garlic infused olive oil, add a few slices of fresh mozzarella, and sliced tomatoes. Close lid for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh basil leaves. Enjoy as a vegetarian entrée or an appetizer.

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Homemade Pizza Sauce…..

Posted by on July 28, 2010

It is totally worth making your own pizza sauce.  No unpronounceable ingredients or high fructose corn syrup in this sauce!  Label and freeze any leftovers for another time.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
2 large cloves garlic, diced finely
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 pinches thyme
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 -6 ounce cans tomato paste
3 6 ounce cans water

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions when heated and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, cook about one minute. Add oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and sugar. Cook about one minute, add tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. This will caramelize the tomato paste. Add water, mix well, simmer about 5 minutes partially covered. Remove from heat. Makes 4 cups.

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Tantalizing Tidbits…..

Posted by on July 27, 2010

Good morning!

I will be sharing one of my quick fix meals for a hot summer day.  Healthy and delicious!  Kids will absolutely FLIP!

Stay tuned…..

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Our Garden, Pollinators…..

Posted by on July 26, 2010
Honey Bee enjoying a Lantana Flower
                                      

I read this fabulous article (July 4th) in the Sunday section of the Chicago Tribune.  I’ve known for awhile that our precious pollinators were in jeopardy.  I see many, many different bees and insects in our garden. 
I thought I’d share some information on the subject with you today..

Do you realize how incredibly important pollinators are?  Most of us know that they were important for flowers, but what about food?  In the 1996 book The Forgotten Pollinators, Buchmann and Nabhan estimate that animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops….. Holy Geeze!  I did NOT know that!  I collected much of the information below from http://www.pollinator.org/.  The pictures are from my garden.

Here is a list of pollinators:

Bees-pollinate a wide range of crops including alfalfa, melons, soybeans, and tomatoes.  There are nearly 4,000 species of native ground and twig nesting bees in the U.S.    Some form colonies while others live and work alone.  It is essential that they have the following to survive:  nesting habitat, nectar, pollen, and water.  Different bees have varied tongue lengths that determine which flowers they can obtain nectar and pollen from.

Butterflies-they are mainly attracted to flowers that have a good landing platform.  They get essential minerals from moist or muddy soil.  They also love rotting fruit.

Monarch Butterfly
Monarch and Swollowtail Butterflies on cone flowers

Moths-they differ significantly from the butterfly.  Their bodies are more stout and they are quite hairy.  They are active at night and attracted to  sweet smelling flowers that open later afternoon or night. 

Beetles-they aren’t as exciting to watch as butterflies or hummingbirds and most people do not try to attract them to their gardens.  They are often found on flower heads and sometimes can damage flowers, yet they do play a role in pollination.  Flowers they are most known to pollinate are Magnolia, sweet shrub, paw paws, and yellow pond lilies.

Flies-um, ewe!   No one wants to attract flies for goodness sakes, but they do play a part in pollinating small flowers in most habitats.  Plants pollinated by the fly include the American paw paw, dead horse arum, skunk cabbage, goldenrod and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Birds-well, you know how much I love hummingbirds.  They would be the primary bird that play a roll in pollination in North America.  Their long beaks and tongues draw nectar  from tubular flowers.  Hummingbirds can see the color red, bees can’t.  I plant plenty of red in my garden every spring and we’ve painted our Adirondack chairs red.  Check out how to plant your very own hummingbird garden.
Please do not kill bees.  Get to know the different species of bees.  Most bees are not interested in stinging you.  If you encounter a nest of aggressive bees, do not break out the can of Raid!   They are not insects to mess around with or tease.  Call an expert. 

Have a wonderful day!  Angie

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