Easy Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

     It may be warm and sunny where you are, but it is--surprise-- cold and rainy here in Portland. A hearty stew still sounded good a few nights ago.

     I had garbanzo beans and I wanted to use them. I searched, I googled, and most of the recipes I found called for lemon. Well, I didn't have a lemon and I didn't feel like going out into  the cold, rainy dusk to get some. So I kept on searching.

     What I ended up finding is the inspiration for this stew. It reminds me quite a bit of gumbo, with chickpeas instead of rice. It has the roux, it has the sausage. It is delicious. Velvety, hot and savory. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you might give this a try soon. If you happen to be in a very strange heatwave (like a lot of the country), maybe save this recipe for next fall or winter. You will be glad you did.

Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 links andouille sausage, chopped
• 1 whole white onion, chopped
• 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced, fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. or to taste,
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup orzo, or other pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach, torn

1.  Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage, draining any oil back into the pot. Set aside.
2. Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions and bell pepper to oil and cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour all over and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and a light golden brown. Gradually add the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir. Turn heat up to medium, bringing the stew to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in sausage. Cook over low heat for an hour or two, until the flavors have a chance to combine. Add garbanzo beans and stir. 
5. About 10 minutes before you plan to eat, return stew to a simmer and stir in orzo. 5 minutes before eating, add torn spinach leaves. Adjust seasonings, stir well and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Minestrone Soup

As daylight savings kicked into gear this November, and we all 'fell back', I immediately went into 'one soup a week' mode. I have some great standbys like Tortilla Soup, Pozole, Veggie Chowder, Thai Dumpling Soup and Tom Ka Gai. But then I realized I absolutely love Minestrone, and had never made it before (as far as I can remember). Being Italian, I realized I had been ignoring my roots, and fell into the belief minestrone only came from restaurants and my Grandma Nonna. My beloved Nonna is no longer alive to ask for a recipe, so I looked through all my cookbooks, and put a recipe together from a few different sources, mostly Joy of Cooking and The Silver Palate Good Times cookbooks. On the first go I vastly underestimated the power of pasta, but by the second and third rounds I think I have the soup dialed. Here's what I came up with...

What's in it

olive oil

chopped carrots*

chopped celery

chopped onion

minced garlic

1 sprig fresh rosemary

sweet italian sausage (uncooked, casing removed)

salt

shredded cabbage or chopped kale

chopped basil

4-10 C chicken broth

28 oz can diced tomatoes

16 oz cannellini beans (white kidney), rinsed through

chopped zucchini

other optional additions (add with zucchini): bell pepper, green beans, parsley, parmesan rind

orzo or other small pasta noodle (macaroni, small tortellini, parfelles etc)

garnish with fresh grated parmesan and ground pepper

*I don't give any measurements, because what I use always comes out with a giganitic pot of soup, so if you want something more manageable it wouldn't help you. If you need recommendation, do one or two of each veggie (and 1/2 to 1 onion) with a half or whole pound sausage (or bacon, or pancetta).

How it's made

Prep all your veggies then heat olive oil (1-2 Tbl) in a large ceramic coated dutch oven or large stock pot. Add sausage and break into little pieces with your stirring spoon, cook in oil until browned. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic add dashed of salt and saute until softened. Add rosemary (whole) and put cabbage/kale and basil on top of the cooked veggies, letting it steam on top for a few minutes before mixing in. Cook until wilted then add canned tomato, rinsing inside of can with water and adding it as well. Bring to a simmer, then add chicken broth and parmesan rind then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add beans and zucchini. If you want to speed up this part of the process, heat chicken broth and canned tomato in a pot separate so it is hot when added. Simmer until zucchini is al dente, then add your pasta. Go very conservative, it grows to about 10 times its size, especially if you don't eat the soup right away. Kind of like the magic growing dinosaurs - just add water. I use orzo because it is so small to begin with, and for a big pot of soup I use 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Simmer your soup until the pasta is cooked, then serve with crusty bread.

Mardi Gras Gumbo

I usually don't think much about gumbo, but lately it's been on my mind. Mark and I happened upon a little jazz bar/restaurant last week and on a whim we decided to stop in. It was happy hour, so we each ordered a pint of a Washington state unfiltered pale ale and some food. I got half of a turkey sandwich (it was mediocre) and a cup of soup. Except instead of soup, I asked if I could have the gumbo. Our waitress didn't see why not, and soon enough she sat it down in front of me.

Maybe it's because I didn't have much by the way of expectations, but this gumbo took me by surprise. As soon as I had a bite, I regretted not ordering a huge bowl of the stuff. It was thick and hearty, with big chunks of tender chicken and spicy andouille sausage. Softened okra, onions and bell peppers mingled with rice to form a perfect savory creole stew. By the time I had a few bites and shared some with Mark, it was almost gone! I lingered over the remaining spoonfuls, savoring the flavors for as long as I could.

I immediately decided to make some gumbo, so I could get my fix. I scoured my cookbooks and googled away. I found a few different versions and took what I liked from each one. Traditionally, gumbo starts with a roux. One recipe called for a cup of oil, into which you stirred a cup of flour and then let it brown. I decided to skip this step (and the calories), though I did not want to sacrifice flavor.

I was not disappointed. This version combines the best ingredients from the various recipes I came across. If I were to do it again, I would include chicken--either instead of, or in addition to, the shrimp. I used some flour to thicken the broth, but it wasn't quite as thick as I wanted it, so I added a little cornstarch, too. You could use either one, both, or neither, depending on how you like it.

Mardi Gras is March 8th, so you might as well put some beads on and whip up a pot of gumbo to celebrate! Mmmm, my favorite kind of celebration.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

~Print Recipe~

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound andouille cooked sausage (or other spicy sausage)
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons Cajun/creole seasoning, or more to taste
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup rice
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10 or 12 oz) package frozen okra
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound cooked shrimp
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with a little water (optional)

1.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and spices to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. add chicken broth and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until rice is cooked. 
3. Turn heat back up to medium. Add can of tomatoes, okra and the sausage and stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix flour and water. Stir in 1/4 cup of broth, then add to the gumbo. Cook, stirring occasionally until okra is hot. (You can turn the heat down at this point and let it simmer for awhile to let the flavors meld if you want.)
4. About 5-10 minutes prior to serving, stir in green onions, parsley and shrimp. If the gumbo is not thick enough, add cornstarch mixed with water at this point. 
5. Serve with a crusty rustic bread and a cold beer.

Lentil, Barley and Sausage Soup

Lentil and Barley Soup with Sausage

It's turning out to be quite a nice fall here in Portland, Oregon. (Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon.) For at least the last week, we've had gorgeous, crisp cool sunny days. Perfect fall weather if you ask me. The forecast for this week indicates we'll get more of the same. I certainly hope we do. It's my favorite time of year.

While I still can't believe it is already mid-October, I am definitely beginning to get excited about all the wonderful things that fall entails. Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, pumpkins are out on porches. One of the things I'm looking forward to is making soup. There is something so essential and satisfying about a good soup! And the truly fantastic thing about soups is they are so easy to make. They are so malleable. Be creative, get crazy---design a soup as you go. It is only recently that I realized that one really doesn't need a recipe for a soup, just a basic idea and whatever contents of your fridge and pantry that you are craving.

Soup after a long day at work.

That being said, I'm posting this soup recipe. I came up with this recipe by combining and tweaking a couple of recipes I've clipped from food magazines. I will always, always associate lentil soup with my mother. Lucky for me, she made fantastic lentil (and many, many other kinds of) soup. But, this version is a bit different than hers. It's a lentil soup with barley, and like any good lentil soup it is very hearty. It begs for a good chunk of crusty bread and a cold night. A little wine certainly doesn't hurt.

One of the best thing about soups, too, is that they just get better with time. Make a large batch and savor the left-overs for lunch the next day or freeze some to enjoy later.

Let the soup season commence!

Lentil and Barley Soup with Sausage

~Print Recipe~

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated (or more to taste)
• 2 sausage links, cut into small pieces
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup carrots (or more), chopped
• 1 cup celery (or more), chopped
• 2 red potatoes, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dill
  
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• OR since I discovered I was out of Italian seasoning, I substituted the following:
• 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary (or more to taste)
• 2 to 3 courts low-sodium chicken stock (or water)
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 2 cups uncooked lentils
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
• Fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese to garnish

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Drain the sausage and remove from pot, set aside.  Add remaining oil and chopped leek. Stir to coat. 
2. As the leek is sauteing, chop and stir in the onion. Chopping and adding as you go, add all the ingredients through the potatoes, continuing to stir frequently. Add the spices. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the barley and stir to incorporate. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in lentils. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft and vegetables are cooked through.
5. Add the cooked sausage (and optional ingredients, if using) and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the sausage is warmed and flavors have mingled. Adjust spices as necessary.
6. Top individual servings of soup with more fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese of your choice. Serve with crusty bread.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers

Ok, here's another one adapted from the Great Food Fast book from Everyday Food. Apparently they really do have a lot of good recipes, although this actually asks you to roast your own peppers---not something I would consider particularly fast. (And when I say fast, I'm thinking along the lines of black bean tacos--open a can of beans, heat some tortillas, add cheese and salsa....)

Anyway, I'd never actually roasted my own bell peppers, so this was a fun experiment. It is incredibly easy (if not exactly quick) and I would recommend it to anyone. Roasted peppers have such a wonderful flavor! I feel like they would be a good addition to just about anything. AND it just sounds fancy. I think you will impress people (or at least people who've not roasted their own peppers before).

The onions and ricotta are my own additions. I made a pasta recipe that called for ricotta cheese recently, so I had it in the fridge. I've been adding it to all of my pasta dishes now, and it's such an easy (and low calorie) way to make any sauce creamy! And, as far as I'm concerned, creamy is almost always better than not creamy. Give it a try---be creative!

Also, orecchiette (or-reh-key-EH-tay) is my new favorite pasta. (The shape! They way they hold the sauce!) I've been hoarding recipes that call for it. I didn't see them available at my local supermarket, but I found some (organic and really expensive) at Whole Foods.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers
~PRINT RECIPE~

• 2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
• 2 medium yellow bell peppers, prepped the same way
• Course sat and fresh ground pepper
• 1 pound orecchiette (as you can see in my picture, I actually ran out this time and subbed some other small pasta)
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 pound Italian sweet sausage, removed from casings
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup low-fat (or reg.) ricotta cheese
  
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the broiler. Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from heat until charred--about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Steam for 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the juices in the bowl. Using a paper towel, rub off skins. (I just used my fingers to pull the skins off.) Thinly slice the peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Return to bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet. Saute onions, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize.
   
3. At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water then drain pasta.
   
4. Add the sausage and remaining oil to the skillet with the onions. Cook over medium heat, breaking sausage up with a spoon, until browned--7 to 10 minutes. Add the roasted peppers and cook until heated through.
5. Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl. Add the pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, ricotta and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Top with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
   

Fettucine with Crispy Garlic, Sage and Sausage

Whenever I see a recipe I want, I cut it out and paste it in a notebook. I started doing this years ago and now I've nearly filled it up. It's not organized in any way, but I've memorized the order of the recipes from flipping through them so many times. When I need to make something, I scan through all of the recipes until I find a few that sound good. Usually I need someone else to help me make the final decision.

This is a recipe I clipped from Bon Appetit awhile ago that kept catching my eye. The first couple of times I saw it, I ended up making something else, but this one wouldn't let me go until I made it. It was rich and delicious--and a welcome departure from our default tomato sauce pasta.

• 3/4 pound egg fettuccine (we couldn't find egg fettucine, so we used another egg pasta)
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil (less would be fine)
  
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced (Definitely consider using way more if you like garlic)
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages, casings removed (we substituted cooked spicy Italian sausage and it was delicious)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 cup (approx. 3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese (maybe more)

1. Boil your pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic slices and saute until they've achieved desired crispy golden deliciousness (about 45 seconds to a minute). Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and set aside.
3. Increase heat to medium high. Add the sage and stir until beginning to crisp-around 10 seconds (although a little longer/crispier would be good, too). Add sausage and saute until browned/crispy in spots.
4. Drain pasta and add to the skillet with sage and sausage. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with crushed red peppers and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the pasta to mix all ingredients.
5. Serve topped with crispy garlic and grated asiago cheese. (We actually mixed some of the cheese into the pasta while it was still in the skillet, so it melted in. Tasty!)
   

Crock Pot No Brainer Bean Soup

This morning I woke up two hours before I had to go to work, rode my bike to the farmer's market and TJ's, rode back, threw this together in the crock pot, and was on my way.  Fabulous! The best is getting home to a fully cooked meal.

Ingredients

1 package dried 17 bean mix (from TJ's)

celery chopped

carrot chopped

1 onion chopped and sauteed in butter

sausage links sliced

mushrooms chopped

1 box veggie stock

spices (salt, pepper, caraway, bay leaf, oregano...)

The way it's done

Disclaimer: depending on the size of your crock pot, you will want to adjust ingredient size.  I had to use only half a package of beans for mine, since it's so small.

You'll have to soak the beans in water overnight.  They soak up a lot of water, so be sure to have enough water covering them (2 inches). 

In the morning, put all the ingredients in the crock pot, and add water to fill enough liquid.  Put the crock pot on low, go to work, and come home to a warm and delicious meal!  I just ate mine with baguette and butter.

I'll probably make a second batch tomorrow with the rest of my ingredients, then freeze it for later.  Feel free to add or subtract variety of ingredients.