Sausage or Kielbasa with Red Cabbage

This dish is from my friend, Michelle. She said that no one would believe that this dish was from her because she's a terrible cook. Ok, I don't believe that, and nor will you if you try this dish. It was delicious! If you like German flavors at all, think sauerkraut, bratwurst, etc, you will love this dish. It's a perfect blend of savory and sweet. It's also easy, relatively cheap and really pretty. I paired it with lima beans (we LOVE lima beans in this family), but mashed potatoes would really hit the spot, I just didn't have time. I do have to agree with Michelle's son, though, the house had an....interesting aroma the evening I made this.

What you need
1 package kielbasa or smoked sausage (you can use either cooked or uncooked. I got a link of sausage on sale that was uncooked, so just cook it first in your pan 15-20 minutes on med-low before starting with the directions below if you choose to use uncooked)
3-4 cups shredded red cabbage (anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 a head)
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup apple juice
1/4-1/2 cup apple cidar vinegar (use more or less, depending on how much you like the sweet/sour taste, the recipe actually calls for 1/3 c., so whatever floats your boat)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salt, sugar, juice and vinegar, making sure to mix well. Add cabbage, reduce heat to med-low, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place sausage over cabbage (you can leave it whole or slice). Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, continue to stir occassionally. Uncover and cook another 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Serve it straight out of the skillet!

Thanks, Michelle!

Skillet Hash

I really need to find a better name for this one, but for now, there it is: Skillet Hash. And it's not mushy or bland, like the name might imply. On the contrary: it's crispy and moist all at the same time, spicy if you want it, seasoned well no matter what. This guy has really come along way since the first day I made it. Back when I had to follow the recipe I clipped out of advertisement section of some magazine. The basics were established and we took off on it. Adam will eat and eat and eat this meal till there is none left, but on the off chance you do have some left, it also reheats well in a skillet.

The meal I usually make is as follows. If you want tonights meal, which is fairly different due to lack of ingredients and other evening mishaps, scroll down a bit.

What you need:

2-3 Tbs butter
2-4 potatoes, depending on the size (you can use any type here)
smoked sausage link (I must be on a sausage kick, blame the weather), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
frozen mixed veggies, if you have them, about 1 cup
salt and pepper
paprika
Parmesan cheese

Get your skillet hot on medium heat and melt the butter. Throw in the potatoes, give them a stir, salt and pepper, and put a lid on it. Stir every so often (about every 10 minutes or so), checking to make sure they're not burning, but you want them nice and brown.



After the potatoes have been in there for about 20 minutes, throw in the sausage, give a stir and sprinkle some more salt in there (this dish needs salt, just shake it on) and paprika. Add the veggies and stir. Leave the lid off and let cook for 10-15 minutes, until the sausage and veggies are getting nice and brown too. Taste and add more salt if needed.

When veggies are cooked through, shred on the Parmesan and dish up.

Now, tonight, as I hinted at earlier, did not go as planned. The chicken for my skillet chicken meal (not related to sausage hash) wasn't thawed as I had intended. A quick peek into the fridge showed me a sausage link. Thus, sausage hash was on it's way! I only had 2 red potatoes but a sack full of purple potatoes from my friend Penny's garden was in the pantry (I love purple potatoes!). Also, when I went to reach for the frozen veggies, there were none, only a sack of frozen corn. So! Here's what happened, and it turned out great, if I do say so myself, which I just did.

I did the potatoes, sausage and corn just like above (no paprika). I left out the cheese, added fresh tomatoes and sliced green onions. It was great!

Then I walked out to take a mediocre picture of the moon....

....I'm still learning my new camera, ok? When I got back to the table, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the final result. So here it is, with a lot less in the skillet than began. In the time it took to replace my lens cap, it was gone.

Senate Bean Soup

I found this recipe years ago as a newly married wife, frantically searching for meals for me and Adam that I could prepare after a long day of college (we got married sort of young). Our newspaper carried a food page on Wednesdays, and I came upon this soup. It's easy, hearty and good. I almost always have the ingredients on hand, too. A nice bonus.

What you need

12 oz. smoked sausage, any kind you like, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup minced celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil (or a little more)
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock/broth
2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
2 cups cubed, peeled baking potatoes
15-oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Sauté the sausage, onion, celery, and garlic in oil in large soup pot or Dutch oven until sausage is browned, 5-8 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce to simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes (that's what the recipe says, but I have to say I simmer for at least 30 minutes).

Serve with some sourdough bread or biscuits or any kind of cracker. Warm goodness.

Sausage Corn Chowder

I don't know where she found this recipe, but it's from my mom. This soup is a huge hit with my entire extended family. It's creamy, filled with the goodness of sausage and potatoes. Perfect for autumn, paired with a crisp salad, bread and a glass of milk.

What you need:

1 pound sausage
3 potatoes, cubed and boiled (~20 minutes separately)
1 (11oz.) can evaporated milk (OR, I used equivalent amount of 2%)
1 can kernel corn*
1 can cream corn*
Tabasco, just a dash or to your liking
salt, to taste

*I don't like the taste of canned corn, so I used about 2-3 cups frozen for both of these. You don't have quite as much liquid, so add some water or more milk to the soup after it's all mixed together.

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage (you can add some onion if you want, but we have onion issues here at my house, so I sometimes use onion powder). Add the cooked potatoes, milk, corn and Tabasco. Stir it all up and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 30 minutes. Taste to add salt, sometimes sausage can be really salty, so I add it after about 15 minutes of cooking time.

Enjoy!

Check back here periodically, I'll be adding pictures as I make these things again. I never remember to take them while I'm making them!