FLAVORFUL ITALIAN SAUSAGE

 

                                        Flavorful Italian sausage

           The observation, it is good that February is a short month, is not original to this column. But it is a comforting thought after our recent weeks of cold and snow. Sunny days with glistening mounds of snow may have an aesthetic appeal, while at the same time leave one yearning for something warm and flavorful on the dinner table.

          Italian sausage is a boon to cooks at such a time by providing a flavorful base to food in different combinations. Once the sausage meat is fried it becomes the mainstay of such typical Italian dishes as lasagna, pasta sauces, fillings for pasta shells or baked squash and even sandwiches.

          In America, we know it as sweet or hot Italian sausage, flavored with fennel, red pepper paste and pepper flakes, that determine the level of spiciness of the sausage. As the name of the sausage implies, it originated in the arch of the boot region of Italy. The people of Lucania taught how to make sausages to the invading Romans in the first century BC.  Today the region is renamed Basilicate and the sausages have developed many flavor variations depending on different regions of Italy.

          Two recent recipes from our table show other combinations for Italian sausage to please the eye and the palate. The choice of sweet or hot Italian sausage is up to you.

                              Italian sausage-kale-mushroom galette

          Brown ½ lb. crumbled Italian sausage meat in a pan and set aside. In the same pan sauté 4 oz. sliced mushrooms in 1 tblsp. butter and 1 tblsp. olive oil with ½ tsp. salt until soft, stir in 1 tblsp. lemon juice and set aside.

In the same pan heat 1 tblsp. olive oil and stir fry to wilt 2 packed cups of washed torn kale leaves with 2 chopped garlic cloves. Add 2 tblsp. lemon juice, 1 tblsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. tomato sauce, the mushrooms, sausage and ¼ cup water. Cover and steam for 8 minutes, uncover and cook until the liquid is just absorbed.

          Unroll a sheet of crescent dough on a sheet pan. Spread the sausage mix lengthwise in the dough and fold 1 inch of all sides over the mix. Brush the dough with cream or half and half and sprinkle with coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375-degree preheated oven for 14 minutes. Allow the galette to rest for 10 minutes, cut in slices and serve with a green salad.

                                                                                                                                                                                     Lima bean and sausage casserole

          This casserole is equally good made with Italian or Polish sausage, though it will provide different flavors depending on the sausage. This recipe used large dried lima beans, but it can be easily adapted to canned or frozen large beans.

          Soak 1 cup dried large lima beans overnight in excess of water. In a 3 qt. pot sauté 1 chopped onion with 2 chopped garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, stir in 1 chopped celery stalk, the drained beans, 1 cup water, one 14.6 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. each dry mustard, marjoram, savory, basil, thyme and cook for 35 minutes or until beans are firm tender.

          Brown ½ lb. crumbled Italian sausage meat in a pan and mix with the cooked beans. Turn mixture into a buttered casserole and top with 2 tbsp. fine breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Place in a preheated 400-degree oven and roast for 8-10 minutes until the topping starts to brown. Serve for lunch or dinner with steamed broccoli or other greens.

          The astronomical beginning of spring marked by the spring equinox is still more than three weeks away, but fortunately the metrological spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere on March 1. The meteorological definition definitely sounds more hopeful.

     (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

WARMING SOUP, CORNBREAD AND APPLE FLATBREAD

 

                Warming soup, cornbread and apple flatbread

 Our alternating February snowstorms and squalls inspire the cook to look for hearty and warming recipes. Soups, especially thick and creamy soups, are perfect for lunch or dinner when we find that ‘the weather outside is frightful’. One of everyone’s favorite soups combines potatoes and leeks. The French call it Potage Bonne Femme (or Good Woman’s soup) and many restaurants in France don’t even bother giving it a name, simply designate it the ‘soup du jour’. The following recipe is an adaptation from “A Feast of Soups” by Jacqueline Hériteau.

                                                Potage Bonne Femme

Slice three medium leeks half lengthwise and thoroughly wash out the dirt. Slice white and some of the green parts into 2-inch pieces. Wash and slice a stalk of celery in ½ inch slices. Peel and slice 3-4 medium potatoes.

In a large pot melt 3 tbsp. butter and sauté the leeks for 5 minutes without browning. Remove the pot from the burner and cool slightly. Stir in 3 tbsp flour (use rice flour for gluten free) to make a roux and gradually add 4 cups hot water with stirring until the flour is suspended. Return to heat and add 2 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, celery and the sliced potatoes. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and partially blend in a blender with flecks of the leeks still visible. Return soup to the pot, stir in 1 ½ cups milk and ½ cup heavy cream. Heat soup to just below boiling and serve in bowls hot with chopped dill for garnish.

Cornbread complements soups, chowders and chili and goes equally well with Potage Bonne Femme.

                                        Olive-Parmesan skillet cornbread

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl mix 1 cup flour, ¾ cups corn meal, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In a small bowl beat together 1 large egg, ¾ cups whole milk, 3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. tomato paste, 1 tsp. thyme, ¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce.

          Preheat 8–9-inch cast iron pan in the 450-degree oven for 5 minutes. While pan is heating turn egg mixture into bowl with flour, mix thoroughly and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and ½ cup pitted kalamata olives cut in half. Carefully remove pan from oven, coat with 1 tbsp. olive oil, spoon in cornbread mix and return pan to oven. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake for 22 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.

          Welcome winter deserts rely heavily on apples. Here is a quick and colorful dessert in the form of flatbread and fruit, utilizing store bought Crescent dough.

                                      Apple-cranberry-almond flatbread

          Spray a 7x9 inch sheet pan with baking spray. Spread out evenly a sheet of Crescent dough in the pan. Pare, core, quarter and thinly slice 2 medium large juicy apples and slightly overlay in 3 lengthwise rows over the dough. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of halved fresh cranberries between the rows. Sprinkle all over with 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg, ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup slivered almonds. Dot with 1-2 tbsp. butter and bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until the top starts to brown. Cut in squares to serve warm or cold.

          To quote the British poet, critic and historian, “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” Happy Valentines Day.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

BOUNTIFUL BRISKET, SPICY GINGERBREAD

 

                            Bountiful brisket, spicy gingerbread

 

          It was tempting to paraphrase the old (1805) poem “The North Wind” by Anonymous these past weeks. “The north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will the ‘cook’ do then Poor thing? She’ll sit in her kitchen and keep herself warm, And cook for her folk, without care, Poor thing!.”

          A warm kitchen and food requiring a long cooking time are a good combination in times like this. Beef brisket, one of the primary cuts of meat, is relatively inexpensive with great flavor and can feed many people or serve several meals. Its drawback is that it is a tougher cut of meat requiring a long cooking time. It has recently regained popularity with many complicated recipes requiring searing and other steps during hours of the cooking period. The following simple recipe goes back many years in my kitchen, when time and money were short, and growing sons could rival a swarm of locusts at the dinner table. The flavor still remains incredibly rich despite the ease of preparation.

                                     Brisket with onions and mushrooms

          In a small dish mix: 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. lemon pepper, 1 ½ tsp. paprika. Rub this evenly all over a 3 lb. brisket and place it in a dry Dutch oven, fat side up. Lay 2 large bay leaves on top. Thickly slice 4 large onions and together with 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, cover the top and sides of the brisket. Do not add any liquid. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 3 ½ hours. Soak 1 oz. dried porcini or wild mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes.  Remove mushrooms and decant liquid from any debris and set both aside.

          After 3 ½ hours of baking, remove cover and add to the pot: 4 large, peeled potatoes cut in quarters, 2 large carrots cut in 2-inch pieces and the soaked mushrooms. Baste vegetables with the accumulated liquid from meat and onions, cover again and continue to bake for an additional hour.

          Remove meat on a large platter and surround with vegetables for serving. Cover lightly to keep warm while preparing the gravy. On medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter in a pan and make a roux with 2 tbsp. flour, slowly stir in reserved mushroom liquid, 1 cup juices from the roasting pan, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Cook with stirring until thickened and adjust with additional beef broth to desired thickness. Serve meat with gravy on the side. Leftover slices can be reheated in gravy and served with biscuits. Cold leftovers make great sandwiches with onion dip or sour cream and horseradish.

          Soft and dense old-fashioned gingerbread is not only rich in flavor but will perfume your house with its mouthwatering fragrance.

                                              Gingerbread coffee cake

          In a large bowl cream ½ cup soft butter with ½ cup sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and ½ cup molasses or treacle beating for 2 minutes. In a small bowl combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. allspice. Blend together ½ cup milk with 2 tbsp. sour cream (substitute for buttermilk) and 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger. Using a wooden spoon, beat the flour mixture into butter mix alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour mix. Turn batter into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish treated with baking spray and smooth out the top. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

          Now may be time to hope in the Northeast for that “January Thaw”, supported by both folklore and science.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)