Roasted Sausage and Summer Vegetables

I love fresh summer vegetables.  I don't grow them myself, but my local grocery store does a good job of stocking locally grown produce this time of year.  I always try to be sure to incorporate some into my menu.  I especially love the summer zucchini and squash.  There are several recipes similar to this one floating around.  I made this one similar to how I like to roast my vegetables in my other recipes.  It turned out really well.  I debated on how much oil to use.  This time I used ¹/₃ cup.  I think I may try reducing that to ¼ cup the next time I make it.  That may depend on your own taste.  This recipe is a good, quick recipe that we all need during the busy back to school season!

Roasted Sausage and Summer Vegetables

2 13 oz packages of turkey kielbasa, sliced*

2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced

2 medium yellow squash, quartered and sliced

1 sweet onion, cubed

1 orange bell pepper, cubed

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 t seasoned salt*

1 t pepper

1 t Italian blend seasoning

¼ - ¹/₃ c extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425^o.  After slicing and chopping, place sausage and vegetables in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with garlic and spices.  Drizzle with oil.  With a large spoon, gently mix until oil and spices are evenly coated.  Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Spread sausage and vegetable mixture evenly on pans.  Place both pans in preheated oven.  (The pans can be placed on two different oven racks.)  Bake for about 30-45 minutes.  While cooking, stirring once or twice and rotate pans to roast evenly.  Serve with your favorite couscous*, quinoa or rice.

*These items could contain gluten.  If you have a gluten allergy, check the labels carefully or use a safe substitute.  

Kielbasa and White Bean Stew {Slow-cooker}

For lunch, I all too often end up eating some of the quick kid favorites I keep on hand for lunches at school and home.  I decided I needed some quick, healthier options for myself.  I was on the look out for some kind of soup that would freeze well.  I found this one on Pinterest.  It is easy to prepare.  You just toss it all in the slow-cooker with very little prep work.  Then I split it up into individual freezer containers.  It thaws well in the microwave and is quite filling.  This is a great lunch for a cold winter day.  This recipe is a keeper!

Notes:  I made this with turkey sausage, as suggested.  For dairy-free, omit Parmesan cheese.  For gluten-free, make sure your sausage and chicken broth are gluten-free.

Slow-cooker Kielbasa and White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Spinach - Click to link to recipe.

Meatball Subs

My mom gets me a subscription to Women's Day.  I rarely have time to read them so they are in a heaping stack by my bed.  One night I flipped through this one.  I thought this recipe sounded so good and like something maybe the kids would like.  It was really good!  We will for sure be making this one again.  I also love that the meatballs are made without egg or gluten!  Win!

We served our meatballs and sauce on toasted and broiled hoagie buns with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Mmmmm.

Beef and Sausage Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - click to link to recipe

Dairy-free and gluten-free notes:  To make dairy-free, simply omit sprinkling with cheese and serve on a dairy-free bread.  To make gluten-free, make sure your tomato paste is gluten-free and serve on your favorite gluten-free bread or pasta.

Cajun Chicken & Sausage {Slow-cooker}

Do you want to come home to a nice warm dinner on a crisp cool day?  Try this recipe for Cajun Chicken and Sausage!  This recipe is a compilation of several recipes I found online, plus some my own adaptations based on our preferences with regards to Cajun and Creole cooking.  I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Cajun Chicken and Sausage {Slow-Cooker}

Inspired by: 

    Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage by Southern Food Expert

    Slow Cooker Creole Chicken and Sausage by Pinch of Yum

    Chicken and Sausage Gumbo by myrecipes.com

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

12 ounces smoked Andouille sausage*, cut into small rounds

1 c chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1½ c low sodium chicken broth*

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes 

4 T tomato paste

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 t black pepper

½ t white pepper

¼ t cayenne pepper

1 t thyme

¼ t oregano

Salt, to taste

Green onions, chopped, for topping

File powder, to taste

Rice for serving

Place the all ingredients in the slow cooker, except for green onion, file powder and rice. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Cook rice according to package instructions.  While rice is cooking, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.  Taste to see if any additional salt is needed.  Mix in file powder to taste, if desired.  Serve in bowls topped with a scoop of rice and sprinkled with green onions.

*If you are on a gluten-free diet, make sure your broth and sausage are gluten free.  I just saw online that Johnsonville makes a gluten-free Andouille sausage.

Notes:  I used tomato sauce in place of the diced tomatoes because one of my kids doesn't like 'chunks'.  I also omitted the bell pepper because it isn't a favorite at my house.  But with these minor adjustments, it was gobbled right up by everyone!

New Year's

Most people eat something special on New Year's Day for luck or prosperity.  Last year, I made Hoppin' John.  It is a southern dish of cooked black-eyed peas served over rice.  I will be making it again for New Year's Day dinner tomorrow.  What are you having to celebrate the coming year?  Happy New Year!!

Chicken Sausage Pasta

We tried this recipe for lunch today.  It is pretty quick to make and it was really good.  The kids even enjoyed it!  I tossed my veggies in with the cooking pasta a little sooner than the recipe recommended.  This was also our first experience cooking with orecchiette pasta.  It is a little denser than some of the smaller pastas and the bowl shape does a good job of holding in some of the flavors you mix in! 

This recipe could easily be made gluten-free by substituting your favorite gluten-free pasta.  If you like this recipe, try Chicken Pesto Pasta (EF, GF) or Turkey Sausage and Spinach Pasta (EF, GF).

Chicken Sausage Pasta - Click to link to recipe.

Hoppin' John

Well, it has been one year since I started this blog!  Thank you to all of you that follow it.  I hope it is helping some with food allergies cook and enjoy somewhat normal foods.  During 2012, this blog had 10,747 page views.  I think that is pretty good for the first year.  In the blogging world, to be considered a 'real' blog you need about 5,000 page views a month.  After a pretty slow start, this blog is up to about 2,000 views a month.  Maybe by the end of next year, we will make it to 5,000 page views a month . . .

Most people eat something special on New Year's day for luck or prosperity.  This year, I made Hoppin' John.  It is a southern dish of cooked black-eyed peas served over rice.  In my usual style, I spiced mine up a little but not too much to keep the kiddos happy.  My husband loved it and wants to make sure this recipe will be an annual tradition.  He also said we could have it through the year, just because.  We just might. Couldn't we all use a little extra helping of luck during the year?  What are you having to celebrate the coming year?

Hoppin’ John  
Inspired by Paula Deen’s Spicy Black-eyedPeas and Woman's Day Hoppin’ John by Bob Lyle

1 16 oz package dried black-eyed peas, rinsed, soaked overnight and drained

4 slices bacon

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)

1 13-14 oz package kielbasa, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 t seasoned salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

½ t chili powder

3 c water

2 c dry long grain rice

The night before, rinse peas and discard any obviously shriveled and/or discolored beans.  Cover peas with water and soak overnight. 

Drain soaked peas and re-rinse.  In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon, crumble and set aside.  Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeno in bacon drippings until tender.  To lighten, drain off most of the bacon fat, leaving just enough to barely coat the bottom of the pan and add a little olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.  Add kielbasa and sauté until slightly browned.  Add peas, bacon, tomatoes with green chilies, salt, pepper, chili powder and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, 1 to 1½ hours.  Add ½ c water, while cooking if needed.  Serve peas over cooked rice. 

Serves 8

To make with canned black-eyed peas, follow same directions omitting water and salt.  Don not drain the black-eyed peas.  Simmer for about 30-40 minutes.

Jambalaya

A few years ago, I worked under a boss with Creole ancestry.  I have always enjoyed Creole and Cajun cuisine and I asked him if he had any great recipes to share.  He directed me to a couple of excellent cookbooks and gave me his family recipe for jambalaya.  I have made a few adaptations in the version you see here, but the flavor is very much the same as the original recipe he gave to me.  I can't take credit for this recipe but I won't mention his name on my blog, as I don't know how he may feel about that.  I hope you enjoy it as much as me and my family do.

[Updated:  June 17, 2018]

Jambalaya

1 – 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 t paprika

1-2 T olive oil

1 c onion, chopped ¹

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ pound andouille sausage, sliced ²

2 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth ²

1 cup long-grain rice ²

2 t dried celery flakes¹

2 t thyme

1 t seasoned salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

¼ t hot pepper sauce

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

It is easier if you do all chopping and cutting up prior to cooking.  Sprinkle cut up chicken with paprika, salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Sear chicken until no longer pink.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  Add sausage and sear until browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add onion and garlic.  Sauté onion and garlic in meat drippings until tender.  If not enough drippings, add a little bit of olive oil.  Return to meat to skillet add tomatoes, broth, rice, celery flakes, thyme and hot pepper sauce.  Stir to combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir in shrimp, cover and continue cooking about 5 minutes longer, or just until shrimp curls and turns pink.  Take off heat, removed lid and let cool slightly before serving, about 5 minutes.    

Serves 6 
 

Notes:  

¹You can use 2 chopped celery ribs in place of the celery flakes.  I use celery flakes because I don’t care for celery . . . it is a texture issue.  You can also add 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper to the recipe.  If you use the fresh celery and/or bell pepper, sauté with the onion.

² To make this recipe a little healthier, you can use low fat smoked turkey sausage, low sodium chicken broth and brown rice.

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Pasta

I have been making this recipe for several years.  It is healthy and tastes great!  This recipe is very similar to Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta by EatingWell.com.  I have modified it slightly to better utilize ingredients and make it a little more kid friendly.  I use spinach rather than the arugula, as it has a slightly milder taste.  I also use a full pound box of pasta, an additional 4 ounces of sausage and reduce the greens.  Our kids eat this surprisingly well, they don't eat all of the tomatoes and spinach but they do gobble up the pasta and turkey sausage.  

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Pasta

This recipe was adapted from Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta from EatingWell:  December 2005/January 2006, EatingWell Serves Two.

1 pound fusilli pasta (twists)¹

12 oz hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed²

4 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz package baby spinach

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 c finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste

1 t freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t seasoned salt

1 T olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, cook sausage, garlic, pepper and salt over medium-high heat, breaking up the sausage until no longer pink.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in spinach and tomatoes.  Cook, stirring often, until spinach and tomatoes soften.  Toss meat mixture together with cooked pasta and cheese.  Server warm topped with additional cheese. Serves 6 

¹Gluten-free pasta can be used in this recipe.  

²If you are cooking for a strict gluten-free diet, carefully check the sausage label.  If your grocery store does not have a fresh gluten-free sausage option, a fully-cooked gluten-free sausage can be used.  If using fully-cooked sausage, just slice it with the casing intact and lightly brown it with the garlic.  Then follow the rest of the recipe as written.  Look for the al fresco brand.  They make good fresh and fully-cooked gluten-free sausage products.