Savory Winter Casserole with Sauerkraut, Pork and Sausages

Here is my take on the traditional and wonderful Alsatian Choucroute Garni—a slow baked casserole of sauerkraut, pork, sausages and usually served with potatoes alongside. Simple and insanely delicious, this casserole will warm up the darkest winter day.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ of a medium onion, sliced thin

1 or 2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped

16 ounces of sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine (like Riesling)

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of cloves (optional)

2 smoked pork chops (about 16 ounces)

4 medium red potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced

4 sausages, like Bockwurst, Bratwurst or Kielbasa

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, making sure you have plenty of room for a large pot.

Heat the oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook until the onions are fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add in the sauerkraut, chicken broth, wine, black pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and cloves (if using). Nestle the pork chops into the sauerkraut, cover with a lid and pop in the oven for 1 ½ hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and remove the pork chops to a plate. Layer the potato slices over the sauerkraut mixture and then place the pork chops on top. Nestle the sausages in firmly and put the lid back on. Bake for another 40 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Garlic Dill Rye Crisps

If you are looking for something a little different for expected (or unexpected) guests or a light meal, make a batch of these little gems to put out with some cheese, sausage, pickles, veggies, sour cream or smoked salmon.

Ingredients:

1 loaf thinly sliced ‘party’ rye bread (16 ounces)

Cooking spray

1 Tablespoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons dried dill

1 teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment and spray with cooking spray.

Lay the rye bread slices closely together on the baking sheets. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, dill, celery seed and black pepper. Lightly sprinkle half of this mixture over the rye bread. Bake for 12 minutes.

Flip the bread and spray again with cooking spray. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture lightly over the top and bake for another 11-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

Cravings lead me to some of the best food! This casserole is like a savory bread pudding. I love using croutons since I found out that they don’t have a lot of calories or fat and add tons of flavor. I’ve used them crushed as bread crumbs, too. This breakfast (or lunch or dinner) is super easy and adaptable—you could leave out the croutons, add in some cooked bacon or breakfast sausage, use eggs instead of egg substitute, or change the veggies, seasonings or cheeses to your liking. If you want, you can even chop and cook the veggies the night before and store them in the fridge. The next morning, just whip up the egg mixture, add the veggies, croutons and cheeses and bake it off.

Ingredients (serves 8):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 whole shallot, finely chopped, about ¼ cup (sub out onions if you want)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups of chopped baby spinach

2 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

2 cups cholesterol free egg substitute (like Egg Beaters®)

1 cup fat free half and half or milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 ½ cup herb seasoned croutons

¼ cup grated parmesan

½ cup shredded Swiss cheese (gruyere or mozzarella would also be good)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2.5 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 4 minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant, but not browned. Add the spinach, mushrooms and bell pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg substitute, half and half or milk and the seasonings. Stir in the croutons and cheeses. Let stand for 10 minutes and then pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Sweet Hot Orange Chili Sauce

The original idea was to get fresh, long red chili peppers and make a version of Thai sweet chili sauce, but finding fresh red chiles in St. Louis in December isn’t so easy. Luckily, my great co-worker Maddy brought in some end of the season jalapenos a few months ago that I had frozen for a day like today. Add to that--super fresh oranges sent by my wonderful sis-in-in law and brother (Hi, Terrie! Hi, Mark!) straight from the grove in Florida and I was able to get the clean, sweet, floral heat that I was looking for.

Use this as a dipping sauce for pretzels, veggies or chicken nuggets or use it in stir fries or even spooned on top of cream cheese for a dip.

You can adjust the heat to your liking by changing the ratio of hot peppers to sweet bells; keeping the seeds in the jalapenos; or by adding some red pepper flakes. Just be careful when chopping/blending hot peppers-use gloves or super-scrub after handling to make sure you don’t get the capsaicin in your eyes or anywhere else. And stand back or cover your nose/mouth when blending if your peppers are hot-the fumes can be strong. There, my Aunt-ly duty is done.

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups):

2 ½ teaspoons corn starch

3 Tablespoons cold water

1 cup red jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (measured after chopping)

½ cup seeded and chopped red bell pepper (measured after chopping)

½ cup rice wine vinegar

2 cups of water

The juice of one fresh orange (about 1/3 of a cup, maybe ½ cup, depending on your orange)

¼ cup honey

1 Tablespoon grated orange rind

Directions: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons cold water. Stir and set aside.

Place the red jalapenos, red bell peppers, rice wine vinegar and 2 cups of water in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend using an immersion (hand) blender or by placing the mix in a food processor/blender with the top open and covered with a towel (stand back). Return the pot to the stove.

Add the orange juice and honey. Bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry and add into the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add the orange rind. Let cool-it will thicken more as it cools. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in airtight containers and refrigerate. This should keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

Cheesy Cauliflower with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Cheesy Cauliflower with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients (serves 6 as a main, 8 as a side):

Vegetables:

6-8 cups water

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into large florets

1 Tablespoon margarine (I’m using Earth Balance)

1 white onion, cut in half and then thinly sliced into half moons

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons margarine

¼ cup flour

3 cups reduced fat milk

1-2 teaspoons English or stone ground mustard

1 cup shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded low fat sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan (optional, but tasty)

¼ cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

3 pieces of bread, lightly toasted (I’m using a light sourdough)

Butter flavored cooking spray

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking dish (maybe 9 by 13) with cooking spray and set aside.

Put the water and kosher salt in a large pot (a 5 quart Dutch oven works great) and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook 6 minutes until just beginning to get tender, but still firm. Drain the cauliflower in a colander and ditch the water. Put the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl.

Put the pot back on the burner and add 1 Tablespoon of margarine on medium low heat. When the margarine melts, add the sliced onions and cook for 1 minute or until deep golden. Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the cauliflower.  

To make the sauce, put the pot back on the burner and melt 2 Tablespoons margarine over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring up to medium high heat and cook, stirring often, until the mixture just starts to thicken.

Add the mustard and then add the cheese a bit at a time, whisking each addition of cheese until it melts. Whisk in the wine and then pour the cheese mixture over the cauliflower, onions and mushrooms. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Crumble the toast on top, spray with butter flavored cooking spray and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and the top is light gold.