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.

Mushroom Ragout with Marsala and Pearl Onions

Silky, earthy and so incredibly comforting-this dish  is a definitely a pleasant autumnal meal. I treated myself to a trip to an international grocery store yesterday (Global Foods in Kirkwood, MO) and came back with all sorts of fresh veggies I can’t usually get in my local grocery stores. I really wanted a variety of fresh mushrooms and they had plenty to choose from. I’m adding some dried mushrooms here to get a little more depth to the dish. You can really use any mushrooms you want and can play with the how you serve it. I’m thinking I might take the leftovers, add some more stock and a handful of barley for a very comforting soup.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup very hot tap water

2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided (I’m using Earth Balance® margarine)

1 clove of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)

½ pound fresh shitake mushrooms-stemmed and sliced(the stems are too tough to eat-freeze them for stock)

½ pound fresh maitake mushrooms, sliced

½ pound oyster mushrooms, sliced

2 Tablespoons Marsala wine (or sherry)

7 ounces frozen pearl mushrooms (1/2 of a 14 ounce bag), thawed

2 cups unsalted vegetable stock, divided

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound paparadelle pasta, other wide noodles or grains like barley to farro, cooked according to package directions for serving.

Directions:

Put the dried porcinis in a cup and add the hot water. Push the mushrooms down so they can steep. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until needed, at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 Tablespoon margarine in a large skillet. Add the garlic clove and fresh rosemary (if using) and cook on medium for about three minutes or until the garlic and rosemary are just fragrant.

Place ½ of the fresh mushrooms in the pan and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining oil, margarine and mushrooms. Remove and discard the garlic and rosemary.

Add the Marsala to the pan and stir, getting up any browned bits from the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms back in the pan along with the pearl onions.

Add in 1 ½ cups vegetable stock to the skillet and place the remaining stock in a cup. Add the cornstarch to the cup to make a slurry.

Add the rehydrated porcinis and the liquid from them to the skillet, being careful not to get the grit that may have settled on the bottom. Add in the salt and thyme.

Cover and cook, still on medium, for 15 minutes. Add in the cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook another 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta. 

Healthy, One-Skillet Breakfast Pot Pie

Comfort food is the best food. This recipe uses just one skillet, has very little fat and tastes amazing. Feel free to use diced sweet potatoes instead of butternut or using store bought sausage instead of making your own. With its crackling crust and creamy filling, this hearty dish is perfect for breakfast-for-dinner.

Ingredients (serves 6):

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 recipe turkey breakfast sausage (recipe follows)

1 ½ cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1/3 cup diced white onion

½ cup diced green bell pepper

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon flour

1 ½ cups fat free half and half (or milk)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

3 sheets phyllo dough (thawed if frozen)

Butter flavored cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the oil into an oven-safe, deep 9 inch skillet and heat on medium.

Add in the breakfast sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Add in the squash, onion, peppers and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are starting to brown along the edges.

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir it in. Add the half and half, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes.

Place one sheet of phyllo dough over the skillet and spray with cooking spray. Repeat with the remaining two sheets of phyllo. Pull the edges in so that the phyllo doesn’t hang over the edge of the skillet and spray with cooking spray one more time. Cut several vents into the top of the dough.

Place the skillet in the oven (I like to put it on a baking sheet first to prevent any drips) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown and the sides of the skillet are bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey Breakfast Sausage:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey breast

2 Tablespoons fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pinch of red chile flakes

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors blend.