Stella Beer Cheese Soup

The last time my husband was home I tried to make him beer cheese soup. It was a disaster! I had to toss the entire thing out. My issue was with making the roux for the soup. I do not know what I did wrong, but the soup ended up with a texture of soaked newspaper. Anyway, this evening I found myself, yet again, with an almost empty fridge. I had: 1 Stella Artois® beer, 2 spicy, smoked-type sausages, veggies, and in my cupboard a can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Not only did these ingredients inspire me to try to make beer cheese soup again, but also the fact that I named the recipe after my baby girl, Stella.

INGREDIENTS (serves maybe 4 people)

• 1 celery stalk, small dice
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 smoked-sausages (your favorite kind), diced
• 1 bottle of Stella Artois® beer
• 1 (10 oz) can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth or chicken stock or water (optional)
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS 

In a medium stock pan melt the butter. Add the celery, carrot, onion and thyme sprig and a pinch of kosher salt and sweat over medium-high heat until vegetables are slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the diced sausage and mix to combine and to heat through.

Next, add half of the beer and slightly raise the heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Add the canned cheese soup and mix to combine. Bring to a simmer and add the rest of the beer. Bring to a boil again then, if soup thickness is to your liking, just keep it on very low for another 5 minutes. But if you want your soup a little more thinner, add the 1/2 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil again, then simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve with cheese crostini and a cold, home-brewed Stella beer (if you can find one) or a Stella Artois®.

Spicy Jalapeno and Sausage Pasta Sauce

Well, the honeymoon is over. I went back to work on Monday after being on maternity leave for 5 months. And yes, it was hard not being with my baby. This past weekend I tried to do a lot of stuff with my baby like going to the zoo, hanging out at the park and I also cooked for myself because it seems that I barely cook anymore. I still love to cook, but being a single mom (while daddy is out to sea) with a baby that barely naps doesn't really give me the luxury to cook every day like I used to do.

I was perusing the web in search for an easy yet different pasta sauce and I found this recipe from Michael Chiarello--who I don't mind watching on TV once in-a-while. This is a pretty good sauce if you like spicy foods. I left the seed on one jalapeno and took out the seeds and ribs from the second one and it was still fiery, yet delicious. Also, I think any pasta will be great with this, but I sort of like penne rigatte with this sauce.

INGREDIENTS (8 servings)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage links
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
• 2 jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced with seeds and ribs (remove the seeds and ribs if you don't want it spicy)
• 1 cup lightly packed, torn fresh basil leaves
• 1 (28-ounce) whole tomatoes, pureed with their juices
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sausages and enough water to come about half way up the sausages. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and allow the water to evaporate. The sausages will then fry in their oil when water evaporates. Remove the sausages from the saucepan and drain them on paper towels. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the saucepan.

Add the sliced garlic and chiles and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the basil and cook for 15 seconds, then add the tomato puree. Simmer the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cut the sausage links in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces, creating half-moons. Return the sausages to the saucepan and heat through. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Sauerkraut and Kielbasa Stew

Okay, I'm not sure if this is really a stew but that's what I'm calling it because you basically put all your ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours. I also used turkey kielbasa just to make it slightly healthier, but you can use regular kielbasa for this recipe. I was quite surprised with the flavor: it was really tasty and a bit sour! I think next time I'll omit the potatoes and cut the kielbasa hot dog-size so I can serve it in rolls with some mustard. Yum!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (four if you are a garlic lover)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 potatoes, peeled and diced (try to use a waxy potato like Yukon gold)
• 1 (16 ounce) bag sauerkraut, from the deli aisle (not canned please)
• 1 lb beef kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (two if you love sausage)

DIRECTIONS

In a large ovenproof pan put the cold butter with the diced onion, and slowly bring to a simmer on medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add minced garlic and simmer 2 more minutes. Add the thyme and sage. Next combine with the sauerkraut (undrained and unrinsed), kielbasa and potatoes.

Bring to a simmer and cover loosely with foil and place in a preheated 225°F oven for 3 hours. (I cooked mine over the the stove top because it was too hot to use the oven and it came out just fine).

Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties

I'm blaming my father-in-law, Jim, for my love of making sausage. I just find it really cool that I can make all sorts of sausages, use different spices and come up with my own combination. These turkey patties were completely something I made up and I have to tell you, they were a success at the Mother's Day brunch I had. Every single patty was gone! I went back and forth with how much salt to use, but finally decided to use the ratio of 1 tablespoon per every 2.5 of ground turkey. I also used water to try to make the patties juicier since turkey is a pretty lean meat. Next time, I may use apple sauce instead.

INGREDIENTS (makes 24 patties)

• 2.5 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 3 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 to 2 tsp. red pepper flakes, depending on how how you want it
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Minnesota maple syrup)
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

In a small skillet, add the fennel and caraway seeds. Heat on med-low and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Then place seeds in grinder or mortar and pestle, and give it a grind. It's OK if you still have a few whole seeds.

In a large bowl add the turkey, ground fennel and caraway seeds, salt, black pepper, parsley flakes, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and maple syrup. Using your hands, mix the sausage mixture pretty well until well combined. Let it sit 15 minutes. Then add the water and using your hands again, mix to combine. Place sausage mixture in a container with a tightly fitting lid or in a freezer bag and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Next morning, form 24 balls and flatten each into 3" patties in diameter. Make a small impression in the middle of each patty. Fry in a large skillet with a bit of oil over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes aside, or until done.

If you're not going to use up all the sausage mixture, you can form the patties and freeze them flat. After they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag and can be frozen up to 2 months.

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

I made this super easy meal using my homemade Italian sausage. It's ridiculously easy and the broccoli rabe adds a nice mild bitter flavor that marries well with the sausage. You can use your favorite bulk sausage with this recipe; and don't forget to serve nice crusty bread on the side to sop it all up.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 large bundle broccoli rabe, about 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian hot or sweet sausage

DIRECTIONS

Trim ends of the broccoli rabe and cut into 3-inch pieces. Bring 2 inches water to a boil in a high sided skillet. Salt the water. Add the broccoli rabe and simmer 10 minutes, drain. Return skillet to the stove and heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, brown and crumble 6-7 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and stir to combine.

Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage

I have been getting spoiled by my husband lately. Maybe it's because I'm carrying his child; perhaps because I'm very emotional right now; or it could be that he's just an Amazon.com addict and he loves to buy stuff from there. Anyway, he got me the food grinder attachment to my awesome Kitchenaid stand mixer and, of course, I just had to use it immediately. I decided to go the easy route and make homemade sausage, this time sober! The recipe below is a tweak between Alton Brown's recipe and a recipe by John D. Lee on HubPages.com. You can omit the paprika, but I like it because it gives the sausage a slight reddish hue.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds lean pork butt (2-1/2 pounds with bone), diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 tsp. fennel seed (up to 1 Tbsp. depending on how much fennel seed you like in your sausage. I used 1 tablespoon.)
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 2 cloves finely minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

Using your food grinder, grind the pork. Set aside.

Toast fennel seed in medium sized, heavy saute pan over medium heat, constantly moving seeds around in pan until they start to turn light brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, grind seeds and combine with salt, pepper, paprika, sugar, garlic and chopped parsley in medium mixing bowl. Add pork and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Use this Italian sausage in your favorite spaghetti sauce, or instead of ground beef in lasagna. I used this sausage for broccoli rabe and sausage. Truly delish! I'll post recipe soon.

This can be stuffed inside sausage casings and grilled as well. Sausage casings can be found at most Italian grocery stores. Get a little funnel and shove the meat into the tubes; but don't push too hard, as it can be frustrating to rupture the casings as you get close to a finished sausage. When your sausage is the length that you want, twist off the ends and tie them in knots. Store in refrigerator for use within 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Red Beans and Rice and Cornbread Pudding

For some reason, I'm getting some weird cravings, and I was craving red beans and rice the other day. When I was in boarding school in Florida we used to have black beans and rice or red beans and rice A LOT! It was probably a cheap way to feed hungry students.

I got this recipe from "Down Home With the Neely's" which is a semi-new cooking show on Food Network. I'm still not sure if I like it, only because the couple (the Neely's) are so freakin' lovey-dovey...Oh, and if you're a bread pudding aficionado, I think you'll like this cornbread recipe. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 to 6)

Red Beans

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used Kielbasa)
• 1 tablespoon your favorite dry rub or seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (12-ounce) cans red beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves

Rice

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Add the smoked sausage, dry rub, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes then add the red beans, chicken stock and bay leaves. Let simmer uncovered on low for 1 1/2 hours. Stirring occasionally and adding water, if necessary.

While the beans are cooking add all the ingredients for the rice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with the red beans.

Cornbread Pudding

• 1 (17 oz.) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (17 oz.) can cream style corn
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs. Add melted, cooled butter, sour cream, whole and creamed corn, and Jiffy mix and mix well to combine. Put into 2 1/2 quart casserole. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Making Homemade Sweet Spanish Sausage

My father-in-law taught me how to make homemade sausage. Although the entire process took longer than I expected, it was quite fun and it was great working with new ingredients such as the natural pork casings. Also, you don't have to soak the raisins in brandy, but we did. You will need some Irish whiskey and red wine to assist you in the process.

Below is the recipe for one pound of pork. We made 8 pounds, so just multiply the recipe accordingly. And if you don't want to make links and/or use pork casings, you can just make sausage patties instead. Cheers!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into pieces that will fit your grinder, and place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes
• 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 3 Tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in brandy
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1 package of natural pork casings

DIRECTIONS

1. Take a swig of some fine Irish whiskey. In a meat grinder, grind the pork.
2. Meanwhile, have someone (like your daughter-in-law) soak the casings in warm water, then run some water through the intestines to clean them out from the inside. You can use synthetic casings, but what's the fun in that. Take another swig.
3. In a mortar and pestle add all the spice ingredients, except the garlic, and grind, grind, grind.
4. Open a bottle of red wine.
5. To the ground pork add all the raisins, garlic and the spice seasonings and mix well to combine.
6. Pour two glasses of wine, one for you and one for your assistant; now you're ready to get dirty.
7. Place one of the casings on the mean grinder tube attachment or on the attachment on your piston stuffer and scrunch it, or follow your manufacturer's directions.
8. Fill the grinder or hand-cranked piston with some of the sausage mix and start stuffing. Drink a little more wine, and continue stuffing. You don't have to twist the ends of the casings, btw.
9. As you stuff, make sure you, or your assistant, curl the sausage or even twist it every 6 inches or so.
10. Continue stuffing the casings until you finish up all the mixture. Chill the sausage (or place in freezer). Drink the rest of the wine.
11. You've done it! You’ve just made homemade sausage. It's time to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!

Traditional Irish Breakfast

Happy St. Patricks day everyone! Today is one of my husband's favorite holidays, mainly due to his Irish heritage. And one of his most favorite Irish dishes is the traditional Irish breakfast. You can totally make this at home; you'd be surprised how many specialized markets and online stores carry food from Ireland. You totally need the real thing to make this, but you can always improvise, as well. Don't forget to serve Irish hot tea and brown bread on the side. This meal is just brilliant!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 1 packet of Irish Sausages
• 1 packet of Irish bacon (or Canadian bacon)
• One Pack of White Pudding
• 4 Eggs
• 2 large tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 pint white mushrooms, sliced
• Irish Butter
• Grated Dubliner Cheese

DIRECTIONS

You are basically going to fry the bacon, sausages and white pudding until they are fully cooked and golden brown all around (do not fry the bacon crispy, keep it soft and well browned.) Keep them in a warm oven, covered with foil while you finish the rest.

Next, fry the mushrooms in Irish butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside in oven.

Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and fry them, cut side down. Set aside in oven.

Finally, fry the eggs and grate Dubliner cheese on top if desired. Divide all this Irish goodness among four plates and be ready for your tummy to be happy!

Sausage and Ricotta Ravioli

I decided to give homemade ravioli a try again. Since I don't have a pasta machine, the easy Carpi pasta is more appetizing to me because I only need two ingredients: flour and hot water. The trick to this pasta is to roll out pretty thin and to work quickly because the pasta tends to dry out fast. Anyhoo, I created this recipe and it was delish! I used homemade meat sauce and it only made the meal more fabulous. Thick, sliced garlic bread is a must for this dish.

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 24 ravioli)

• 1/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup very hot water, or more or less depending on the humidity

Filling:

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pre-cooked mini sausage meatballs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• Homemade meat sauce or your favorite jarred pasta sauce

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Form mini meatballs with the bulk sausage, about the size of a pearl. You'll get about 40 to 50 mini-meatballs. Place them in an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes, then turn meatballs over and bake another 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool and set aside in refrigerator.

For the dough: In a large bowl combine the flour and the water; I used 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water because it was 72 degrees with 7% humidity here in San Diego. If you're in a very humid area, you may want to use slightly less than a cup. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and gently stir to combine.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6-inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 15-inch rectangle. Place 5 rounded tablespoons of filling about 1-inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares and press down around the edges again with your fingertips to seal, or use a ravioli cutter to make life easier. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli. Serve ravioli with spoonfuls of pasta sauce and enjoy the goodness.

Mini-Meatballs over Gnocchi

This is truly a 30 minute meal here, especially if someone else forms the meatballs while you do the sauce. The combo of mini meatballs and gnocchi really works well, but you can also substitue penne pasta or even bowties if you can't find gnocchi. We had this this lightly toasted French bread and boy was it fabulous!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausauge
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1 pound gnocchi, from refrigerated or frozen foods section of market
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• Crusty bread to pass at table

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bulk sausage in a medium bowl. Roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot skillet, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for one more minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 - 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for gnocchi. Drop gnocchi in boiling water and cook 5 minutes or to package directions.

Stir in meatballs and basil into tomato sauce and simmer 5 more minutes, then remove from heat.

Drain gnocchi and arrange on a platter. Carefully ladle meatballs and sauce over gnocchi. Sprinkle cheese over it and serve with crusty bread. So good!

Shrimp and Sausage with Saffron Rice

When I tasted this dish, it reminded me of paella. It has all the flavors and ingredients of paella, yet this is truly a super easy dish. Try to use andouille sausage because it really gives this dish a kick. Also, serve it with wedges of lime...the acidness really makes this dish pop! And don't you forget to serve the sangria!!!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces andouille sausage (or kielbasa), sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine (we used champagne)
• 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 saffron threads (you can find them in Trader Joe's)
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)
• Wedges of lime

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth, saffron, and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir the shrimp and peas into the rice, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with the salt and pepper. Spoon onto plates and add the cilantro (if using) and wedges of lime.

Minnesota Wild Rice Sausages

Minnesota is famous for three things: Paul Bunyon and his blue Ox, the Mall of America, and wild rice--don't ya know. Wild rice isn't a rice at all, but a cereal grain, for which reason the French explorers called it Folles Avoines (wild oats). Its technical name is Zizania Aquatica because it is a grain found growing in lakes. The Ojibwe and Chippewa Indians have been harvesting it from canoes for centuries.

We purchased Lunds/Byerly's Wild Rice Sausages on our recent trip to Minnesota and we grilled them here in San Diego last night. These sausages are SO GOOD! The wild rice gives them a fuller and nuttier texture and a totally different taste. One sausage contains your meat group and your grain group! As always, we like to eat our sausages with saurkraut, pickled cauliflowers and carrots and a good grain mustard.

If you can't find wild rice pork sausages at your local store, you can order them online from Louies Fine Meats located in Cumberland, Wisconsin.

Here's a dressed sausage with grainy mustard, pickled peppers and cauliflowers and lots of saurkraut!!!

Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Pizza! Who doesn't love pizza? Pizza is probably one of the most popular foods we consume. Why? Because it's easy to make, it cooks fast and it is customizable. And I think it's the customazation why this Italian fare is so popular amongst us. In America, pizza usually falls into two categories: thick and cheesy Chicago style or thin and more traditional New York pizza style. I personally like the thin and more traditional New York pizza. But of course, I have been told that no pizza here in the states tastes the same as a real Italian Pizza from Italy. But, for now, we have basic ingredients available to us that can help us create our own masterpieces.

Mona Lisa Restaurant in Little Italy, San Diego has, what I think, the best pizzas in the area. Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest also has excellent New York style pizzas but since I'm a Red Sox fan, I don't visit this joint during the baseball season! One of Robert's favorite pizza from Mona Lisa was the Sausage and Mushroom pizza. Since Dia de los Muertos was yesterday, my husband and I made this pizza in honor of my brother. We placed a slice on his altar as an offering. Of course, we ended up eating ALL of it. The key to this great pizza is ground Italian sausage from your butcher shop and to not crowd the pizza with toppings. Sometimes the simplest toppings are the best ones on a pizza.

For one pizza you will need:

• 1 package of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough (or any ready-made dough)
• 1/2 Cup your favorite pizza sauce (we used Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce)
• 1 pint of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage, uncooked
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1. 20 minutes before you start rolling out the dough, turn on the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out the dough, as per instructions, and place it on a pizza sheet or stone. The dough does not have to be perfectly round.
3. First, top the dough with the pizza sauce. Use the back of a spoon to spread it around. Use as little or as much as you like. We used a little over a 1/2 cup.
4. Sprinkle about one cup of mozzarella over the sauce, then place the sliced mushrooms over it.
5. Finish by topping it with the ground Italian sausage. Leave clumps of it (see above picture)
6. Bake in the hot oven between 15 to 20 minutes. You will see the sausage cook and brown (see picture below). Once the edges of the pizza turn golden brown and the cheese is melted, your pizza is ready.

The fuly cooked pizza. Isn't it fabulous?

Serve pizza with a salad and a nice glass of Burgundy or Lambrusco wine.

Italian Sausage Meatballs

Sunday dinners to me usually consist of spaghetti and meatballs because, as a child, my parents used to take us to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown, San Diego. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed now but my childhood memories still prevail. Last night I made my husband's favorite: Spaghetti and meatballs. I bought the ready-made meat sauce at the Mona Lisa deli counter. I also picked up about a pound of ground sausage--if you don't have an Italian deli near you, just get your favorite red pasta sauce and a package of Italian Sausages. Remove the casings from the sausages and mush it all together like ground meat). First turn on oven to 400 F. Then mix the ground sausage with 1 egg, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 TBSP pasta sauce, 1/2 TSP. kosher salt, and ground garlic, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes to taste. If the mixture is too loose, add a bit more breadcrumbs. You want the consistency to make 8 large (about 1-1/2" diameter) meatballs. Fry the meatballs on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side. You don't need to add oil to the skillet because the sausage meat should have enough fat in it. (If you are using lean sausage, then add one teaspoon of olive oil). Next, line a baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with PAM or olive oil. Place the meatballs in the pan and bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking, start to boil a large pot of water for the spaghetti. Make sure to season the water with a large dash of kosher salt. Once the water boils, add your pasta (1/2 lb for 2 people, 1 lb for 4 people) and cook based on package directions.

Place the of meat sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce) in another sauce pan and start to simmer it on low.

Take the meatballs out of the oven and add them to the simmering sauce and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Your pasta should be done by now, make sure to drain it well. Once drained, place the pasta back into the same pot it was cooked in and add about a teaspoon of olive oil to keep it separated. Now you are ready to serve. Place a mound of spaghetti and top with your meat sauce and two meatballs. Garlic bread goes well with this meal and so does Lambrusco wine. Believe me, this will be your favorite Sunday meal!

This meal will serve 4 very hungry Minnesotans.

Grilling Bratwurst

Have you ever had very unusual cravings? Once, I remember, I craved a dill pickle so bad (no, I wasn't pregnant) that I had to leave work, go to the 7-11 and buy one. This week I have been craving sausages. But not just any sausage...Bratwurst sausage! I have never been a fan of Bratwurst because in the past I've had either over-cooked bratwurst or bratwurst with too much seasoning that the flavor was overwhelming. Thank goodnes for the Sausage King. It is a tiny deli in Mission Hills that specializes in Bavarian goodies. They sell all sorts of homemade sausages, pickled herring, strudel, and tons of German and Austrian products. My favorite, of course, is their homemade bratwurst. So I asked my ever so wonderful husband to pick up a few bratwursts (he got 2 regular and 2 smoked) and he grilled them. Bratwurst, and most sausages for that matter, are quite easy to grill. If you have time, you can make a hot tub for your brats, but I think the beer and onions tends to take aways from the real bratwurst flavor. Once you get your grill to a medium heat going, grill the bratwurst, turning them, until golden and just cooked through (about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), about 20 minutes. On the side, I made the 15 Minute Pasta Sauce and served it over al dente penne pasta with cubed, fresh mozzarella and basil. It was a fast and simple meal and the flavor was incredible. Since we are in the last days of summer, Matthew and I want to take advantage of the grill as much as possible. I hope you all take advantage of grilling too. It's such a great way to cook and to bring the outdoors into your meal.