Unbeatable Sausage Gravy

I was left to my own devices for Christmas, because D had to go home for a family emergency. I couldn't go because there was no place to put the dogs on Christmas (if you are unfamiliar with dog boarding, you have to basically call in September to board your dog between Thanksgiving and Christmas...any later...good luck).

So D and I had planned on having biscuits and gravy but it was just me, so what to have. I decided I would have biscuits and gravy anyway.  Except I don't know how to make gravy.  But since D had already bought the ingredients (sausage and milk), I knew I could find the recipe.

The one below is what I found.  It was extreemely easy to make, and I did it while the biscuits were baking.  It is simple.  I added more pepper, because I like pepper.

I would have again.

Unbeatable Sausage Gravy

Photo by ALB

From Pillsbury

Homemade Biscuit Recipe if you aren't using Grands (which personally, I'm not a fan of).

Ingredients
12 oz bulk pork sausage (used 16 oz Jimmy Dean All Natural)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (closer to 1/2 tsp)
3 cups milk

Directions
Crumble sausage into large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently.

With wire whisk, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Split warm biscuits; place on serving plates. Serve sausage mixture over warm split biscuits.

Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream

This recipe came about in 2 ways.  One, when it was Hanukkah, Cooking Light emailed out this recipe.  So I pinned it.  Second, we had left over hash-browns from the Southwest Shrimp and Corn Chowder, so we decided to have these.  You won't get 12 latkes if you do it this way.  Such is life.

D made them.  He said the key is to get the oil in the pan very hot, (something he doesn't usually do), to prevent them from sticking.

We both liked them a lot. We would have again.  We had with Jalapeno Chicken.

Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream

Photo by ALB

Turn a basic latke recipe into a Mexican-style dish by adding cilantro and jalapeno peppers to the potato cakes and serving with chipotle-flavored sour cream.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 latkes and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream mixture)

Ingredients
6 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
3/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
6 cups shredded peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup grated fresh onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Combine potato and onion in a colander. Drain 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, flour, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; toss well.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. (let the pan oil get hot...about 15 minutes). Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat the procedure 5 times to form 6 latkes. Sauté 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and potato mixture to yield 12 latkes total. Serve with sour cream mixture.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 260; Fat: 11 g; Sat fat: 2.2 g; Mono fat: 6.9 g; Poly fat: 1.2 g; Protein: 5.6 g; Carbohydrate: 35.3 g; Fiber: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Iron: 2.1 mg; Sodium: 268 mg; Calcium: 36 mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2010

Southwest Shrimp and Corn Chowder

I think Cooking Light emailed me this recipe.  I'm glad they did.  It was pretty hearty, and had a lot of flavor.  It wasn't spicy at all, but very bone-warming.

The only thing I would add to this is more cumin.  It really didn't taste "Southwest" to me.

We had with Cheese Quesadillas.

Southwest Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Photo by ALB

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped serrano chile (about 1 small)
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, diced, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (add more)
1 (15.25-ounce) can whole-kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 pound peeled and deveined small shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and serrano chile to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add canned chiles to pan; cook 1 minute. Add flour to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and next 5 ingredients (through corn); bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in shrimp; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 212; Fat: 6.7 g; Sat fat: 3.4 g; Mono fat: 1.5 g; Poly fat: 0.7 g; Protein: 19.3 g; Carbohydrate: 18.3 g; Fiber: 2.2 g; Cholesterol: 130 mg; Iron: 2.5 mg; Sodium: 702 mg; Calcium: 131 mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps

I pinned this recipe thinking I'd make it when D wasn't home, but I never made it because it involved cooking, so there ya go on that.

D saw it and decided we should have it.  Except I don't like eggplant.  So he decided to replace it with more zucchini.  And he made the hummus from scratch. And he used an actual grill.

We would have again.  We had with couscous mixed with some herbs we had in the fridge.

Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps

Photo by ALB

Make the most of summer's fresh vegetables tonight with 20-minute, 5-star veggie wraps.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 wrap)

Ingredients
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 (12-ounce) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (used zucchini)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus (used homemade hummus)
4 (1.9-ounce) whole-grain flatbreads (such as Flatout Light)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
1. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush onion, bell pepper, and eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and bell pepper to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove from pan. Add eggplant to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. (D used a grill). Remove from pan; coarsely chop vegetables. Combine vegetables, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, and salt; toss to combine.

2. Spread 1/4 cup hummus over each flatbread, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide vegetables over each flatbread; top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up wraps, and cut diagonally in half.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 356; Fat: 22.7 g; Satfat: 3.1 g; Monofat: 13.6 g; Polyfat: 4.4 g; Protein: 16.8 g; Carbohydrate: 35.4 g; Fiber: 15.3 g; Cholesterol: 13 mg; Iron: 3.6 mg; Sodium: 788 mg; Calcium: 156 mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2012

Creamy Roasted Mushroom and Brie Soup

So awhile ago, I decided I was going to eat less meat.  That didn't happen, because of bacon, but I did manage to pin a few recipes that were vegetarian (if you don't count chicken broth).

So the other day, I wasn't feeling well, and D made the grocery list.  He saw this recipe and knew we had brie in the fridge, so on the list it went.  And then he made it.

It was really creamy, and good.  D used regular and cremini mushrooms.  I don't know if he roasted or sauteed them.  I do know we should have again.

We had with Beer Bread.

Creamy Roasted Mushroom and Brie Soup

Photo by ALB

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

From Closet Cooking

A cream of mushroom soup with brie to make it extra creamy and good!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine (or broth)
4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
4 ounces brie, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Toss the mushrooms in the oil, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes, mixing them up once in the middle.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the broth and mushrooms, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the milk and brie, let the brie melt, fish out the rinds and season with salt and pepper to taste before pureeing to the desired consistency and enjoy!

Option: Saute the mushrooms in a pan with the onions instead of roasting them.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 287, Fat 18g (Saturated 9g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 46mg, Sodium 239mg, Carbs 14g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 6g), Protein 13g