Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta

Whoa! I am back!I am sure you have been wondering where I have been as of late! Well...I had a little girl and I am back at it again! LIFE is so crazy, but I am having a lot of FUN with it! Well, here is one of my all time favorites (Jason asks for it every week, but alas, I like a little variety)! I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine ( I highly recommend this magazine!) and it sounded as good as the picture looked. We tried it and it was a winner!
Go here to see the original recipe! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sausage-cauliflower-spaghetti-recipe.html
I don't change the recipe too much. But it helps to not make it so oily!

Sausage-Cauliflower Spaghetti
Slightly adapted from Food Network

Salt (Kosher works best)
1 box of whole grain spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces of sausage (any type- turkey or pork)
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 head of cauliflower broken into small florets
1 bunch of scallions (about 6)
Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on top

Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Cook spaghetti until is al-dente. Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil on a large skillet. Crumble the sausage into the oil and brown over medium-high heat, until lightly brown (no pink) about 4 minutes. Clear a space in the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook until you can smell it (don't burn it...it only needs about 1 minute) Add the cauliflower and cook until the edges get a golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover and boil over high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the scallions. Add some salt to taste. Toss for a minute until the scallions start to wilt. Add the remaining pasta water to keep the pasta from sticking to itself, Remove from heat and add cheese if desired (I always desire!)

And Walla- a delicious and quick dinner! I bet even your kids would LOVE it!

Quick Sunday Sauce

What do you do with all of that extra roast from the Lazy Cook's Pot Roast?! You make Quick Sunday Gravy! This sauce was to die for and took that pot roast to another realm!

Easy Sunday Sauce 
adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2011 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage, out of casing (I use sweet, but hot would be yummy too!)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I freeze the rest)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup beef (or chicken) broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded leftover chuck roast meat
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of cooked pasta (I prefer penne rigate, or some other tubular pasta)

Heat oil in Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Drain.
Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until see through. Add tomato paste, garlic, sugar and spices. Cook until tomato paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, scraping up all of the brown bits and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, roast, reserved sausage, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until slightly thickened (at least 20 minutes...this is when I start to cook the pasta). Season with salt and pepper and serve over pasta.
 

Skillet Pork Chops and Rice

This fast and easy meal was a winner for my family! Once again I found it in my trusty Cook's Country 2011 Recipe Book. It is in the 30 minute meals in August/September.

Skillet Pork Chops & Rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (I soften my butter in the microwave for 8 seconds)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley ( I used dry and it was still great!)
1 cup long grain rice
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed
salt & pepper
1 onion
1 garlic clove minced (I did a few...I LOVE garlic)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and parsley in a small bowl.
Microwave 1 cup broth and rice in covered large bowl until liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chop, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent loosely with foil.
Melt remaining butter in the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in parcooked rice and remaining 1 1/4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Return the pork chops and their juices to the pan and cook covered over medium-low heat until pork is cooked and rice is tender.
Serve each piece of pork with a slab of parsley butter.

Garlic French Bread Pizza

Well, I guess I better get started with these posts! I will try to do one a day for a while. We will see how this goes and I hope that you LOVE my collection of recipes. I will label them as best as I can so that you can find it again in a hurry! Mind you... my recipes are mostly not of my own making. They are usually good recipes that I have found and put my twist on it. I am NOT for inventing the wheel...there is no time for that in my house! So instead I will try recipes and put them on here if I like them with comments on how I made it better!
One of Jason's favorite things in the whole world is probably pizza. I mean who doesn't like a good warm pizza. How about we make it even better by putting it on a good piece of French Bread! Yummy! This recipe is one of our family favorites and it is a 30 minute meal! AWESOME! The french bread is super crispy and with a hint of garlic and Parmesan! You will have to try it soon!
**TIP** Cook's Country is one of my absolute favorite cook books. Cook's Country is actually a magazine that is published 6 times during a year, but at the end of the year they sell a book of all of the magazines from that year hard bound with an index! LOVE IT!

Garlic French Bread Pizza
Adapted from Oct/Nov 2007 Cook's Country Magazine French Bread Pizza

6  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (If you can, get the glass bottled Kirkland brand from Costco...it's the best and I am a snob!)
4  garlic cloves, minced
4  tablespoons of fresh basil, divided ( I use dried basil if there is no fresh on hand...about 1-2 tablespoons)
Dried Oregano
Salt
1  loaf of French bread cut crosswise into 8 even pieces (not a baguette...the supermarket French bread)
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese
1 cup  crushed tomatoes (from a can...I use Contadina or Hunts, freeze the rest for pizza in the future!)

Toppings (optional...pick what you like!):
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pepperoni, cut into quarters (this allows you to spread the pepperoni out more, with less calories!)
Green Peppers (about 1/2 a green or red pepper) cut into small squares (freeze the rest for pizza later)
Olives, sliced (sometimes I saute them first in a little bit of oil)
Onions, diced (yellow or red)
Mushrooms, sliced

1. Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle position and turn your oven to 425*. Microwave oil with the garlic and 2 tablespoons of basil basil in a mug until fragrant...about 40 seconds.

2.  Brush half of oil over the bread (including the crust and edges of the bread) and arrange cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle parmesean all evenly on the bread. Bake until cheese begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Pull bread out of the oven and top all slices with a good spoon full of crushed tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Sprinkle remaining basil, salt and oregano. Add your toppings. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot!

**These pizzas are great for left overs the next day! They freeze really well too!