Sausage, Zucchini, and Brown Rice One Skillet

This is a great fall meal. Easy to make with just a few things to chop - onion, pepper, zucchini, and sausage. The rest of the ingredients are just rice, spices and broth. One skillet means super easy clean up. My fave! I ate all the leftovers and didn't even share any of them with Mike. (Shhh. Don't tell him I said that.)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cups halved and sliced zucchini
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 8 oz . smoked turkey sausage , sliced
• 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice (such as Minute brown rice)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (optional)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet (that's at least 2-inches deep) over medium-high heat. 

• Add in yellow onion and saute, stirring frequently, 4 minutes. 

• Add in zucchini, bell pepper and garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. 

• Push veggies to one side (and preferably pull that side of the pan off the burner heat slightly while cooking the sausage) then add sausage to the now empty side and cook until it's starting to brown, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes.

• Pour in rice, tomatoes and chicken broth. 

• Season with chili powder, cumin, thyme, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.

• Stir then pour in black beans (I left out black beans but used corn instead), bring mixture to a boil. 

• Cover pan with lid and reduce temperature to medium. Allow to boil gently 5 - 6 minutes then remove from heat, toss and let rest 8 - 10 minutes until rice is tender.

• Drain off excess liquid if desired. Toss in parsley and serve warm with cheese.

Recipe source: Cooking Classy

German Potato Salad

I usually like bacon in my German potato salad and I suppose you could easily add that. However, this really turned out to be delicious and probably better for you without the bacon.

Servings: 8 cups

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 pounds baby gold or red bliss potatoes
• 2 tablespoons salt, divided
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add one tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oil, rice vinegar, sugar, remaining tablespoon salt (I know that sounds like a lot; feel free to add less and season to taste at the end but keep in mind that potatoes require a lot of salt), pepper, smoked paprika, red onion and parsley. Stir to combine. Set aside, stirring occasionally and allowing the onions to marinate and pickle in the dressing while the potatoes cook.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander. While they are still hot (as hot as you can handle), cut them bite-size into halves, thirds, or quarters, depending on the size, and place in the bowl with the dressing. Using a large rubber spatula, toss the potatoes with the dressing, being careful not to break up the potatoes too much. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally until the potatoes soak up all the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, bring the potato salad to a cool room temperature. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or sugar, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with smoked paprika and parsley.
4. Potato salad should be left out for no more than two hours (or one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees). Leftovers should be promptly refrigerated.
5. Make Ahead: This potato salad can be made and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead of time.

Roasted Beets & Feta Cheese Quinoa Salad

 There is another beet with feta in the Nanner recipes but one is with farro or bulgar and I find those a bit dense for my liking. Also, it had you cooking up the greens. I know that would be the right thing to do, but honestly, it's a lot of work. Just roasting beets is a lot of work. But using fresh beets is worth all the effort, as far as I'm concerned. This makes enough for a table full of people so if you live alone, you might want to make a half recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 2 Red Beets, cubed
• 1/2 cup (100g) Feta Cheese
• Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Dressing:
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 cup (2 ounces/60 grams) Mint or other Fresh Herb
• 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 6 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel and quarter beets and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 35 minutes, turning once.
2. Prepare dressing ingredients. I used a tupperware and shook to mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place the quinoa in a serving bowl. Stir in the toasted pine nuts, Feta cheese and beets. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve drizzled with salad dressing. It turns out pink! It's so pretty. And so good!

Craig Claiborne's Blue Cheese Dip

Ed Rushton found this recipe, probably 40 years ago and it has remained a favorite of mine. Fresh parsley is a must. Somehow, it's just not the same without it. And don't fart around with the mayonnaise. I tried making it with olive oil mayonnaise and it came out like soup. But you know what? Turns out that blue cheese soup is pretty good, too. :)

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. onion (I don't put the onions in because raw onions don't like me)
1 tsp. garlic (squeezy garlic is so nice in these situations)
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 pound crumbled blue cheese

Mix it up and let it sit for just a while before serving. Better yet, don't serve it at all and just keep it for yourself.

Umbrian Lentil Soup

Or as I like to call it, "Best Soup Ever!" Randy Harvey drops off his Sunday edition of the NY Times for Mike to read on Mondays. Inside last week's were some delicious soup recipes that promised to "sustain us through the chilly days of early spring." Could have probably used these recipes last week when it was snowing. Onyhoo, this is so delicious that I had I had to share. Mike feels that leaving out the bacon would not harm the taste and I would agree. Although, what's better than bacon?

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/2 hours. SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
1/2 cup guanciale, finely chopped (Or bacon if your local Kroger doesn't stock cured pork cheeks.
   Peasants.)
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons finely chopped celery
4 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, quartered vertically, then thinly sliced horizontally
1 cup canned, whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 green lentils
4 cups chicken broth
Juice of one lemon (I believe Mike left this out)
1 bay leaf
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper (Mike pinched twice)
pinch of black pepper, plus more to finish
salt
1//4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over low heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring until golden and fat renders, about 5 minutes. Add onion and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and leeks and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Raise heat to high and stir in tomatoes. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.

2. Add lentils and stir to combine. Add broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, cloves, cayenne, and black pepper. Season with salt to taste. Increase heat to high and bring broth to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and maintain simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. If soup gets too dry or thick, add stock or water as necessary.

3. Serve in warmed bowls, topped with grated Parmesan, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.