Sweet Italian Sausage Soup

Well where have you been?  I missed you!  Life projects have been all consuming, your still in my thoughts.  Want to see what has been accomplished in my absence?   Summer included dirt and digging.  We started with a blank slate and were able to get a great start on something beautiful.

Don't let him fool you...he looks cute but was sitting right in my newly watered and planted Snowberry and Ninebark bushes.

One of eight very cool, Oat Grass that are now home along side my driveway.

3 retaining walls, 6 trees, 28 bushes 112 perennials and approximately 15 yards of rock and dirt! Now do you accept my apology?!?!

Summer was an all consuming whirlwind of fun!  It will be missed.
Now that Fall is here though, my recipe resulted from excess of veggies and lack of heat, it is cold here already!  This One Dish Meal comes together very quickly, sub in your favorite veggies or use up what is still coming in fresh from your garden or local markets. 

Sweet Italian Sausage Soup
Print recipe here
1 package all-natural (5-6) Sweet Italian Sausage links
¼ C extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 C carrots, diced
1 C zucchini, diced
2 C  potatoes, diced
2 C kale, chopped small
2 C tomato, diced or 1-15 oz. can Muir Glen diced tomato
1 TB garlic, minced
1 TB dried oregano
1 TB dried basil
1-2 tsp celtic sea salt
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 C white wine
8 C low sodium chicken broth
parmesan or mozzarella for sprinkling

1.   Place sausage in a large pot, cover with water and place on stove.  Boil over medium high heat for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove from heat, set aside the sausage to cool and drain water from pot.  Rinse pot and place back onto stove.

 

2.  Over medium high heat, cook the garlic onions, peppers and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes. While that is cooking, peel the casing off the sausage and chop into bite size pieces.  

3.  Add the rest of the spices, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes and sausage.  Saute for another 5 minutes.  Add wine and simmer two minutes.  Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn down to simmer/ low, cover and let simmer 30-60 minutes.  

4.  When ready to serve, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cheese and serve with fresh baked garlic focaccia.

Note: The soup seems a bit thin at first, potatoes will thicken up the soup base just enough after simmering. 


Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  Saved by the Egg Timer: Original

Loose Meat on Toasted Sourdough

Happy belated 4th of July everyone!  Has it really been 2 weeks since I have posted another recipe?!?!  Summer has been very good to us, but in turn not good to the recipe blog.  I am still cooking and creating in my new kitchen!  This summer we have also been busy landscaping, digging perennial and tree holes.  By the time I am done and continuously picking the dirt out of my nails, I have been just too plum-tuckered-out to type when I have a moment.
What have you been up to this summer???  Planting or gardening?  Watching evening baseball games?  Biking to the farmer's market?  Swimming at the lake?  Grilling?  That is just a few of my favorite summer things in MN....and happily taking up our time.

This meal is fast, filling, savory and healthy.  This recipe is a mix of loose meat, Sloppy Joe's and S.O.S.    Not using any flavor packets, preservatives or cheaply filled jars of over priced food here!  Real food, real healthy and real good.  We served ours over toasted Sourdough bread with a slice of pepper jack cheese under the meat.  Making for awesome and easy leftovers for lunch the next day.  Nothing super fancy, just good, nutritious food. 

Loose Meat on Toasted Sourdough
Print recipe here
2 pounds grass fed ground beef
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp celtic sea salt or to taste
½ tsp fresh ground back pepper
1 (about 1 C) red onion, chopped
1 (about 1 C) bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks (about 1 C) celery, chopped
1 15 oz can Muir Glen Tomato Sauce
2 C low sodium beef broth
¼ C raw honey
¼ C apple cider vinegar (with mother aka unfiltered or raw)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground mustard powder

1. Brown ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper in large skillet over medium high heat for 10 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add onion, peppers and celery. Saute another 5-10 minutes until beef is fully cooked and onions are slightly translucent.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, honey, vinegar, chili and mustard powder. Let come to a boil then turn the heat down to low and let simmer 30 minutes.

3. Serve over toasted Sourdough bread or buns. We serve ours S.O.S. style with a little pepper jack cheese under the meat.
 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa

Linked up at:  33 Shades of Green, Lady Behind the Curtain, The Healthy Home Economist

Lemon Herb Turkey Breast < Slow Cooker > and Caramelized Sugar Snap Peas

We have all heard of Christmas in July celebrations and store gimmicks?  Sure we have.
What about Thanksgiving?  Does it feel left out?  I officially mark June as Thanksgiving in June month.  Well the last 2 days of it at least...can you tell this was in the earlier month plans and got pushed back a bit? 

I found a great sale on a turkey breast and thought it would be perfect, needing to keep it summer fresh I combined this nice summer Thanksgiving in June dinner.  Leave your oven off,  no need to furnace your kitchen on a hot summer day!  This is a slow cooker meal and one pan.  Even the busiest of families can pull this one off in the middle of the week. The light, zesty flavors of the tender turkey is great for summer.  Use your fresh farmers market Sugar Snap Peas to combine a practically-perfect, seasonal-out-of-season dinner. 

Lemon Herb Turkey Breast < Slow Cooker >
Print recipe here
5-8 pound whole turkey breast (make sure it fits in your slow cooker!)
1 whole red onion
2 lemons
4 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme, divided
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp celtic sea salt, divided
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, divided
2 TB water
2 TB corn starch, non gmo is best

1. Peel and quarter a whole onion to place in the bottom of a larger sized slow cooker. Rinse and paper towel, pat dry your turkey breast, set turkey over top of the onions.

2. In a small dish, combine garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ tsp thyme with a fork to make a paste. Rub inside the turkey cavity. Wash the outside of one lemon and place inside the turkey cavity. (Do not slice or cut this lemon, it will make your meat bitter) Place 2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity, one on each side. Place turkey breast side up.

3. Lift each side of the breast skin up enough to place 1 sprig of rosemary under each side, lay skin back down over the breast. Cut remaining lemon in half and juice over the top of the turkey, then zest the lemon over top of breast meat and discard remaining peel.  Sprinkle the top with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, ½ tsp pepper and ½ tsp thyme.

4. Turn slow cooker onto low and cook for 8-10 hours. Do not lift the lid until 8-10 hours is done! It will let out the heat, pressure and steam and result in a longer cooking time. When done cooking, turn off the slow cooker and lift lid to cool slightly before removing. Lift the turkey out carefully as it is very tender. Place onto a large plate or platter to cut or shred.

5. With a slotted spoon, scoop out remaining, turkey 'leave behinds' and onions.  Turn slow cooker to high.  Mix corn starch and water in a cup with a fork until smooth, pour and whisk into the slow cooker where juices remain. Cover and let thicken for 30 minutes, spoon over chicken and veggies when serving if desired, or simply skip the gravy steps to save turkey broth to flavor a later dish. 

Caramelized Sugar Snap Peas
Print recipe here
1 pound sugar snap peas
2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB minced shallots or onion
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp celtic sea salt

1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots and thyme, saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the sugar snap peas and toss for 5-7 minutes until golden and slightly caramelized on the outside but still slightly crunchy. Serve hot.



Practically-Perfect, Seasonal-out-of-season dinner...



Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: Real Food, Allergy Free, and Allrecipes.

Linked up at: Real Food Wednesdays

Pulled Pork and Beans with Spanish Rice

Wishing everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.  In the spirit of giving Mom's a break combining with the Mexican menu of last week, my gift to all the mom's is a terrific slow cooker recipe.  Versatile and simple with many possibilities or serve as shown. 
Are you like some I know and don't care for beans?  Simply leave them out.  No beer?  Use wine or chicken broth, etc.  Save yourself some time and a trip to the store...improvise...always improvise. 

Do you all remember the skit from In Living Color with Jim Carrey?  Pork and Beans!? 
I hope yours turns out better than his! 

Pulled Pork and Beans
Print recipe here

2 pound pork roast

1 can beer
½-1 whole red onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
1- 15 oz can pinto beans, drained

1. Place all ingredients except beans into your slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

2. 1 hour before serving, shred pork with forks right in the casserole. Add the drained beans. Cook on low for remaining hour. Serve in tortillas, taco shells, over Spanish Rice, tostada shells, in a taco salad or plop on a bun with pepper jack cheese for a Mexican inspired 'samich.

Spanish Rice
Print recipe here
2 TB butter
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 C basmati rice
½ whole red or yellow onion, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
½ t ground chipotle, ancho or chili powder
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce (or a scant 2 cups)
1- 15 oz can low sodium chicken broth (or a scant 2 cups)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ of a lime, juiced

1. In a larger skillet, heat butter and garlic, saute 1 minute over medium heat. Add rice, onion and seasoning. Cook 5 minutes or until grains turn golden.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, over high heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer 25-30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for at least 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, squeeze your ½ a lime over whole dish and serve.

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  A Good Appetite

Linked up at : 33 Shades of Green and Traditional Tuesday

Orange Maple Pork Tenderloin

Have you noticed a trend with my menu lately.  I notice that they all contain wine.  Hmmm...  It IS a great tenderizer, it does add a depth of flavor and I just happen to have some around from all the holiday goodness!   Great fancy dinner in 2 simple steps. 

Orange Maple Pork Tenderloin
Print recipe here
1-2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into large chunks
1/2 C orange juice
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C pure maple syrup (KT#6)
2 TB grapeseed oil or unsalted butter
2 TB fresh rosemary, chopped  (KT#1)
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 TB orange juice
2 TB corn starch

1.  Place the cut pork tenderloin into the slow cooker. Pour the orange juice, wine, maple syrup and oil over the meat.  Top with rosemary, salt and pepper. (For dried measurements, Kitchen Technique #1.) Cover and cook on low for 7 1/2 hours or high for 3 1/2 hours.

2.  Combine orange juice and cornstarch in a small cup and mix until dissolved,  pour into slow cooker and stir through.  Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. 

Serve over rice or egg noodles.  Make sure to spoon more sauce over your veggies because it is that good!  I have also made this using chicken with great results.  Enjoy!

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  AllRecipes

Faux-tisserie Chicken

Do you ever get really hungry for Thanksgiving dinner right before Thanksgiving? We do around this house.   This is a great way to make a whole chicken. Rotisserie makes such a juicy chicken to eat with sides like potatoes and gravy, shredded for enchiladas, make a chicken salad, pulled meat sandwiches, chicken soup, pot pie or a Midwest Haute Dish!

Faux-tisserie Chicken
Print recipe here

1 whole chicken, small enough to fit in your slow cooker
1- 2 TB of Homemade Seasoned Salt, be generous but to your own taste
3 large pieces aluminum foil

1. Prepare your slow cooker by taking 3 pieces of aluminum foil, crumple them into 3 balls. Toss into the bottom of your slow cooker. The foil balls will hold your chicken up out of the juices that drip.  Remember to save the juices afterwards!

2. Now prepare your chicken. "Rinse it, pat it, and mark it with a C..." Rinse out the whole chicken, remove any bags or necks, etc from inside, rinse and drain out. Pat chicken with paper towels to dry.

3. Place the chicken on top of the aluminum foil balls and into your slow cooker breast side up. Very carefully pull the skin up all around the chicken. It took me years to be able to do this as I still hate touching raw meat and thinking about meat in general. Squeamishly rub about 1/2 TB seasoned salt underneath skin. Pour 1/2 TB seasoned salt into cavity. Rub 1/2- 1 TB seasoned salt on outside of the bird all over, underneath, sides, wings, and top.

4. Cover and set to low. Leave it alone for 7-8 hours.

Almost done...getting hot and steamy in there!

5. Be careful when you take it out, this tender chicken will literally fall off the bone when you take it out. Transfer to a plate and serve.

 

Look how tender this is!

This is a seriously delicious and juicy way to make chicken.  I highly recommend it!


Thank you for visiting me @

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  Our Best Bites 

Going 45 in a 70 While Eating 'Samiches

Going 45 mph in a 70 mile per hour zone...in the left lane! We have all been behind one of those driver's (especially when we are late for some reason, why is that?). Traffic backed up to the last passed exit. Horns blowing and they don't feel any desire to move to the right. They have all the time in the world and think we do too. I would love to be able to take it that slow some days. Who has that kind of time now a days?
This very slow driver got me thinking.....thinking how they look at life. To learn how to be slow in the fast lane. Sometimes we all need to slow down and go 45 in a 70 and enjoy the little things that make our life special.
Enjoy surprises like the ones that come popping out of the perennials you bought from a neighborhood perennial sale. I brought home Daisies which are doing very well but got this as a bonus! What is it? I love it!

Sipping my very favorite coffee....from this cup we got at a 7-eleven when we where in Chicago.  I love 7-eleven and we don't have any here. So sipping from this just makes me smile.  Why do I love it?  I was born on 7-11 so I have just always loved it, well that and their Slurpee bar!

Life moves so quick, look... summer is already over! School is starting, ragweed is blooming, fall is peaking in with overnight temperatures and fantasy football drafts are happening in garages all over the country.

All this reminded me of slowing down and all during the busiest time of the year for me.  Most of us are going 95mph in a 70 mile per hour zone with kids, sports, work, school, gym, housework, dogs!  So a little help is always well received.  Of coarse we can count on the slow cooker, a savory sandwich will be ready when you get home from driving your kids around to sports and activities or putting in extra hours at your job to finish up a project or bless your heart both!  I hope this helps anyone with back-to-school-chaos-brain like I have right now.

When you can't slow down, the slow cooker will slow down for you.

Tangy BBQ 'Samich
Print recipe here

1 3-4 pound Boneless Beef Roast of choice- I used Top Round with medium marbling

1 C onion- sliced

1 C Ketchup

1 C favorite BBQ Sauce- love Sweet Baby Rays

1 C water

2 T vinegar- I think Red Wine vinegar would be good but have not tried yet

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 T brown sugar

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp salt

1/ 2 tsp black pepper

1.  Instructions are easy, dump all in slow cooker. 

2.  Cook on High for 6-7 hours.  Shred meat and let sit a bit for juice to saturate meat.  Pile into a good bun such as Bolilo or Telara and top with cheese. 

3.  If you don't eat it on the way to the oven, you can broil the cheese and buttered bun until golden and crispy.  Note:  I have used pork and chicken with great results.

Life can zoom by like a Mazda on a highway... But!  Please do not take this thought literally...move to the right side or just stay off the interstate if you are lucky enough to view life this way! 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: my Aunt Kris, who make the best Apple Pie! 

Beans and Beans

Hello again and welcome back to Saved by the Egg Timer!
Well that wasn't so bad now was it? It was just like ripping off a Band-Aid. At first you are nervous and afraid of the pain that is to come. Finally you close your eyes and rip- just to open them up and realize you are not sure what you where afraid of! Either that or you rip it off and realize it wasn’t ready to be exposed yet…but thankfully that was not the case.

My first post went great. I have had a fantastic week filled with a lot of head spinning learning going on and loving every bit of it.  Not to mention just a fantastic week in general!  This is why- I have been scoping, craigslist-ing, garage saling and clearance shopping for this all summer...with no luck...until yesterday!
$4 dollars, yes $4.  My ice cream maker has found it's home.  3 freezer bowls, they don't even sell these with 3 bowls!  I almost ran to the checkout...and yes, I will be accepting my MDJ= Major Deal Junky Award later today.  So, if you have any recipes please send!

I have had such great feedback, encouragement, tips and critique. I want to thank all of you who have been so kind and supportive. Now onto the good stuff.

Well, by special request from my very first follower (yeah!)- I need to keep it coming with the herbs.  Just her luck, I have one today and more to come...this sweet and sassy, savory and spicy dish was a huge hit this week.  One of the kids claimed the leftovers right away.  It was one of those days....where I didn't have enough time to think let alone plan a meal.  I quick looked and had all the ingrediants "on-hand" so whipped this up and was so-very-glad I did. 

Sweet and Sassy Beans
Print recipe here
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C your favorite barbecue sauce
1/2 your favorite salsa (Kitchen Technique #2)
1/4 C molasses
1 T fresh oregano*
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 31- ounce canned pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 16- ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 16- ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
8 pieces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
*Fresh/dried herb conversion here

1. In large bowl combine sugar, sauce, salsa, molasses, oregano, mustard and chili.
2. Add undrained pork and beans, drained beans, onion and meat. Stir to combine.

3. Place all in 3 quart casserole dish.

But like I said- it was a busy day and I was speed skimming the recipe.  I just started pouring and mixing and flinging utensils about the kitchen. I put it all together, mixed, poured it in my nice casserole dish.  Timed it out perfectly with a minute to spare.  Got it in the oven and decided to read the article I found this so-easy dish in. Easy? Ha!  Apparently not for me.  Good thing I did, nothing major but I forgot an ingredient. Out it came from the oven and in went the salsa!  Alrighty, back in the oven, again.  (Kitchen Technique #2- Always read the whole recipe before you start making it.)

4.  Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
Note: Beans will thicken as they cool.
Slow Cooker Method: Prepare as above numbers 1-2 then place into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Results are one casserole of spattery, messy, bubbly, gooey delicious beans!  I also love the fact that I get to use my molasses in any month besides December for Molasses Crinkle Christmas cookies and was nice to put it to good use. As well liked as this dish was- I won't have to dig out the sticky bottle in December just to through it away and buy a fresh one.  So that is always a plus.

We also threw these on the grill and realized they are a summer favorite of mine and should share.  Simple, fresh green beans with a slight grilled flavor. Nothing fancy but very good.

Grilled Green Beans

Print recipe here

1 pound of fresh green beans
1 T water per foil packet
olive oil or butter to taste
salt and pepper

1.  Rinse green beans and snap off tops. 

2.  Tear a few large piece of aluminum foil, place beans in middle and pour water over top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil or butter.

3.  Fold up foil into packets and grill about 10 minutes.  Caution: When you open up the packets steam will pour out.

Thank you for coming back to visit my 2nd post at Saved by the Egg Timer.

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: MidwestLiving and Me!