Pasta and Sausage

I haven't put a new post up in a little bit, mostly because it's almost the end of my classes and I've been busy and also I made this amazing fish dish the other day but it looked horrible! Lol
This dish is so easy and super cheap, and variable! First, pick your favorite pasta (and if you are gluten-free then pick rice flour pasta). Then pick or make your sauce (I used fire roasted tomato and garlic) as well as your meat or sausage. I used a delicious Burgundy Pepper sausage but chicken, seasoned ground beef, shrimp (for pescetarians), pork, or whatever strikes your fancy! I prefer to use uncooked, fresh sausage and I specifically look for ones without nitrates. Uncooked meat does not require to be cooked beforehand so if you are really short on time, get cooked meat or pre-cook when you have time (up to a couple days in advance). While you chop up your veggies, start boiling your water for your pasta. Cook your meat (if you need to) with your vegetables and eventually the sauce when your meat is 2/3rds of the way cooked. When your pasta is cooked al dente, drain and rinse in cold water, and toss with your sauce, meat, and vegetables.
Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes! Enjoy :)

Sausage and Italian Barley Salad

While visiting my parents, my Mum awakened Justin's passion for barley. Since then, he'd been asking for me to make barley salad, so I finally did! Barley is a great source of fiber and a little protein. To cook barley, cook one cup of barley in 2 1/2 cups of water for 35-40 minutes.
Once the barley is fully cooked, toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar (to taste). Add salt, freshly chopped garlic, and basil. Throw in some tomatoes, I prefer the baby heirloom tomatoes because they add a sweetness. :)
I paired the barley with a mild Italian sausage so the acidity of the barley will be cut by the richness of the sausage. Any marinated meat would work as well! :)
Just an easy dinner tonight!

Summer Pasta with Sausage

This is a late post since I've been feeling kinda sick - but thankfully when I'm feeling ill, I love to munch on a light pasta. Talking to my friends, I feel like there is often a misconception about pasta. There is pasta topped with marinara, bolognese, or alfredo and then there is pasta tossed with butter. I get bored with these limited options - especially since alfredo and butter are not possibilities!
This pasta is a refreshing option that lets fresh ingredients like basil and lemon shine.
Take your favorite pasta, I used linguine as a medium between my favorite (spaghettini) and Justin's (any thick pasta). Cook the pasta al dente while you cook your sausage in garlic and shallots. I prefer to remove the sausage from the casing and my favorite is sweet italian because it melts in your mouth like butter. When the sausage is 3/4 of the way cooked, add spinach to your pan to cook. When the pasta is finished, drain and toss with olive oil and a light amount of balsamic vinegar. Toss in your sausage and spinach mixture, add lemon zest, and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste. Add basil for a refreshing, light summer pasta!

Tonights dinner is homemade pizzas! It seems I've been craving Italian as the past couple meals have been following the theme :)
I'm also looking for a Moroccan or Indian dish thats milk free if anyone has suggestions?

Parents Weekend!

Justin and I headed back home to see our parents this weekend - which means some amazing home cooked food :)

It's kinda nice to not have to worry about planning and cooking sometimes - although I think I have it pretty easy most of the time since Justin helps me out in the kitchen whenever he can! :) And sometimes he will even make dinner for us when I'm out of commission! :)

My Mum made this wonderful dinner, a dairy-free calzone with homemade marinara sauce and an arugula salad. First, my Mum made the dough and let it rest in the oven to raise. You can use any dough recipe you like, and if you don't have the time (like me!) you can pick up pre-made dough in the fresh or frozen aisle at pretty much any nicer grocery market (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, ect). Check the ingredients in the dough, but all of the stores I've been to have been dairy-free. Next, my Mum cooked mushrooms, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper and put it aside. She then cooked uncased sausage until 3/4 brown and then re-added the vegetables. She then added the mixture to the risen dough and folded the dough to cover the mixture. Stick the calzones back into the oven until golden brown and serve with your favorite marinara or bolognese sauce! The secret to a really great complementing sauce to your calzone is a bold red wine! You can also play on garlic, basil, or your favorite herb :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoy this traditional dairy meal that you can now make dairy-free! This dish also can be made without meat for any vegans out there :)

Italian Sausage and Orecchiette

I'm quite careful with sausages because I'm sensitive to the preservatives but I found these nice hot Italian sausages from a local Trader Joe's! I made this great easy meal with a very minimal amount of ingredients!

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Italian sausage (hot or sweet)

Spinach or Broccoli Rabe

Orecchiette

4 cloves Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

As a recipe suggested, I boiled a pot of water and cooked the spinach first, which I removed into a separate bowl. I then cooked the pasta in the water. While the pasta was cooking, I removed the sausage from the casing and let my pan and 1/3 cup of oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes heat. I added the sausage, until brown, then added the spinach to cook. This meal takes less than thirty minutes to prepare! I also added a bit of crushed homemade croutons, leftover from last week's soup, to create a bit of a different texture. And of course - cheese! I used a skim mozzarella but parmesan-reggiano would add a wonderful nutty flavor as well!

I found the original recipe in a Williams-Sonoma International Cookbook at Borders' going out of business sale! My passion is international food and I cannot wait to cook more of these recipes! I especially have my eye on curried cauliflower from India! :D