Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Just in time for Thanksgiving. 

This recipe for stuffing is a favorite for many. 

When my children were younger and in elementary school I used to make Turkeys for each of their classes, stuffing and all. I got a reputation as the Turkey Lady, and I must admit I rather enjoyed it, reputation and all.

Sausage stuffing 

2 large yellow onions - chopped (diced)

2-3 stalks of celery - cleaned and then cut into strips and then chopped (diced)

2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine

1-2 pounds Italian sweet sausage 

2-3 bay leaf

Rosemary leaves (fresh or dried)

1 stick of butter

Chicken stock (2-3 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bag seasoned bread cubes (pepperidge farms makes a good one)

Take the sausage out of the casing, crumble it so it is in small pieces and cook in a frying pan until cooked through. Because sausage has fat you usually will not have to add any fat to the pan before cooking. If you feel like it needs it,  add a little bit of olive oil if you have it. 

When the sausage is browned and cooked through set it aside. 

In a stock pan melt the stick of butter on low  heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cook until the onions become translucent. Do not brown the onions. Add half of the chicken stock, the Rosemary (if using fresh, use a nice sprig of it, if using dried use a tablespoon.)

Let it simmer on low for 1/2 hour.

In a large bowl, or in the baking dish your making the stuffing, mix the cooked sausage, bread cubes and the onion, celery mixture. Add the rest of the chicken stock, it should be moist, not too wet. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree preheated  oven until heated through, approx 45 minutes.  If you like a crunchy top take off the aluminum foil for last 15-20 minutes of baking time. 

If you enjoy mushrooms you may add them. I would add them while cooking the sausage. Personally, I think this "dressing" has so much flavor that the mushrooms get a little drowned out. However, if you'd like to sweeten it up a little, add a small chopped apple to the stuffing right before baking. 

I will look for some pictures to add to this post later. 

Don't forget, you can always email me if you have any questions!

Thefoodcrawl@gmail.com

Enjoy!

BuonAppetito 

xoxoxo

Lorraine

Pork Chops stuffed 3 ways

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut was never my favorite meal growing up. To this day it hasn't been a favorite in my house, either.  My go to when cooking  Pork Chops  has usually been to cook them with  peppers and onions.

While shopping these chops called to me. They were thick cut and I knew that they would be perfect for stuffing.

The stuffing I used was a mushroom, sausage and spinach stuffing. Truth be told everything used for the stuffing was something that was a "must go" in the refrigerator. "must go" is a euphemism for left overs!

I had some left over mushrooms that I mixed with left over sausage and put it in the food processor and pulsed it a few times. To that mixture I added some grated cheese, a wedge or two of laughing cow cheese, ( I absolutely love this cheese) fresh chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

I made a pocket on the side of the pork chop and first stuffed it with the cooked leftover spinach and then stuffed it some more with the mushroom and sausage mixture.

I then heated up my frying pan getting it nice and hot, added 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter and browned the seasoned pork chop (salt and pepper) on each side.

Once they were browned, they were cooked in a 350 preheated oven, on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes more.
While the stuffed pork chops were finishing in the oven I deglazed the frying pan using the juice from the sauerkraut and a little touch of white wine. Then I added the sauerkraut and cooked it a little more.

When the pork chops were cooked through I plated the pork chops right on top of the sauerkraut.
It was absolutely delicious. I could have eaten bowls of the sauerkraut, it was that good.  The pork chop wasn't bad, either! In fact, for something made on the fly, it is one of my favorite pork chop dishes that I have ever made!

Enjoy!
xoxoxo
Buon Appetito
Lorraine

Zucchini Bandits

If you are reading this you are probably thinking that you have seens these before. To which I can say, You are right, you have!  Zucchini Flowers or  Zucchini Blossoms, are a staple in our home the summer months. I plant extra zucchini plants just for the flowers!
My family loves these to the point of even  suggesting a zucchini flower raid when we don't have enough from our own garden.  I won't go into the details about our raids,  I'm sure you will understand why!  I seem to get caught in the act all the time!  My husband has told me that he can see the headlines now...Local woman arrested stealing zucchini flowers...and he's not bailing me out!
I have no shame!

I think I'll start knocking on doors asking for them. Perhaps my luck will be better that way! I've even gone to the local farm and asked them to sell me the flowers but they just won't give them up. They think they need all the flowers for the vegetable to grow. They don't. Some of them grow on a long stem and those are the ones to pick, early in the morning when they are wide open. It makes them easier to clean and stuff.

If you would like the recipe for these delicious stuffed zucchini flowers you can find it here.
We also love pasta made with zucchini and if you have extra stuffing left over you can use it to create a delicious tasting dish.

I submitted the recipe for the above dish in a contest being offered by Premio foods.  Check out the contest. You might want to submit one of your own recipes using their products.

Here's my recipe for the above dish.

Paccheri di Pasta Fresca con  Salsiccia e Zucca

1 pound Premio sweet sausage

1 pound Pasta, such as a Paccheri or an extra large Rigatoni

1 large green squash, cut into 1” pieces with skin on

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

freshly grated Italian cheese, such as parmesean

1 tsp beef bullion paste

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup pasta water

salt and black pepper to taste

a pinch of red pepper flakes

a pinch of rosemary

>In a large skillet heat the olive oil and add the chopped onions and garlic.

>Take the sausage meat out of the casing, and break  into pieces.

>Add the sausage to the cooking onions and garlic.

>Cook on medium heat for approximately 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked      through.

>Add the beef bullion paste, red wine and mix well.

>Add the zucchini

>Cook for another 10 minutes.

>Add fresh chopped parsley

>Cook the pasta in a seperate pot with salted water.

>When pasta is cooked, remove from water and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water

>Add pasta to the sausage mixture, add the pasta water if needed to make sure all the pasta gets a hint of the sauce

>Add the fresh mozzarella and freshly grated cheese

 Serve in seperate bowls and enjoy!

Buon Appetito

xoxoxo

Lorraine

Peasant Food

The Italians are known for making delicious dishes with very few ingredients and most times the ingredients are fairly inexpensive. Only the freshest and most flavorful  ingredients are used resulting in simple but exquisite tasting dishes.  I am always excited by the enjoyment created when a peasant dish is served.
My mother was the queen at making something from nothing! She could turn a can (Yes, OMG! I said can!) of lentil soup into something that you had never tasted before, and you would want more!
If you like Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Cannellini Beans keep reading. You will enjoy this dish and so will everyone you serve it to.

From start to finish this took approximately 30 minutes to prepare. Quick and easy!
This recipe will make 6 first course servings or 4 main servings.

6 pieces of Italian Sausage
1 Head of Broccoli Rabe
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large can of Cannellini Beans
(If you plan ahead use fresh beans instead of canned beans)
2 - 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 pound Orecchiette Pasta

Put a large pot of water on to boil.
This will be your pot to cook the pasta in.

Take the Sausage meat out of the casing.
On medium heat, heat your frying pan and add the sausage meat to the pan.

Add the chopped garlic and a little bit of the olive oil.  You can also add a little bit of wine, water or chicken stock to deglaze the pan if necessary.
Add the large can of beans, juice and all into the sausage.

After you have washed the broccoli rabe, cut it into pieces, and add to the beans. Drizzle with the olive oil.
By now, your water should be boiling. Add salt to the water and then add the pasta. Don't skimp on the salt in the water. Pasta cooked without salt is tasteless. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the box. Strain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.

Season with salt, and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Add the pasta to the broccoli rabe, sausage and beans.  If needed add some of the cooking liquid back to the pasta.

Spoon into individual serving bowls, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and enjoy!
Did I hear you say "Yum"?

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Lasagna = Love

We Love Lasagna. There are so many different ways to make it. Our favorite is the traditional way with ricotta cheese between the layers of Lasagna sheets.
If I had the time I would have liked to have made my own lasagna sheets, but this time of year, unless I really plan ahead it's not going to happen. I used Barilla Lasagna sheets. The ones that you boil. I do not like the no cook sheets. I'm not saying that they are  bad, I just don't like them.
After boiling the lasagna sheets in a huge pot of salted water I run them under cold water and then lay them out on dish towels to dry them.
When they are dry I layer my noodles, starting with sauce on the bottom of the pan and then a layer of lasagna sheets. I cooked some Sweet Italian sausage, out of the casing, and crumbled it up and sprinkled some of the sausage meat on the first layer and added some more sauce.

This is the first layer of my lasagna

If I am really ambitious I will make tiny meatballs and put them into the layers of lasagna too. I was serving meatballs on the side and decided not to add the meatballs this time.
Keep layering the lasagna sheets with the cheeses, meat and sauce until you don't have any Lasagna sheets left.

all layered and ready to go into the oven

I like to top off the whole pan with a generous amount of shredded mozarella cheese and some grated Reggiano Parmiagano.
Bake in a preheated 350 - 375 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour until nice and hot and some of the Lasagna noodles get crispy! (That's my favorite part!)
I forgot to take a picture when it came out of the oven. You'll have to trust me on this one, it was beautiful!

Here's what I used to make this lasagna.

2 pounds of lasagna sheets
3 pounds of Ricotta cheese, either whole milk or skim
2 cups grated parmiagano cheese
2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sunday Gravy sauce that my meatballs, sausage and pork have been simmering in for hours.

Mix all the cheeses together, reserving some of the shredded mozzarella to top the lasagna. Add the eggs, salt, pepper and flat leaf parsley. Mix well so all gets incorporated.  This is what you will use in your layers of lasagna.
Add some meat if you want. We like the flavor of sausage, which was cooked prior to adding it. I took the sausage meat out of the casing and cooked it through and crumbled it.
You can also cook the sausage whole and then slice it and add it to your lasagna. You may also add meatballs, either tiny ones or sliced. It doesn't matter...add what ever you want to your lasagna, it will taste great.
Just do me a favor and make your own sauce! That's the one thing that you should never cheat on!

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Stuffed Artichokes, Nona Style

 I love the fall weather and the foods that get associated with the cooler weather. Meals become a little more hearty, filling us up and are just so satisfying. This is like Italian Soul Food! The flavors hit a spot that you just fall in love with, making your soul smile.
My mother would make these artichokes  all the time. She would serve them as a side dish, which was absolutely crazy. They are a meal! Serve them with a fresh green salad, a loaf of Italian Bread and you're done!
When my son John was in 5th grade they were having a discussion on food. His teacher mentioned that she loved artichokes. Some of the kids in the class didn't even know what an artichoke was. John, proudly raised his hand and told his teacher that I made them stuffed with sausage. Another student raised his hand and said his mother makes them and serves them with Russian dressing! HMPF! With a light in her eyes she turned to John  and said, "I would love to taste those!"  That was the start of lovely parent teacher conference's that would be held in my kitchen.
Joan didn't finish the whole artichoke, however she did ask to bring the rest of it home. I was more that willing to comply!

Would you like to make these? Here's what you will need.
Sweet Italian Sausage
Chop meat
onion - chopped fine
garlic - chopped fine
fresh chopped parsley
egg
salt and pepper to taste
grated Italian cheese ( use what you like)
a small handful of seasoned bread crumbs
water and or chicken stock

Make a mixture with all the above ingredients,  like you were making a meatloaf or a meatball mixture.

Clean your artichokes, I cut the pointy tops off and clean up the outer leaves.  I also cut the bottom of the artichoke to make sure that it will sit up. After I've cleaned up the artichokes I start to gently manipulate the leaves to get them ready to stuff.  I pack them with the meat mixture starting on the inside working my way out. Once they are all stuffed I like to braise them on the top of the stove. I add chicken stock to the pot, covering about an inch of the bottom of the artichoke, a bay leaf and half a lemon. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, cover and let simmer until the meat is cooked through and the artichokes are tender. I will just pull on an inner leaf and if it comes out easily it's done. I usually cook these for about an hour, checking on them during the cooking process to make sure all the liquid does not steam out. If you need to add more liquid, add a little bit of water.

When they are done they will look something like this!

Spoon some of the sauce that's in the pot over the artichoke and add some fresh chopped parsley to the top and enjoy!

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Stuffed Pork Chops

I am stuffing everything at the moment and having such a great time doing it. I don't know what it is about eating something that has been stuffed, it's so fulfilling!  Pardon the pun! Anytime I see something stuffed offered on a menu I know I'm usually in for a hearty meal.
There are so many different stuffings you can make depending on what you like to eat.  If you've been following me for a while you know that my family loves sausage. Let's get stuffing!
I started off with a rack of pork. Looks great, doesn't it? I cut the rack into individual chops.

In a pan I cooked the sausage, taken out of the casing with some garlic. After the sausage was cooked thoroughly it was pulsed in the food processor about 5 times.
I let the sausage cool and then added a pound of fresh chopped baby spinach leaves, and a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. If you would like more cheese, go ahead and add it. I have big hands! LOL!

I added the stuffing to each of the chops and then seasoned the pork chops with salt and pepper.

I made an egg wash by beating a whole egg in a dish. I dipped the pork chops into the egg and then lightly dragged them through the flour, giving them a light dusting on each side. These went into a large frying pan that had a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter in it.  On high heat I seared each side of the pork chop to give it a lovely color.

After searing on both sides they went onto a parchment lined cookie sheet to finish in the oven.

They were baked in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes on each side, for a total of 30 - 40 minutes. Don't over cook.
They were finished with a demi glaze porcini and mushroom sauce, and served! You can find my recipe for the sauce here.  Enjoy!  We did!

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Hello Friends! It certainly has been awhile since I've shared some of my family secrets! I'm strictly speaking of cooking secrets, and sharing some coveted family recipes!
I've had a very relaxed and enjoyable summer. We spent two weeks out in Montauk, New York on the beach. Every day was a glorious day. Wish I could have spent another week out there.  hint, hint!!
I am so relaxed.

Today's Food Crawl is all about Stuffed Zucchini Flowers!
Now it's time to get back to sharing some of the food that gets made and created in my kitchen.
Today I'm going to tell you all about my mothers Stuffed Zucchini Flowers! It was my mothers Birthday August 2nd. Thinking of her always makes me think of the special dishes that she used to make. Stuffed Zucchini Flowers were among the amazing.  My husband would eat them out of her refrigerator before she had fried them!
 I actually made my audition tape for MasterChef - Season 2 preparing these. I was trying to upload the video but apparently it is too long to post on here. My son, John, the Pepperdine Movie Production Graduate promised to break it down for me so I can share it with you.  When he does I'll just post it. You can see how nervous I was while making the tape. My next audition tape will be very different! lol

My friend Jersey Paulie  has been asking me for this recipe. This one is for you Paul! Recipe will follow, keep reading!

In my garden I always plant more zucchini plants than I need just for the flowers. Today I was able to pick 11 flowers. There will be more tomorrow! 11 stuffed flowers is such a tease! I'll bet you can't only eat one! lol
You can do so many different things with them. They are delicious in a batter, made into a pancake, they are delicious stuffed with cheeses,  or stuffed with a crabmeat mixture is always yummy. My mother loved sausage and chopmeat! Our recipe is for a blossom stuffed with meat.

The earlier you get into you garden in the mornings the better. You will find these gorgeous blossoms fully opened, just waiting to be picked. The flowers that should be picked for stuffing are the flowers that are attached to long stems.

If you don't have these available in your garden ask a local farmer to sell you some of his Zucchini Flowers. Most farmers will sell them to you.  If you are really desperate go to a specialty italian store. They will  charge you an arm and a leg for each flower, so try your local farmers market before making an investment!
With a few simple ingredients you will impress your family and friends. Promise!

I'm starting with some chop meat, sweet Italian Sausage, fresh parsley, onion, garlic, parmigiano cheese (thank you Giorgio and Marina, who brought me cheese from Rome!), eggs, salt and pepper and seasoned bread crumbs. Rough cut the onion and smash the garlic and add them to a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Add the chop meat and the sausage meat, removed from the casing into the frying pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is cooked through and the garlic is tender.

While the meat is cooking you will want to clean the flowers. I have found ants crawling around in them. You can just delicately wipe the inside of the flower to remove the ants. You can also run the flower under some water .

Once I clean them I place them on a paper towel upside down. This helps the blossom stay open a little to make it easier to stuff them.

They are so delicate and they will rip and tare so be gentle!
With a slotted spoon remove the meat into a food processor and pulse it a few times until the meats are well incorporated with the onion and garlic. Remove the mixture from the food processor . In a large bowl add fresh chopped parsley, and grated cheese. Mix well. Taste as you go along. You may want to add more salt or pepper or perhaps even more cheese.

Time to stuff the flowers! I use a baby spoon or a demitasse spoon. If I had a pastry bag I imagine you could use that as well. It probably would make my life so much easier! lol

 I hold the flower between my thumb and cup it with the rest of my fingers, trying to keep the flower open. With the spoon I add the meat mixture and push down until the flower is completely full. I squeeze it gently so the mixture gets encased by the flower.

Repeat until you are done stuffing all the flowers.

Beat an egg and roll the stuffed flower into the egg and then gently roll the egg washed zucchini flower into bread crumbs.

 Repeat until all the flowers are breaded.

Pan fry the stuffed flowers in a little bit of oil until they are lightly browned on all sides. You can also flash fry these.

Recipe
Zucchini Flowers
1 large onion chopped
4 - 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound chop meat
1 pound sausage
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 - 2 eggs, beaten

You can cut down on amounts in the recipe. This will make quite a bit of mixture. The leftovers can be used in stuffing so many other things, and it never goes to waste in my house! Check in later this week for more ideas on what you can stuff!

Thanks for visiting today! I've missed you!
Buon Appetito!
Lorrraine
xoxoxo

Stuffed Portabella's

Food Crawl with Portabella's!
I made these the other night for our guests. My family and friends went gaga over them.  It's not like I've never made stuffed mushrooms before! My secret ingredient in these must have been the prosciutto!
To make these you'll need
8 large portabella  mushroom caps
8 links of Italian Sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
fresh chopped parsley
handful of breadcrumbs
handful of parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
mozzarella  cheese
prosciutto

Take the sausage meat out of the casing and in a large frying pan, cook the sausage with the onion and the garlic. I added a pinch of rosemary to the cooking sausage. Just a pinch! ;)

After it is cooked through, put it all in the food processor and pulse it a few times. Put your meat mixture into a bowl and add a handful of seasoned bread crumbs.

Just a handful, not too much. If you'd like, add a handful of parmesean cheese at this time.
I sliced up some prosciutto and some mozzarella cheese and added it to the mixture.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then lightly stuff the mushroom caps.

Just before putting the mushroom caps into the oven I topped them with a slice or two of rolled mozzarella cheese and prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes. You want the mushroom to wilt a little and the cheese to melt.

When you take them out of the oven they should look something like this!

I served these with a grilled Romaine Caesar Salad!

Stephen getting ready to fire it up!

If you've never grilled Romaine, you should try it. Delicious!

Enjoy!
Buon Appetitto
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Egg Rolls, Stella Style

Last summer I discovered Stella Ristorante in Floral Park, New York.  It's not a modern Italian restaurant by any stretch of the imagination, but the food is really very good.  I am very picky when I go out to eat  and I can be very critical. I have to say that I could not find one thing bad about this place. In fact everything was a step above really good. The Chicken Rollatini was divine, and if they have the home made pappadelle with a veal and mushroom sauce, OMG! order it!  You won't be disappointed!
Phyllis, my father's friend suggested that we start with the egg rolls. Ok, sure. Egg rolls in an Italian restaurant? What the heck!
What a surprise when they came to the table, the egg rolls  were filled with sausage, broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. I can not even begin to describe the dance that these wonderful morsels played in my mouth! I turned to my sister and the rest of the group who was with us and said, "I am going to make these!"
The next day I went out and bought the ingredients that I thought were in them. I omitted the roasted red peppers, because I felt that broccoli rabe and sausage was a good enough combination for me, which got me thinking about making some egg rolls filled with sausage and peppers! We've played with many mixtures for fillings, and so far the two favorites are the Broccoli Rabe/Sausage and the Sausage/peppers  and onions. My family loves them both, and which ever one we make it seems that I can never make enough.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Here's what you will need.
Egg Roll Wrappers ( one package usually makes 20 - 22 egg rolls)
sweet and hot sausage (family pack)
broccoli rabe or  sweet peppers
 2 large bunches of rabe *, or if using peppers one each of red, orange,  and yellow
mozzarella cheese, - 1/2 pound - 1 pound
mascarpone cheese or cream cheese - 8 ozs
grated parmesan cheese - one cup
and any other cheese you like!!!
one large onion
 a few cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
* if using broccoli rabe, clean them,  cut off the bottom part of the stem and chop into small pieces. Cook  in a frying pan with garlic and olive oil, don't over cook, they should remain a little firm with a bite.
We're making the egg rolls with sausage and peppers. I could not find Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) in Ralph's while in California.  We made these as an appetizer for my father's 85 birthday dinner. It's so wonderful to have help in the kitchen. Marlene actually did most of the work on this one! Thanks Marlene!

Take the sausage out of the casing and breaking it apart into small pieces, saute the sausage in a frying pan until cooked through.

Phyllis frying it up!

In another frying pan cook your peppers and onions with garlic until they are tender. My sister Marlene chopped the peppers, garlic, and  onions very fine. She used a mezzaluna, her favorite tool in the kitchen!

slicing up the mozzarella

Smiling for the camera!

Drain the fat from the sausage and add the peppers and onions to the meat. In a large bowl add everything together with your cheeses.  You can adjust the cheeses to your liking. I've used swiss cheese, gouda or whatever is in the cheese draw in a pinch!  Everything should be in small cuts so you don't rip the egg roll wrapper. Marlene wanted to use the mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and parmesan cheese for these so that's what we used.

adding the cheese to the meat

This brand can be found in your grocery store. I usually find it by the tofu and vegetarian items.

Now it's time to roll!
Place your wrapper on a cutting board on an angle. Put some stuffing towards the bottom of the egg roll. With a pastry brush that you've dipped in water go around the edges of the egg roll wrapper. This will help the egg roll stay sealed.

fold up the bottom point toward the top, away from you.

Now fold in each side, making an envelope shape.

Finish by rolling the egg roll until the egg roll is enclosed.

I then let them dry out a little bit on a baking rack.  These can be deep fried, or if you want brush them with vegetable oil and bake them on a cookie sheet on high heat until golden and crispy.  I would suggest a temperature of 425 degrees.

I'd love some feedback if you decide to make these. They are truly a crowd pleaser. As I said earlier, when I make these I make more than I think I need.  You can also freeze these! They are better when you make them fresh, but they do freeze well,  just make sure that you wrap each one individually. When you're ready to make them, defrost them in the refrigerator.

Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine