Tasty Skillet Kielbasa and Cabbage

I love all kinds of sausage and I love cabbage. This easy dish is so satisfying, real comfort food.

Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet

2# kielbasa, cut lengthwise, then into 2" pieces
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 large sweet onion, cut into large pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp grainy mustard

Cook kielbasa in oil without stirring 1-2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, approximately 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

In same pan, add cabbage, onion, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook approximately 10 minutes, tossing/stirring, until golden.

Mix vinegar and mustard together and add to cabbage. Add sausage, cook until heated through. Adjust seasoning.

Can serve as is or over mashed potatoes.

Variation

Potatoes and/or rutabaga can also be added. Cut into bite-sized cubes, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté or roast in olive oil at 425° for approximately 1/2 hour, till tender and golden. Add to cabbage and onion mix; you'll need more vinegar and mustard.

You can substitute Italian sausage (or any sausage you like for that matter) for the kielbasa.

Dribbling Oil into the Bowl of a Food Processor

Okay, ha ha, sounds like a silly post. However, do you like to make homemade mayonnaise, or a really good salad dressing that needs to thicken?

My dear hubby Matthew solved my problem SO easily. He's brilliant!

Matthew took the insert cup for my food processor and drilled a tiny hole into the bottom of it. I can now close up the top of the processor, insert the cup, and add the oil and it will DRIP DRIP DRIP into the the liquid beneath making a perfect emulsion!

You're welcome ; )

Tapenade

I first tasted this during a couple weeks in Provence, 13 years ago. It's so easy to make these days as we can get so many fresh ingredients we could never get then. One thing that's more difficult and that I highly recommend is finding tuna canned in oil rather than water (I can actually get it now in my supermarket, but in the imported aisle). The flavor really contributes to the end product. I love this the most on crudites, but you can use it in stuffed veg, hard-boiled eggs or tossed with pasta.

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup imported green olives, pitted
4 anchovy fillets (in oil or salt cured)
1 garlic clove
2 Tblsp capers, drained
2 Tblsp oil-packed tuna, drained
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1 cup fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil

Combine black and green olives, anchovies, garlic, capers, tuna, lemon juice and basil in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process till smooth.
With the motor running, dribble in the oil * to make a thick, fluffy sauce.
Tapenade will keep refrigerated for at least a week. It also lends itself to freezing.
This recipe doubles well.

*Check out my next entry regarding dribbling oil into the bowl of a food processor!

Half-Sour Pickles

1 - 1 1/2 lb pickling cucumbers
1 Tblsp pickling salt + 2 cups warm water
1 wide-mouth quart canning jar
2 grape leaves or 1 tea bag
1 small carrot, cut into sticks
2 small garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp dill seed
a flowering dill head
several sprigs fresh dill weed
small ziploc bag

I like to use Kirby cukes for pickling, but you can use any young, smallish cuke. You can also use regular salt. Grape leaves or a tea bag add tannins to the mix (no flavor) which are supposed to contribute to keeping the half-sours crunchy. Carrot is supposed to do the same thing. Some recipes add cumin and peppercorns and/or red pepper flakes to the mix; feel free to experiment. If you can't get fresh dill, you can try substituting dried.

Scrub cukes and place in a bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes. This supposedly helps with crunchiness.
Prepare brine. Dissolve salt in warm water. Salt should completely dissolve and leave the brine clear. Let cool before adding to jars.
Place grape leaves or tea bag in bottom of canning jar. Add dill seed.
Scrape any residue from the blossom end of each cuke before adding jar. The residue supposedly thwarts the fermentation process. Pack cukes into jar, interspersing dill heads, dill leaves, garlic and carrots. Pour brine over cukes, leaving about 3/4 inch head space. Pour remaining brine into ziploc bag, seal it and press it into top of jar. This should keep the cukes submerged.
Place the jar on a plate (it will bubble over the edge) and place in a sunny spot (this discourages the growth of nasty bacteria). Let ferment 4 - 7 days. Brine will bubble and become cloudy, that's fermentation! Skim any scum from the top of the brine daily. When pickles have reached desired sourness, remove ziploc bag, cover jar and refrigerate; they'll keep around 2 months. Rinse before eating.

Chicken Pot Pies

You will need 4 small oven proof bowls to serve this up.

6  chicken thighs (or 4 breasts if you prefer), skinned and boned
3 cups chicken stock (I make my own, but you can purchase decent stock - I like Kitchen Basics)

2 Tblsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced thin
3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4" rounds
2 celery ribs, sliced into 1/4" pieces
4 large crimini mushrooms, halved, then each half sliced into 1/4" pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
stock reserved from cooking chicken
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, thawed, cut into quarters

Chicken
Trim the fat off the chicken, then gently simmer in the stock until just done, 10 minutes or so. Thighs will be more tender than breasts, just sayin'.  When done, remove chicken, and cut into bite sized pieces. Strain and save stock.

Veggies
While chicken is cooking, heat canola oil, then add onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Saute gently, don't let them brown, about 10 minutes. Add peas, parsley, salt and pepper, and lemon juice, and saute a minute or so more. Add chicken. Cover and keep warm.

Gravy
Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and let it cook over low heat without browning for several minutes. With heat on medium-low, slowly add stock, in small increments, whisking and keeping the mixture smooth. Next slowly add milk, again whisking constantly. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer gently 10 minutes or so until thickened and there is no floury taste. Adjust seasonings. Add to chicken/veggie mixture.

Assembly
Ladle chicken/veggie/gravy mix into 4 medium-sized oven safe bowls. Place a quarter of the Puff Pastry atop the bowl and fold edges under itself, around the bowl rim. Cut a slit into the center of the crust.

Bake
Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. It should start bubbling underneath the crust and the crust should be golden.

Ridiculously Easy Candy Treats

Corn Flake Peanut Butter Treats

3 cups corn flakes
3 Tblsp peanut butter
6 oz chocolate chips

Melt chips and peanut butter together, slowly and stirring, in a large pot. Once melted add corn flakes. Mix together gently with a spatula. Don't worry about corn flake breakage!!!
Drop by tablespoons on a cookie sheet and refrigerate till firm.
They keep well. And they are ridiculously tasty for something so easy!

Delicious Easy Fresh Tasting Cranberry Sauce

Triple Cranberry Sauce

1 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1-12 oz package fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp minced orange zest
2 Tblsp orange juice
3 Tblsp orange marmalade
1/4 tsp allspice

Combine cranberry concentrate and sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring till sugar dissolves.
Add fresh and dried cranberries. Simmer till dried berries begin to soften and fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often, 7 - 10 minutes. It's fine if all the berries don't disintegrate.
Remove from heat, add orange zest, orange juice, marmalade and allspice. Mix well.
Cool completely, Cover and chill till cold. Will keep for a week.