Sausage/Vegetable Risotto

(not my picture, taken from brigitte.de)

1 lb. garlic Italian sausage links, cut into 1" pieces
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups uncooked arborio or long grain white rice
4-6 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 bag frozen mixed veg, thawed (I just microwave for a little less time than called for)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt to taste

Preparation:

In large skillet, cook sausage pieces and water over medium heat until water evaporates and sausage pieces are well browned, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add olive oil to drippings in skillet. Add rice; cook until rice is slightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place broth and pepper in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat. When rice is toasted, add broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, and cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Keep going until the rice is al dente.

If you like a thicker risotto, add less broth; if you like it thinner and soupier, add more broth. Then add sausage and veg; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until veg are hot. Stir in cheese, butter, and salt to taste, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand 4 minutes. Stir again and serve immediately. Serves 4-6

Brown Butter, Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, diced into 1/4" pieces
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chops (I like Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
3 tablespoons milk chocolate, grated
1 cup bacon that's been fried until crispy and diced into roughly 1/4" pieces

Adjust your oven rack so it's in the middle position. Pre-heat to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly. Watch this carefully - butter can go from brown to burned very quickly. When butter is dark-golden brown and has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into hot butter until melted.

Add granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until completely mixed. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of sugar remaining.

Let sugar/egg/butter mixture stand for a few minutes. Then whisk again for 30 seconds. Do this several times - you want to make sure that the sugar has "melted" into the liquid. When ready, mixture will be smooth, thick and shiny.

Using wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in grated chocolate, chocolate chunks, chocolate chips and bacon pieces. Don't overmix but make sure no flour pockets remain.

Using a teaspoon, place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I get about 14 on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes (my oven takes 11 minutes) until cookies are golden-brown and set along the edges but the middle is still soft. Remove from oven and set baking sheet on a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Chicken Lasagna Casserole

Start to finish: 45 minutes (20 minutes active)

Servings: 8

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and diced (about 2 cups)

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8-by-11-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, red peppers, egg, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add all of the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. It does not need to cook through. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking pan. Pour the cheese mixture over the chicken, then stir gently to combine.

In a small bowl, mix together the panko and butter. Sprinkle the panko over the chicken, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through.


Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 330 calories; 110 calories from fat (33 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 145 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 39 g protein; 1 g fiber; 690 mg sodium.

Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie

Ingredients
Filling:
1 pound bulk-style chicken sausage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 pounds shredded, cooked chicken, about 5 cups
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Biscuit Topping:
12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp white Cheddar
4 ounces unsalted butter, frozen
7 ounces low-fat buttermilk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the filling: Set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Crumble the chicken sausage in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add the butter and melt, stirring to coat the sausage. Sprinkle the flour onto the sausage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the milk and chicken broth and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, salt, sage, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside while preparing the biscuits.

For the biscuits: Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, sage, and cayenne pepper in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Grate the cheese and butter using the large shredding disk of a food processor or the large side of a box grater. Immediately add the cheese and butter to the flour mixture. Stir to combine. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just to combine. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and start folding the dough over on itself, gently kneading for 30 seconds, or until the dough is soft and smooth. Press the dough into a 1/2-inch thick round. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out the biscuits, being sure to push the cutter straight down through the dough to the work surface. Make your cuts as close together as possible to limit waste. Gather together any remaining dough, pat out again, and cut out as many biscuits as you can in order to get 9 total.

To build the pie: Set the biscuits on top of the filling, placing 8 around the edge of the pan and 1 in the middle. Bake until the biscuits are tall and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Potato Gratin

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375ºF.

In a 10-inch nonstick fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the stock and cream. Add the Gruyère and thyme and stir until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and stir to coat them well. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Ham Balls

1 1/2 lbs. ground ham
1 lb. hamburger
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. bread crumbs or cracker crumbs

1/2 c. vinegar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. dry mustard
1 c. water or juice from 1 can crushed pineapple plus water to make 1 c.

Mix first 5 ingredients and form into balls. Combine last 4 to make sauce and pour over balls. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Turn occasionally. Yields 10 5 oz. servings.

Pierogi Potstickers

3 tablespoons softened butter
1 package frozen pierogis, potato filled dumplings -- any brand or variety

Cover the bottom of a skillet with softened butter. Arrange pierogis in the pan in a single layer. Add 1 cup water to the pan. Cover pan and place over medium high heat. Cook covered 8 minutes, remove lid and cook out any liquid in the pot.

Thai Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
cayenne pepper

Combine above ingredients and stir until creamy. (It helps to soften the peanut butter in the microwave.) Add sauce to the stir-fry during the last minute of cooking, stirring to coat food evenly.

Simple Spinach Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups non-fat cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) package part skim mozzarella
cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
8 ounces lasagna noodles

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large pot over medium heat saute spinach, onion, oregano, basil and garlic in the olive oil. Pour in spaghetti sauce and water; simmer 20 minutes. In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and egg.
3. Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan. Place 4 uncooked noodles on top of sauce and top with layer of sauce. Add 4 more noodles and layer with 1/2 sauce and 1/2 cheese mixture, noodles and repeat until all is layered, finishing with sauce.
4. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 55 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

WW Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
1 bulb garlic (large, 1/4-inch-slice cut off top)
3 lbs potatoes (rinsed, pierced with a fork, about 6 large baking potatoes)
6 slices uncooked turkey bacon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
6 tablespoons low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
6 tablespoons scallions, sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Wrap entire garlic bulb tightly in foil; place garlic and potatoes in oven. (You do not need to put them on a pan; they can go right on an oven rack.).
Bake garlic until soft when squeezed, about 45 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Continue baking potatoes until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more; let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes.
Place bacon on paper towels to drain off any fat; chop bacon.
Unwrap garlic and squeeze pulp from bulb with hands into a large saucepan.
Peel potatoes and add to saucepan; mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Gradually stir in broth, thyme, salt and pepper until blended; place saucepan over medium heat and cook until hot, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.