Stuffed Jalapenos

True story-- When we lived in Vermont, every single time I made these peppers, I would make enough for an extra tray to put into the freezer of some of my favorite people, Mark and Jeff. These were their favorite.  After we all moved away from each other, I stopped making them, because it made me too sad. But Mark came to visit last month, so I got to make them again! YAY! So yummy and so much fun to share!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground hot Italian sausage

20ish jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchatel, which is a little lighter but still with all the creaminess.)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 to 1 cup cooked red quinoa

sriracha to taste

Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste

shredded cheddar and/or Parmesan for topping peppers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place seeded jalapeno halves into shallow glass baking dish. If desired, pre-cook for 10-15 minutes to soften and mild. (The longer the peppers cook, the milder they become, so use your judgment as to how much you might like to mellow the heat. You can start from raw or pre-cook up to 15 minutes.)

3. Cook sausage until browned and set aside.

4. Discard excess oil, and then use same pan to caramelize onions and garlic.

5. In large bowl, mix cream cheese and Parmesan.

6. Add sausage, garlic and onion, sriracha, Tony Chachere's, and quinoa, and mix well.

7. Fill peppers and top each with shredded cheese of your choice. My favorite is cheddar, but use whatever tastes best to you.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until filling is fully heated and cheese is bubbly and browned.

Italian Stew

This has all the comfort, flavor and heartiness of a beef and potato stew, but with far fewer carbs and calories and much more nutritional value. We're replacing beef with lean turkey Italian sausage, potatoes with cauliflower and gravy with crushed tomatoes. And adding kale and quinoa. So, you know... we'll practically be bionic after we eat this. :-) Plus it's YUMMY! So it's good news all around!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt 

pepper

1 pound lean turkey Italian sausage

6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic (or just plain tomatoes, and you can add your own seasoning)

1/3 cup rinsed red quinoa

2-3 handfuls of kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons garlic paste

Your favorite shredded cheese to accompany Italian dishes (I used a blend of parmesan, asiago, romano and mozzarella)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil. Add onion and saute over medium heat until it becomes translucent.

3. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until well-browned. (Don't be afraid of some pretty dark edges. It adds so much flavor.)

4. Add Italian sausage to onions and cook until browned. Drain well and return to pot.

5. Add chicken broth (more or less depending on how thick you like your stew) and crushed tomatoes and mix well. Increase heat and bring to boil.

6. Add quinoa and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

7. Reduce heat and add garlic paste. Blend well. Add kale and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

8. Add roasted cauliflower and stir to combine well. Simmer until warmed through.

9. Serve with a sprinkling of shredded cheese(s).

Spinach "Gnocchi" with Turkey Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Sauce

Finding replacements for pasta is one of my favorite culinary challenges. Not because I don't love me some pasta. I just really need to not eat all those carbs. Stupid carbs. Why do they have to be so delicious and addictive? Annoying. But they annoy me much less when I find yummy things to eat that serve the same purpose and are much more nutritious. Zucchini ribbons and spaghetti squash are two of my favorite substitutes so far, but tonight I made a play on gnocchi with just spinach, cheeses, egg and some spices, and it did not disappoint at all. Try it and see what you think!

For Gnocchi:

Ingredients:

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 

8 oz. ricotta cheese (I used light)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wrap spinach in a lint-free kitchen towel and squeeze excess liquid out.

3. Throw into a bowl and add ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well-combined. Add egg and mix well.

4. Form mixture into small ovals (about a teaspoon each) and place into buttered baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until gnocchi are firm and slightly browned. 

For Red Pepper Sauce:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

3 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (yellow or orange would work fine too)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in nonstick or cast iron pan. Add onions and saute until translucent. 

2. Add garlic, peppers, cumin, garlic powder and Italian seasoning and saute until peppers become tender.

3. Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced and thickened.

4. Transfer mixture to blender and blend to desired consistency. I like mine to have just a bit of substance to it--not completely smooth, but it's up to you. (Also: you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.)

5. Once blended, pour sauce mixture back into pan and add cream. Combine well and simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Other ingredients:

1 pound turkey Italian sausage, browned and drained

additional Parmesan for garnish

To serve, either layer gnocchi, then sausage, then sauce, then Parmesan. Or you can just toss it all together. Hint: it's a prettier presentation separated, but there is nothing in the world wrong with soaking everything in that amazing sauce, and it definitely tastes better that way. If you don't trust your guests to make sure they get plenty of sauce in each bite, just go ahead and mix it all together. They'll be glad you did. :-)

Meaty Lasagna

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday, and this is one of her all-time favorite meals, so it was the obvious choice for today. :-) Happy Birthday, Grace! 

I wonder how many lasagna recipes exist. Surely the count is into the millions by now. And I bet most of them are perfectly scrumptious. If you already have one you love, I'm not suggesting you abandon it. Just offering my favorite for those who might be still looking.

These are some of the reasons this recipe is my favorite: 1. It is actually very easy to make, which is not always the case with lasagna. 2. It is so hearty and meat-filled that you can feed a pretty significant dinner crowd with just one tray. 3. It is easily adaptable to a low-carb meal by simply swapping zucchini strips for noodles and not losing any flavor at all. (Honestly, can we all agree that the noodles just carry the meat and cheese to your mouth?) 4. It is excellent for making ahead of time (or making several trays at a time) and storing in the freezer for a super quick homemade meal later. 5. It is Yummy! This recipe is a favorite of my entire family and a whole long list of my friends. It is probably my most-requested meal. If you don't already have a tried and true favorite, try it and see what you think!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lasagna noodles (or 2 zucchini thinly sliced in long ribbons)

1 pound lean sweet turkey Italian sausage

1/2-1 pound lean ground beef (I personally think there's no such thing as too much meat in this recipe, so I tend to go with the full pound.)

1 medium-large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (28oz.) chunky crushed tomatoes

2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste

2 teaspoons coconut sugar

2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons dried crushed basil

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 container (15 oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

4 cups shredded mozzarella

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Boil noodles according to package directions or slice zucchini length-wise using mandolin. Set aside.

2. In large skillet over medium heat, brown beef and Italian sausage with onions and garlic until vegetables are tender and meat is no longer pink. Drain. Return meat mixture to pan and add tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt, basil and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

***Hey, can I show you a fun trick for getting tomato paste out of the can? Run your can opener around the top *and* bottom of the can, then use the bottom lid to push out the paste. No more trying to dig it out of the corners with a spoon.

3. In small bowl, blend ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Spoon 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 each of noodles (or zucchini), ricotta mixture, meat sauce and mozzarella into dish. Repeat twice. 

6. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle Parmesan over top, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden and bubbly. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting. (Don't worry. It will stay molten lava hot much longer than that.)