Leek, Potato and Spinach Stew

Remember when I said it was game on with heartier pasta? That philosophy also applies to soups and stews now that the cooler temperatures have arrived. Chili was my first foray into that territory this fall, but there's so much more to explore.

Leek and potato soup is one of my absolute favorite soups, and while it takes a lot to draw me from away from the classic recipe, this soup had too much extra going for it not to give it a shot.  While classic leek and potato soup is a wonderful side to a sandwich and salad, this stew turns that irresistible flavor into the main event. The low-fat turkey sausage adds a palate of delicious spices and richness, the beans and spinach ample heartiness, with a lovely fresh note from the generous helping of herbs. This is certainly a complete meal in a bowl, but it wouldn't be out of the question to serve it with a hunk of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious broth.

If you like to riff on recipes, as I am wont to do, I encourage you to experiment with other types of beans and hearty greens. Chickpeas and kale, perhaps? Although it's not quite as good as fresh off the stove or after a day or two in the fridge, extra portions of this soup will freeze pretty well for future meals. With my winter CSA starting next month, I can this recipe making a reappearance in my house in very short order.

Leek, Potato and Spinach Stew
adapted from Eating Well
serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 links hot or sweet Italian turkey or chicken sausage (6-7 ounces), casings removed (optional)
2 cups chopped leeks (about 2 leeks), white and light green parts only, rinsed well
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound new or red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
8 ounces spinach, stemmed and chopped (about 8 cups)
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 15-ounce can cannellini, navy, or other white beans, preferably no-salt-added, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, chervil, chives and/or parsley

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, if using, and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and salt and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add wine, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and cook until the wine is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Stir in spinach and scallions and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in beans. Cover and let stand for 1 minute. Divide among 6 soup bowls and sprinkle each portion with herbs.

Italian Sausage and Spinach Melt with Pumpkin Pesto Mayo

It's no secret I love pumpkin. By far my favorite member of the squash family, pumpkin is a delicious addition to sweet and savory dishes of all kinds, but this may be my most unique pumpkin creation yet. I'm probably playing up the role pumpkin plays in this dish a little much, but just a scant 1/2 tablespoon of pumpkin butter is an important element of the flavor profile of this dish. Just that little hint of sweetness accentuates the savory Italian sausage and herbaceous pesto, with the hearty rye bread providing an ideal backdrop for the melding of all the brilliant flavors. Recipes like this is one of the reasons I do so love a fancy sandwich for experimenting with flavor combinations and creating unexpected culinary experiences in ordinary dishes. My schizophrenic pantry provides me with ample opportunity to introduce ingredients that are ordinarily strangers, but this combination is delicious enough to pick up a couple extra things at the grocery store to try it yourself.

Italian Sausage and Spinach Melt with Pumpkin Pesto Mayo
serves 1

1 link sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed
1 ounce fresh spinach, washed, dried, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon mayo
1/2 tablespoon prepared pesto
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin butter
2 slices dark rye bread
1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat a pan over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to pan, breaking into small pieces. Cook until fat is rendered and sausage is no longer pink. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove pan from heat.

2. Meanwhile, combine mayo, pesto, and pumpkin butter in a small bowl and spread evenly over one slice of bread. Preheat a panini press. (Alternatively heat a pan over medium heat).

3. Spread cooked sausage and spinach evenly over the second slice of bread and top with the shredded cheese. Place first slice of bread on top, mayo side down.

4. Spray panini press (or pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until cheese is melted and fillings are warmed through, flipping once if using a pan on the stove. Remove from heat, let sit for a  minute or two, then slice into two halves and serve promptly.

Italian Nachos

There are bowl games and NFL playoffs coming up, and let's face it, you need snacks. I spent most of the Packer season making personal pizzas/flatbreads and experimenting with different variations on poutine, but after I decided I'd exhausted my creativity with those foods (at least for the time being), I starting flexing my culinary muscle with nachos. First of all, I should say that I'm using with word nachos very loosely here (i.e. tortilla chips with toppings), but since no real Mexican cuisine actually includes nachos, I don't feel bad about flexing the definition. That being said, who doesn't love tortilla chips smothered in cheese, sauce, meat, and veggies? I started my nacho tangent with something very standard and about as Mexican as nachos ever get-chicken, black beans, corn, cheddar, salsa, sour cream, scallions, and cilantro. While that was an absolutely delicious plate of indulgence, my mind immediately started to calculate other delicious combinations, this being my first nonstandard creation. It may be a bastardization of two cultures, but there's no denying that  sausage, peppers, onions, marinara and mozzarella are all great friends and make tortilla chips just as happy as they do pasta. But if this rich dish makes you feel a little too guilty, just sneak it in before New Years' resolutions roll around and make up for it in 2013.

Italian Nachos
serves 1 very hungry person or 2 average appetites

1 link sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 small yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and cut into strips
2 ounces tortilla chips
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, remove the casing from the Italian sausage, and cook in a large skillet about 7 to 8 minutes, until sausage is nicely browned. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and continue to cook until onions are browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more, adding the roasted red peppers during the last few minutes of cooking to warm through.

2. Place tortilla chips on an oven-safe platter in an even layer. Top chips with sausage, pepper, and onion mixture, pour marinara over the top, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

3. Place platter in the oven and bake until nachos are warmed through and cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ramp and Sausage Risotto

I can't get enough ramps. From the time these delectable wild leeks appear at the farmers' market until they all-too-quickly disappear, I don't miss an opportunity to pick up a bunch. And although there isn't anything I've made with ramps I haven't scarfed down with great relish, this is far and beyond the best ramp dish I've made (and perhaps one of my favorite things I've ever cooked). I love each of these sumptuous ingredients on their own, but the magical combination of Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, and ramps is enough to make an unconscious smile appear on your face with very bite. Risotto is often though of as only a rich, indulgent dish with no nutritional value, but if you're willing to invest some extra time (and broth), this dish can be made with brown rice instead of white. The brown rice not only adds whole grains to this meal but a wonderful nutty flavor that plays beautifully with all the luxurious, savory ingredients. If you have the opportunity to make only one ramp recipe, I can't offer up a better choice than this one. The perfect date night dish, all this needs to be a complete romantic meal is a salad, glass of wine, and your sweetheart.

Ramp and Sausage Risotto
adapted from Bon Appetit
serves 4

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
12 ramps, trimmed; bulbs and slender stems sliced, green tops thinly sliced
1 cup arborio rice (or brown rice if you have extra time)
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for passing

1. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage. Cook until no longer pink, breaking up with spoon, about 5 minutes. Add sliced ramp bulbs and stems. Saute until almost tender, about 2 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add vermouth. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, simmering until almost absorbed before next addition and stirring often.

2. Continue cooking until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, adding more broth if dry and stirring often, about 18 minutes. Mix in green tops and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional grated cheese separately.

Italian Burgers

Like so many people born and raised in Wisconsin, for a few months every year, Sundays mean Packer football, and for me, Packer games also necessitate Packer snacks. Since I was just a little girl watching the games with my dad, the ritual of Packer football always included some kind of special (junk) food. I insisted that the first bite of the Packer snack be taken at the exact moment that the kicker's foot hit the ball at kickoff, a ritual I try (unsuccessfully) to enforce with my husband when I make Packer snacks today. Despite a cloudy sky and heavy mist in the air, I decided to grill up some burgers for the game, eager to seize the opportunity to grill one more time before the grilling season completely abandons us. These burgers are rich, savory, and full of delicious spices, almost a meatball sub in the burger form. Truth be told, I made these to use up odds and ends of ingredients I had around, but are truly worthy of purchasing the ingredients to make them for a special Packer (or Badger) snack. Serve them up with some fries seasoned with Italian spices and Parmesan cheese for a really decadent meal or some roasted vegetables to keep it on the lighter side, and if you're watching some Wisconsin athletics, a cold Wisconsin microbrew.

Italian Burgers
serves 2

4 ounces ground pork
4 ounces ground Italian sausage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small or 1 large roasted red pepper, cut open and patted dry (halved if large)
1/2 small onion, roasted or grilled (if you have time), and thinly sliced
2 slices provolone cheese
2 hamburger buns, split and toasted
2 tablespoons marinara, plus more for serving (if desired)
Spinach or lettuce leaves, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat a grill pan or gas grill over medium to medium-high heat or prepare a charcoal grill (my personal preference). Combine ground pork and sausage, divide into two patties and season each side with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary (your Italian sausage may already have enough seasoning to carry the burger). Add burgers to the grill and cook until internal temperature reach 160 degrees F.

2. While the burgers are cooking, spread 1 tablespoon marinara on each of the top halves of the toasted buns and place spinach leaves or greens on the bottom halves. Once the burgers are cooked through, top each burger with roasted red pepper, half of the sliced onion, and one slice provolone cheese, cooking until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are warmed through. Transfer to the bottom halves of the hamburger buns, top with the other half, and serve hot with additional marinara for dipping, if desired.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

I was really excited when I saw that bell peppers were making their first appearance at the farmers' market this summer, with my thoughts instantly drifting to stuffed peppers. Stuffed peppers can take on Mexican, Italian, or Mediterranean flavors, and there were so many possibilities that I failed to find pick out a recipe or pick up any specific ingredients before the night before that I was planning on making stuffed peppers for dinner. Taking a quick look through my freezer, fridge, and cabinets, I was able to find the makings for these delicious Italian-style stuffed peppers. Just like so many of my other favorite types of dishes to make, stuffed peppers have nearly infinite possibilities and allow you to use up all kinds of leftovers and odds and ends of ingredients you already have on hand. The Italian sausage and prepared marinara pack the peppers with flavor without any effort on your part, provided you have good sausage and sauce; I used sauce from R.P.'s Pasta Company and Italian sausage from Willow Creek Farm, both local companies that produce tons of fantastic products. Top that with rich, melty cheese and you have a dish that's sure to please nearly everyone. If you want to make this dish vegetarian navy or cannellini beans can be substituted for the Italian sausage, though you will be doing so at the expense of flavor.

I also try to make large batch of grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and beans and freeze the extras so I have a blank palette ready to go in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner anytime. Prepared grains and beans offer up the possibility of tons of delicious salads and wraps; I frequently combine them with veggies and sauce for nutritious, tasty lunches to bring to work. I keep enough different beans and grains in the freezer and veggies in the fridge that I never get bored with my lunch and don't have to sacrifice taste when I have little time to put a meal together for myself on a busy night. Letting some rice cook in the rice cooker or beans cook on the stove while doing other chores around the house is well worth the small sacrifice in time on the weekend to make the work week a bit more harried.
 
Italian Stuffed Peppers
serves 2

2 green or red bell peppers, halved, seeds and ribs removed
Canola oil cooking spray
4 ounces Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
 
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place peppers, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet and spray top side lightly with cooking spray. Roast peppers, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until peppers are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat a pan over medium heat and add Italian sausage, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Once the sausage has rendered some fat, add chopped onion and garlic and continue cooking until onions are translucent and soft, but not falling apart, about 9 to 12 minutes. Add brown rice and marinara sauce, stir well to combine, and continue cooking until mixture is heated through.

3. Divide rice mixture evenly among the four pepper halves (about 1/2 cup per pepper), top each with a half slice of provolone, return to the oven, and cook until cheese is melted and just starting to brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Italian Sausage and Shiitake Sloppy Joes

Like most people, I loved sloppy joes as a kid, but as an adult, I no longer find the combination of Manwich and ground beef so appealing-Manwich is just way too sweet (not to mention unhealthy) for me to eat now. I've made my own ground beef sloppy joes from scratch before, loading them peppers, onions, and spices, for a delicious and nostalgic dinner, but I thought it would be fun to make a more sophisticated, flavorful, adult version of the sloppy joe. I had some absolutely incredible Italian sausage from Pecatonica Valley Farm and shiitake mushrooms, both acquired at the farmer's market, so I only had to combine them in tomato sauce with just a bit of salt and pepper for some incredible sandwiches. (If you don't have wonderfully flavored Italian sausage, you may want to add some oregano, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning or other spices to punch up the flavor.) This dish is tremendously simple and pays you may times over for your efforts in flavor, so indulge your inner child and sophisticated adult sides with this meal tonight.

Italian Sausage and Shiitake Sloppy Joes
serves 4

8 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and sliced
8 ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 whole-grain hamburger buns

1. Preheat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to pan and break up into small pieces. Once the sausage has started to render some fat, add the onion and cook until onions are just starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced shiitakes and continue to cook until the Italian sausage has cooked through and mushrooms are tender, but not mushy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and continue to cook over low to medium-low heat until mushrooms are cooked to desired tenderness and flavors are blended. Season mixture to taste with salt and black pepper, divide mixture evenly among buns, and serve hot.