Baked Sausage Meatballs with Spinach

I thought this recipe was interesting because the meatballs are rolled in bread crumbs and then baked in mini muffin tins. They do come out looking like mini meat muffins, but I've got nothing against those (why some of my best friends are mini meat muffins). I also liked the idea of sneaking some spinach in there. You don't really taste it much, which is good for people who like meat and don't get enough leafy greens (and by people, I'm talking about my kid). She and her friends happily scarfed these up and asked for more. Booyah.

BAKED SAUSAGE MEATBALLS WITH SPINACH

Yield: 20 meatballs (4 to 5 servings)

1/2 pound ground sausage

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground beef

5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

1 whole egg

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, divided

1.      Preheat oven to 400º F.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage, pork, beef, spinach, cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

3.      Place the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs into a small bowl. Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1.5 oz. portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds, roll in the bread crumbs and place the meatballs in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

slightly adapted from Baked Meatballs by Alton Brown

sausage, pork and beef

I used mild sweet Italian sausage. I also doubled the
recipe, since most meat is sold in 1 pound packages.
You can make this with any variety/ratio of meat you want.
I think sausage can be kind of overpowering, so I
mixed it with pork and beef for a milder flavor.

all the ingredients in a bowl

my little future food blogger getting into the action
(She probably thinks it's normal to take photos of your food.)

mixed

separated into meat globs

rolled into a ball and rolling in breadcrumbs

All I had on hand was Italian panko. It worked well enough,
but I would probably stick with regular Italian breadcrumbs
next time. The panko has a nice crunch, but didn't get as
golden and "well done" on top as I would have liked.

in the mini muffin tins

baked

baked sausage meatballs with spinach
(a.k.a. mini meat muffins)

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Pasta with Veal, Sausage and Porcini Ragù

This ragù has such a deep, richness to it, I want to describe it as gorgeous. It's one of those meals you know will be outstanding just from the smell emanating from your kitchen. It fills your entire house. As a matter of fact, I made this last night and was pleased to discover the scrumptious aroma still hanging in the air when I woke up this morning. I've always loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee, but it's got nothing on last night's ragù.

PASTA WITH VEAL, SAUSAGE AND PORCINI RAGÙ

(Pasta con Ragù di Vitello, Salsicce e Porcini)

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (plus 2 tablespoons for garnish)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed

8 oz. sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

8 oz. ground veal (can substitute ground beef)

1/2 cup dry red wine

28 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. fresh (or packaged dried egg) pappardelle or fettuccine

freshly grated parmesan cheese

_______________________________________________________________________

1.      Rinse the mushrooms and combine with 1 cup water in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Strain soaking liquid through paper-towel-lined sieve into bowl. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Set liquid and mushrooms aside.

2.      Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, 1/4 cup parsley and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Push vegetables to side of skillet. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 4 minutes. Add veal and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine. Increase heat to high and boil until wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth; boil 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved mushroom liquid. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 5 minutes.

3.      Mix in tomatoes with juices, bay leaves, sage, fennel seeds and porcini mushrooms. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, breaking up tomatoes with fork, adding remaining chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

4.      Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rewarm sauce over medium heat. Add pasta and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

slightly adapted from Bon Appétit, May 2000

dried porcini mushrooms in water

I'm sure you'd have yourself a decent sauce if you omitted
the porcinis, but I don't think it will be nearly as flavorful and,
dare I say, luxurious. The mushrooms and their soaking
liquid are probably what really sets this sauce apart.

soaked porcinis (not chopped yet)

porcini soaking liquid

Just look at how dark and rich it is...how
could it not be packed with big time flavor?

onion, carrot, garlic and parsley

sausage added

veal added

wine added

chicken broth added

porcini soaking liquid added

fresh sage

crushing fennel seeds

You don't need a mortar and pestle; you can put
them in a plastic bag and crush with anything heavy
(like a rolling pin, mallet, or a can of soup)

tomatoes, porcinis, sage, bay leaves and fennel seeds added

all mixed
There are so many great layers of flavor in this sauce.

about halfway through cooking (about
half the chicken stock has been added)

it's ragù

dried pappardelle

cooked pappardelle draining

Pasta con Ragù di Vitello, Salsicce e Porcini

Sounds even more delicious in Italian.

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Jambalaya

iH a p p y  M a r d i s  G r a s !i

those are bona fide Mardi Gras beads
from New Orleans in the background

Since today is Fat Tuesday, I thought I'd get in the spirit of Mardi Gras and cook up a big pot of jambalaya. There are many variations of jambalaya, (the most common being sausage & chicken and shrimp). This one has a bit of everything thrown in (I like to think of it as jumble-aya). Of course the beauty of a dish like this is that it's very flexible, so you can make it with any protein you want and adjust the spiciness to your liking.

I chose this recipe because a) Emeril is from New Orleans, so I figured he should know his way around jambalaya (or get his ass kicked out of town if he doesn't) and b) I already had a jar of Essence of Emeril seasoning from when I made crab cakes last month.

JAMBALAYA

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil

1 lb. andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

3 cups chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon Essence of Emeril Original Seasoning (store bought or see recipe below)
1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon cayenne*, divided

1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken thighs and breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 lb. ham steak, cubed

3 bay leaves

3 cups medium-grain white rice

6 cups water

1/2 lb. medium, shelled raw shrimp

1 cup chopped scallions, green tops only

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1.      Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, Essence, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables and sausage until they are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles.

2.      Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken, ham, and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles.

3.      Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

4.      Add the shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking and cook until just pink. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and parsley. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

*use more cayenne if you want it very spicy (but be careful because the andouille adds a
  fair amount of spice)


Essence of Emeril Original (Creole) Seasoning

Yield: about 2/3 cup

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 

1 tablespoon dried oregano 

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

slightly adapted from Emeril Lagasse

sausage cooking with onions, peppers, celery & spices

chicken & rice already added

water added

adding the shrimp (my shrimp was on the
large side, so I chopped it up a little)

jambayala time!

Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!) That's the unofficial motto of New Orleans. I've been there several times and never actually heard anyone say that, so don't hold your breath if you visit. But that is the general feeling in the air. It's a great, really fun city (of course I'm a little bias because my sister lives there, so it's kind of like a little piece of me is there too).
A

Pasta, Sausage & Bean Soup

I made this soup while visiting my in-laws at Christmas time. It was very hearty and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Even my brother-in-law Jim said "it's alright" (with a devilish grin on his face).  If you knew him, you'd realize that's practically a rave review. He asked me recently why I hadn't posted the soup. I told him I would if he said it was amazing (of course he never did). I guess you could say I caved. You win Jim (ouch).

PASTA, SAUSAGE & BEAN SOUP

Makes 8 servings

10 oz. mild (sweet) Italian sausages, casings removed (or more to taste)

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 cups diced carrots

1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crush between your fingers when adding)

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

6 cups chicken broth

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 heaping cup elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)

grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)

1.      Heat oil in heavy large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages and sauté until beginning to brown, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.

2.      Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper and sage. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

3.      Add broth, tomatoes (with their juices) and beans. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

4.      Add pasta and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

adapted from Jean Jamieson

extreme closeup

You can add more sausage if you'd like.  I was a little conservative because I feel like it's a very strong flavor that has a tendency to overpower other flavors.