Italian Chicken Orzo Soup

Thanks to my friend Alice for sharing this recipe.  This soup does not take a lot of time to make and has layers of delicious flavor.

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sweet sausage ( pork or turkey), casing removed
3 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
32-ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried orzo pasta
4  cup baby spinach, stems removed, rough chop
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Brown sausage in large pot. Add onions and saute several minutes until translucent. Add can of tomatoes, garlic, carrots and celery.  Stir in chicken broth, parsley and basil. Add 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in orzo, spinach and chicken and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Season with salt and pepper. 
Add additional chicken broth or water is soup is too thick.

Super Simple Summer Shrimp Boil

This is an easily prepared and delicious meal.  I prepared it outside on the grill to keep the kitchen cool on a warm summer night. Adpated from Eating Well, this recipe is like a beach party in your own backyard.
 

Ingredients

3 quarts water
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon sliced into wedges
10 ounces baby poatoes
10 ounces large shrimp (unpeeled, raw)
8 ounces andouille chicken sausage, cut into one-inch pieces
3 ears of corn, husk removed and cut in half.
1 large leek, sliced

Optional:  Melted butter for serving

Directions

In large pot or dutch oven, combine water, Old Bay seasoning and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes. Add corn and cook an additional 10 minutes. Check potatoes by piercing with a knife. They should be almost cooked through. Add shrimp, sausage and leek.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Using a slotted spoon and tongs, divide the shrimp, sausage, leek, corn and potatoes among four bowls. Ladel one spoonful of cooking broth on top.  Serve with butter, if desired.

Instant Pot Jambalaya

Most of the work is in chopping the vegetables; the rest is done in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
14 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup long grain rice
1 (14.5 ounce) fired roasted diced tomatoes
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 sliced green onions
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Turn Instant Pot to saute and add oil. Add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, for about 5 minutes.
Remove and set aside with sausage.
Add onion, celery and peppers. Cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook one minute more.
Stir in 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, thyme, salt, tomatoes, rice, Worcestershire sauce, broth, bay leaves and Tabasco. Stir in sausage and chicken.
Turn Instant Pot to Pressure Cook/High for 7 minutes.
Do a quick release and open the Instant Pot Do not open until the pin drops. Stir in shrimp, parsley and green onions. Cover the Instant Pot and turn it off. Let the residual heat cook the shrimp for about 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup

With less than 10 minutes of prep time in the morning, you can throw all the ingredients into your slow cooker and return at the end of the day for a delicious soup.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 (13.2 ounce) package smoked turkey sausage, sliced thin (or for a spicier version of this soup, use smoke andouille sausage)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced into very small pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced (and halved, if large)
3 stalks of celery, sliced
2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Heat olive oil in small skillet. Add sliced sausage and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned.
Place sausage, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, oregano and bay leaves into slow cooker. Add chicken broth and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook on low heat for 7 - 8 hours (or high for 3 - 4 hours).
Just before serving, stir in spinach.

This recipe comes from Damn Delicious.

Stuffed Autumn Acorn Squash

Ingredients

2 small acorn squash
1 package Hormel sausage patties
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place cut side down in glass dish with 1/4 cup water.
Microwave for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute the sausage, breaking it up while it cooks. Remove from pan. Saute onion until softened. Add apple and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add brown sugar and sausage.
Turn squash right-side-up. Fill with sausage mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes.

Alsatian Smoked Sausage with Cabbage and Apples

Perhaps it is my roots from the French-German region of Alsace that makes me love anything with sauerkraut and sausage.  I love this slow-cooked version with apples added to add a touch of sweetness. This dish is also a great alternative to corned beef and cabbage.

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon bacon grease (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 juniper berries, lightly crushed
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
Generous pinch of caraway seeds
1 pound smoked sausage links,cut in half (or more if you want a meatier dish)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray.
Add all ingredients except sausage.
Stir well to combine. Nestle the sausage pieces into the cabbage mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, stirring occastionally.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.


This recipe comes from The Southern Slow Cooker by Kendra Bailey Morris.

Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

After a busy day, pizza is a quick answer for dinner.  Here is one I like.

Ingredients

12-inch pizza crust

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 ounces chicken sausage or sausage of your choice, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper slices, drained and sliced

1/2 cup red onion slices

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cup fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.

In small skillet coated with cooking spray, cook sausage until lightly browned and done.

Add spinach, stirring only until wilted.

Evenly spoon spinach mixture over crust and top with remaining ingredients. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is done.

Spicy Grilled Mussels and Sausage

Love this on a summer night. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh or frozen mussels
2 cups cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 lemon, quartered
12 ounces spicy cooked smoked sausage link or kielbasa
3 cups fresh spinach
Crusty bread
Aluminum roaster pan.

Instructions

In aluminum pan, combine tomatoes, wine, oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, oregano and lemon.

Place pan directly on grill over medium heat.
Also place sausage on grill and cook for 5 minutes or until browned and heated through.
Remove sausage from grill and slice into bite size pieces.
Add mussels, sausage and spinach to pan on grill. Cover and grill until mussels are done and mixture is bubbling  - about 7 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.