Deconstructed Sausage, Peppers & Onions

Casings gross me out. I'm sorry if you happen to like the snap of animal intestine to surround your meat, but I always try to nix the casing whenever possible. Thus, this sausage, peppers & onions recipe is a little bit different, almost like a topping. I am sure it would be excellent on an omelet or rice or whatever you love your spicy meat with.


Deconstructed Sausage, Peppers & Onions
Adapted from Everyday Italian

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I did not have any; substituted to taste with dried basil)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup Marsala wine (I used Guinness beer)
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove sausage from casings and heat until almost cooked through over medium heat. Remove from pan and drain if necessary.
2. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the beer, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all of the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
5. Serve in bowls, in a roll, over an omelet, etc.

Strawberry Blueberry Pineapple Clafoutis

Strawberry Blueberry Pineapple Clafoutis
Adapted from Tartelette

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup quartered strawberries
• 1/2 cup drained pineapple chunks
• 3 ounces flour
• 1 ounce cornstarch
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1-1/2 cups organic 1% milk
• 1 ounce Smart Balance Light, melted
• Stevia to taste (1/2 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of sugar)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Divide the fruit evenly among 3 greased gratin dishes.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg substitute, milk, melted Smart Balance, Stevia, and lemon juice.
4. Slowly pour the liquids over the dry ingredients, whisking well making sure there are as little lumps as possible. Carefully fold in about 3/4 of the fruit.
5. Divide among the dishes, arrange the remaining fruit on top, sprinkle with the coconut and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Let cool to room temperature.

Mango Pineapple Lassi

This is one of those recipes that I like to call a "double take" recipe. Not because the recipe list is odd, but because the product is initially, well... lackluster.


I love mango. I love pineapple. I love plain, unsweetened yogurt (yep, I'm weird). So this seemed like the perfect combination for me. Sadly, when I initially tasted this drink after the photoshoot it was kind of odd. Sour, but not in an appetizing way. Fruity, but blah. Normally, I would pass such a product off on my sister, but she happens to not be the biggest fan of mango or plain yogurt. So, discouraged, I wrapped it up in plastic and stuck it in the freezer.


Fast forward a few hours. Now I'm hungry. I want something sweet, but homemade. No options. I go to the freezer. I crack the thick shell on top of the lassi with a spoon, digging into the liquid core. (Salivating yet?) It was delicious! I do a double take. Is this really the same drink I tasted earlier?


Yes. With adequate time for the flavors to meld and with the help of a colder temperature (which seems to mellow the tartness of yogurt), the lassi became delightful! As you probably should know, I am lazy. Also, the only ice cream maker I own is an extremely dinky, obnoxious contraption which must be placed in a closed garage so as to muffle the noise. From these two statements, I am sure you can understand when I say that I do not make ice creams or frozen yogurts. This drink is a lovely alternative. I don't really know anything about the necessary composition of a frozen yogurt, but I am assuming that you could make this into one(?). Oh, well. It tastes gooood.



Mango Pineapple Lassi
Adapted from this recipe


INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup chopped mango
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt (pref. organic)
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk (I used lowfat organic)
• 1/2 cup cold pineapple juice
• 1 dash ground ginger (fresh ginger = yum, but I didn't have any)

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Drink immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for a few hours before serving.