Sausage, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffing

Every once in a while you come across a recipe that instantly becomes part of your repertoire. You stop searching for alternatives because you know, know, they will do nothing but disappoint you. I found this stuffing recipe five years ago and have never looked back. The meat and fruit combination is unconventional, but they bring a salty and sweet dimension you didn't know you were missing.

The quantity the is the only downside I'm willing to concede. This recipe makes an absolute mountain of stuffing. Perfect for a holiday gathering. If you're in the market for a new stuffing recipe, give this one a try. Happy cooking!

Sausage, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffing
Adapted from Robert Irvine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
6 celery stalks, chopped
2-3 leeks, coarsely chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 heaping teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 heaping teaspoon dried sage
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 package stuffing, 14-16 oz. (I use Pepperidge Farm as recommended)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 3 quart and a 2 quart baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onions, celery, leeks, and apples. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes, then move them to a huge bowl. In the same pot, saute the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it's lightly browned, add the sausage to the bowl. Mix in the poultry seasoning, herbs, and dried cranberries. Add the stuffing cubes and moisten with the stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Split the stuffing between the two dishes and bake for 45 minutes.

Makes 12-16 servings

To prepare in advance: Vegetables can be chopped and refrigerated up to two days before. The prepared stuffing can be baked for 30 minutes, cooled, and then refrigerated one day before. On turkey day, reheat for 30 minutes or until warm.

Weekly Menu for 11/11

Apple cider-infused red kale and quinoa

After eating out so much last week, I craved home-cooked meals. Kale and quinoa can sometimes be a little too-healthy tasting, even for me, so I cooked both in a mixture of apple cider and rosemary. Topped with toasted walnuts, it was a fabulous and nutritious fall meal. Please let me know if you (or your lady friend :) would like the recipe.

I've talked about my love of cabbage before, so it's probably not a surprise that Brussels sprouts are also one of my favorite vegetables. If you're still warming up to sprouts, shredded is a great way to go. The little green threads cook quickly on the stove-top. The crispy pieces enhance their natural, nutty flavor. Topped with a tiny glug of maple syrup, these shredded sprouts tasted like veggie-candy. Happy cooking!

Sunday: Apple cider-infused red kale and quinoa with walnuts
Monday: Korean chicken stew
Tuesday: Chicken with mushrooms in balsamic cream sauce and spinach salad
Wednesday: Indian-spiced lentil fritters (adapted) and orange carrots
Thursday: Shredded Brussels sprouts with candied pecans and fried egg (inspired)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: my Grandmother's Sauerbraten (similar), spaetzle, and sauteed rapini

Nicoise Sauce

For Italians, Bolognese is the king of meat sauces. It's a rich, dark ragu containing meat, minced vegetables, and milk, requiring hours of simmering. Not exactly something you can throw together on your average night. Although quick versions exist, I'd rather save myself for the real thing.

Enter this Nicoise sauce. The ground meat and minced vegetables are reminiscent of Bolognese, but the olives and orange peel make it different enough to stand on it's own. I found this recipe a couple years ago and have made it for company several times to rave reviews. Like most sauces, it doubles and freezes nicely. If you don't have a food processor or don't feel like splurging for sirloin, don't fret! You can chop the vegetables by hand and use regular ground beef.

Lastly, please excuse the fact that my photo of this dish looks like something you'd feed to your favorite canine friend, I'm still working on the whole picture taking thing. Happy cooking!

Nicoise Sauce
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 slices bacon, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 pound ground sirloin
2 shallots
4 carrots
3 stalks celery
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup kalamata or nicoise olives, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fresh OR 1/4 teaspoon dried orange zest
hot water

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the ground sirloin and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Finely chop the shallots, carrots, and celery in a food processor and add to the pan along with the wine and tomato paste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Soak the orange zest in 1/2 cup of hot water for 5 minutes. Once the vegetables have softened, add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, olives, and orange zest including liquid. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat and simmer to thicken.

Remove the bay leaf and season the sauce with salt and pepper. I've served this sauce over gnocchi as the original recipe suggested as well as pasta. This time around we went with spaghetti squash and it was just as good.

Makes 4 servings

Weekly Menu for 11/4

Lots of time with friends this week so I did very little cooking. The highlight was most certainly the excessive taco bar on election night with not one, but two fillings! Both are good, but I'm partial to the turkey chipotle. If you've never cooked with chipotles before, they add a spicy, smoky flavor that's very addictive. You should be able to find them in your grocer's international foods aisle in small cans. Most recipes only use 2-3 peppers, but the leftovers keep almost indefinitely in tupperware in the fridge. If any chipotle-newbs out there give this recipe a try, please let me know. Happy cooking!

Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Butternut squash and chickpea salad
Tuesday: Taco bar and spinach avocado salad
Wednesday: Dinner out
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Dinner out
Saturday: Dinner out

Weekly Menu for 10/28

Ribollita

I spent the first part of the week holed up in my apartment, praying I wouldn't lose power. I didn't, thankfully, since DC didn't see much of Sandy. My family in NJ was not so lucky. If you don't know someone in the tri-state area, you may not be aware of the extent of the damage. Not only did Sandy wash away much of the Jersey Shore and Long Island, northern and central NJ, NY state, and CT also experienced extensive damage, resulting in power losses and electrical fires. The cold temperatures and lack of gasoline have made leaving these areas unexpectedly difficult. If you are able, please consider making a donation.

Along with Sandy, came the arrival of fall here in DC. As much as I love summer produce, I get just as excited about sauces and stews. Ribollita is an Italian soup, traditionally made with Tuscan kale, that gets better as it sits. It takes less than an hour to make, so if you're going to have a busy week, make a batch on Sunday and reheat as you get the craving for something warm and satisfying.

I know my friends are tired of hearing my cabbage gospel, but I just can't help myself. Cabbage is cheap and unbelievably nutritious. It's also extremely versatile, doing equally well in stir-fries, as stews and salad. To accompany my wienerschnitzel experiment, I braised a small red cabbage with apple cider and apples. The cabbage was lusciously tender and bursting with the flavors of fall. And, for the record, it did not retain any of the unpleasant "cabbage-y" flavor. I encourage you to pick up some cabbage on your next grocery trip. Happy cooking!

Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Pineapple fried rice with tofu
Tuesday: Ribollita (adapted)
Wednesday: Wienerschnitzeland braised cabbage with apples (adapted)
Thursday: Spaghetti Squash with Nicoise sauce (adapted)
Friday: Roast chicken, potatoes and carrots, and roasted celery and onions
Saturday: Dinner out