Leftovers: Pasta with Sausage and Sauce

Whenever I make my highly desired Braised Shortribs recipe, I always have so much leftover sauce.  Since the sauce is just too good to waste, I always save the sauce for future recipes.  Here is one recipe that I make with this succulent sauce.

Pasta with Sausage and Leftover Sauce
Original Recipe by Kitchen Groovy

1 box of whole wheat rotini pasta
2 carrots, diced
1 lb. sweet italian sausage, sliced (regular or turkey would work great)
2 1/2 C leftover sauce from Braised Shortribs, hot

Over medium high heat, cook sliced italian sausage on a frying pan until fully cooked.  Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any fat.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add diced carrots to the noodles in the boiling water about 1-2 minutes before the noodles are done cooking. 

Drain noodles and carrots.  In large serving bowl, combine pasta, carrots and sausage.  Add in the heated leftover sauce and combine until well mixed.

Chef's Note: feel free to add what you like to this dish - it's leftovers!  I encourage you to add what you like and what you are craving!  Brocolli would be a GREAT addition!  I only added what was left in my refrigerator!  :-)

Delicious!!!  It was so good, the family was begging for me to make more Shortribs, so they can get these leftovers again!  Ha!  WIN-WIN!

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!

Perfect Turkey Burgers

I love turkey burgers, but my hubby despises grilling them at home (he says they fall apart alot easier than grilling beef).  I am not the master griller of the home, and I don't know a thing about grilling.  I don't even know how to turn our grill on.  So, whatever hubby says, goes. 

But, I've been on the hunt for a really delicious turkey burger that passes hubby's strict guidelines for grilling.  This one passed with flying colors - FINALLY!  I found it in my most recent Food Network magazine and I was glad I did.  It was loved by all, even Miss Sunshine.

I modified the recipe slightly, and I will post what I made :-) 

Perfect Turkey Burgers
Original Recipe by Food Network
Makes 8 burgers

6-8 oz. baby portobella mushrooms, coarsely chopped into 1" pieces
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
3 T lightly packed fresh parsley, or 1 T dried
1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher Salt and Pepper
8 slices of Swiss Cheese
8 English muffins, split
Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and sliced avocado, for topping

1. Place chopped mushrooms, shallots and parsley into food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl.  Add the turkey, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste; gently mix with your hands until just combined.  Divide into 8 burgers.  Put on a large plate, cover and refridgerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a grill to medium.  Brush the grates with olive oil.  Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4-5 minutes.  Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 4-5 more minutes.  Flip the patties and grill until cooked through, 6-7 more minutes; top each with 2 slices cheese during the last 3 minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt. 
4. Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread with mustard and mayonnaise.   Serve the patties on the English muffins; top with avocado.

Chef Note: according to my hubby, it is very important to follow the grilling instructions.  It will make a difference in the end result.

It was really hard for both hubby and I to eat just one turkey burger!

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!

Diner Style Meatloaf

When I cook, I like to classify recipes in two categories: weeknight meals and Sunday meals.  The weeknight meals are easy and quick, and Sunday meals take longer and require more prep work.  This has been a long time family favorite - I came across this recipe from a super cute cookbook that my mother in law gave me early on in my marraige.  This is a "Sunday" meal - there is a lot of prep work involved consisting of lots of chopping.  I recommend chopping things ahead of time if you know you'll be in a bit of a hurry to get dinner moving.  But, it's worth it - this meatloaf is so flavorful and moist!

Diner Style Meatloaf

Recipe from Mary Engelbreit’s Queen of the Kitchen Cookbook, pg. 46

½ C chicken broth

1 T vegetable oil

3 large shallots, finely chopped

½ C finely chopped carrot (about 1 carrot)

10 oz. small white mushrooms, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 ¼ C fresh bread crumbs (about 4 slices of bread)

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

¼ C finely chopped fresh parsley

1 T finely chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 tsp. dried and crumbled sage

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1.   In a large non-stick skillet, bring the broth and oil to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and carrots and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until shallots are softened.  Add mushrooms, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, let cool.

2.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking sheet.

3.   With your hands, thoroughly mix the turkey, bread crumbs, apple pasley, and sage into the cooled vegetable mixture.  Add the egg and mix well.  Divide the mixture in half and on the baking sheet, shape each portion into an oval about 6 ½” long, 4” wide and 1 ½” high. 

4.   Bake for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through.  Let the meatloaf rest, loosely covered, for 5 minutes.

5.  Cut the meatloaf into ½” slices, arrange on a platter.

Chef Notes:

a.   Instead of using 10 oz. of mushrooms, I purchase the 8 oz. package.  I also purchase sliced.  It helps chopping go by faster.

See the bits of veggies?  None of my kids like mushrooms, but they have no idea that's what is in here!!!  :-)

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!!

Carina