Slow Cooked Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

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I was being lazy yesterday.

It was a hot late summer day and the thought of spending a lot of time in the kitchen made me cringe a little.

But I did have a bag of organic raw sauerkraut I picked up last Sunday, a few potatoes and some Kielbasa. Rinse-rinse, chop-chop, all went into a slow cooker. 

8 hours later, I was rewarded with simple, hearty, and delicious dinner to enjoy with my family. So simple, I will need to do this more often.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups raw sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 2 pounds red new potatoes, rinsed and halved
• 2 pounds Kielbasa (or Bratwurst if you prefer), sliced
• 1/2 cup pale lager
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• Place onion, sauerkraut, potatoes, sausage, beer, chicken stock, caraway seeds, bay leaves, peppercorn and salt in a slow cooker. Mix all of the ingredients to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or 4-5 hours on high, until the potatoes are tender.
• Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm with bread and mustard.

Baked Shrimp and Andouille Jambalaya

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Sometimes, dinner can be as simple as putting things together in a dutch oven, put a cover on it, and bake in the oven until it's done.

This Jambalaya is a perfect example of such dinner. 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 links of smoked Andouille, sliced
• 24-30 medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (I use Tony Cachere's creole seasoning, or use your own homemade blend)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chopped pepper and bay leaves, cook until the vegetables are tender. Add rice, peas, and tomatoes, stir and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in sausage and shrimp, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Add chicken stock into the pot, stir until well combined. 
• Turn off the heat, cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is all absorbed. Stir once halfway through baking time, if possible. Serve immediately while it's hot.

(Healthier) Chicken and Smoked Andouille Gumbo

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To celebrate the upcoming Mardi Gras, here I'm presenting you some chicken and smoked Andouille gumbo. 

Well, no. Not really.

We were just in the mood for some hearty stew to warm us up, considering it's been raining for a few days here, again. It just so happened that gumbo comes to mind. 

But here comes the dilemma. 

We love gumbo, but we don't love the amount of fat that normally goes with it. I mean, a cup of fat for a cup of flour, that seems like a lot.

Browning the flour, or dry-frying, provides a simple solution to the problem. Using only 2 tablespoons of oil, the dish still has nice dark copper color and more importantly, still retains all of the flavors we all love from our beloved gumbo.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 pound chicken meat, diced
• 1 pound smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon gumbo file
• 8 cups chicken stock
• Salt to taste
• 2 scallions, chopped for garnish

Directions:

• Place the flour in a skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the flour turns dark brown. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stir constantly, until the vegetables are cooked through and the onion become translucent. Add brown flour, bay leaves, thyme, creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper into the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Gradually add chicken stock into the pot, stir continuously to make sure that the soup is well blended. Bring the soup to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook covered for about 30 minutes
• Add chicken and sausage into the gumbo. Cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add gumbo file and mix well. Season with salt. Turn off the heat. Ladle gumbo into serving bowl, sprinkle with chopped green onion. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Serves 4

Confetti Dirty Rice

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As we all know, what makes dirty rice 'dirty' is the puréed chicken liver.

And while I do not mind chicken liver part a bit, a lot people, including those in my own household, do not care much for chicken liver. 

But don't worry.

By substituting chicken liver with dark roux, we can all enjoy our dirty rice (that's still dirty) without anybody complaining.

Bright colored bell peppers also add some festivity to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 Jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and soft membrane removed, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and soft membrane removed, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and soft membrane removed, diced
• 4 links smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 5 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 4 stalks green onion, white parts only, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add flour, a little bit at a time, and stir using wooden spatula or whisk, until well blended. Continue cooking and stirring, until the roux turn dark copper in color. Transfer the roux into a bowl, scraping it from the skillet using rubber spatula.
• Add oil into the same skillet, place on the stove over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft and translucent. Add Jalapeño, diced bell peppers, sliced Andouille and 1/4 cup of chicken broth,  cook until the broth evaporates and the vegetables are softer and charred.
• Add the rice and the remaining of chicken broth into the skillet along with roux, Cajun seasoning, Oregano and chopped green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together until well blended. Continue cooking until the liquid is all absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Remove from the stove and transfer to individual plates. Serve hot. 

Serves 6 as main dish

Hot Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper, and Tomato Sauce

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The Indonesian in me does not like skiing. 

We like warm weather. We do not like wearing big heavy bulky clothing. We like things (and ourselves) to move at a slower pace. And we certainly do not like to crash land on our behind going downhill at 40 mph on a slippery slope. 

And to do it all when you're 'not as young as you used to be' certainly makes the whole experience a lot more excruciating.

Last week, the whole family decided that a ski trip was called for.

And while we as a family, had so much fun, I (whose skiing skills are nothing to write home about) suffered most pain and bruises from all of the falling and tumbling.

So here I am, a few days after the fact, sore muscles and bruised ego still linger, trying to get back to my regular schedule.

Kids are back to school, and family still needs to be fed. It's time to whip up one of my 'quick, easy but delicious' meals.

The sauce is absolutely wonderful mixed with cooked pasta and grated parmesan cheese. Double or triple the recipe to make a big batch, store in an airtight container and freeze up to one month for later use.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large sweet red peppers
• 4 links Italian sausages, casing removed
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Half the red peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds from the cavities. Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil, place the peppers on the baking sheet facing up. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Flip over the peppers and continue roasting for another 15 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and nicely charred. Remove from the oven and cool down.
• Place the roasted peppers in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
• In a heavy pot, heat the remaining of olive oil over medium heat. Add loose sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking them up with the spatula. Add minced garlic and chili flakes, mix and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.
• Add canned tomatoes, red pepper puree, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with lid, and continue cooking for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. 

Chorizo and Potato Empanadas

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 lb chorizo sausage, casing removed
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt and pepper to taste

For the shell:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash

Directions:

• Put flour, 2 eggs, butter, sugar, salt, baking powder and water in a food processor until it forms a dough. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onion and garlic into the skillet, cook until fragrant. Add potatoes and cook until they are soft and almost done. Add Chorizo and stir for about 5 minutes, then season with oregano, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool down.
• Lightly flour counter and rolling pin. Work in batches to make it easier, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 24 circles of dough. Spoon generous 1 tablespoon of filling into the center or each dough circle, leaving 1/2 inch border. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold the dough circle in half to form a semi circle. Seal the edges by crimping it with hand or with fork. Chill for another 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Place the empanadas on greased baking sheet, brush the tops with the remaining egg wash, and prick a couple of holes on the top with a fork to let the steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Make 24 servings

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package dry black beans, soaked overnight

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 smoked ham hocks
• 8 ounces diced ham
• 1/4 pound thickly sliced bacon, diced
• 1/2 pound smoked Portuguese Chorizo, sliced into 1/2-inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• 
  
• Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 3/4 cup of chopped onion, green onions, and garlic; cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Pour in the soaked beans and fill with enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, or until tender.
2. While beans are cooking, place ham hocks in smaller pot with 1/4 cup of the chopped onion. Cover with water and simmer, until meat pulls off of the bone easily, about 1 hour. Drain and add to the beans.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place ham, bacon, and remaining onion in a baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until mixture is crispy.
4. Drain the bacon and ham mixture, and add to the beans. Add sliced Chorizo. Season with bay leaves, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes more. Stir in chopped cilantro and parsley just before serving.