Apple Sausage with Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Autumn, my favorite season, is finally here. I love the crisp temperatures cooling down and the leaves turning vibrant shades of yellow, red, and orange. Most of all, the local farm stand has baskets filled with no-wax apples and giant sweet potatoes. I purchased a large amount of both items and decided to make a lunch dish for the work week.

When making for something to take to work, I would like it to last at least three to four days. Plus, it is beneficial for it to be easy because I am usually making it on a school night when I have to get up early to teach the next day. Easy meals with little or no fuss are the best. 

In addition to ease, I also need it to be healthy. I have been trying a whole “eat to live” approach this year, as opposed to “living to eat.” I still love to eat, please don’t misunderstand, I am just learning to love eating healthy. This is a relatively new idea for me, after thirty years of eating a diet that increased my waistline. Embracing fresh organic produce has filled me with energy, motivation, and happiness. 

This particular dish was both sweet and savory. I loved the blend of the sausage combined with the apple and sweet potatoes. I also added some dill and onion to break up the sweetness of the other ingredients. Then, the maple syrup tied all of the components together. It was hearty treat. 

When I began to type this recipe out, I realized that it seems a little long. The steps are short, and there is a lot of down time because the ingredients are roasting. The most cumbersome aspect of the dish is all of the chopping. Once that is completed, it’s a piece of cake!

Apple Sausage with Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes and Carrots Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
4 carrots, halved and sliced
1 yellow or white onion, quartered 
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus more to drizzle
3 medium apples, sliced 
4 Chicken Apple Sausage Links (Aidell’s is my favorite)
2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Mix the potatoes, carrots, onion, and dill together in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss the ingredients to fully coat them.

3.  Layer the oil coated vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the vegetables in the heated oven for 20 minutes. 

4. While the potatoes, carrots, and onions are baking, slice the apples and place them in the same bowl that contained the vegetable mixture. Swirl the apples around to lightly coat them in oil and dill. Add more if needed.

5. After the vegetables have baked for 20 minutes, add the apples to the pan. Continue baking in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

6. While the apples and vegetables are baking, place the sausages in a skillet. Fill the skillet with water until sausages are at least half way covered. Boil the sausages for ten minutes. 

7. When sausages have finished, drain the water from the pan and allow sausages to cool. Slice the sausages into half inch rounds. Place sausage rounds into serving bowl.

8. When vegetables and apples have finished baking, allow to cool for five minutes. Then, add mixture to the bowl with the sausage. 

9. Drizzle maple syrup over the mixture and stir. 

Irish Nacho Hash

This evening, I came home exhausted, but had an insatiable need to sink my teeth into hearty meal. I had been at work teaching my delightful sixth graders all day, and then went directly to the gym and pushed myself on the elliptical for forty five minutes. I walked in the door to an empty house with my husband still at work and then going to Jiu Jitsu practice. After showering, I realized I was out of yogurt for the morning and went back to the store. I was aggravated. I was tired. I was hungry.

After stacking my yogurts in the fridge, I looked around to see what I had. I was pleased to see half of a large Kirkland ham steak, some cubanelle peppers, and a jalapeno. I knew there were potatoes in my basked, so the first thing that came to mind was a hash. I had some scallions and onions, too. I chose the scallions because they would perish sooner. I was a little weary about the taste because I had never had scallions in hash, but it worked out just fine. 

I knew the potatoes would take the longest, so I boiled them first. Meanwhile, I chopped the other ingredients and began to heat them on the skillet. I left the heat low, for a slow meld of salty ham and spicy jalapeno heat to sink the ingredients. When the potatoes were done, I added them to the skillet, and then they had a chance to absorb the fresh flavors.

While I was heating the ingredients in the skillet, I realized that the scallions and potatoes reminded me of Irish Nachos, or nachos made on top of potatoes instead of tortilla chips. It was then that I decided to add cheese to the concoction, putting the nacho into the hash. When I put the cheese on top right after plating it, the steam from the heating process melted the cheese sufficiently. I did have an idea to add more cheese and place it under the broiler, but I was too tired for the further step.

This meal is straight up filling. I plated mine out, a little less than half, and it was too much. I had to give my husband a little off of my bowl, and then he couldn’t finish his. It was super tasty, with cheesy coated potatoes, salty ham, and peppery heat. I could eat it all over again… when I can fit it. 

When I make this again, I will add sour cream and some diced tomatoes… I dare you to try it, too. 

Ingredients
1 dozen fingerling potatoes, quartered
1 tsp. Olive Oil
8 oz ham steak, diced
2 cubanelle peppers, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
½ cup shredded cheese (or more to taste!)

Method
1. Boil the quartered potatoes in a large pot of water for twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

2. Warm the olive oil in the skillet until temperature is medium low. Add the ham steak, cubanelle peppers, jalapeno, scallions, pepper, and salt and cook until the peppers are soft.

3. Add the potatoes to the skillet. Heat until flavors have united, roughly three minutes.

4. Plate the hash and immediately add the shredded cheese. Mix the cheese gently and let it melt as the steam rises. Let stand for five minutes. Then, eat it. 

Ginger Red

Style: Chinese
My Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://gingerred.com/

Likes: Large portion sizes, very friendly staff and willing to recommend items, pleasant decor

Dislikes: The building is hard to find behind another strip mall

I love good Chinese food. When there is a plate full of meat that is thickly tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce surrounded by crisp vegetables and rice, I am all in. That is exactly what we had at Ginger Red.

This is the first restaurant I have reviewed since we moved to Mechanicsville, VA. We have not been eating out as much because I am trying to eat healthier and we are saving up to buy something to decorate the walls in our very bare apartment. However, every once in a while, there is a need to splurge!

Walking in, we were greeted very quickly with bright smiles and bright red walls. The restaurant was very crisp and clean and we were seated in a corner with lots of windows with sunlight streaming in. There were blinds, but they were not needed.

Our server was one of the nicest wait staff we have ever had. She was sweet with a gentle innocence and eagerness to help out. When we told her we were new to the area, she told us about some of the specials they have on different days of the week. Wednesdays are half of sushi! This makes me excited for future visits. 

Brad ordered the classic Happy Family dish. This was presented with so much fun and flare! It came out on a sizzling skillet and was plated on a cast iron plate in front of us. The vegetables, including the snap peas and baby corn, were crispy and flavorful. Brad was excited because the dish was cheaper than most Chinese restaurants, even cheaper than “the cheap take out places.” The portion size was also larger than the cheaper places.

I ordered the Szechuan Pork, consisting of stir fried pork and vegetables in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with sweet and spicy notes. It tasted fresh and flavor exploded over my taste buds. The portion was so large, that I only ate half of it. I think it is nice having a second helping for the next day. 

Ginger Red, we will be coming back to you for sure. I can’t wait to try more!

Thai Chicken Pasta with Soba Noodles and Peanut Sauce

My husband took a recipe that he had found in the Food Network Magazine as a base and created a masterpiece. We both felt that this dish was better than Thai Chicken Pasta at The Cheesecake Factory. It is rich and creamy, with a mellow peanut butter taste that is supported by the hints of Asian seasonings.

I came home from the gym and he was working on making this. He asked me to try the sauce. It ended up being so good that after he was done making it, I got a spatula to lick the basin of the food processor. I felt like a kid licking the bowl of the brownie batter. Simply put, this peanut sauce is better than brownie batter.

Peanut Thai Chicken Pasta

Serves 6

Noodle Ingredients

¾ strong brewed green tea

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

5 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ peanut oil or macnut oil

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds with additional for garnish

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

2 ½ cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red chili pepper flakes

1 cup carrots, shredded

16 oz. Asian Soba Noodles

Chicken Ingredients

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, into cubes

1 lb sliced white cap mushrooms

Topping

½ cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. In a large food processor or blender, combine tea, peanut butter, soy, vinegar, brown sugar, peanut oil, sesame seeds, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes.  Process or blend ingredients until creamy.

2. Bring half a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles for two minutes. Remove the noodles immediately, drain in a colander, and bathe in cold water until cool. Drain the cold water, then toss in peanut butter sauce mixture and add shredded carrots. Store noodles in fridge for up to an hour.

3. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

4. Cook chicken until the pieces are white on all sides. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms soften. Add the above sauce and cook until sauce is rendered and almost gone.

5. To serve, place the noodles in the bottom layer of a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms. Top with cilantro and peanuts to taste. 

Chipotle Cilantro Hamburger

I am currently in love with this burger. I love it because it is juicy, and rich, and tangy. I love that it is versatile, that I can eat it with or without a bun and make a size just for me. I love that it leaves room for experimentation because there are so many tastes to compliment it!

The Chipotle Cilantro Burger tastes great with Smoky Potatoes!

The cilantro and chipotle in the meaty mix of the burger tastes a touch spicy, but there is a depth of flavor that will keep me trying to figure out what my taste buds are toying with. It is tangy from the cilantro, and the meat paired with it adds a carnivorous depth. Every bite is worth its undivided attention.

A challenge I am trying to overcome is eating healthier, with smaller, leaner meals. I am alone in this venture because my husband wants a full meal. The helpful aspect about this burger is that we can create three burgers, one large one for Brad, and the last two for my smaller meals. I can also choose to eat it with or without a hamburger bun. The last time, I ate one with, and one without and they were equally as tasty.

In addition to bun, or no bun, we can also choose what to garnish the burger with. My husband chose Hidden Valley Chipotle Ranch Salad Dressing because he liked the way it complimented the tomato on top. I preferred a “shmear” of mayonnaise and a squirt of ketchup.

Since my husband Brad created this recipe, I have to give him all the credit. Thanks hon!


Cilantro Chipotle Hamburger
Serves 4 quarter pound burgers, or 2 half pound burgers

Hamburger Ingredients
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
½ bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 chipotle peppers from can
1 tsp adobo sauce (sauce from can of chipotle peppers)
2 Tbsp fajita seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Hamburger Adornments
Hamburger buns
1-2 Tbsp Shredded Mexican Cheese
Tomato Slices
Ketchup (optional)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Hidden Valley Chipotle Ranch Dressing (optional)

Method

1. Mix all of the above ingredients together and form the desired size patty (see notes above).

2. Pan fry the burgers in a skillet. You won't need a spray of oil. 

3. When finished, tilt the pan and let the oil drip into the sink or bowl. Or, pat the burger with a paper towel. Or, eat as is. 

4. Build the burgers with the desired adornments and garnishes (see notes above)

Smoky Potatoes

I haven’t posted anything in so long because we moved! Moving is an exercise that sucks all time and motivation from the soul by squeezing it to death with uncertainty and problems. Really, our move went just fine, but I had to find my way around town and learn to cook in a kitchen made for one person and not seven.

One awesome thing about moving away from the middle of nowhere is that we now have cable. I can watch the Food Network (among other channels of course)! It has been inspiring the past few weeks to be cooking along with episodes of Chopped reruns and Iron Chef playing in the background.

Our recipe today was actually influenced by Chopped. In one episode, they were using the stems of herbs as an ingredient that they had to use. My husband decided to include our cilantro stems in our potato recipe today!

Also influencing our recipe is the farmer’s market that is just down the street. We are getting some great produce, and I am excited to try and incorporate these healthier, organic items into my daily lifestyle. 

When I returned from the market today, I had these awesome baby potatoes. My husband and I scrounged around for some ideas to be served as a side with a Cilantro Chipotle Hamburger, and Smoky Potatoes is what we came up with.

Smoky Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients

lb baby potatoes, quartered

1 onion, chopped into petals

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

2 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes

1 tsp Cumin

Left over cilantro stems (optional)

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the potatoes and onions on a flat baking pan in a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture.

3. Combine the smoked paprika, chili flakes, and cumin in a small bowl.

4. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the pan, and toss the mixtures so that the potatoes and onions are coated with spice.

5. Bake the potatoes and onions for 40-45 minutes, or until browned on the outside and the potatoes are soft.