Maple Roasted Squash with Sausage and Caramelized Onions

I first off have to apologize for the photo of this dish. This four pm sunset is really taking a toll on my photo skills. Secondly, and most importantly, this is so delicious. 

This has an Octoberfest feel, but will keep everyone nice and comforted all winter long. It has a subtle sweetness with great savoriness from the sausage. Plus, it has these tangy, sweet onions that melt in your mouth. 

The perfect bite are all three elements together. Salty sausage, creamy butternut squash, and tangy onions on one fork. And for those of you trying to lay off the carbs once in awhile, this is so satisfying without any heavy starch. 

There is little work and just a few ingredients, so this makes for the perfect week night meal. 

Maple Roasted Squash with Sausage and Caramelized Onions

Imperfect Polish 2017

serves 4-6 people

2 lbs sausage (I like brats for this, but you can use anything you would like)

2 butternut squashes, peeled, seeds removed, and cubed (a lot of stores have this done for you in the produce section) 

olive oil

salt and pepper

crushed red pepper

4 tablespoons maple syrup, divided

2 large onions, sliced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

optional: grainy mustard for serving 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Place the sausages on a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes or until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, place the squash on one or two roasting pans as needed to give them a little space. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well and place in the oven as well. Roast for 30 minutes, then drizzle and toss with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and roast for 10 more minutes or until squash is tender. Then remove from oven, cover with foil to keep warm if necessary. 

While everything is roasting in the oven, place a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a glug or two of olive oil, and once hot add in the onions. Season with salt and toss to coat with the oil. Continue to cook the onions, stirring often until they have broken down and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of male syrup to the pan and let reduce by about half. Then simmer onions on medium low until the onions are caramelized and soft, about 5-10 more minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. 

To serve, place a sausage on the plate, pile some squash next to it and top with the onions. Use grainy mustard as a dip if you're into it.

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

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Veggie, Sausage and White Bean Soup

There is little in life that can bring instant comfort. 

Hugs from Mom, a tiny hand in yours, a call from a friend far away. 

And soup. 

I know, what a cliché. 

But I swear there is something about that big bowl in front of you, steam pillowing up, ingredients all perfectly married and savory, that makes you just relax and feel good. 

This soup is a house soup. You make it how your family likes it. Omit, add, switch anything up and you really cannot go wrong. 

This recipe makes A LOT. I did that on purpose so you can freeze half, send to a friend who needs it, eat every day forever, or invite your neighbors over. 

Cozy up. 

Veggie, Sausage, and White Bean Soup

Imperfect Polish 2017

Serves 10

1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta or other small shape (can be omitted if    grain free)

olive oil

2 lbs sausage, casings removed (My kids like sweet Italian, but use any variety you like)

2 large carrots, diced

4 celery ribs, diced

1 large or two small onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

15 oz canned cannellini beans or any you like, drained and rinsed

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

8 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons dried oregano

optional: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

optional if you have it: Parmesan rind (some stores sell them or just cut off the one you have)

to serve: kale (optional), grated parmesan

Cook pasta according to the box instructions subtracting two minutes from the cooking time. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside. 

Meanwhile, place a large pot medium high heat. Add two glugs of olive oil, then the sausage. Brown and cook the sausage until cooked through, breaking up into small pieces as you go. When done, turn off heat, remove sausage from pot and place in a bowl. 

Turn heat back up to medium under pot and add in carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté until onions start turning translucent and carrots jut begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and scrap the bottom of the pot to get all those good bits. Simmer until wine is reduced by about half, about 3-5 minutes. 

Add in beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, oregano, crushed red pepper/parmesan rind if you are using either of them. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine well, turn up heat to high and bring to boil. Then lower heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. 

Turn off heat and skim some of the oil/fat from the top of the soup if you want to lighten it up a bit. Stir in the pasta if using. 

Then taste soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. 

To serve, ladle in bowls and place a few leaves of greens in each bowl to wilt, then pile on the grate parmesan. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Weeknight Dinner: Sausage & Sweet Potato Fries

This dinner is one we have A LOT. The reason being that everyone eats all the components and it takes very little time and brain power. So everyone wins. The oven fries feel like a cheat, even though they are not. And the crazy good variety of sausages available these days can bring some variety to this meal.  I serve a salad on the side most nights. Really throw together whatever salad ingredients you like (current fave: arugula, avocado, pepita) and either make your own dressing or grab a bottle. I cut up avocado for the kids, too. 

                     

Ingredients: 

Enough sausage for all the mouths in your house (love a spicy Italian and a sweet chicken sausage right now. Use whatever you like)

Sweet potatoes (about 1 per person)

olive oil

salt and pepper

cornstarch

brown sugar

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place some foil on three big baking sheets.

Step 2: 

Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. About 1/3 inch thick, but don't torture yourself about it. And place on 2 of the baking sheets. You want some space between each of them, hence the two pans. If you run out of space use an additional pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, again don't torture yourself on measuring. Just enough to coat all of the fries. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, a little brown sugar, and enough cornstarch that each fry gets some. Then toss with your hands so everything gets coated evenly. You cannot screw this up, just make sure to give the fries some space. Put in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, tossing a couple times in between. They are done when they are browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Then let cool a bit to crisp/firm up. 

Step 3: 

Place the sausage on one of the other baking sheets. For regular sized sausage, roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. Smaller sausages, less time. When they are firm, they are done. You can also grill if you want! Grill over medium high heat until firm, about 20 minutes. 

Serve with salad and enjoy the very limited amount of dishes, hence the foil! 

xo

Erin 

Turkey Sausage & White Bean Soup

The kids are kind of getting into soup, which makes me extremely happy since I would eat it every night if possible. The concept of everything mixed together is still a little questionable to them, so I have to admit that sometimes I am fishing out just the stuff they like from some of my favorite soups. Of course I swore I would never do that, but here I am. 

This soup required minimum "sorting" so I call it a winner. And because it is so full of flavor, they missed the fact that they (god forbid) ate an onion piece or two. This soup is easy, a crowd pleaser, and generally healthful. It is best served with a giant heap of Parmesan sprinkled on top (still healthy in my book. ha) and a few dashes of hot sauce if you are into heat. We ate it for dinner one night and I consumed the rest at lunch. Yes, a hot lunch! crazy. 

Turkey Sausage & White Bean Soup

Imperfect Polish 2015

serves 6-8 

olive oil

26oz smoked turkey sausage, like kielbasa, cut lengthwise, then chopped

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped (if leeks freak you out, just use an onion)

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of white wine

2 - 15oz cans of white beans, like cannellini 

15 oz diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary

6 cups chicken stock

1 cup chopped kale (about one small bunch)

juice of half a lemon

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving 

In a large pot, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil at medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown, stirring occasionally until it is all browned a bit. Remove sausage from pot and place in a bowl. 

Add the leek, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sprinkle with just a bit of salt and sauté until starting to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for a minute. Then pour in the wine and scrape up all that browned goodness from the pot and let cook until reduced by about half (about 5 minutes. It needs to boiling, so if that is not happening, turn up the heat a bit). 

Add in the beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Stir everything together and let cook a few minutes. Then add in the stock and and sausage, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and add in the kale and lemon juice. Stir until kale is just wilted and taste for seasoning. Serve warm with heaping spoonfuls of Parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage

I am pretty sure that you think all I eat is soup. But I can't help but share another recipe that is on heavy rotation. Especially after the gluttony of Thanksgiving. This Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage is not a new recipe. I have shared before on Forks & Amusement. It deserves a re-post. There are a ton of vegetables and the lentils keep the soup hearty, but healthy. I love the smokey flavor the chipotles give this dish, which makes it so different from most lentil soups. If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can keep out the sausage. Turkey sausage works well, but I have also used fresh kielbasa and sweet Italian sausage for delicious results. 

Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage

forks & amusement 2010

serves 8-10

1 1/2 cups lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 leeks, rinsed well, chopped, whites only

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large turkey sausage links, casings removed

4 carrots, small dice

4 celery stalks, small dice


salt and pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 canned chipotle peppers, deseeded, chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (what chipotles are canned 

in)

8 cups chicken stock

grated Parmesan cheese

Place lentils in a large bowl, pour in enough boiling water  

to cover them and wrap top with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 

minutes. Repeat. Then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large pot heat up 1 tablespoon of the olive

oil over medium heat and add in the onion and leek. Saute 

until they are beginning to become translucent, then add 

the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add in the sausage.

 Brown the sausage with the vegetables, breaking up the 

meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Continue to cook 

and break it up until cooked through. Remove pot from heat 

and pour meat mixture into a bowl.

Return pot to the stove over medium heat and add the 

other tablespoon of oil. Once it is hot, add the carrot and 

celery. Cook the vegetables until they are just beginning to

 soften, stirring often. Add in the salt and pepper (to taste), 

cumin, thyme, chipotle and adobo sauce. Stir well and add 

the meat mixture back in the pot. Add the lentils and 

combine well, cooking for just a couple of minutes. Add the

 stock and bring soup to a boil.

Lower heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or 

until lentils are softened and cooked through. Taste soup 

for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve in bowls with 

grated Parmesan on top.

Spicy Sausage Soup with Potatoes & Kale

This is an example of a Pinterest success. 

How many recipes have you pinned and how many have you actually made? On top of that, how many have actually turned out good? 

After getting confirmation from my fellow culinary friend who I pinned this recipe from that this soup was delicious, I made a huge pot and dove in. 

Creamy, spicy, hearty, and cheesy, make this soup this week. You will not be disappointed. 

Tuscan Spicy Sausage Soup with Potatoes and Kale
adapted from this recipe
serves 4

4 slices bacon, diced
1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock
3 cups russet potatoes, cubed
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups kale, in bite size pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the grease. Add the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once sausage is browned and crumbled, drain off grease leaving a tbsp to saute the onion.

Push the sausage and bacon to the edge of the pot and add the onion to the center; saute until translucent; add garlic; saute until fragrant.

Stir in the stock and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Add kale and heavy whipping cream. Bring to a simmer. Top with Parmesan cheese, when serving.

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Chorizo, Kale & White Bean Soup

The best season to cook has arrived. Cold weather stews, soups, and one pot meals are all I can think about making these days. Not to mention it makes dinner so easy and the days following with leftovers. This spicy little number is starch free, packed with protein, and every one's favorite super food, kale. Kale is so hot right now, right? If you are over kale, you can use spinach instead. You could also use any sausage you like if you are not into chorizo (you are missing out). 

Chorizo, Kale & White Bean Soup
Forks & Amusement 2012
serves 8-10 (can be halved easily)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs chorizo or any sausage you like
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 15 oz cans of white beans (cannellini or navy)
1 cup white wine
2 lbs kale, roughly chopped (frozen or fresh spinach works too)
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (10 cups)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sherry or balsamic vinegar
optional: Parmesan cheese for topping

Place a very large pot over medium high heat and add the oil. Cook the chorizo until browned and cooked through. Turn off the heat, remove the chorizo onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. 

Turn heat back to medium high, add the onion and carrot. Saute the vegetables until tender, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the beans to the pot and cook until heated through, stirring it all together. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pot and stirring. Stir in the kale, season with salt and pepper. 

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten minutes. Skim off any extra oil on top of the soup. Turn off the heat, add the vinegar and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Freezes really well. 

xo
Erin