Turkey Sausage and Collard Greens over Horseradish Polenta

Healthy, easy, fast. The theme of my meals thus far in 2012. I mentioned in my previous post that my most frequent go-to dinner lately was a poultry sausage of some kind, a green and a carb. Pretty basic. But then you jazz it up a little with a pretty spectacular turkey sausage with wild mushrooms and cognac, some quickly sauteed collards and garlic and then an amazing horseradish polenta and you have my meal tonight, in under 30 minutes from prep to plating.

I love chicken or turkey sausage mainly because it's pre-cooked and packed with flavor. Not that cooking an uncooked sausage or a chicken breast, for that matter, would take that long but it really does make all the difference. It's also great for portion control and keeping groceries within the budget... 1 link is perfect for dinner for me, and then I have 3 or 4 left for another night. And the green could really be anything. Collards, kale, broccoli... you name it and it'll more than likely work. But I particularly love how sauteed collards have a great texture that works so well with a creamy carb and a rich turkey link. The true piece that sets this meal apart and above though is the horseradish polenta. Just potent and spicy enough to provide a great punch of flavor and horseradish over say cheese or cream keeps it a lightweight base.

More on Risotto... Sangiovese Farro Risotto

So if the risotto I made last time was a using up leftovers kind of meal, this one is definitely a notch or 2 higher, a bit fancier, a perfect Friday meal. It's the novelty of the farro, the way the wine makes the grains sing with flavor, the crunchy bitter of the rapini, the sweet of the onions, the fatty luxury of the sausage and the spicy essence of garlic and crushed red pepper, marrying together perfectly all in one bite. Without the farro, this favorite pasta dish is usually served with orecchiette, the little ear pasta... but I thought the richly wined farro would pair well with the broccoli rabe and accompaniments.

Delicious as well as colorful

The original recipe I saw for this called for Chianti, but in hitting up the wine store, I happened to taste a fun little sangiovese and decided that would suit just as well. Having had a late and interesting Thursday night, as well as a Friday chock full of fun work adventures, I was ready for home, for cooking up a quick meal, maybe some reading and then lights out at an early hour. This risotto was great because it only used about 3 cups of wine and a 1/2 cup of broccoli rabe blanching water and it was done. The vegetable and the sausage cooked up quickly as well. But all the unique flavors melding together into the meal made it seem like one could've easily slaved over the stove for hours, so a good recipe to keep in the back of your head when you need something special but quick.

The Texas Breakfast

This morning we were all being just typical Texas lazy, watching the sun make the day warmer from the safety of the central air inside, sipping our coffee and generally just contemplating life. My very dear friend mentioned that she was hungry and I seconded which is when the best idea occurred. "Kolaches?" asked very dear friend's husband. "Yes please" we both chimed together.

If you aren't familiar, kolaches are a semi-sweet dough, traditionally filled with dried fruit, poppy seeds, or cream cheese. Less traditional versions (i.e. the delicious bastardization we get from Shipley's) are filled with cheese, ham, sausage, etc. They came over to the states from Czech immigrants, a number of whom settled in Texas and Oklahoma and started up bakeries with kolaches fast becoming a breakfast treat, but back in Europe these pastries were reserved as a wedding dessert.

A Year of Good Luck with Black Eyed Peas

This Friday my sister returns from Jordan. That's right. Jordan as in Middle East Jordan. She's been there since right after Christmas, just under 3 weeks and I'm excited to see her, to look over her pictures and have her share her tales. And excited also to think up what to feed her, as she will have been traveling for many many hours with airplane food as her only option and I'm sure we can all agree the thought of airplane food, even on an international trip, can turn our stomachs a bit. What I came up with was a lovely recipe for a southwestern chorizo chili with black eyed peas I had recently read about. Being in a foreign country, unsure if they were available or even exist there, I'm sure she hasn't had her requisite New Years black eyed peas. And if there's anything you must have to guarantee good luck in a new year, it's that.

Every year my mother makes them and her recipe is undeniably the best, with peas and beans and a giant ham hock marinating away for over 24 hours, all coming together into a soupy stew of good luck. Last year, being back in the Northeast already, I didn't have them and thought I was fine, my year going along pretty hunky dory and then something very sad happened  in November that affected not only the rest of my year but a lot of my memories of the good times in 2010 as well. Was it the lack of black eyed peas? Probably not, but you can bet I was first in line this year for my serving, not willing to take any chances regardless.