Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms

I so love this recipe: Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms is packed with flavor and requires minimal effort. This is perfect for those of you who don't groove on a saucy pasta. Of course, The Jersey Girl grooves on all pasta, but to each his own!

The recipe calls for farfalle aka bow ties, but orecchiette is what I had on hand, so that's what went in this dish. Any short pasta will due. I can see this going well with mezze rigatoni, too.

Please note I totally do not use as much salt as Giada calls for. 

I used baby bella mushrooms that were already sliced to save myself some time. Shortcuts are sometimes God's plan.

Here you go:

Farfalle with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms

Makes 4 main-course servings

From "Everyday Italian" 

By Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb. turkey sausages, casings removed

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

3/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted slightly

1 lb. dried farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a high flame. Add the turkey sausage and saute until golden brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside. Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the same pan. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add the peas and saute for 2 minutes. Return the sausage to the pan and cook until the sausage is heated through and the flavors have blended, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the meat mixture. Toss over medium heat to combine and heat through, adding enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten, about 5 minutes. Drizzle in the remaining oil. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to a large bowl and serve.

Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I don't order takeout frequently, but when I do it's often a cheesesteak. Yummy!

Here is a stuffed pepper recipe inspired by the delicious sandwich that is a mainstay in South Jersey and Philadelphia. 

Old Neighborhood shaved beef is the product I use for this dish. You can use any steak sandwich style meat or even ground beef.

Be sure to have your oven mitts on hand because you go in and out of the oven a bit to prepare this. 

This is a good one for people cutting out carbs. But the peppers are quite filling, in my petite girl opinion. 

Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Makes 8 halves

4 bell peppers, cut in half from top to bottom, seeded

1 lb. package shaved beef, (I like Old Neighborhood)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cups white mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder, divided

Salt and pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella

3 Tbsp. extra olive oil, divided 

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Line a 13-by-9 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray evenly with cooking spray. Place pepper halves cut side up onto baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, about a tablespoon's worth for all eight halves, give or take. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

While the peppers cook, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add meat. Season with 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper. Brown the meat. Once browned, remove to a large mixing bowl.

In the same pan, add the mushrooms. Cook for about five minutes. Add onions. Season with remaining garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Once veggies are cooked, add to bowl with meat. Toss gently with tongs or a spoon.

Remove peppers from oven. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Carefully (the pan and peppers are hot!) fill the peppers with the meat and veggie mixture. Tongs work nicely for this task. Top filled peppers with shredded mozzarella, about 1/4 cup each. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Cover pan with aluminum (use oven mitts!). Return pan to 375 degree oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and cook for 10 more minutes uncovered.

Dig in!

One Woman Show

The Husband travels for work, which does have some perks for moi: Trash TV-watching in solitude without judgement; a maj stash of wine that he lovingly sets up for me; sleeping in my big-ass fluffy king-size bed in complete silence (The Husband is a notorious snorer. And I am a notorious insomniac); and of course the opportunity to cook up some eats that The Husband doesn't really groove on.

For example, a soba noodle extravaganza starring spinach and mushrooms.

Ooooh. I love this bowl of deliciousness. It's officially called Soba Soup with Spinach and it comes from marthastewart.com. 

The Husband would no doubt taste my big ole pot of Asian-flavored vegtastic yum-yums, but he would probably dig it more with a fish or meat of sorts. Me, when I'm single girling it, I could eat pasta and a salad all day, every day.

I got this one off Pinterest. I used just a basic box of Barilla whole wheat linguine since my Sur La Table in Marlton stopped carrying my most fave soba noodles eva and because my lowgrade Shop Rite doesn't even carry soba noodles. The whole wheat pasta works just as well.

This is also a fab dish to make when you are short on time and sanity. It all comes together in less than 30 minutes. For reals. And the lime juice, spinach and mushrooms. Just divine!

Have at it!

Soba Soup with Spinach
From marthastewart.com

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms (stems removed), caps thinly sliced
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Coarse salt
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 package (4.4 ounces) soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, torn
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add mushrooms, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, 6 minutes.

Add broth and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add soba; reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook just until tender, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and soy sauce. Serve topped with scallion greens.

Hot and Sour Soup

One of the side effects of being a food snob is that takeout eats make a rare appearance on my kitchen table. This is also the result of being a control freak, a lova of cooking and a gal who rocks some killer food allergies.

But, a hankering for Chinese food hits the best and worst of us at any given time. And so, a pot of Hot and Sour Soup just NEEDED to be concocted. To hell with deChristmasing, decluttering and decompressing!!

I absolutely LOVE this soup. It tasted so much lighter and refreshing than what I get in a restaurant. And that is exactly what I was looking for after weeks of holiday eats and parties and drinking. (Well, I'm still drinking. Let's just keep it real.)

One of the highlights of the soup is that my little man Evan James, HOUSED it. Two bowls! And he declared a love for tofu and mushrooms that warmed my foodie heart.

This was fairly easy to make. I suppose the hardest part was dealing with the fresh ginger, which you need to peel, then grate and then press through a sieve to get the ginger juice all up in your pot of warm delicious goodness. I grated my ginger with my Microplane, but a box grater will work just fine.

And just to warn you, be sure to discard the stems from the shiitake mushrooms you use. The stems are very tough. You just want to use the caps in this.

I used low sodium chicken broth and low sodium soy sauce.

Hot and Sour Soup
From Martha Stewart Living, April 2004

• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups), stemmed, caps thinly sliced

• 3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained

• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

• In a large (5-quart) pot, combine broth, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

• In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons vinegar and cornstarch. Add to pot; simmer, stirring, until soup is thickened, about 1 minute.

• Add egg through a slotted spoon, and stir to form ribbons. Stir in tofu. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 1 minute. Put ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release juice into soup (discard solids). Taste; add remaining tablespoon vinegar, if desired. Serve sprinkled with scallions.

Told Ya So

The true test of culinary greatness is when you can convince someone – in this case the someone is The Husband – that he/she really enjoys consuming an ingredient  - in this case, the ingredient is mushrooms - that he/she mistakenly thinks he doesn’t dig.

God, this husband of mine. Look, I love him with all of my soul. Even when he spills mustard, coffee or some other impossible element to Shout out, scrub out, curse out of his freakin’ million-dollar Ralph Lauren Polo shirts not even an hour – AN HOUR – after The Jersey Girl finishes laundry. Don’t even get me started on the bathroom. And if you must know, yes, he is a snorer.

I know that paragraph was riddled with about 100 husband/wife clichés, but it is SO my reality. What do you want from me?

Meanwhile, my loving better half who moves the earth and the moon and the sun to make my life and that of Baby Evan’s super duper fabulous - (Yes, I’m covering my bootie right now. But The Husband really is awesome despite my griping, pinky swear) – decides to protest the eating of mushrooms. Mushrooms. They’re perfectly harmless. God.

So, what’s your beef with mushrooms, Husband?!

When asked to reveal his inner thoughts on the shroom, The Husband calmly states while swilling his Stella, “You know what it is? It’s the texture.” Then he went on to say something about big mushrooms vs. little mushrooms and that he likes them when they’re in a dish with something else but they shouldn’t be the focus of the dish and he doesn’t like the chewy ones they put in the takeout at the Chinese restaurant….. At this point, as most seasoned wifeys masterfully do, I blocked him out. When he was at a wrap, I informed him that he would be trying stuffed mushrooms with red peppers and scallions, and he would like it.

And……………….

He DID!!!!

In fact, he went back for seconds. AND THIRDS.

God damn, I’m amazing. Well, maybe I’m not that great, but the recipes of Lidia Bastianich are, and I guess really, I should be thanking her.

I strongly believe The Husband was head over heels with this dish due to the above-mentioned sautéed red pepper and scallion. The Husband loves his red peppers and scallions. And beer. And escargot, which is ironic, since the texture of a snail drenched in butter is totally similar to that of many button-sized mushrooms. (The Husband is rolling his eyes right now as he is not a fan of my lectures regarding the similarities between mushrooms and foods he claims to like, or my curseword-laden monologues about how our home is NOT a college dorm and please for the love of God pick up your clothes off the floor, or my subtle reminders that it REALLY is time to bring the mounting pile of castoffs in the spare bedroom to Goodwill. No, really.)

For the record, The Husband is amazing at making the bed, cleaning up the kitchen and tidying up toys. Plus he puts up with me and my questions and my giggles and my worries on a daily basis. So, he really is a saint of sorts. Plus, he rocks out with some fabulous diamond-laden jewels when the time is right i.e, Christmas, birthdays, Labor Day (Just kidding, Husband.) And Evan adores him. And so does The Jersey Girl!!

OK. So below is the recipe. These mushrooms would be fab at a cocktail party. Just stick a toothpick in it. Hee.

There are also some pics of Baby Evan (who is SO not a baby anymore) kicking it at a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. The Husband did not understand why I failed to post pics of this event in my last blog entry. And my reason is….. well, I got nothin’.  Maybe I don’t want to remind all of us how bad this year’s team is.

Take it away, Lidia:

Stuffed Mushrooms

From "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen"

By Lidia Mattichio-Bastianich

24 white or cremini mushrooms

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tops of the mushrooms if you like
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (set the caps aside), and finely chop them.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the red peppers and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and cool.

Toss the bread crumbs, grated cheese, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and the sautéed vegetables until thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper.  Stuff the cavity of each mushroom with the filling, pressing it in with a teaspoon until even with the sides of the mushrooms.

Using 2 Tbsp. of the butter, grease a 12-by-18-inch low-sided baking pan. Arrange the mushrooms side by side in the pan and, using the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter, dot the top of each mushroom with about ¼ tsp. butter. Add the stock, wine if using and remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley to the pan. If you like, drizzle the tops of the mushrooms with olive oil. Bake until the mushrooms are cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serve the mushrooms on a warmed platter or divide them among warmed plates. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Boil until lightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the juices over the mushrooms and serve immediately.

Please note: The Jersey Girl did use the optional wine called for in the recipe. She did NOT top each mushroom with a dot of butter, just a drizzle of olive oil. She also did NOT reduce the pan drippings into a sauce.

Hanging with Mommy.

Hanging with Daddy.

Directing Mommy and Daddy.

Checking out the Phanatic.

Taking a break to shout out some letters. 

Evan's obsessed with the alphabet.

Evan loves his Daddy!

The Other Chicken

The chicken breast gets all the glory.

But, I urge all my culinary cohorts to give the thigh a try.

This dish, Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighs and Wild Mushroom Sauce, is a fabulous showcase for the thigh. Even The Husband grooved on it, and mushrooms aren’t exactly his thang.

Neither is mayo.

Or broccoli.

Or fennel.

If my baby comes out a picky eater, The Husband is getting ALL the blame.

Just kidding, Husband. Calm down.

In reality, if there is some crazy exotic item popping out on a menu, The Husband is first in line to give it a try. Crocodile. Cactus. Shark. Rattlesnake.

But, he won’t eat a peach.

So this week, I need to cook some of The Husband’s favs to give him major thanks for all his hard work during our home-improvement marathon.

And I must send major props to my Moms, who has been painting like a madwoman in preparation for the bambino. What started as a two-room paint job has now morphed into a two bathroom, two bedroom and laundry room painting extravaganza.

It has also involved four trips to Home Depot in three days. (As if I new the color Calming Retreat would appear pink once applied to the wall?)

Meanwhile, I’ve been compulsively cleaning out every closet, drawer, nook and cranny, which then prompts me to collapse on the couch and watch “General Hospital” or fall into a siesta, whichever comes first.

But onto the recipe. This one is from Rachael Ray. I am listing it below and providing the link on the Food Network Web site. And I’d like to note that I omitted the dried porcini mushroom portion of the dish in an effort to not give The Husband a shroom overdose.

I served the chicken with some awesome polenta that I whipped up. The sauce went really well with it. So, I will provide you with my formula for awesome mac daddy polenta as well.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighs and Wild Mushroom Sauce
By Rachael Ray
Makes four servings

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and black pepper
3 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 pound, 4 slices, pancetta, chopped, available at your deli counter or 3 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large shallot, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle chicken thighs with oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Grill chicken 5 minutes on each side and remove from heat to rest for 5 minutes.


Place stock in a small bowl and cover. Heat in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove stock from microwave with oven mitt. Add dried porcini to the dish and replace the cover. Steep porcinis in stock 5 to 10 minutes to reconstitute mushrooms. This may also be done on the stovetop. Simmer broth, and mushrooms for 10 minutes over low heat.

In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, saute pancetta, crushed garlic and chopped shallot over medium heat for 3 minutes, to crisp pancetta at edges. Add sliced portobello mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 10 minutes, or until dark and tender. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Add red wine to the pan and reduce by 1/2, about 1 minute. Add reserved stock and porcini mushrooms to the pan and simmer together 1 to 2 minutes longer to combine.

Slice chicken thighs and fan out on a plate. Ladle thick mushroom sauce down over sliced chicken and serve.

Please note: The Jersey Girl omitted the dried porcini mushrooms and just added beef stock. She also did not slice the chicken upon serving.

Mac Daddy Polenta
Makes 4-5 servings

4 cups water, plus a few cups more simmering in a tea kettle or pot
1 tsp. salt
1 cup polenta aka yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a wide saucepan. Add salt.

Slowly stir or whisk in cornmeal. Lower the heat to medium-low, making sure to keep a slight simmer on the mixture. Stir continuously.

As the polenta thickens up, add some of the reserved hot water in the tea kettle, about a ¼ cup at a time. Cook polenta until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in butter and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

So blogging this time of year is tres difficult with all the holiday duties that go with being the lady of the house.


Plus, everyday is like a total battle with my evil Christmas lights, which seem to go out randomly despite being brand, spankin’ new. In the battle of twinkly lights vs. Susan, the twinkly lights win. But I am so that person who needs to switch burnt-out Christmas lights despite hailing wind and rain and freakin’ coldness. I totally think I’m OCD.

So, I’ve been posting like once a week.

Yes, I am the world’s lamest blogger.

Hee.

Last week was the rockin’ Hammonton Christmas Parade.

My familia has an annual party on this festive night, since the parade totally crosses paths with my parents’ hood.

To get the party started, I made my mom’s Blue Cheese Stuffed Shrooms. Mark and I also bestowed upon the fam the world’s best cannolis from Isgro’s. (See previous post.)

Blue cheese is so retro to me. It holds a place in my heart with iceburg lettuce, Jell-O molds and deviled eggs. I just get that old-school vibe from anything with blue cheese.
The shrooms were a trial run for Christmas Eve, during which we have the Seven Fishes. Or in the case of my family, 700 Fishes. We thought, that perhaps, it would be good move to have a non-seafood-like app.

The Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms totally win out.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
From the “Great American Brand Name Cookbook”

2 pounds medium mushrooms
6 Tbsp. margarine
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped onion

Remove mushroom stems. Chop enough stems to measure ½ cup. Cook half the mushroom caps in three Tbsp. margarine over medium heat for five minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining mushrooms and margarine. Combine blue cheese and cream cheese, mixing until well blended. Stir in chopped stems and onions. Fill mushroom caps. Place on cookie sheet. Broil until golden brown.


Please note: The Jersey Girl cooks the mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, not 3 Tbsp. margarine as the recipe calls for.