Proud Italian Cook

Italian Specialty Sausage and Beans

January 24, 2018 by Marie 10 Comments

Here’s a quick mid week meal that comes together really fast, it has just a few ingredients, uses only one pot, and you don’t even have to turn on your oven.

What makes this recipe stand out a little more than the traditional sausage and beans was the fact that this time I used a specialty sausage, you know the ones behind the case that the butchers stuff with unique combinations.

The base was a standard pork Italian sausage that was stuffed and filled with hot giardiniera and provolone cheese, don’t get me wrong you can certainly use your favorite Italian sausage, with or without a specialty filling, but why not change it up a bit and try something a little different, there are so many different varieties of sausages.

You’ll use canned beans in this dish which is the reason the cooking process is so speedy and of course the beans of choice are cannellini.

Browning the sausage is your first step, that process will leave you with nice brown bits that will form at the bottom of the pan, perfect to saute the garlic and tomatoes in and eventually creating a delicious sauce.

Canned beans go into the pot along with the browned sausage, then all you have to do is let all the flavors simmer and meld together.

Finish it off with some fresh torn basil and a side of crusty bread and this meal is complete!

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Italian Specialty Sausage and Beans

This recipe was inspired by an episode I watched on Extra Virgin

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4-6 Italian sausage links, either traditional or to try something different using the specialty, gourmet kind that the butcher stuffs with various combinations of ingredients.
1 lb. of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans that have been drained and rinsed
4 large garlic cloves, shaved
basil leaves
olive oil

Instructions

Heat a heavy bottom high sided saute pan, cast iron pan or a smaller size dutch oven, drizzle the bottom with olive oil.
Place the sausage links into the hot pan and brown both sides, then remove and set aside.
Add the shaved garlic, moving it around until it's nice and golden.
Toss in the sliced cherry tomatoes along with the shaved garlic, toss to coat the tomatoes.
Now add the drained beans to the pot, stirring to make sure they get coated with the garlic and tomatoes.
Drizzle some olive oil on top, a little salt and pepper.
Add back the sausage and nestle them into the pot.
Throw some torn basil leaves in.
Simmer with a lid on until the sausage is all cooked through and the tomatoes break down and thicken.
Add fresh torn basil leaves for garnish and added flavor.
Enjoy with some crusty bread!

10 Comments Filed Under: Beans, Meats, Winter Tagged: cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, comfort food, gourmet sausage, Italian sausage, sausage and beans, specialty sausage

Baked Eggs Florentine with Pecorino Crema

January 15, 2018 by Marie 6 Comments

Eggs Florentine is the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch, it’s elegant, so delicious, simple to make with just a few ingredients. If you do a search you’ll find many different variations of this dish, I even put a little Italian spin on mine.

One thing that’s certain about Eggs Florentine is that spinach is the star ingredient, in fact the term Florentine will always indicate that the dish uses spinach.

I had a one pound bag of baby spinach and a container of spreadable Crema di Pecorino Romano that a friend gave me to try, she was curious about it and thought I’d like to try it, which I did.

I’ve actually seen it before at my Italian market in the cheese department but never picked one up. It has the consistency of a softened cream cheese flavored with Pecorino Romano.

Since Eggs Florentine generally has a cream sauce that’s mixed in with the spinach, I thought this crema would be perfect, but you could also achieve the same flavors and texture by reducing some cream and adding grated Pecorino, or parmesan cheese for that matter, either would work well.

The eggs lay on a base of homemade marinara which is already flavored with garlic, onions and herbs, you can also substitute a good store bought brand just as long as it’s flavored nicely, so because of that you really don’t have to do anything to flavor the spinach other than wilting it down with a knob of butter and then tossing it into the creamy Pecorino to get it nicely coated.

I like to use a rectangle baking dish when making this because you’ll be able to cut out a perfect square portion per person.

Add a little crusty bread on the side if you like and you’re good to go. Make this for breakfast or brunch on your next slow weekend, you’ll love every bite!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Baked Eggs Florentine with Pecorino Crema

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 lb. bag of baby spinach
butter
5 oz. container of Crema di Pecorino, warmed and melted down with a splash of cream to loosen it, or make your own by reducing some heavy cream or half and half with a couple tablespoons of grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese until it thickens up, ending up with 5 ounces.
Marinara, homemade or store bought, flavored with garlic and herbs, just enough to coat the bottom of the baking dish.
6 large eggs

Instructions

I used a 8x11 rectangle baking dish which perfectly fit 6 eggs and all of the spinach that was wilted down.
Spoon marinara onto the bottom of the baking dish.
Start wilting down your spinach, I did it in 3 batches for that amount, placing a knob of butter in a large skillet and tossing it until it wilts, which only takes a few minutes, then set aside.
Drain the spinach in a fine strainer if alot of moisture forms.
Create your cheese sauce either way then toss your wilted spinach into it, saving a little of the sauce to spoon on top when finished.
Spread the creamed spinach on top of the marinara in the baking dish, making 6 indentions for the eggs.
Crack each egg one by one into a separate bowl and let it fall into each spinach indention.
Season with pepper, no need to add salt because the Pecorino is salty enough.
Bake in a 350F oven at least 20 minutes or more or until the white of the egg firms up and is not jiggly.
Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting it, if you have some leftover crema, you can spoon some on top of each portion.
Enjoy!

6 Comments Filed Under: Eggs, Greens Tagged: baked eggs, florentine, pecorino, spinach

Citrus Fruit Ideas to Brighten the Winter Blues

January 4, 2018 by Marie 4 Comments

It’s the beginning of a new year and as I look forward to spring I must admit one of the things I do like about winter is all the beautiful citrus that is available. Maybe it’s the way it makes you feel after over indulging during the holidays, it’s fresh, bright and very healthy for you, and who doesn’t need a good dose of vitamin C during these cold winter days.

Every time I go food shopping I fill my cart with orange citrus, my three favorite varieties are navel, Cara Cara and blood oranges, each have a unique and special flavor on their own and I love to mingle them together.

While I patiently wait for my summer tomato caprese salad, this winter caprese has become my cold weather favorite.

You don’t need a recipe, just layer your favorite sliced oranges with fresh mozzarella, just like you would a tomato caprese. Lay it all on a bed of arugula with an optional sliced red onion ring in between.

The dressing is simply fresh squeezed orange citrus juice that is whisked with good olive oil, ( you could add a little white balsamic or champagne vinegar to the mix if you wish) the bitterness of the arugula against the sweetness of the orange and the creaminess of the fresh mozzarella is the perfect combination, especially when the dressing mingles all over it.

I’ve been making a few other citrus salads as well, one has sliced oranges with fennel, red onion, creamy avocado, a little bit of arugula and toasted hazelnuts.

The other one is a huge bunch of arugula, orange slices and toasted hazelnuts, I love the bitter with the sweet. Both are simple to put together and they compliment any protein you might be eating, I especially love it with fish and seafood.

On New Years Day I made this salad along with crab cakes, they complimented each other perfectly with the richness of the crab and the brightness of the citrus.

Citrus in the form of salsa is outrageously good, make it like you would any other salsa only with various varieties of orange segments, chopped jalapeno, cilantro or parsley, red onion and a drizzle of olive oil.

The salsa’s are wonderful to top off scallops, shrimp, salmon, whitefish, basically any fish, plus it’s light and healthy something we all need after the holidays.

Here’s a one pan meal that is so delicious and it will surely brighten a cold winter day, my baked cod with blood orange, fennel and olives.

Citrus fruits are not only refreshing they actually make you feel better, there must be a reason why these sunny fruits are available during the darkest time of the year. How many more days til spring?

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