Sausage and Roasted Cauliflower Spaghetti

We have been having some fall/winter type weather these past couple of days, so the roasted cauliflower was a nice match.

salt and pepper for seasoning
spaghetti (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
olive oil
1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (use mild if you want to skip the heat)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 onion, sliced into thick slices
1 - 7oz sun dried tomato pesto (make your own or store bought. I purchased at Trader Joes)
shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a flat sheet pan, place cauliflower florets down with garlic and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 to 30 minutes. Mix ever so often to get a nice even roast.

While cauliflower is roasting, begin bring water to a boil for the pasta.

Drizzle non-stick sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and brown and crumble while sautéing.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Once pasta, cauliflower and sausage are done, place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Stir in sun dried tomato pesto and mix well. Add sausage and mix together. Finish by adding roasted cauliflower. Gently mix all together (the cauliflower will be fragile, so mix gently so you do not break them up to much).

Serve pasta in a pasta bowl and top with shredded parmesan. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing......Cabernet Sauvignon or Sangiovese.

Nachos

I kow the picture is not that beautiful, but trust me...these were awesome.  Everyone in the family had two helpings.  Would be great for a Super Bowl party or tailgating.  Yes, those are hot carrots used as an additional garnish (optional).  The pickled jalapenos I purchased had hot carrots, so I decided to use some.  Gave it a good kick!

1 tbsp tomato paste
1 - 14.5 oz can of spicy or zesty refried beans
1 lb ground sirloin
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper for seasoning
olive oil
round tortilla chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 tsp lime juice
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, finely diced
sliced pickled jalapeno for garnish
chopped cilantro for garnish
Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, tomato paste, onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Sauté and crumble beef until it is fully cooked. Reduce heat to a simmer.

In a medium sized sauce pot, cook refried beans until heated completely through.

Using a large sheet pan, top each tortilla chip with refried beans and then ground beef mixture. Once you have used up all the beans and ground beef mixture, top chips with shredded cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

While nachos are baking, mix avocado, lime juice, diced jalapeno and tomatoes in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Once nachos are done, place desired amount of avocado mixture in the middle of the plate. Lay nachos around the avocado mixture. Garnish with sliced pickled jalapenos, cilantro and salsa. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Wine pairing...........Zinfandel or Syrah.

Bean, Sausage and Kale Pasta Fagioli

You can make this with either mild Italian or spicy Italian ground sausage. Use either chicken broth or vegetable broth. Serve with garlic bread. 

olive oil
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped and then smashed
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (do not add if you are using spicy Italian sausage, unless you like it hot)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 - 4 oz chopped pancetta
1 - 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
salt and pepper for seasoning
dried red beans (soaked overnight)
1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
2 bay leaves
shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups small pasta shells
1 bunch of kale, chopped (stems and ribs discarded)
3 quarts of broth (vegetable or chicken)

Drizzle dutch oven or large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, red pepper flakes (if using), rosemary and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the fat on the pancetta renders off and onions start to become translucent. Stir in tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Add the beans, broth and bay leaves. Season with additional salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low simmer and cook for about 2 hours (until beans are soft).

About an hour in to the cooking process of the beans, drizzle olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and cook until browned, crumble while cooking. Then add to the bean mixture and finish cooking.

Once beans are done, uncover and bring to a medium boil. Add pasta and cook until pasta is cooked. Add kale and stir to complete mix. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove bay leaves.

Serve soup in a pasta bowl and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing................Merlot or Meritage.

Filet Mignon with Caramelized Onions

I served these with roasted fingerling potatoes. This would also be nice with a salad if you wanted to skip out on the carbs. My mom is watching her carb intake right now and I think this would be a perfect recipe for her to try. I know she loves steak and with the caramelized onions, this is so tasty. The seasoning gives the steaks a hint of spice. The caramelized onions would also be great for a topping for hamburgers or even quesadillas.

olive oil
1 to 2 Vidalia onions, vertically sliced (this is just depending on how much caramelized onions you would like and how many people you are serving)
salt
pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
filet mignon steaks

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix garlic powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Season steaks with this mixture. Drizzle steaks with olive oil and flip the steaks so they are completely coated in seasoning and olive oil. Let the steaks marinade while you make the caramelized onions.

In a medium sized non-stick sauté pan (oven safe), drizzle with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Once hot, add onions. Season with salt and pepper. You will want to frequently stir the onions until they are caramelized. This can take some time for them to get that nice deep dark color, but well worth it.

Drizzle with some more olive oil in the sauté pan. Once hot, place the steaks in the sauté pan. Let them cook until they start to brown on the side that is face down in the pan. About 3 or so minutes (depending upon how hot you allow your pan to get, ideally you want your pan really hot). Then flip and do the same thing to the over side. Once the last side is done, place the pan in the oven and finish steaks. You will want to keep an eye on this. Cook until your desired doneness. I prefer my steaks medium rare, so it really only needed about 5 minutes or so. Once you have reached your desired doneness, remove pan and let rest for a couple of minutes.

Top steaks with caramelized onions, serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing...........Malbec or Merlot.

Fresh Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza

I used Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough. This made two medium sized pizzas. I rolled the dough out to make these thin crispy style pizzas. If you like your dough thicker, make smaller pizzas and do not roll the dough out as much.

pizza dough
1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced prosciutto
soft fresh goat cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
pepper for seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes for seasoning
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out dough to your desired doneness. Lay rolled out dough on a pizza stone or greased sheet pan. Bake in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. You need to pay attention and start checking the pizza after about 5 minutes. You are looking for the dough to begin to start to brown. It can turn to a burn quite easily, so keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and spread sauce evenly. Season with pepper and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Tear apart prosciutto into smaller pieces and arrange on top. Return to the oven and back for about 8 to 12 minutes. Start checking the pizza at about 8 minutes. You are looking for the cheese to bubbly, starting to brown and the prosciutto to be crisp.

Once cooked, remove and top with goat cheese (crumble over the top) and finish with basil. Let rest on the pizza stone or sheet pan for a couple of minutes before you slice.

Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing...........Zinfandel or Pinot Gris/Grigio.

2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District

This wine has a creamy texture with currant, mocha and espresso notes.  Also had a hint of mineral and flowers.  Deep ruby in color.  Full-bodied wine with a long finish.  Big, bold and chewy.

Skirt Steak and Bacon Sandwich

This is a bit of a spin on the original BLT sandwich. I served these with onion rings. But, they would also be great with french fries or a salad.

dijon mustard
skirt steak
olive oil
salt and pepper
21 seasoning (such as salt free mrs. dash)
bacon
parmesan asiago bread (I used the one from trader joes), sliced and split into sandwich size pieces
fresh spinach or mixed greens (I used fresh spinach, but both would be great)
sliced tomato
sliced avocado

Preheat grill.

Drizzle skirt steak with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 21 seasoning. Let marinade while you prep the rest of the items.

Cook bacon until your desired doneness.

Grill steak until cooked to your desired doneness. Once cooked, wrap in foil and let rest.

Brush olive oil on the insides of the sandwich pieces. Place on the grill and toast.

Slice steak into thin slices.

Top toasted bread with dijon, tomato, greens, steak, bacon and avocado. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing........Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.