Sweet Love and Ginger

Jessica

Venison Sausage Stuffing

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I’m so incredibly excited to share this recipe with you today.

It’s a recipe that I got from Miss Amy, kind of. She’s not exactly one to write down what she does or how she does it, so there is definitely some improvisation in nearly everything she makes based on what she has on hand. This of course makes it difficult for me or anyone else to recreate it. I can usually figure it out pretty easily. I mean most of these recipes I have seen made about 8 bajillion times but once in a while there is just one that I cannot for the life of me get right.

This is one of those recipes.

It only took me 2 or 3 YEARS to get right. I didn’t make it often at first because I could never get it right, but this winter I made it my life goal, and after several unsuccessful attempts I think I’ve finally gotten it.

You see this is one of Chuck’s favorite things ever so it’s kind of imperative that I get it right. I don’t think it would make or break the relationship or anything but I like pleasing him, so it became pretty important to me, and he was happy to be my guinea pig.

The thing is with stuffing that it’s very dependent on personal preference. I know quite a few people who prefer it dry and others that prefer more of a chunky-pudding consistency. Personally I like it exactly in the middle, and that’s what made getting it right hard.

Now if you don’t have or are not a fan of venison sausage just swap it out for any other sausage you prefer, it will change the flavor a bit, but not the recipe.

If you do prefer it moister I would suggest not uncovering it while it cooks, before you try adding more liquid. It makes a big difference. If you like it dryer simply uncover it sooner. However I would do this in small increments because a lot can happen in a minute or two in the oven.

Venison Sausage Stuffing
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients
  • ½ lb venison sausage
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, peeled & chopped
  • 1 celery rib chopped
  • 3 cups chopped toasted bread of choice (I like to use
  • different types for texture)
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
  2. Place bread cubes on a rimmed baking pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until toasted and golden.
  3. Meanwhile in a large skillet cook and crumble the sausage until browned over medium high heat. Discard excess fat if any (venison usually doesn’t have much but beef or pork sausage will) and remove from pan and place in a 9×12 inch baking pan.
  4. In the same pan add butter, onion, celery thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and combine with sausage.
  5. Deglaze the hot pan with broth and allow it to simmer over medium high heat until reduced slightly (you should be left with 1 ½ cups liquid), scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while it simmers.
  6. Combine the toasted bread with the sausage and vegetables. Add the reduced broth and toss to combine.
  7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle.

Similar Recipes:

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

 

 

 

Taco Pot Pie with Some Clean Alternatives

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Sometimes I like to mix a little good with a little bad.

 

Times like these between work/home stress and the polar
vortex that has been slamming us we need a little comfort, but we don’t want to
slack of our goals entirely. So we compromise by adding a little bad to a
little good.

 

The result is usually pretty delicious. In this case it was
pretty much heaven.

 

It may not be the prettiest thing around but the flavor, and
the buttery wonder of that crust were to die for! I totally cheated and bought
a premade piecrust because well lazy. I work all day with dirty cranky men, so
sometimes it’s necessary to be kind to myself. You can use any pie crust recipe
you like that’s all a matter of your preference.

 

For a clean eating pie crust I like this one from TheGracious Pantry.
This recipe + this pie crust = a totally clean meal. Now what?! Isn’t it
exciting? Something that feels so bad is actually clean. CANIGETA AMEN!

 

But for those of us being lazy kind to ourselves at least
there’s comfort in knowing it’s not going to ruin our diet this week if we use a pre-made crust.Taco Pot Pie

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled & chopped
½ lb ground chicken
2 tbsp clean taco seasoning (recipe fallows)
1 tsp corn starch
1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 oz low fat sour cream
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 ½ cups frozen corn
3 oz low fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 premade pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 450. In a skillet heat oil and sauté
onion until it begins to turn translucent. Add chicken and cook until brown and
crumbled. Add taco seasoning and corn starch mixing until well blended the add
tomatoes with juices. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce
thickens. Remove from heat. In a large bowl combine meat mixture, sour cream,
black beans, corn and cheese stirring well to incorporate. Lay one of the pie
crusts in the bottom of a prepared pie pan and press it down into the sides. Spoon
the meat and vegetable mixture into the crust. Place the other pie crust on top
and pinch the edges of the two crusts to close them. With a fork or knife poke
a few small hole in the top of the crust and place in the oven for 35 minutes
or so, until the top crust begins to brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before
serving.

 

This recipe is adapted from The Gracious Pantry. She’s got
some good stuff over there I tell you. The original recipe is comparable to
what you will find in store bought taco seasoning, but without all the extra salt
& chemicals. The recipe below has a few small changes based on what Chuck
and I like best. I usually make a double batch and keep it in an air tight
container with the rest of my spices. Having it on hand makes cooking anything Mexican
style a snap.

Clean Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp oregano

Combine all ingredients in an air tight container and stir to combine. Use as
desired for seasoning.

I’m the Kinda Girl Who…

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I’m
the kinda girl who…

Hates choosing a restaurant. I never
know what I want before scanning a menu. I love food way too much.

Loves a well made bed. There is
nothing better than falling into fresh soft warm sheets.

Has 15 voice mails that she has no plans
on listening to.

Has a thing for offbeat movies.

Is surprisingly easy to upset,
though I hardly ever outwardly show it.

Hides during scary movies and will
have nightmares thereafter for even thinking about that time she watched that
movie.

Loves a good long soak in the tub.

Hates looking at herself. Not like I hate myself or anything it just feels
awkward if I’m not doing my make up or something.

Really loves her legs. They may be
white as paper and a pain to well fitting pants but they are long and shapely,
and I love that about them.

Would rather give in than fight
about anything. How much is really worth hurting anyone’s feelings?



Hates “fruity” drink but loves to
put actual fruit in her drinks.

Loves drinking whiskey, but hates
the after effects.

Loves morning, but appreciates sleeping
in once in a while.

Finds stretching therapeutic. Not
like yoga but post work out stretches my mind just wanders while my body melts
into the stretch and it is seriously the best thing in the whole world (next to
mac & Cheese).

Leaves the
house 15-20 minutes after waking up. I don’t put on make up or do my hair for
work. I eat breakfast when I get there while I check me email. I’m pretty low maintenance.

 usually only puts make up on to meet my
girlfriends or go on a date with Chuck.

Could wear a
dress every day. If you are in a dress and your hair looks like crap it’s a look,
but if you are in leggings or jeans then you’re lazy. I’ll take the dress and
skip the rest of it please.

Could eat cheese in some shape or
form Every. Single. Day.

Has no idea what she wants in life, or
where she’s heading and is perfectly ok with that most of the time.

What kind of girl are you?


Thanks holly! This is one of those things that really makes you think!

D4One: South Western BLT Salad

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Where has this series gone
too?

Ramen noodles mostly. I
love that stuff.

This time of year I tend to
make big casseroles, or roasted dinners so we eat leftovers for days, which is
also a reason why I haven’t been cooking for my single self a lot, even though
this is the time of year Chuck is gone the most, why when I have an entire
fridge of food to eat and all I have to do is reheat?

Well I’m going to get back
on that horse and keep this series alive. It’s been around since the beginning,
and is one of my favorites, so it must be done.

For the first Dinner 4 One
of the New Year I thought I would start out with an old favorite. I’m finding
myself compelled to share a lot of the recipes that I had previously thought
were rather boring because I believe that you guys may not find them boring,
and they may open up new doors for you. This whole thing is about sharing after
all.

This trick is a fail proof
healthy and cheap method for making dinner or lunches for your single self. It’s also super easy. 

Black Bean & Corn Toss


1 can of black beans,
drained & rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 handful of cilantro
chopped

2tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayene

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp extra virgin olive
oil


Combine all ingredients in
a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve as you please, warmed in the microwave,
stove or cold. Will keep in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Once this concoction is
made it can be tossed around on a myriad of different things to extend, liven
or transcend the flavors. It is my favorite addition to plain ol’ boxed mac n
cheese (I will never give that stuff up). It’s great on its own or just plopped
over some rice or quinoa. I also like it tossed with salsa and eaten with
chips. Oh or tossed with salsa and scrambled eggs. Or just over salad.

Are you catching on here?
Spend some times on day 1 and make this thing, then for the next few days you
have a good clean source of protein to create an infinite number of meals. The
recipe here will last me alone, two or three days, but it’s easy enough to
double or triple or even make and freeze, so don’t be shy about it, especially
if you like that southwestern kind of flavor.

If you are looking for the
all-time best recipe to possibly make with this, well let me help you
out.

Southwestern BLT Salad


A big pile of mixed greens

1 tomato, chopped

½ an avocado sliced or
chopped

2 oz. goat cheese crumbled

3 strips of bacon, crumbled

½ cup of black bean &
corn toss

Salad dressing of choice (I
like catalina)

Layer the ingredients on a
large plate. Top with dressing and enjoy!

 

How do you like
to prepare food when your alone, fancy, or boxed mac?

A Real Dinner Party at Our House

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I want to preface this by saying that our lives are far from glamorous. Chuck and I live in a modest apartment on a dead end road, and aside from being fairly small it is also laid
out pretty horribly. It is warm and charming with lots of updated windows, and cute molding, but everything is pretty boxy and cut off, which makes entertaining hard. Don’t worry we manage. The kitchen is eat-in style, though there isn’t much room for the two of us at the table let alone any guests. We make it work, and improvisation is key. And since cooking for my friends is something that I have always loved to do and simply cannot stop doing; regardless of how impossible it may seem.

I try to have everything close to ready if not already done before anyone arrives; along with the kitchen table clear, because that has to serve as the buffet. The small fold-able table that does triple duty as dining table, craft space, and beer die set up is pulled out just before we are ready to eat, otherwise it’s cumbersome presence takes up too much of the living room. Chuck and I usually take the couch as it is a little low for table eating as well as maneuvering in and out of. We handle it. Then out comes the plates and cutlery stacked neatly on the counter, it has to be self serve because that folding table doesn’t fit everything.

It works, and I haven’t had a complaint yet. Of course that could be because all of our friends are also living in modest, horribly laid out apartments, so they get it.

 

 

Last weekend Chuck and I entertained our friends Alicia and Wil. She was gracious enough to bring chocolate covered strawberries for desert as well as a good white wine. Here is what the menu Looked like: Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette, Simply Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and Gravy as well as Braised Cabbage & Carrots.
Though it sounds like a lot it was all pretty easy to prepare, basically I popped the chicken in the oven, peeled & while they boiled prepared the cabbage & carrots. When the chicken came out in went the veggies, and I made the gravy and mashed the potatoes; which gave the chicken plenty of time to rest before being carved. The salad was just greens rinsed and spun, and the vinaigrette made the day before. From start to finish it took probably 2 hours to prepare, and there was plenty of time to mix a few
drinks, chat with Chuck and take Brody outside 4 or 5 times (he really likes the snow) in between. The perfect end to the week.

 

Simple Roasted Chicken
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 whole 4 lb chicken
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ tablespoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Remove the chicken from all packaging (including giblets) and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Rub the outside with oil, spices and place breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. (Optional: tie the legs up with kitchen twine and fold the wing tips under.)
  4. Place chicken in the oven and cook for about an hour and 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. When poked with a knife or fork in the thickest part of the thigh the juices should run clear. A thermometer also inserted into this part of the chicken should read 165.
  5. Remove the chicken to a platter and allow it to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Carve the chicken and serve.

 

Quick Chicken Gravy

1 cup drippings from roast chicken pan
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 springs thyme
Broth as needed

In a small sauce pan heat drippings over medium heat. Whisk
in flour and spices and cook, allowing the mixture to reduce slightly and
thicken. If it is too thick add broth or water by the tablespoon, whisking
until blended each time.

 

Braised Cabbage & Carrots

3 tbsp butter
5 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 head of cabbage, shredded
4 large carrots, peeled & chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup vegetable broth or water
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. In an oven proof skillet melt butter
with bacon, and then add cabbage, and carrots, tossing lightly. Stir in the
remaining ingredients and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes stirring
occasionally until carrots have reached desired doneness. Serve warm.

 

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well
combined. May serve immediately, or be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.