Savoy Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Arborio Rice

Cabbage. I never liked the horrid stuff my mother plunked into the corned beef pot. She used common cabbage, but there are dozens of cabbages suited to different purposes. Cabbage is good for you, and as we all know, that doesn't mean it has to taste (or smell) bad.

My mother-in-law whipped up delicious cabbage rolls, one of many Syrian dishes made by stuffing various vegetables with ground lamb, rice, and Middle Eastern spices. A while ago, Dawn shared a wonderful stuffed cabbage recipe here on Kitchen Excursions (Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage -Töltött Káposzta).

I first tried Savoy cabbage in Ireland. Shredded and cooked in cream and Irish bacon, it served as a bed for a roasted meat I can't recall, the cabbage was so good. Savoy cabbage is milder than common cabbage. Prettier too, with its curly leaves.

I've made this Savoy Cabbage Soup, my version of a classic Italian dish, several times. It's a perfect autumn/winter dish. Delizioso!

SAVOY CABBAGE SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND ARBORIO RICE

32 oz. fat free beef broth
32 oz. fat free chicken broth
3 Tbs. butter
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (4-5 sausages), casings removed
6 cups (about 1¼ lbs.) shredded Savoy cabbage
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
½ cup arborio rice
Fresh chopped parsley

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1. Combine broths and bring to a simmer.

2. Melt butter in 6-8 quart pot. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden.

3. Add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon. Cook until well browned.

4. Prepare cabbage. Remove and discard outer leaves and core, removing thick "ribs" from the larger leaves as you work. Thinly slice cabbage (I use my food processor with thickest slicing blade), add to sausage, and cook until wilted.

5. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

6. Add rice. Cover and simmer 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add parsley and serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Risotto with Sausage and Spinach

With the prep work done and the fixings assembled, risotto is fun to cook. Risotti make wonderful first courses or elegant one-dish meals. They can include meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. Ingredients are limited only by the cook's imagination. We are fortunate to have an Italian grocer here in New Hampshire who handmakes delicious Italian sausage, and I have added several risotto recipes to my repertoire to showcase it. This is one of my favorites.

RISOTTO with SAUSAGE and SPINACH

6 cups of chicken broth
10 oz. fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, and roughly chopped
¾ lb. mild Italian sausage (3-4), skins removed, roughly chopped
1 small onion or large shallot, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
5 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Simmering Risotto

1. Heat broth and keep simmering.

2. Melt 4 Tbs. of the butter in a deep, non-stick frying pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until onion softens and starts to color. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add sausage, breaking into chunks and cooking until raw color is gone and meat is browned.

3. Add rice. Stir 1-2 minutes until coated well with butter and heated. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine (set a timer to 18 minutes at this point) and stir casually until rice absorbs wine.

4. Add a generous ladle of broth, stirring occasionally until absorbed. Continue adding broth about a cup at a time, allowing liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

5. After about 10 minutes, stir in spinach. It will cook down quickly. After 18 minutes, taste rice for doneness. It should be al dente.

6. Remove pan from heat. Stir in remaining Tbs. of butter and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread and salad, if desired. 4-6 generous servings.

Savoy Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Arborio Rice

Cabbage. I never liked the horrid stuff my mother plunked into the corned beef pot. She used common cabbage, but there are dozens of cabbages suited to different purposes. Cabbage is good for you, and as we all know, that doesn't mean it has to taste (or smell) bad.

My mother-in-law whipped up delicious cabbage rolls, one of many Syrian dishes made by stuffing various vegetables with ground lamb, rice, and Middle Eastern spices. Last year, Dawn shared a wonderful stuffed cabbage recipe (Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage -Töltött Káposzta).

I first tried Savoy cabbage in Ireland. Shredded and cooked in cream and Irish bacon, it served as a bed for a roasted meat I can't recall, the cabbage was so good. Savoy cabbage is milder than common cabbage. Prettier too, with its curly leaves.

I've made this Savoy Cabbage Soup, my version of a classic Italian dish, several times. It's a perfect autumn/winter dish. Delizioso!

SAVOY CABBAGE SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND ARBORIO RICE

32 oz. fat free beef broth
32 oz. fat free chicken broth
3 Tbs. butter
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (4-5 sausages), casings removed
6 cups (about 1¼ lbs.) shredded Savoy cabbage
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
½ cup arborio rice
Fresh chopped parsley

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1. Combine broths and bring to a simmer.

2. Melt butter in 6-8 quart pot. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden.

3. Add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon. Cook until well browned.

4. Prepare cabbage. Remove and discard outer leaves and core, removing thick "ribs" from the larger leaves as you work. Thinly slice cabbage (I use my food processor with thickest slicing blade), add to sausage, and cook until wilted.

5. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

6. Add rice. Cover and simmer 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add parsley and serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausages

This Italian classic, great any time of the year, made a wonderful holiday dinner for good friends this past weekend. The sauce tastes even better the second day, so it's a perfect do-ahead dish.

Buon appetito!

SPAGHETTI with MEATBALLS and SAUSAGES

For the Sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork (or a combination of veal and pork)
1 12-oz. can tomato paste
2 medium carrots
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 celery stalk
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
1 28-oz. can ground tomatoes, seed strained
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. marjoram
3-4 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup dry red wine
10-15 Italian sausages

For the Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork (or a combination of veal and pork)
1 cup dry Italian style breadcrumbs
1 egg
5 oz. tomato sauce (from a 15-oz. can - add remaining sauce to pot)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

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1. To make sauce, heat olive oil in large kettle and add meats, stirring until browned. Add tomato paste and fry several minutes, stirring often.

2. Process/chop carrots, celery, onion, peppers, and garlic in food processor. Add to meat and brown well.

3. Add tomato puree, sauce, and ground tomatoes. Add seasonings. Simmer sauce over low heat for 7 to 8 hours, the longer the better.

4. After about 4 hours, stir in grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup red wine. Prick sausages with a fork and add to sauce. Wait about 30 minutes, then gently add raw meatballs.

5. To Make Meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with hands, adding more tomato sauce to moisten if needed. Shape mixture into meatballs. Makes about 24.

6. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally (and carefully to keep from breaking meatballs) to keep sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve with pasta, salad, crusty bread, etc. Serves a small army, and leftovers freeze well.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage and Pine Nuts

Inspired by a Spanish Tapas recipe, these stuffed mushrooms entice with butter and brandy. Try them and watch them disappear!

MUSHROOMS STUFFED with SAUSAGE and PINE NUTS

1½ lbs. medium white mushrooms
Lemon juice
10 Tbs. butter
1 large shallot, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. sweet Italian sausage (about 2 sausages, casings removed)
6 Tbs. dried breadcrumbs, plain or garlic & herb flavored
1½ tsps. brandy
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
3 Tbs. pine nuts, lightly toasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)

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1. Preheat oven to 375°. Clean mushrooms. Separate stems from caps and finely chop. Sprinkle caps with lemon juice.

2. Heat 8 Tbs. of butter in a medium skillet. Sauté shallot over medium low heat until wilted. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add sausage meat and cook until well browned.

3. Add chopped mushroom stems to meat and cook 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Stir in bread crumbs, brandy, parsley, and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. Stuff mushroom caps with meat mixture and place in baking pan. Melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter and drizzle over stuffed mushroom caps. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Risotto with Italian Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

When the mood for something special strikes, there's nothing like risotto. Madeira wine makes this one special. Elegant enough for company, down home and delicious enough for family, it's fun to make and a joy to serve. The evenings are growing cooler, so why not grab a bottle of Madeira and a package or three of those pre-sliced wild mushrooms the stores carry now and create this delicious dish?

RISOTTO with ITALIAN SAUSAGE and WILD MUSHROOMS

For the Sausage and Mushrooms:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1½ lbs. sweet Italian sausage (5-6 sausages)
8 oz. sliced Baby Bella or Crimini mushrooms
10 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ cup Madeira wine

For the Rice:
6-7 cups chicken broth
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1 large vidalia onion, chopped
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups carnaroli or other arborio-type rice
1 cup Madeira wine
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

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1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove sausages from casings and sauté in oil, breaking into bite-sized chunks. When sausage is nearly browned, fold in mushrooms with thyme and oregano. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add ½ cup Madeira wine and stir another minute. Remove skillet from heat and set aside. Reheat on low when ready to cook rice.

2. Simmer chicken broth in a 3-qt. saucepan. Melt butter in non-stick skillet and add onion. Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Add rice and stir to coat grains with butter mixture, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Madeira wine and simmer, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot chicken broth to wine and stir until nearly absorbed. Continue ladling broth into rice, stirring frequently, for 18 minutes. Rice should be firm but not crunchy and have a creamy consistency. Cook more if desired, but don’t over cook.

3. Stir sausage and mushroom mixture into rice. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and serve, passing cheese at the table. Serve with salad and crunchy bread. 6 generous servings.

Paella

Posted on Behalf of Jean Carnegie.

My next door neighbor, Jean, is a fantastic cook. She’s always trying new things, has a knack for knowing what foods go best together, and enjoys entertaining. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending her Third Annual Paella Party and convinced her to share her version of this classic Spanish dish, adapted from her daughter’s recipe, on Kitchen Excursions. Jean never makes her Paella the same way twice (see Note), and any cook can modify the ingredients according to his or her taste. Thank you, Jean!

PAELLA

3 Tbs. olive oil
6 fresh Cajun, sweet Italian, or hot Italian sausages
12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, excess fat trimmed (about 4¼ lbs.)
2 large onions, chopped (about 5½ cups)
10 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 garlic clove, minced
12 oz. tomatoes, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 bay leaves
4 medium zucchini, halved crosswise,
                       then quartered lengthwise (about 1¼ lbs.)
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch-wide strips

1½ lbs. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Generous pinch plus ¼ tsp. saffron threads

2½ cups Arborio or Paella rice
                       (about 17½ oz. - don’t substitute any other rice)
1½ tsps. salt

5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 tsps. paprika
Chopped fresh parsley

NOTE: Jean sometimes substitutes frozen peas for the zucchini and adds 12 chopped crimini mushrooms and a mix of shrimp and mussels or clams instead of all shrimp. She steams the clams and/or mussels separately and adds them to the Paella once it is finished. For this year’s Paella Party, she also added lobster.

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1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in heavy large shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages and sauté until cooked through, turning often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken, skin side down, to pot. Cover and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover and cook until brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Transfer check to bowl with sausages. Add onions and 10 chopped garlic cloves to pot. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Stir 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and bell peppers (and mushrooms, if using).

2. Toss shrimp in a medium bowl with remaining 2 Tbs. oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and a generous pinch of saffron. (Chicken-sausage mixture, vegetables, and shrimp can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush an 18-inch paella pan or a 18x12x2¼-inch roasting pan with olive oil. Mix rice and 1½ tsps. salt into vegetable mixture. Spread rice mixture evenly in prepared pan. Cut sausages diagonally into 1-inch slices. Using wooden spoon, push sausage and chicken pieces into rice mixture. Pour any remaining juices from bowl over. Add paprika and remaining ¼ tsp. saffron to 5 cups chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour evenly over rice mixture. Cover roasting pan tightly with foil. Bake until rice is almost tender, about 40 minutes.

4. Sprinkle shrimp mixture with salt and pepper. Arrange atop rice mixture. If using mussels and clams, push these down into the rice mixture at this time. If using frozen peas, add at this time. Re-cover pan with foil. Bake until shrimp are opaque in center, rice is tender, and most of the liquid in the pan is absorbed, about 20 minutes longer. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Easily serves 12.

Hot Italian Sausage Soup

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

I like soup at any time of year. This soup is hardy enough for a satisfying meal. If you don't like the heat, try sweet sausage instead.

Ingredients:

1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
48 ounces fat free, sodium reduced, chicken broth
1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, chopped (with skins on)
1½ teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups medium-size, dried shell pasta
6 ounces spinach leaves, chopped
Grated aged Asiago cheese

1. Slit sausage casings and remove. Place sausage into a 6-quart pan over high heat and stir often, breaking apart sausage with a spoon. (tool hint: I have a spoon with a straight lower edge that is perfect for this task.)

2. Add carrots and onions, stirring often until onion is limp. Add chicken broth, tomatoes (with juice), Cannellini beans, garlic, basil, and pepper. Bring to boil.

3. Add pasta and zucchini. Cover, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender to the bite.

4. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted.

Serve with grated Asiago cheese. When reheating, add a small amount of chicken broth to thin soup. Enjoy!

Warm Lentil and Sausage Salad

This versatile dish makes a great cold weather supper or a tasty side dish for a summer barbecue. For a vegetarian or vegan version, substitute vegetable broth for the meat broth and omit the sausage (or use a vegetarian brand).

The individual parts of the recipe can be prepared ahead of time, and the finished dish assembles easily. A food processor makes prep time a snap, especially if a medium shredding disk is available to shred the carrots.

Note: I've tried this recipe with French Puy lentils and didn't care for the pasty results. Use the good old brown lentils. I've also tried using arborio rice and ended up with a porridge. A plain rice such as Carolina (my preference) or Uncle Ben's works best.

WARM LENTIL and SAUSAGE SALAD

4 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 lb.)          1 medium onion, minced
½ cup red wine                                               1 rib of celery, minced
1 cup brown lentils                                          2 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 cups beef broth                                             2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth                                       1 tsp. dried thyme
½ cup rice                                                        Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil                                                  ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf

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1. Preheat oven to 350 . Prick sausages several times with a small sharp knife. Place in a single layer in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for 15 minutes more. Pour red wine over sausages. Turn and bake for 15 minutes more. Turn again and bake another 15 minutes. (Total baking time 1 hour.) Remove sausages to a dish lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Slice sausage into rings.

2. While sausage is baking, pick through lentils and remove anything that isn’t a lentil. Combine broths in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Rinse lentils and add to broth with bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add rice and continue simmering for 18-20 minutes, or until rice and lentils are cooked. Don’t overcook! They’ll cook more in the skillet. Drain rice and lentils right away, reserving excess liquid to moisten salad later if necessary. Discard bay leaf.

3. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme over moderately low heat until vegetables are softened. Fold in lentils and rice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add parsley and stir gently to combine all ingredients. Place mixture in serving dish, top with sliced sausage, (or combine sausage with other ingredients), and serve warm or at room temperature. Garlic bread and salad are great additions. 4-6 main course servings.