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A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

Sausage with shallots and arugula

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And then there are recipes that come along that are pretty much life changing. 

This Italian sausage with shallots and arugula is one of those recipes.

My mom made it first, and raved how much she and my dad enjoyed it so I knew we had to give it a go. It came together beautifully and you get your protein, starch, and salad all in one delicious heaping bowl. Easy breezy cooking at it’s finest. This is a great dish to entertain with as you have very minimal ingredients and prep work, it smells up your home all lovely, and let’s be honest, it’s pretty easy on the eyes. Place the platter on the table with a slightly chilled pinot noir and you are sure to impress not only your guests, but, yourself.

It’s true. In all my years of cooking and all the recipes I’ve made I sort of can get a bit, well, un phased, if you will. It’s all just sort of normal to me. It’s very inspiring when a recipe comes along that gives just a little reminder that what I do and create in the kitchen does hold a little bit of magic.  

This is that recipe. Get it going my friends, get it going soon.

ROASTED ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH SHALLOTS AND ARUGULA
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 pounds mixed unpeeled potatoes, I used mini yellow and red and kept them whole. If you have larger potatoes you can half
10 medium unpeeled shallots, halved
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths
Few big handfuls of arugula
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss all of the potatoes and shallots with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Roast for 15 minutes, they will just start to get some color going.

Give them a toss and add in the sausages. Brush the tops with a little olive oil and return the tray to the oven for another 30 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender and the sausage is cooked through.

Transfer everything on the tray to a big bowl and add arugula, lemon juice, and more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Burgers

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You guuuuuuuuys.

What is it about the first grilled meal of the season that just feels so magical? I was like practically dancing around my kitchen and grill I was so happy to fire it up.

I love a good simple meal that is easily prepped with minimal ingredients and relies on the grill doing most of the work.

Bonus if it’s a burger. A Philly Cheesesteak Burger to be exact.

Oh my heavens friends. This one could not have been easier. Lean ground beef mixed up with McCormick’s Montreal Steak mix and a little worchestershire sauce. Onions and peppers sauteed on the side. Provolone cheese melted on top. And of course, pretzel buns for the win. 

We inhaled these. Gosh it’s good to miss grilled food, don’t you think? Makes it all taste that. much. better. I bet if I made this exact same recipe come September they would still be awesome but there is something about that first grilled food. 

Yippee to grilling season kicking off! It’s just the best. 

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK BURGERS
Recipe from McCormick’s Seasonings

INGREDIENTS:

1 lbs leab ground beef, I used organic grass fed beef
2 TBS or so McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning
Few good splashes of Worchestershire sauce
olive oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
4 slices provolone cheese
4 pretzel buns, or any buns you choose
ketchup for serving, options

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your grill to medium/medium high heat.

Mix beef with seasoning and worchestershire sauce and form four even patties. Grill four to five minutes a side. The last minute or so of grilling, add you cheese. You can also toast your buns at this point.

Meanwhile, get a little olive oil going in a skillet over medium heat. Saute your bell pepper and onion slices until softened and slightly browned.

Top burger with onions and peppers and ketchup if you choose.

Enjoy it!

Slow Cooker Spring Minestrone

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Just because spring hit, doesn’t mean it’s time for soup season to completely disappear. 

I find that soups are one of the easiest things to throw together in a slow cooker. And generally at night the temperatures still drop a bit so a lighter and healthy soup is just the ticket.

Take this slow cooker spring minestrone soup for example. So easy to throw together in the morning and so welcoming to come home to after a long day. Bonus that it is full of vegetables, seven to be exact. (Hello, summer bod). And it highlights fresh green spring veggies like peas, asparagus, and spinach. 

We gobbled this one up, huge hunks of bread on the side of course. Be sure to add the freshly grated parmesan and basil because it really brings the soup to life.

Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER SPRING MINESTRONE
Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats

INGREDIENTS:

1 sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
3 cups water (or you could use all stock)
8 ounces of uncooked small pasta, I used mini bow ties
12 thin asparagus spears, stems removed and cut into one inch or so pieces
1 cup of frozen sweet peas
Few handfuls of fresh spinach, lightly chopped up
1/3 cup freshly grated romano cheese + more for topping
Fresh basil, for topping
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Add diced onions, garlic, carrots, the whole can of diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, stock and water to your crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

About 10-15 minutes before serving, add in asparagus, spinach, peas and pasta. Cook on low for another 10-15 minutes then stir in grated cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with additional cheese and basil on top!

Shrimp Bruschetta

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I think it’s nice to always up your app game when it comes time to spring and summer. With so many outdoor gatherings with family and friends it’s nice to have something new and fresh to offer. I’ll admit it, I am not the biggest appetizer gal. It’s normally the first the I assign for someone else to bring and if I do make one, I love to stick with my go to.

And yet something really caught my eye with this one. I love, love, the flavors of shrimp, cilantro, and mint together. It’s just so incredibly light and refreshing. You also get the lovely flavor of jalapeno for kick and cucumber for crunch and everything is then scooped onto homemade toasted baguettes, heavily drizzled with olive oil.

I don’t know guys, this one really got me. Who knows, I might be an app gal after all. Although there is zero shame in making this for a lighter meal al fresco with a glass of rosé. Come on now, doesn’t that just seem too perfect? 

Yes it does.

SHRIMP BRUSCHETTA
Recipe adapted from Geoffrey Zakarian

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup diced Persian or English cucumber
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 small shallot, finely diced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small Fresno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt
8 ounces cooked shrimp, chopped up
12 slices baguette, drizzled with olive oil and toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the broiler on your oven.

Mix together all ingredients up until the shrimp.

Toast your baguettes in the oven for a few minutes (keep an eye on them!) and top with the shrimp mixture. Enjoy!

Slow cooker detox lentil soup

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This one came recommended strongly from my mom and sister. I always take their word when it comes to recipes as I have never been disappointed. They know what they are talking about, especially when it comes to good food, and they were spot on with this one.

With the weather finally settling in around spring it’s not exactly soup season per se but I love to keep a solid few recipes that work in the warmer months. Lighter soups are great for this. And this slow cooker detox lentil soup is just that recipe.

There are so many veggies in this one! Potatoes, butternut squash, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, kale. Not to mention heart healthy lentils which is just a solid staple in our home. All of this just gets thrown in the slow cooker (no need to sauté first!) and it just slow cooks away all day. Towards the end of the cooking time you can opt to puree a few cups of the soup and then blend back in, which I did. In the end is also when you stir in some fresh greens: kale and parsley. Serve everything up in a deep bowl with a swirl of olive oil and of course a sprinkling of parmesan. 

A hunk of bread on the side for dipping never hurt anyone. 

SLOW COOKER DETOX LENTIL SOUP
Recipe from a Pinch of Yum

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed, I bought mine already like this at the store)
2 cups carrots (peeled and sliced)
2 cups potatoes (chopped)
2 cups celery (chopped)
1 and 3/4 cup green lentils
1 onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons herbs de provence
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
2-3 cups kale (stems removed, chopped)
1 cup parsley (chopped)
olive oil and parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Near the end, lace about 4 cups of soup in a blender with the olive oil. Pulse gently until semi-smooth and creamy-looking. Add back to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the kale and parsley. Turn the heat off and just let everything hang out for a bit before serving. This is one of those soups that tastes better with a little time.

Season to taste (add the sherry, vinegar, and/or lemon juice at this point) and serve in a deep bowl with a sprinkling of parmesan on top.

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