Tomato Risotto with Italian Sausage

I suppose that every single Italian food I cook does not have to involve tomatoes, but that's just what ended up happening tonight. I had a ton of veggies in my fridge, and I couldn't decide which one to choose for this recipe. This broccoli risotto did not look very tasty. And I already cut into my red pepper, making it impossible for me to make roasted red pepper risotto. Therefore, that large out-of-season tomato in my fridge came in really handy. This was my first time making risotto, and it won't be my last.

Let me just say, I thought this would turn into sticky rice glop. I do enjoy a good rice glob now and again, but this arborio rice made a bid difference. The rice turned out tender and flavorful but certainly not sticky or mashed up.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1 box of chicken stock, unsalted
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 large ripe tomato, coarsly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
some herbs
1 medium sized yellow onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup grated cheese, Parmesan or anything Italian works
1 cup parsley, chopped as fine as possible
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large Italian sausages
chili powder to taste
olive oil

Saute your onions and garlic in some olive oil until they are translucent. Add your rice, coating in well in the olive oil. Wait for it to crackle a bit. Add your wine while the mixture is cooking at a low heat. When it is partially absorbed, add the tomato.

In a separate pot, mix 1/2 your chicken stock with the tomato sauce. I seasoned the broth with curry leaves, because that's the only herb I had sitting around. Simmer for about 10 minutes and remove the herbs. For the record, I used unsalted stock, but the tomato sauce was so salty that I did not add any more salt to the rest of the recipe.


Start by adding two cups of the broth to your rice mixture. Stir regularly so it doesn't burn. Simmer at a medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed (about five minutes). Add more broth and repeat. Keep doing this until your rice is done, "al dente" or whatever. Turn off the heat and add your grated cheese and parsley.

Broil your sausages with the rest of your broth mix and a little chili powder. I broiled them for about half an hour, turning occasionally. They were exactly what I wanted, a little tough. But you can cook them however you like.

Whole Wheat Gnocchi?

On a recent trip to a Festival Foods, I noticed a package of "whole wheat gnocchi." Given my infatuation with gnocchi and anything whole wheat, I immediately and impulsively threw them in my basket. It wasn't until later that I realized this gnocchi was made from sweet potato and potato pasta can't really be whole wheat. Actually, you can make gnocchi from many things (pumpkin, spinach, etc.) I was just disappointed that these were not as healthy as I had hoped. A third of the package only has one gram of fiber!

No matter. I made them anyway and they were just as delicious as plain old white gnocchi. The mere idea of a healthy gnocchi actually inspired me to forgo my usual cream sauce and create something less fatty. I made a nice sun dried tomato sauce, and topped the dish with Parmesan. Here's the recipe for my sauce.

Ingredients:
1 can tomato sauce
10-12 sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, sliced

First, soak you're dried tomatoes in hot water for about 15 minutes. Strain and chop the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. In a small pot with some olive oil, saute the onion and pepper flakes until onion is clear. Add tomato sauce, dried tomatoes and garlic. Cook at medium heat until tomatoes soften a little. Add olives and parsley. Continue to cook this at a low heat, while adding the liquid little by little until you reach a nice consistency. Puree if desired.

Boil and strain your gnocchi. Serve with sun dried tomato sauce, and top with Parmesan and parsley for garnish.

Spaghetti Squash, Italian Style

I've seen numerous great looking spaghetti squash recipes this fall, but to be honest this was the first time I had eaten the stuff! The texture was great, although I did overcook the squash just a little when I baked it. On the plus side, it was nice to have a vegan meal before heading to my mom's house for the next several days. There, I expect I will be served meat several times a day in addition to a massive turkey to be consumed on Thanksgiving!

The recipe was inspired a healthy recipe book I own, but I basically just used the ingredients I had around. Healthy recipes sometimes don't sound to delicious, but this was very tasty and filling. If you haven't tried spaghetti squash, please give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green chili, sliced (because I add these to everything)
Several pieces of rosemary and thyme, or parsley, or oregano (whatever)
7-8 medium-sized mushrooms
16 oz tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to saute

First, bake your squash for about an hour at 375 degrees. While waiting, saute the onion until almost clear. Add the chili, garlic and mushrooms, and continue to saute until all are soft. Add tomato sauce and herbs. Bring to slow boil just long enough for the herbs to infuse the sauce, then remove them. Add the salt and pepper.

I, of course, could not wait for the squash to cool, and may have burned my hands a little. You, however, wait for the squash to cool and then cut it in half the long way. Remove the seeds and fibers. Use a fork to scrape the squash off of the skin. Add the sauce and eat up.

Gnocchi with Pink Sauce

Today I made one of my regulars, gnocchi with pink sauce. I used store bought pasta, because, lets be honest, homemade gnocchi is too much work when you're cooking for one. It will most likely be a few days before I even manage to finish these leftovers.

As I said, I have made this before. However, I never follow an exact recipe for the sauce. In the past, I've used basil, but the weather's getting cold so I'm switching to more functional herbs. This time I used thyme. Either way, I love pink sauce because it both zesty and creamy, without being too much of either.

Ingredients:
1 package potato gnocchi
1 small yellow onion
2 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 sprigs thyme
8 oz can tomato sauce
About 6 oz heavy cream
1 large splash of red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese of choice.

This dish is pretty easy, and you can vary the amount of cheese/cream/tomato sauce you use depending on your preference.

First, dice the onion and saute until clear. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer mixture until they have collapsed. Add tomato sauce, garlic, wine and thyme. Simmer until sufficiently smooth. Remove thyme and add cream, salt and pepper. Cover sauce and boil gnocchi in water for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the top. But be careful, they are easy to overcook. Drain. Top pasta with sauce and grated cheese.