Cassoulet for Today

I realize that just about everywhere else in the country, you are in the thick of summer.  Well, here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm starting to wonder if summer will ever appear.  The highs are still in the 60's, (if we're lucky), and pants and a light jacket are still necessary most days.  While I can't wait to heap on the summer grillin' and salads, the weather here feels more like fall at the moment.  So, when I found this recipe in my recent Taste of Home, it fit the weather and my taste.

I could not get enough of this dish!  Seriously.  It was a little more time-consuming than other recipes, but OH MY GOODNESS!  This was completely worth a little extra work.

Cassoulet for Today
(Adapted from Taste of Home, April/May 2010)

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 lb. turkey kielbasa, chopped
1/4 cup real bacon pieces
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken in 2 tsp. oil in skillet.  Remove chicken to medium casserole dish.

In same pan, saute onion in remaining oil until tender.  Add 1 clove garlic; cook 1 min. longer.  Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.  Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme; bring to boil.  Pour over chicken; cover and bake at 325 degrees for 30 min.  Add beans and kielbasa; cover and bake 20-25 min. or until chicken is tender.  Discard bay leaf.  Stir in bacon.

Combine bread crumbs, parsley, and remaining garlic; sprinkle over cassoulet.  Broil 3-4 inches from heat for 2-3 min. or until golden brown.

NOTES: The original recipe calls for fresh herbs.  But, since I rarely have those, I used the dried versions instead.  It also tells you to stir in the bacon at the end--but you might find, as I did, that it's nearly impossible to stir.  So, I just sprinkled mine over the top.  And, finally, I served mine with cornbread, (recipe coming soon!).

Carb Loading: Summertime Spaghetti Sauce

My husband, Ryan, will run his fourth marathon in about 4 weeks.  In addition to these races, he has run a few 5k's, half-marathons, and a triathlon.  His long training runs happen Saturday mornings--thus from now until the marathon, every Friday is dedicated to carb-loading.  Instead of doing the standard spaghetti sauce over noodles, I've been finding new and interesting ways to present the needed carbs.  Last Friday, Taste of Home (June/July 2009) provided me with the recipe for Summertime Spaghetti Sauce.

It was definitely different than the spaghetti standard and we both enjoyed it.  Ryan commented a few times that it was good, but tasted different than he expected.  That's probably because he didn't see the recipe and expected it to taste like normal, boring red sauce.  He also said that it's probably something he would request again.  That's always a good sign.

Summertime Spaghetti Sauce
5 cups of sauce

3 Italian sausage links (4 oz. each)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
3 cups chopped, seeded, peeled tomatoes (about 8 medium)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Remove casings from sausage; cut into 1-in. pieces.  In large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat.  Drain and set aside.  Heat oil in same skillet; add onions and green pepper.  Cook and stir until tender.

Add tomatoes, jalapeno, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Return sausage to the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 min. or until meat is no longer pink and sauce is thickened.

Serve over spaghetti with parmesan cheese.

NOTES: I used 5 Italian sausages.  Mine came in a pack of 5 and I no other use for the extra 2--so I added them.  Also, after I removed the casings, the sausages had nothing to help them keep their shape.  I still cut them into chunks and added them to the pan.  I carefully sauteed them and didn't break them up.  They ended up looking like little meatballs. 

After cooking the sausage, there wasn't a ton of grease.  There was just enough to give a sheen to the bottom of the pan.  So, instead of cooking the veggies in oil, I just added them to the pan.  Their small amount of liquid helped loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  YUM!

I used a yellow bell pepper, (it's what I had), and only 2 onions.  I also used Roma tomatoes, and since they're more firm than other varieties, I didn't seed or peel my tomatoes.  (Really, I just didn't see that instruction.  But, honestly, who has time for that?)  The sauce was probably meant to be a little thicker, but it still tasted fantastic.  If you choose not to seed your tomatoes and want thicker sauce, just plan for it to simmer for an hour or two so it can cook down a bit.

One more thing: Remember when handling the jalapeno that it is spicy.  Don't rub your eyes, touch your face, etc. immediately after cutting it.  I used a strawberry huller to scrape out the seeds from mine and then washed my hands.  There was definitely a slight burning before I washed them!