at home with ann

Sometimes I spend hours thinking about what to cook.  Usually these hours occur in the middle of the night while I'm up with Colin.  Then I get hungry.  Then I start counting down to breakfast.  And that's how I end up eating an entire batch of vegan banana pancakes .  This post isn't about pancakes, though, it's about a dinner that did not have much planning at all.  Chicken sausage was on sale at the market.  As were baby portobello mushrooms.  Broccoli rabe came from the CSA, we had leftover garlic scapes, and I always have some whole wheat pasta on hand. And thus, this dinner was born.  It didn't hurt that the whole thing came together in the time it took to boil the pasta.  Chicken Sausage, Mushroom and Broccoli Rabe Pasta Serves 6 Ingredients: 12 oz. package pre-cooked chicken sausage, sliced (I used spicy jalapeno) 16 oz. mushrooms, sliced 2 garlic scapes, sliced (or 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped) Olive oil 1/4 teaspoon cr...

We have decided that nearly any recipe that calls for spaghetti can be substituted with spaghetti squash.  For the most part the pasta is just there to carry the sauce, so when the sauce is hearty and flavorful like this one, spaghetti squash is the perfect accompaniment. I was inspired by this recipe I saw on Pinterest.   Can we just take a moment to reflect on the wonder that is Pinterest?  Aside from the fashion and decorating, it's a fantastic resource for recipe ideas.  In any case, I put my own spin on this dish, but used the basic Puttanesca flavors. Puttanesca is rumored to have been the recipe that Italian prostitutes would cook to lure customers to their home.  I don't think any prostitutes these days are making spicy pasta dishes for their customers, but this is so good they should consider bringing that marketing technique back. Puttanesca Spaghetti Squash Serves 6 1 spaghetti squash ~4 lbs, roasted olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves ga...

I've shared my version of red beans and rice with you before .  But that was almost a year ago, and I found a way to simplify it even further.  My crock pot (are you not supposed to say crock pot? Is that like kleenex and scotch tape?  I can't be bothered) has come in very handy in the past few weeks.  I don't know when I'll have time to cook during the day, but I can almost guarantee it won't be between 6-7 in the evening.  Around 11 in the morning my little guy is usually asleep in the sling, so I can carry him and work in the kitchen at the same time.  Perfect timing for setting up the crock pot.  Of course, you can do all the prep the night before or first thing in the morning if you're fancy and have a job that requires you to dry your hair and wear clothes not made out of yoga material.  Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Serves 6 as a Main Course Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stal...

This recipe was inspired by the Pioneer Woman's new Food Network show .  For those of you who aren't familiar, The Pioneer Woman lives on a ranch in Oklahoma with her husband, four children, and an apparently unlimited number of pets and farm animals.  She's funny, sarcastic, and absolutely charming.  In a recent episode, she made penne a la vodka, which gave me the idea for this recipe.  She  called her husband in from some remote corner of the ranch where he was working cattle to test it.  I called my husband in from the living room where he was putting together our new nursery furniture. Two hours after we ate dinner and I was writing this post I realized I had intended to include baby spinach in the dish, but completely forgot, so I might just stir it in with the leftovers and call it good.  Penne a la Vodka with Turkey Sausage Ingredients: 1 package sausage (12-16 ounces), sliced.  I used hot turkey sausage, but chicken or pork sausage w...

Inspired by the talented Jenna of Eat Live Run , I wanted to make jambalaya.  Not traditional jambalaya, perhaps, because I only used sausage and not chicken and shrimp, but still fantastic.  This is a one-pot meal, which makes it easy for cleanup, the hardest part is waiting the hour for it to all simmer and cook together.  And that's why I tasted it too quickly last night and burnt my tongue. Spicy Jambalaya recipe from Eat Live Run Ingredients: 1 package (3/4 pound) andouille sausage 1 Tablespoon canola oil 1.5 Tablespoons flour 1 large onion, chopped 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 small bell pepper, chopped (this was my addition) 2 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup brown rice 1 1/2 cups water 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.  Brown sausage and set aside.  Don't drain. Add the flour to the...

I like most vegetables, but I've never been a huge fan of beets.  As such, I was less than thrilled about the huge bundle of beet greens in my CSA pickup.  Not one to be easily deterred, I searched the internet for a recipe that sounded good, and modified it to sound even better. Braised Beet Greens with Chicken Sausage inspired by Simply Recipes Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 large bunch (about a pound) beet greens 1 12 oz. package chicken sausage, sliced 1 small onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup water 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/6 cup cider vinegar canola oil parmesan cheese, optional Wash the beet greens very well.  I filled up the salad spinner with water twice and mushed them around before spinning.  Fresh from the farm vegetables are amazing, but they have a lot of dirt on them.  Organic dirt, but dirt nonetheless.  And one scary spider on the turnips, but that's a story for another day. In a large saut...

This is one of the most requested dinners around here.  Cauliflower is kind of a tricky vegetable.  On it's own, I think it's kind of tasteless, but roasted with olive oil and garlic, it's good stuff.  Plus it's full of good things for you, so added bonus.  The recipe was originally from Cooking Light, but I've modified it a bit (mostly making it less light...).  It only takes about 20 minutes to pull together, which means it's great for a quick dinner, or if you are cooking at 10:30 in the morning because you didn't plan ahead.   Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Sausage adapted from Cooking Light Ingredients: 1 package (4 links) chicken sausage - I've used spicy jalapeno and chicken apple, both with success 3 cups   small cauliflower florets - I use the entire head of cauliflower 2 tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 teaspoon   salt, divided 5  garlic cloves, sliced 4 cups   uncooked farfalle -...

It's baseball season!  That's a pretty big deal to those of us who live around Boston.  I've been to many Red Sox games, and while the quality of the ball-playing can vary greatly, the food is never very good.  Yet, for some reason, I often feel compelled to eat it because it's part of the experience.  And because by the end of the game, it's late and we've been drinking overpriced beer. In honor of the Red Sox home opener this past weekend, I made sausage grinders.  These are no street cart food, though.  Organic chicken sausage, fresh vegetables, and whole wheat buns make them better. Sausage Grinders Ingredients: 1-2 onions, thinly sliced 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 12oz. package chicken sausage.  I used Al Fresco brand Sweet Italian.  Cut into 1/2 inch slices. 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes rolls Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or frying pan.  Slice your veggies and sausage.   Saute for about ...

Polenta is made from cornmeal.  It's a great alternative to pasta in Italian themed dishes, and many varieties are gluten free.  This recipe uses prepared polenta, which is sold in tubes.  I usually find it above the fancy cheese case at the market.   Baked Polenta with Sausage, Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce adapted from MyRecipes Ingredients: Olive oil                   1  can (15 oz.) crushed tomatoes                   1  tablespoon  chopped fresh oregano                   1  medium yellow onion, halved lengthwise, then cut into thin wedges                   1  medium yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, ...