Kielbasa Pasta

The RacDad and I have always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen together.  I am an extremely lucky woman though because The RacDad is usually the one taking care of everything in the kitchen....from cooking to cleaning.  Lately, I have been enjoying kielbasa.  I used to just slice it and saute it in a pan and add shredded cabbage and let it cook down.  Mmmm.  But we have taken that idea and tweaked it so that it could be more versatile.  So I will walk you through step by step. 

Here are the ingredients that you will need for the base of this dish:

• Kielbasa
• Wine (white or red, sweet or dry...whatever you choose)
• Mustard
• Brown Sugar

Start with a kielbasa of your choice (low fat, all beef, etc.)

Cut into half inch slices at an angle.

Put in your favorite pan on medium high heat.

Brown well, but don't burn.

Add some wine.  One to two fingers worth.

Let the wine reduce until it looks like the meat is soaking it up.

Add a little Mustard and a tbsp. of Brown Sugar.

 Now, you could stop right there and eat this as a main dish with sides.  Sometimes we eat this with roasted potatoes with rosemary, steamed cabbage, mixed veggies, fresh green beans or a nice spinach salad.  You can also add some seasonings to give it a different flair....basil for an Italian flavor, Cumin for a Spanish flavor, etc.  Or you can continue and turn it into a full dish.  I am going to show you how to make it an artichoke sun-dried tomato pasta.  Sometimes, I just use fresh petite chopped tomatoes and pasta to make a light summery dish.  You can also choose many different options for pasta.  I prefer a heartier size of pasta paired with the kielbasa.  Our favorites are veggie infused penne, farfalle or fettuccine.  If you are gluten intolerant, you can use Quinoa pastas or brown rice pastas.  They both are excellent in this dish.  (Just make sure that your kielbasa is gluten free too....most Johnsonville brand sausages are typically GF, but make sure to double check.)

Add seasoned artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and basil.  Let simmer until artichokes are heated through.

Then add your favorite pasta.  Then toss to coat.

Serve and enjoy!!

Friday Special - Cravings

OK, so I'm sure that most of us have been there....those pregnancy cravings that come on strong and won't go away.  I had one yesterday afternoon for donuts, but there's no where close that sells good donuts at 4 pm.  I got a crazy idea and decided to make Funnel Cakes instead.  If I would've known that it would only take 15 minutes from start to finish (and by finish I mean they were gone), I would've tried making them sooner!

I decided to bring you all on my journey to satisfy my craving.  My camera is dead, so I decided to get out my camcorder and do a few video clips for you all.  I hope you enjoy!  Please excuse the lack of makeup or hair being done, but at 18 weeks....those cravings can't wait for mascara!

Ingredients:

2 cups Canola Oil

Powdered Sugar for garnish

Dry

1 1/4 cup flour  *Whole Wheat flour works really well and is more filling than All Purpose.  I think even Gluten Free flour would work.  I'll have to try it next week when I'm at my Mom's house and let you all know.

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Wet

2/3 cup milk

1 large egg

Directions:

Take 2 cups Canola Oil and place in deep skillet.  Heat on Medium High heat until hot.  (Check this by putting a pinch of flour in.  If it bubbles and doesn't smoke, it is hot.)

Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and blend until smooth.  Should be the consistency of thick pancake batter.  Put in a funnel or in a plastic bag with a hole cut in a corner.

Squeeze batter into hot oil.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook for additional 1-2 minutes.

Take out of oil and place on paper towel to drain and cool.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Enjoy!!