Italian Sausage Gravy & Biscuits

This sausage gravy recipe is an Italian version of the southern classic, redeye gravy. It has the unique flavor combination of spicy Italian sausage and the kick of espresso. Make it with a waffled biscuit and you will have a breakfast where the guests will lick the pot – that actually happened when I served this to my nephew.

Makes 8 single biscuit servings

Ingredients

2 tsp Olive Oil

8 oz Italian Sausage (casings removed, hot or sweet)

1 Clove Garlic (minced)

1/8 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Espresso Powder *

¼ tsp Table Salt

¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 TBS All-Purpose Flour

1 C Whole Milk

½ C Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

8 Rounds Large Store-Bought Biscuits (I used Grands^®) *

2 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped)

Optional – Waffle Iron

Directions

Heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a large skillet. Remove the casings from the Italian sausage (I used a mixture of hot and sweet) and add them to the hot oil. Break up the sausage using the back of a wooden spoon or if you are lucky, you have a Mix N Mash from Pampered Chef, which does a great job breaking up the sausage. Cook until the meat is browned and fully cooked. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the allspice, espresso powder, salt and pepper – stir for 30 seconds. Add the tablespoon of flour and stir until the flour is totally cooked, about 1 minute. Add the milk and chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Cover and keep over very low heat.

Biscuit Preparation

You have two choices when preparing the biscuits. You can bake them according to the package directions or you can cook them in a waffle iron like I did. If you choose to make them in a waffle iron, heat the iron as per manufacturer’s directions, spray with non-stick spray and place 1 biscuit in each square of the waffle iron. Cook until they are a golden brown.

Pour the Italian sausage gravy over the cooked biscuits and top with some chopped parsley.

* Pronto Substitutes

Espresso Powder – use instant coffee.

Biscuits – Use your favorite homemade biscuit or frozen biscuits.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Italian Sausage Gravy with Biscuits

Homemade Ricotta Salata

Ricotta, one of the most popular cheeses in America, is a moist fresh cheese that is used in many Italian dishes like lasagna, and cheesecake. Ricotta Salata is a variation of ricotta that has been pressed, salted and dried. Ricotta Salata is hard and white and has a mildly salty, nutty and milky flavor. It can be shaved or grated over salads, pastas and vegetable dishes or served on crackers or crostini.

Makes 1 block of cheese

 

Ingredients

2 Quarts Whole Milk

2 C Buttermilk

¼ + Table Salt

Cheesecloth

Kitchen Twine

2 Plastic Containers from Grape Tomatoes

Optional

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 Loaf Italian Bread (sliced & lightly toasted)

Directions

Line a large colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it in the sink.

 

Pour the two quarts of whole milk, 2 cups of buttermilk and ¼ teaspoon of table salt into a large pot over medium high heat. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from scorching.  As the milk heats curds will slowly start to rise to the top. When the milk starts to steam and the mixture has reached 185°F, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. The whey will look like cloudy water under the curds. This can take 20-30 minutes.

Carefully ladle the curds into the cheesecloth lined colander – do not pour it over. Taste the curds to see if they are salty enough. Ricotta Salata has a slightly salty taste but you can adjust the salt level to your own taste by adding extra salt. If adding the second round of salt, remove curds from muslin, add salt, mix and return to the cheesecloth. Gently press the top of the curds down. When the ricotta has stopped dripping, pull up the sides of the cheese cloth and tie the top. Holding the ball of cheese in one hand, and the top of the cheese cloth in the other, squeeze out as much whey as you can – then hang it in the sink for 30 minutes to continue to drain (see photo).

Cut off the top of a plastic container from grape tomatoes and line it with a 10” x 12” piece of cheesecloth and place it in a larger container to collect the whey that will drip out. Place the drained ricotta into the container and fold over the cheesecloth to cover the cheese (see photo). Place the second grape tomato container on top of the cheese and place a 14oz. can of vegetables on top to weigh down the cheese (see photo). Place in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours to dry out.

Optional Way to Serve

Remove the cheesecloth and place the Ricotta Salata on a plate. Pour good quality extra virgin olive oil on top them sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Serve with crackers or lightly toasted slices of Italian bread.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Ricotta Salata.

Asian Sausage & Spinach Soup

I’ve recently acquired a taste for Vietnamese cuisine, especially “Pho”. The broth of this soup is incredible but it takes hours to make. I incorporated some of the spices used in “Pho” to enhance the flavors in this healthy weeknight soup to give it an incredibly rich and fragrant taste. This gluten-free soup is full of rich tastes, from the savory broth, to the spicy sausage, the bite of the barley and the creamy cannellini beans.  

Makes 4 main servings or 8 first course servings

Ingredients

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium Yellow Onion (diced)

1 lb Chicken Sausage (sliced thinly) *

64 oz Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

½ C Pearl Barley

16 oz Fresh Spinach (cleaned)

1 14 oz can Cannellini Beans (drained) *

Bouquet-Garni *

8" Square Cheese Cloth Doubled

Kitchen String

1 Star Anise Pod

1 Stick Cinnamon

3 Whole Cloves

8 Black Peppercorns

Directions

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion to the heated oil and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the sliced sausage and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring up to a rolling boil.

While the broth is heating prepare the bouquet-garni. Place the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns in the middle of a double layer of cheese cloth. Close it into a sachet and tie with a string (see photo). Place it in the heating chicken broth.

Once the broth has reached a rolling boil add the barley and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.

Remove the bouquet-garni and add the spinach and cannellini beans. Raise heat to medium high and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste to make sure the barley is cooked. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

* Pronto Substitutes

Chicken Sausage – use can use any variety of chicken sausage in this soup. I used an Asiago chicken sausage or you can use chicken or turkey Italian sausage. The choice is yours.

Bouquet-Garni - a group of herbs tied together in a cheese-cloth bag for the purpose of cooking them with an item to season which makes it easy to remove them when they are done.

Cannellini Beans - you can substitute navy or white kidney beans.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Asian Sausage & Spinach Soup.

Savory Balsamic Glaze and Onions

Savory Balsamic Glaze over Parmesan Baked Eggplant

This glaze and onion recipe was inspired by a segment of Lidia’s Kitchen. I created my own  

spin and used the onions that were cooked with the balsamic vinegar and gave them a second life as an  incredible spread for crositini. The glaze has the sweet flavor of caramelized onions, the savory notes of spices mixed with the acidity of the balsamic. The onion spread is sweet and tangy with a hint of spice.

Makes 1.5 Cups of Glaze

Ingredients

Savory Balsamic Onions Pureed and Spread on Crostini

2 C Balsamic Vinegar

2 Large Yellow Onions (sliced)

3 Cloves Garlic (peeled)

2 Bay Leaves

2 Whole Cloves

5-6 Whole Fresh Sage Leaves

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Sprig Rosemary

1 C Dry White Wine

1.5 tsp Kosher Salt

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a low boil and cook for 30-45 minutes or until reduced by half. Strain and reserve the onions.

- Pour over meat and vegetables.

- Mix with equal part of extra virgin olive oil as a dip for bread.

- Use with vinaigrettes, in place of plain balsamic, for a savory note.

Remove the cloves, basil, sage leaves and rosemary from the cooked onions. The onions have a deep caramelized flavor mixed with the acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the savory notes of the spices. You can serve the onion whole or pureed.

Whole - Serve the onions whole on top of  a toasted crostini or place them on sliced Italian bread, topped with shredded mozzarella and placed under a broiler until the cheese is bubbling and turning brown.

Pureed - Place the cooked onions in a food processor or blender with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and process until smooth. Spread on toasted crostini or spread on a sandwich.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Savory Balsamic Glaze and Onions.