Do you know your sausages?
I used to get very confused when a recipe called for a specific sausage - Italian, Andouille, Chorizo, Merguez, Bratwurst, Hungarian, the choices are endless. It took me a while to understand the differences among the various types available, and I did that by tasting, tasting, tasting! And of course researching as well.
My new favorite sausage is Andouille. So even when a recipe calls for some other type, I most often sub in the Andouille when I can find them at the local grocery store. Andouille is a heavily smoked pork sausage, usually made from chunks rather than ground meat and is seasoned well with spices, onions and garlic. It's flavor is intense, and it adds dimension to any sausage dish. Try it, you'll love it!
I have also been making attempts at recipes using only in-season, low budget ingredients. The holidays really emptied the good ol' bank account, and I guess our 10 day trip to Mexico contributed to that. I'm determined to buy the least amount of ingredients weekly and stretch them to their limit, using meats already in our freezer. My hope is to stick to a maximum of $50 per week for the family for the next little while. It's doable since we only really need to replenish fresh produce and dairy products. It also helps that I'm an EXTREME couponer! For this recipe, I only had to purchase the cheese and the squash, which is super cheap right now since there is such an abundance of them at this time of year.
This recipe was adapted from Everyday Food Magazine - thanks again Martha!
Sausages With Acorn Squash And Onions
1 large acorn squash, halved, seeded & cut in 1/2" slices (don't peel it)
1 red onion cut in 1/4" wedges
3 T EVOO
salt & pepper
4 hot or sweet sausages (I used andouille, as mentioned above)
1/2 c grated asiago cheese
1 T chopped fresh sage
1/4 c dried cherries chopped (I left this out although I'm sure it wold be delicious)
Preheat the oven to 475. On a baking sheet toss squash & onion with oil and arrange in an even layer. Season with salt & pepper. Add sausages to the sheet & roast 15-18 minutes. At about 10 minutes in, I noticed that the bottom of the veggies were beginning to burn, so add some liquid - like chicken stock or water, to keep the bottom of the pan slightly moist. Heat the broiler. Sprinkle cheese and sage over veggies and broil until browned & bubbling and sausages are cooked through, 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with cherries and serve.
I didn't serve anything with this dish since the protein & veggies were already there.
Try this with different sausages to determine which you like best. Enjoy!
I used to get very confused when a recipe called for a specific sausage - Italian, Andouille, Chorizo, Merguez, Bratwurst, Hungarian, the choices are endless. It took me a while to understand the differences among the various types available, and I did that by tasting, tasting, tasting! And of course researching as well.
My new favorite sausage is Andouille. So even when a recipe calls for some other type, I most often sub in the Andouille when I can find them at the local grocery store. Andouille is a heavily smoked pork sausage, usually made from chunks rather than ground meat and is seasoned well with spices, onions and garlic. It's flavor is intense, and it adds dimension to any sausage dish. Try it, you'll love it!
I have also been making attempts at recipes using only in-season, low budget ingredients. The holidays really emptied the good ol' bank account, and I guess our 10 day trip to Mexico contributed to that. I'm determined to buy the least amount of ingredients weekly and stretch them to their limit, using meats already in our freezer. My hope is to stick to a maximum of $50 per week for the family for the next little while. It's doable since we only really need to replenish fresh produce and dairy products. It also helps that I'm an EXTREME couponer! For this recipe, I only had to purchase the cheese and the squash, which is super cheap right now since there is such an abundance of them at this time of year.
This recipe was adapted from Everyday Food Magazine - thanks again Martha!
Sausages With Acorn Squash And Onions
1 large acorn squash, halved, seeded & cut in 1/2" slices (don't peel it)
1 red onion cut in 1/4" wedges
3 T EVOO
salt & pepper
4 hot or sweet sausages (I used andouille, as mentioned above)
1/2 c grated asiago cheese
1 T chopped fresh sage
1/4 c dried cherries chopped (I left this out although I'm sure it wold be delicious)
Preheat the oven to 475. On a baking sheet toss squash & onion with oil and arrange in an even layer. Season with salt & pepper. Add sausages to the sheet & roast 15-18 minutes. At about 10 minutes in, I noticed that the bottom of the veggies were beginning to burn, so add some liquid - like chicken stock or water, to keep the bottom of the pan slightly moist. Heat the broiler. Sprinkle cheese and sage over veggies and broil until browned & bubbling and sausages are cooked through, 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with cherries and serve.
I didn't serve anything with this dish since the protein & veggies were already there.
Try this with different sausages to determine which you like best. Enjoy!
Hi, my goodness that sausage and squash looks really good. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you, I'm just coming from the gym. To answer your question, I don't have a specific meal plan that I follow. Basically, because I'm diabetic, I've eliminated sugar and cut back on the carbs. Instead, I've added more whole grains, fruits and vegetables daily.
ReplyDeleteNow, I can tell you how I figured out how many calories I should be consuming, It's on day 4 of my post. Your present weight x 7 = your daily calorie need for weight loss. In other words, my beginning weight was 196 so, 196 x 7 = 1372 calories per day. As you lose weight, you'll need to reassess and reduce your calorie budget continually in order to break through plateaus and keep losing weight.
Check out my friend's blog, pjsandcocoaontheporch.blogspot.com, she's a nurse and she would probably be able to give you better advice than me since I'm still fairly new on my journey. I gave her a head's up to let her know you'd be visiting. Remember, even though it's only 20 pounds you want to lose, it 's not going to come off overnight. Keep yourself motivated and try incorporating more fruits and veggies in your meals. You can do it!
Thanks Rachael!
ReplyDelete