Pumpkin Sausage Soup with Crispy Kale

Well hello fall and goodbye sky. We’ve had an incredible amount of fog in the last week. I like it frankly, it is cool so I have been cozying down in my pjs and blanket. Watching the other buildings slowly disappear is weirdly calming. I don’t like the lack of sunshine, but I will take a few days of darkness here and there.

In other, exciting news, another NFB Digital Studio project has launched, this one is one of mine! Check out Similkameen Crossroads in your web browser. It is a gorgeous photographic and audio essay by Tyler Hagan. It launched at ImagiNative on Friday. Click through the photos while listening to the stories from the Similkameen Valley.

Pumpkinsausagesoup

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Sausage and Egg Casserole

The weather has been rather crummy the last few days, leaving me uninspired! I was happy to get out of the apartment to spend the day with my good friend Heather as we worked away on our project reports, but I returned home with soaking boots and a general feeling of dampness. I love Vancouver, but being unemployed AND stuck in an apartment while it rains definitely isn’t my favourite. I do have to say, I’d be a lot less happy in a snow-blanketed city, so there is that!

Hospice Yukon approached my mom about writing a piece for their newsletter about how our family celebrated dad’s life without having a typical service. Mom wasn’t comfortable writing it but asked if me and Kel would be able to. So we are going to start working on that tomorrow and I am going to check with them about the right to post it here as well. I know that there is a growing trend towards non-religious celebrations for both good and tragic things, so I am excited to share our experience and what the gathering of friends meant for us and our father’s memory. So, hopefully more on that later!

SausageandEggCasserole

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Kale & Sausage Soup

Well, this is not as gorgeous as my 100th post, my soups never are particularly attractive, but gosh darn it is delicious. I love kale and I love sausage and I was just hurting to have them together. This soup is super easy and comes together quickly (about 20 mins), quickly enough to make it after a long day at work. Topped with a couple slices of mozzarella, this is comfort at its best. Again though, sorry for the terrible pictures, I was hungry so I ate and snapped a couple of quick pics.

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Creamy Herb and Tomato, Sausage Sauce

Well this is something I have made a couple times in a couple of different ways, and I’ve tried to capture my process in recipe form. I happened to have some delicious sausage on hand and wanted to make something to top my shell pasta that wasn’t your standard sauce, so this recipe was born. It is easy, adaptable, and full of flavour.
Also, I promise I will do a lovely baking post for Sunday, because what is better on a Sunday than a delicious piece of coffee cake! In the meantime, sausage pasta sauce!

Creamy Herb and Tomato, Sausage Sauce

Ingredients

  • 6 gourmet sausages (I have made this with Rosemary Lamb and Italian Turkey sausage)
  • 6 large white mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 jar of tomato sauce or pasta sauce (pick your favourite)
  • 1/3 cup of cream
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup parmesan (I have a big chunk of it in my fridge so I just break off pieces)
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (double if you have fresh)
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano (double if fresh)
  • 1/4 tsp thyme (double if fresh)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place a large pan over medium-high heat (add a tbsp of olive oil if desired). Remove the casings from the sausages and place the meat in the pan, using your spoon to break it up. Cook the sausage until done, about 5-8 minutes. Take out your 1/3 cup of cream and allow it to come to room temperature (this will prevent it from curdling).
  2. Moving the sausage to one side of the pan, add your butter, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for about 5 minutes, stir into the sausage when done.

    Mushrooms added!

  3. Pour in the pasta sauce over the meat and mushrooms. Add your spices. Pour the cream into the sauce, stirring quickly to incorporate. Top with chunks of parmesan, allowing them to melt as you stir them in. Let it simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes. In the meantime, cook your favourite pasta al dente.
  4. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  5. Serve over your favourite pasta (SHELLS!).
Also! I served this with my beer bread, to which I added 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar. Perfect!

Cheese added.