Tag Archives: sausage

Recipe: Easy Puff Pizza ‘al Taglio’

25 Feb

Puff pastry is a culinary lifesaver, since pretty much anything tastes better when puff pastry is involved. Also, it’s a great way to use up all sorts of things in your fridge or cupboards. This week, I defrosted a package of puff pastry for a meal I did not end up making, and I needed to use it soon. So the scavenger hunt began. Amongst other things in the fridge, I spotted two pork sausage links, some mushrooms that were not going to make it much longer, and a bit of fresh spinach that was beginning to look not so fresh. On the counter, I could see some cherry tomatoes on the cusp of wrinkling. And in the cheese drawer were wedges of Gruyere and Pecorino Romano.

These ingredients reminded me of a sausage and mushroom pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) I loved in Rome. So the solution was clear–I would make an ‘Avoid Food Waste/Clear Out the Fridge’ puff pizza al taglio. (Ok, honestly, this can also be called a puff pastry tart….) You can cut it into larger pieces for lunch or dinner, or cut it smaller ones to serve as an appetizer.

Note: This recipe is just a suggestion; you can put all sorts of things on top of puff pastry (like this beet and feta vegetarian option) and you will end up with something delicious. I often let fate and the contents of my fridge decide. With a little bit of extra effort, you can also make puffs, but I was feeling lazy and went freeform.

Ingredients

1 pkg. puff pastry (the kind I buy has two sheets of pastry; I used both)
mushrooms, sliced (16 oz./450 gr.)
garlic salt (optional)
baby spinach, chopped (as much as desired; I only had a small handful)
2 pork sausages, casings removed
cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters (as much as desired; I had about 10 cherry tomatoes to use)
Gruyere cheese, grated (as much as desired)
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (as much as desired)

Preparation

1. Thaw your puff pastry (ideally, overnight in the fridge).
2. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
3. Cook any ingredients that are likely to wet the puff pizza too much (or not cook fully while in the oven). For me, those ingredients were the mushrooms, spinach, and sausage. In a frying pan, I quickly sauteed the mushrooms in some olive oil and tossed them with garlic salt. I placed them on a dish, then cooked the sausage in the same pan until it was no longer pink, crumbling it as it cooked. The sausage went on another plate and the little spinach I had went into the pan; it almost disappeared before my eyes, but ended up being just enough to add a spot of additional color to the puff pizza.

    4. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray, or wipe a thin layer of oil over it.
    5. Lay the puff pastry sheets down the center of the baking sheet, pressing the seam between the two together. Score the sides of the pastry with a sharp knife. This will allow the sides to rise into a crust. (I did not score the short sides as I was able to press them up against the baking sheet rim where they formed their own crust.)

    6. Layer your prepped ingredients onto the puff pastry, taking care to not place anything past the score lines: I started with a little Gruyere, then the mushrooms, sausage, tomatoes, and spinach, ending with a bit more Gruyere and some Pecorino Romano. I tend to go lightly on the cheeses as I want the flavors of the other ingredients to shine, but feel free to add as much as you like.

    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until puff pastry and cheeses are golden. Using a firm spatula, lift one edge of the pizza up and check the bottom; you want to be sure it, too, is golden.
    8. Remove, let sit for a minute or two, then cut into individual pieces. Enjoy!

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    Recipe: Sausage, Fennel, and Mushroom Pastry Puffs

    6 Mar

    Puff pastry is a magical ingredient. If you have some in the freezer, you will be able to pull together a savory meal or a sweet dessert in barely more time than it takes to cook the pastry once it has thawed. If you are someone who makes puff pastry from scratch, my hat is off to you. I may get there one day, but for now I am happy to rely on the prepared kind. In this recipe, the onion and fennel almost melt together, adding a subtle layer of flavor to the sausage and mushroom. And crisp, flaky pastry makes everything better.

    Sausage, Fennel, and Mushroom Pastry Puffs
    Yield: 12 puffs

    1 pkg. puff pastry (about 17.5 oz. = 2 sheets), almost thawed
    2 tbsp. olive oil
    1 lg. onion, finely chopped
    1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and finely chopped
    8 oz. mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
    sprinkle red chili flakes
    salt & pepper
    6 links sweet Italian turkey sausage (1.5 lb.), casings removed
    6 tbsp. grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
    chopped parsley (optional)

    Preparation

    1. Let puff pastry thaw while you make the filling — but before the pastry comes to room temperature, unfold it and slice each sheet vertically into three sections along the fold lines (each sheet is folded like a letter), then cut each section in half. After cutting up both sheets, you will have 12 small rectangles of pastry. It is easier to cut the pastry, and to maintain the rectangular shapes, when the dough is still a tiny bit frozen. Set the pastry rectangles to one side in a single layer (if they are touching each other, they may stick together).

    2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add onions and fennel. Cook until onion is soft; add chili flakes (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms to the onion/fennel mixture and cook until liquid is released and mixture is relatively dry. Add the sausage, and cook until all liquid has evaporated, breaking up sausage as much as possible. Check seasonings, then let mixture cool for a few minutes.

    3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one pastry rectangle into each muffin cup; the edges will drape over, which is fine–the end result will be somewhat free form. Distribute the filling among the muffin cups, sprinkle parsley (if using) and about 1/2 tbsp. Parmesan/Romano on top of each puff, and bring the pastry edges over the filling to loosely cover.

    4. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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    Recipe: Light and Easy Cassoulet

    29 Jan

    A cassoulet is a slow-cooked one-pot meal, originally from the south of France. It typically includes an assortment of meats, sausages, duck confit, and white beans, topped off with crispy bread crumbs. In essence, it is a hearty bean-based casserole meant to stick to your ribs.  But delicious as it may be, duck confit can be hard to come by. And while I appreciate hearty dishes as much as the next person, I wanted to see if I could make an equally flavorful version that was just a tiny bit lighter, relied upon easy-to-find ingredients appealing to all members of the family, and took less than a full day to make. So, out with the pork sausages and duck confit, and in with some turkey kielbasa and diced chicken breast. This cassoulet is also fantastic the next day, when the flavors have melded and the beans have thickened it a bit more.

    Light and Easy Cassoulet

    2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
    1 lb. turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced  lengthwise and diced into quarters
    1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
    1 large onion, diced
    3 carrots, diced (or 1.5 c. grated carrots)
    3 celery stalks, diced
    4 cloves garlic, crushed
    3 (14-oz.) cans small white beans (cannellini), undrained (or one large, 1 lb. 13 oz. can, undrained)
    1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with olive oil and garlic (or plain–see note below)
    1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (or plain–see note below)
    splash white wine (optional)
    2 bay leaves
    lots of freshly ground pepper

    Preparation

    1. Cook kielbasa in 1 tbsp. olive oil in Dutch Oven (or other heavy-bottomed pot) over medium-high heat until nicely browned. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink; remove kielbasa and chicken from pot.
    2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil to the pot, followed by the onion, carrot, celery, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Cook until soft, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the savory bits remaining from the kielbasa and chicken. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    3. Return kielbasa and chicken to pot; mix into the vegetables. Add tomatoes, wine (if using), and bay leaves, plus another dusting of black pepper. NOTE: if using plain diced tomatoes, sprinkle roughly 1 tsp. each dried basil and oregano over top of the tomatoes. Mix well, then layer beans on top.
    4. Simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring gently every so often.
    5. Serve cassoulet with hearty bread and a salad.

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