B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Mussels Spicy Tomato Saute

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1      pound of B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Links (4)
        hot, mild, or combination (meat removed from casing)
1      pound small mussels, scrubbed and beard removed
1/4  cup white wine, dry
1       garlic clove
1/2   cup parsley, washed well and dried
1/4   cup onion
1/4   teaspoon kosher salt to taste
1/2   cup olive oil, extra virgin
1/4   teaspoon red hot pepper seeds to taste
3       cups can whole peeled plum tomatoes with juice
4        tbsp basil, fresh 

Preparation:
Clean and wash mussels well. Removing the beard and any sand, seaweed, or barnacles that may be attached to the outside. Chop the garlic, onion, parsley, and basil and set aside. Puree the whole peeled tomatoes along with the juice, removing any basil leaves mixed in with the tomatoes if needed, in a food processor or crush with your hands. Remove the sausage meat from the casing and coarsely crumble into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Directions:
 In a large saute pan heat half the olive oil.  Add the sausage meat and saute until the meat begins to stick to the pan and lightly brown. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add in the chopped garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes over low heat until the onions start to become soft and translucent then turn heat off.  Now, take your whole peeled plum tomatoes and puree in food processor.  Add in the tomatoes and all their juice to the garlic mixture in the saucepan and stir together.  Add in half of the freshly chopped basil, the hot pepper seeds, salt and stir. Turn heat to medium-low and cook covered, about 15 minutes,  until the sauce begins to simmer and the oil comes to the top and all the flavors blend together.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  

Add the cooked sausage to the sauce and simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes or until flavors combine. Add the mussels and cook another 5-8 minutes or until the mussels are cooked and have opened up. Discard any mussels that do not open.  Stir the freshly chopped parsley and extra basil into the mussel mixture. Spoon some of the spicy tomato broth and a piece of sausage into a bowl with 5-6 mussels, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve hot with fresh crusty Italian bread.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and String Bean Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2        pounds B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Links (2) Hot
1/2        pounds B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Links (2) Mild
1 1/2     pounds fresh green beans
1 1/2     cups regular black olive or italian oil cured
1/4 cup sweet onions
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of hot red pepper seeds to taste (optional)

Dressing:
2 - 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more if needed
1/4  up white balsamic vinegar, plus a little more if needed

Preparation:
Clean green beans, removing the ends and rinse and let drain in a colander. Peel and thinly slice the sweet onion. Mince the garlic clove and wash and slice the cherry tomatoes in half. 

To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a small metal bowl.  Whisk together well and set aside.

Directions:

Heat medium size saute pan over medium high heat, add olive oil and sausage links.  Brown each side, 3-5 minutes, turning only once.  Do not pierce or prick as that will release the juices and dry out the sausage. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes depending on the intensity of the range. Once cooked, remove pan from burner and set aside near stove to keep warm (do not cover). 

Place green beans in a medium size sauce pan and fill with cold water just enough to cover the beans. Add kosher salt to water until it tastes salty like the sea.  Cover the pan and bring to a boil.  Once water begins to boil remove the cover and let the beans cook until tender. Don't over cook the beans. Drain in a colander immediately and let stand a few minutes. Remove from the colander and place the warm  beans in a large serving bowl. 

Add the olives, onions, tomatoes to the large serving bowl with the beans and gently combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Slice the sausage links into 1/4" rounds. Add the sausage slices to the bean mixture and toss together. Whisk dressing again and drizzle it over top of the bean and sausage mixture. Toss again until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve hot or room temperature.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Pasta Salad with Orecchiette, Roasted Red Peppers and Arugula

Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Artichoke Saute

Serves: 4 - 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs BIT Rustic Sausage (mild or hot or combination)
  
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 cups frozen artichoke hearts
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil                                                               
• 1 cup black olives pitted
• 2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes

Preparation:

     Remove artichokes from freezer and allow sufficient time to thaw. If artichoke is canned then rinse and drain. Slice onion into 1/4" thick slices. Drain and crush the black olives with your fingers. Mix hot and mild sausage meat together. Slice tomatoes in half. Set items aside.

Directions:

 Heat extra virgin olive oil in large sauté pan over medium low heat. Add loose sausage to sauté pan. Break up meat as it cooks. Cook until sausage is browned and starts to stick to bottom of pan about 10-12 minutes. Add sliced onion and cook until onion starts to soften. 

Add artichokes with a little more extra virgin olive oil to sauté pan and combine. Cook until artichoke hearts start to turn golden along edges. Add crushed black olives and combine. Let cook for 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes and turn mixture to combine. Then cover and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste. Serve over pasta, rice or on crostini.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Artichoke Saute
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

BIT Rustic Sausage Eggplant Meatballs

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Hot (loose sausage meat or removed from casing)1/2 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Mild (loose sausage meat or removed from casing)
1 small eggplant
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups of Italian bread

3 tbsp fresh parsley 

1 egg

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup of pine nuts(optional)

1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Preparation:

Combine hot and mild sausage in a medium size bowl and then transfer to a food processor and grind to hamburger like consistency. Soak Italian bread in warm water until soft, squeeze out water and set aside. Peel and wash eggplant and chop into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. Blanch the eggplant slices,strain and squeeze water out.  Soak raisins for 20 minutes in hot water, drain, and roughly chop into pieces golden raisins. Grate cheese. Wash and chop parsley and set aside.

Directions:

Combine following ingredients in large bowl: Sausage meat, bread, raisins, egg, parsley, cheese, eggplant and pine nuts (if using). Using your hands mix all the ingredients together until combined.

Heat a medium size skillet over medium high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Make one small ball about the diameter of a quarter. Fry in extra virgin olive oi, turning gently, until golden brown on all sides and cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 

Form the rest of the mixture into small balls and fry in extra virgin olive oil until golden brown all over. Serve hot and along with your favorite marinara dipping sauce.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Eggplant Meatballs
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage One-Pot Meal - Potato & Peas

Ingredients:

1 lb. B.I.T Mild Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing
1 lb. B.I.T Hot Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing

7 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion

2 cups cooked peas

5 medium sized Russet Potato

Preparation:

Peel and slice onion into 1/2" slices.  In a medium size bowl, combine uncooked hot and mild sausage meat.  Peel and wash potatoes. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and then slice down the middle lengthwise again and cut the halves into 1/4" slices. If using frozen peas, cook the peas according to the directions on the package and drain.

Directions:
Heat 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and the loose sausage meat to the pot and saute together until sausage is browned and beginning to stick to bottom of pan.  Break up sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned and the onions are cook, spoon the mixture into a medium size bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, adjust the heat to medium-low, add 2 additional tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pot and the potato slices and cook the potatoes until they are browned and you can easily pierce them with a fork. When the potatoes are cooked, add the sausage mixture back into the pot, along with the cooked peas, and the last 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Gently combine the sausage, potatoes and peas and cover. If you find that the mixture is dry add a little more extra virgin olive oil. Continue to cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until the flavors come together and serve.



Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Simple One-Pot Meal - Potato & Peas
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Escarole Soup

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Escarole Soup

Serves: 6 -8 persons

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 lb. B.I.T Mild Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing
1 lb. B.I.T Hot Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing

1/3-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small yellow onion

1 clove garlic

1 whole peeled tomato, from can

1 small head of Escarole

1 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with rind
1 large can of cannellini beans
8 cups basic chicken broth or low sodium canned chicken broth

Preparation:

Peel and finely chop garlic and onion.  In a medium size bowl, combine uncooked hot and mild sausage meat.  Puree the whole tomato in a food processor or crush manually with fingers or fork. or Wash the Escarole well and tear into bite size pieces. Remove the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and set aside. Slice pancetta.

Directions:
Heat 1/2 of the extra virgin olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook 5 - 6 minutes until lightly browned.  In a 12" saute pan, add the remaining olive oil and add the loose sausage meat and saute together until sausage is browned and beginning to stick to bottom of pan.  Break up sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks.   Add the sausage to the onion and garlic mixture in the large pot. Add the cannellini beans along with their juice from the can. Combine with sausage and onion mixture and cook over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Add pureed tomato and chicken broth, escarole pieces and cheese rind to the pan and mix well. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to low and simmer partially uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes, and serve.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Escarole Soup
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Stuffing

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:
1/2 lb BIT Rustic Sausage Mild, Hot, or combination, loose or removed from casing
14 oz. package Arnold's Stuffing Seasoned, or another stuffing if you prefer
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
1 cup golden raisins
2-3 cups chicken broth, plus little extra if necessary
1 stick butter, salted
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:
Peel and clean the onion and trim the celery ends. Chop them both into 1/2" pieces. If using a combination of  Mild and Hot B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage then combine them in a medium size bowl and set aside. To prepare the raisins: soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to soften, drain and set aside.

Directions:
Add the olive oil to a large 6-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add the raw sausage meat to the pan. Using a fork, break up the meat and cook until browned and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a large 6-quart sauce pan, over medium high heat, melt the butter until bubbly, then add in the celery, onion, and drained raisins. Mix together well and cook for 2-4 minutes. (Do not burn). Add the package of seasoned stuffing and gently combine with the butter mixture being sure to coat all the stuffing cubes thoroughly. Slowly add the chicken broth, a little at a time, turning the stuffing mixture until the mixture is moist, but not wet. Cover and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes over low heat, adding more broth if necessary so as not to burn.

Remove the stuffing mixture from the stove and transfer to a glass oven proof baking dish. If the stuffing is a dry add more broth on top slowly, until it is moist but not wet. Use slotted spoon to remove cooked sausage meat from pan add to stuffing and combine. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and if the stuffing is dry, you can add more broth to moisten it, if needed. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes until stuffing has a light crust on top and is moist underneath. Remove from oven and serve. 

Buon Appetito!! 

Original BIT Recipe: BIT Rustic Sausage Stuffing

Courtesy of Chef Bertha Thomas

© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Vegetable Stew

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:
2 lbs B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage, Hot or Mild (loose without casing)
2-3 medium all purpose white potatoes
1 medium red pepper
1 small parmigiano-reggiano cheese rind
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 lb green beans, fresh or frozen
2 cups swiss chard or kale, fresh or frozen
2 cups petite peas or lima beans (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 cups white or baby bella mushrooms
12 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth (for roux)

Preparation:
Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes. Wash the red pepper, remove core and seeds, and cut into 1" pieces. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel, brushing off any dirt or debris, and slice in halves. Peel onion, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice into 1/2" rounds.

Clean fresh green beans, trimming off the ends and cut into thirds. If using, frozen green beans cook according to instructions on bag. Wash and trim fresh swiss chard or kale and cut into small bite size pieces. If using frozen chard or kale, cook according to instructions on bag. Cook frozen peas or lima beans according to instructions on bag.

To make the roux, combine the extra 1 cup of chicken broth with the flour in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.

Directions:
Heat the olive oil, in a large sauce pan over medium high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the loose sausage meat, breaking up the sausage meat with a fork as it browns. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it is browned and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add in the onion and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the onions are lightly colored and soft, turning frequently.

Add the cut mushrooms to the sausage and onion mixture and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn heat up to high, add the red pepper pieces to the sausage and onion mixture stirring them together to combine. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring frequently until the pepper pieces begin to soften.

Add the 12 cups of chicken broth to the sausage and vegetable mixture in the sauce pan. Add the bay leaf and cheese rind to the pan and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the flavors come together. Lower heat, add the potato cubes, swiss chard/kale, and cooked peas/lima beans to the pan and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Remove sauce pan from heat and stir in the flour and broth roux. Return pan to stove and bring the stew back to a simmer over low heat. Let the stew simmer for 10 minutes, taste, adjust for seasoning if necessary and serve.

Buon Appetito!!

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Vegetable Stew
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Arugula

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Arugula

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage, Hot or Mild (loose without casing)
2-3 cups baby arugula
1 Red Peppers, Large Roasted
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 - 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Red or yellow onion, sliced
12-15 Basil leaves
1 pound Orecchiette Pasta

Preparation:
Roast the red peppers in your oven at 500° for 30 minutes or until charred on the outside. Peel off the charred skins and discard them, remove seeds and cut into small pieces, about 1/2". Julienne the basil leaves and grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Peel onion and slice thinly.

Directions:
Heat the olive oil, in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the loose sausage meat, breaking up the sausage meat with a fork as it browns. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it is browned and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Lower heat and add in the onion and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until onions are lightly colored and soft, turning it gently as it cooks. Remove sausage mixture from heat and set aside.

Cook pasta al dente according to the directions provided on the package and drain. In a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, sausage mixture, roasted red pepper pieces, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano

cheese and gently combine. Once the ingredients are combined, gently fold in the baby arugula and serve.

Can be served warm or room temperature as an appetizer or main dish.  Buon Appetito!!

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Pasta Salad with Orecchiette, Roasted Red Peppers and Arugula
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Peppers

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Peppers

Ingredients:1 pound B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Links (4) hot, mild, or combination

2 tbsp   Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium green bell pepper 1/4 large yellow onion-large2 tbsp extra virgin olive oilKosher Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash and dry peppers. Remove seeds and white core from inside of peppers and cut them into 1” strips.Peel and slice onion into ½” strips.

Directions:

Add olive oil a 12” or larger non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers and sauté uncovered for 3-4 minutes.  Add onion and continue to sauté until peppers and onions are soft. Salt to taste and mix gently.   

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in another 12" saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage links and lower heat to medium. Sauté for ten minutes until sausage is browned then turn sausage gently with tongs, (do not puncture or cut the sausage while cooking to preserve juices).  Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes until other side is browned as well. Add the peppers and onions to the sausage in the pan. Turn heat to low, cover, and sauté an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. 

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Peppers

Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas

© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Squash Soup

BIT Rustic Italian Sausage & Squash Soup

 Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutesServes: 6 - 8 people

Ingredients:
1 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Mild, loose or removed from casing
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large leek

8 cups of butternut squash

6 cups chicken broth, plus little extra if necessary
1 cup heavy cream
4-5 sage leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Kosher salt (optional)

Preparation:
Peel and cut squash into medium size pieces. Clean the leek and chop the white and light green parts only. Cut the sage leaves into thin strips, julienne-style, and set aside.

Directions:Add the olive oil to the sauté pan over medium heat. Add uncooked sausage to the pan. Using a fork, break up the meat and cook until lightly browned, set aside. 

In a large sauce pan add butter and the chopped leek and sauté over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the butternut squash pieces to the pan along with the leek, stirring gently to combine. Cook over low heat for about 20 min or until the squash has softened. Remove cooked squash from heat and let cool. Puree the cooled squash mixture, return it to the large pan, and heat over medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook another 5 minutes or until squash and broth combine. Slowly stir the cream into the squash mixture, stirring gently until combined. 

Add cooked sausage meat, scraping all the bits and juices from the pan to the squash soup. Gently fold in the sausage until mix together well. Bring to a simmer over low heat, add the sage leaves and sugar, and cook for another 15 minutes. If your soup is too thick, add some extra chicken broth until you reach the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve hot with a drizzle of cream on top and a few small sage leaves for garnish.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Squash Soup
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie

Serves: 4-6 persons

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage meat hot, mild or combination
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium size yellow onion
• 10-16 ounce package of mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 Tbsp of flour
• 1 cup of chicken broth (for filling)
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 tsp rosemary leaves (optional)

Mashed Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, Yukon gold or mashing potatoes
• 3/4 cups chicken broth(for potatoes)
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 stick of room temperature salted butter
• salt and pepper
• sprinkle of paprika

Preparation:

Peel and slice onion into thin pieces and chop celery and set aside. Measure out the flour and chicken broth for the sausage meat filling and set aside. 

To prepare the mashed potatoes: Peel and chop potatoes into chunks suitable for mashing. Cook potato pieces in boiling water until soft. Drain potatoes using a colander. Measure out the sour cream, chicken broth, and butter and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, add the drained potatoes and chicken broth and mash until lumps are gone. Add sour cream and butter and mix being careful not to overwork the mixture. Salt and pepper the mashed potatoes to taste and set aside. 

Directions:

In a large saute pan add in oil and brown sausage meat over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat with fork as it cooks. When meat starts to stick to bottom of pan add sliced onion and combine.  Cook until sausage meat and onion are mixed together with all their juices, about 5-6 minutes. Add chopped celery and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the flour to the mixture and stir to combine. Add frozen vegetables, chicken broth and rosemary (optional). Simmer on low heat 8-10 minutes. Spread the sausage meat mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20-25 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Quinoa Medley

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Quinoa Medley

Ingredients:
2 lbs B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage, Hot or Mild (loose without casing)
1 Bay Leaf
1 cup Quinoa
2-3 cups Chicken Stock
1 1lb Package of Kale, Frozen
1 cup Wild Mushrooms, Fresh or Dried
3 Red Peppers, Large Roasted
¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
¾ cup Feta cheese
¼-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Red Onion, sliced

Preparation:
Rinse the Quinoa for 2-5 minutes under cold water in a mesh strainer, drain and set aside.
Cook the Kale for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, drain and set aside.

Roughly chop mushrooms into pieces and set aside. If you are using dried mushrooms, soak in warm water until softened, drain, and roughly chop into pieces. Julienne the basil leaves and set aside.

Grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and crumble the feta cheese and set aside. Roast the red peppers in your oven at 500° for 30 minutes or until charred on the outside. Peel off the charred skins and discard them and thinly slice the peppers and set aside.

Directions:
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the drained Quinoa and toast for 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stir until the Quinoa is coated and continue to cook over medium high heat until the wine has evaporated.

Once the wine has evaporated, add the hot chicken stock, bay leaf and bring to a boil. Taste and salt if necessary. Once the stock has come to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Do not remove the cover until the time is up. Then taste to see if it the Quinoa is done. If it is not tender but firm to the bite, cook for an additional 10-15 minutes more until it is done.

Heat the rest of the olive oil, in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the loose sausage meat, breaking up the sausage meat with a fork as it browns. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it is browned and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add in the red onion and cook for another 5-8 minutes, turning it gently as it cooks.

Add in the chopped mushrooms, drained kale and the roasted red peppers and gently combine. Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl and toss gently with the cooked Quinoa, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Feta cheeses. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve warm or room temperature as an appetizer or main dish with a hearty green salad.  Buon Appetito!!

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Quinoa Medley
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.