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