B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Vegetable Minestrone Soup

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Vegetable Minestrone

Serves: 6 -8 persons

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
3/4 lbs B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing, hot, mild or combination

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, minced

1 cup carrot, minced

1 cup celery, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 fresh sage leaves

1/4 lbs fresh or frozen green beans

2 potatoes, medium sized

2 cups fresh or canned whole tomatoes

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen small green peas

2 medium zucchini

1/2 small head of savoy cabbage

1 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with rind

2 quarts basic chicken broth or low sodium canned chicken broth

1/2 cup arborio or jasmine rice

Preparation:

Mince the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.  In a medium size bowl, combine uncooked hot and mild sausage meat if using combination.  Shred fresh sage leaves and measure the small green peas.  Peel and cube the potatoes into 1/2" pieces. Puree the whole tomatoes or if using fresh, dice the whole tomatoes. Slice zucchini into small pieces.  Remove the core from the cabbage and cut into 1/2" to 1" slices. Remove the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and set aside. Grate the remaining cheese and put in a small bowl to use as a garnish at the end.

Directions:Heat extra virgin olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook 5 - 6 minutes until lightly browned.  Saute loose sausage meat in 12" sauce pan until brown and beginning to stick to bottom of pan.  Add the sausage to lightly browned vegetable mixture in the large pot. Break up sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add sage to mixture and stir.  Add rest of vegetables and season if needed. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano rind and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to low and simmer partially uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using rice add it now and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest 12 to 15 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Vegetable Minestrone
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.

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.