Not So Porky Sausage & Peppers

I’m certainly not revealing any ground-breaking news here. At this point, the world has become so health conscious, everyone knows that sausage is NOT very good for you. If you’re one of the few people out there living under a rock, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Sausage isn’t the key to perfectly clear arteries. But when I need a quick dinner that I can throw together in 15 minutes after work, sausage and peppers is a solid go-to. The easiest fix is to swap out the pork for turkey, but I was reluctant to try turkey Italian sausage. Some things are best left un-fussed with.

Most sausages made from anything other than pork lack the proper casing that makes sausage so great. I like when the outside gets all dark and crispy and pork-free casings just don’t crisp-up. I couldn’t get them to brown. They basically end up steaming in the pan and come out looking pale and grey; not very appetizing. Despite my clear prejudice, I decided to try it anyway. After some trial and error, I found the trick to dealing with the turkey sausage thorn in my side. First, the links need to be very dry. Roll them on a paper towel to make sure they aren’t carrying along any excess moisture. Second, your pan needs to be screaming hot so the second the meat hits the surface, they start to brown. Slimy sausage problem solved!

If you make this simple substitution to your favorite recipe for sausage and peppers, you can save over half the amount of fat as the original. A typical grilled turkey sausage link has around 9G of fat. A pork sausage can have up to 22 grams of fat per link! That’s approximately 30 percent of the amount of fat you’re supposed to have in one day and it’s squeezed into this one measly link of sausage. I’m sharing my own recipe here. My suggestion is to buy hot sausage. Everything’s better when it’s a little spicy. What’s life without a little spice anyway?

* Get cooking. Let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? I’m interested in hearing your feedback and suggestions.

Olive Hater No More

I didn’t start out as an olive lover like every self-respecting ½ Italian girl should. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Iavarone Brothers, I’ll introduce you. It’s the greatest Italian gourmet food shop on Long Island. The two of you will become fast friends. My step dad would take a trip to Iavarone on a Saturday and come home with a whole array of olives; black, green, oil cured, some with pimentos, some without. In true bratty little kid fashion, I’d stick my tongue out at the little plastic containers of salty treats and ask him to pass the prosciutto.

One day I woke up. Olives are fantastic. I was at home this weekend reveling in the return of the Food Network to Cablevision customers (crisis averted!) and caught Ellie Krieger’s show. I completely admire Ellie’s background as a Nutritionist and I do think some of her recipe ideas are stellar, but she’s a big-time geek. I was actually tempted to switch over to SportsCenter, the show was so drab. SportsCenter! But, I stuck it out and low and behold she was making an olive turkey burger. Granted, she calls it her Better Burger which is a lame-o name for an entrée. You can’t just slap the word “better” in front of a food item and trick people into trying your recipe. You got me Ellie, I tried it. It was delicious.

The recipe is very simple and doesn’t require that you buy a bunch of wacky ingredients. The only change I made was to melt a piece of provolone cheese over the top. With turkey burgers, I’m always concerned they will dry out and the cheese was a little insurance policy. Actually, the olives kept the burger nice and juicy and the cumin gives it a really interesting smoky taste that I haven’t encountered before in a burger. I thought the olive taste would be overpowering, but it was surprisingly subtle. I even went a little wild and topped with ketchup AND mustard. Crazy, I know. For someone trying to control their fat intake, turkey burgers are a really nice option. A whole wheat roll keeps carbs under control and you can sneak some veggies in there with lettuce and tomato on top. Overall, a great meal.


Get cooking. Let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? I’m interested in hearing your feedback and suggestions.

Drury Lane Meatloaf

Rachael, Rachael, Rachael. I’ll agree that Ms. Ray is a nagging personality to listen to for even a 30-minute meal. If she says E-V-O-O one more time I just might reach through the TV and slap her silly. But, the gal sure can cook. I find myself doctoring up a lot of her recipes. I thought her Meatloaf Muffin idea was genius. I’m a self-proclaimed Sliver Queen. “Oh, don’t mind me; I’m just having another little SLIVER.” Well that sliver turns into five more slivers and before I know it, I’ve eaten an entire second portion. Then, I plop down on the couch grumpy and defeated. Meatloaf, you won’t get me this time! This recipe is a perfect way to control portion size. Just have two mini loaves with a veggie on the side and you’ve got yourself a comfort food feast that won’t leave you feeling plump.

I’m calling my spin on Rachael’s creation Mini Turkey Meatloaves with Barbecue Sauce. I’m using ground turkey instead of ground beef. This cuts some of the fat and believe it or not, I actually prefer the turkey. It has a much softer texture. Just be careful to avoid ground turkey breast. Ground white meat has the texture of rubbery marbles. Yick! Having some dark meat in the mix really does help to keep the loaves nice and juicy. I also cut the amount of BBQ sauce in half. BBQ is jam packed with sugar, but it’s also full of flavor. Half the amount delivers the same taste without the unnecessary sugar spike.

I know you’re tempted to serve meatloaf with a side of creamy mashed potatoes. Who wouldn’t be? Mashed potatoes are actually one of my top 3 favorite foods in the universe. The universe! That’s huge. But, in the spirit of cutting carbs, I paired the meatloaf with some roasted brussels sprouts. OK, wipe that disgusted look off your face. Brussels sprouts are delicious if you treat them with respect! Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. The outsides will brown and crisp up nicely. You won’t be sorry you gave them a chance.