Sausage with Spinach, White Beans & Tomatoes

HOWDY everyone!  I hope this fall finds you well & happy.  My hubby & I recently returned from a much-needed vacation visiting family in Colorado.  It was wonderfully relaxing and filled with quality family time.  We greatly enjoyed the respite from 3-digit temperatures too.  We’re back home now, and despite the still-hot temps here at home, I’m craving some of my favorite fall recipes.

I came across this one online a year or two ago, and it has become a real favorite at our house.  I made a few minor adjustments to the original recipe, but it is really simple, and comes together really quickly.  It’s perfect for a quick & hearty meal when you don’t have much time.  Just add a loaf of crusty bread, and enjoy!

Sausage with Spinach, White Beans & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3/4 pound kielbasa (sliced into rounds, or half-rounds, and browned)

1 cup chicken broth

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tsp fresh from garden)

Ground cayenne pepper (to taste…NOT TOO MUCH!)

2 cups Cannellini beans (rinsed well - approx. 1-19 oz. can)

Two medium sized tomatoes diced small (about 1 cup or so)

6 cups baby spinach leaves (in a pinch, you can also use frozen, chopped spinach - thawed)

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

Directions

Brown sausage rounds and remove to a bowl.  Save drippings in pan.

Pour chicken broth and garlic into the skillet you cooked the sausage in, to deglaze.  Place on medium high heat and bring to a simmer.

Add oregano, ground cayenne pepper and beans.  Stir well before adding tomatoes.

Heat through till the beans are tender.  It won't take long at all.

Once beans are tender, add in the spinach and cook just until the leaves are wilted.

Stir in cooked sausage and sprinkle cracked pepper on top.

Serve with crusty bread and a big spoon!   (Also good served over brown rice!)

I really hope you’ll give this one a try.  It’s sure to become a family favorite at your house too!  If you do, please let me know...I'd love your feedback.

I pray your weekend is going well.  I plan to watch my Aggies BTHO Arkansas tonight!

Blessings…and Gig’em!

--Faithy

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

HOWDY and Happy Halloween my friends!  I hope you and yours are warm and dry this rainy morning.  Concerned for many in our wonderful state of Texas who have been slammed with massive flooding the past couple of days.  Please join me in praying for all who have suffered losses from these massive storms, and for all the rescue & relief workers involved as well.

As usual, the cooler weather has me in a fall mood, and wanting to try some new pumpkin recipes.  I came across this one by Jessica over at A Kitchen Addiction a couple of days ago, and knew I had I had to try it.  I got up early this morning to give it a go, and it definitely didn’t let me down.  These muffins are DELISH!!

They were super easy to throw together, and made my house smell soooooo good while they were baking!  They taste a little like a super pumped up bran muffin…only better.  They look good, AND they taste good, so you can’t go wrong with that!

As usual, I made a few very minor adaptations to the recipe (below), but whether you try Jessica’s original recipe or my version…just TRY THIS!!  You won’t regret it!

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour (you can use all-purpose flour for all or part, but this recipe works really good with all whole wheat flour…kinda tastes like a bran muffin)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup Whey Low Gold (or packed brown sugar)

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 cup 100% pumpkin puree (I normally use homemade, but I was out, so canned it was.  Whatever you use though, DO NOT use canned pumpkin pie mix!)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (I’m sure you could use any oil you like, but this adds a delicious mild flavor)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
Topping (optional)  (I know this is optional, but I think the toasty pepitas on top add a delightful crunch to these muffins!!)
pepitas, for topping

rolled oats, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. (you can use cupcake liners if you want, but I prefer not too…I hate having any of the yumminess left stuck to the paper!).
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, Whey Low Gold, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.

Add pumpkin puree, honey, coconut oil, egg substitute, and vanilla extract.  Stir until just combined, making sure that the eggs are incorporated.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full (I always use my large cookie scoop, which is the perfect amount, but an ice cream scoop would work too).  Sprinkle with a few pepitas and oats.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took 25) or until toothpick inserted in the center of muffin comes out clean.

The original recipe said that it made 12 muffins.  I ended up with 15.  (Yaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy!!!  Bonus muffins!!)

Anyway…just had to stop by and share this recipe before I got too busy.  It’s THAT good!  (I'm thinking I might even try adding a few dried cranberries next time...hmmmm...I may even try making it into some small loaves for gifts...hmmmm...I'm really liking this recipe!)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!  Stay safe if you’re out there trick-or-treating tonight!  And don't forget to stop by and say howdy to Jessica over at A Kitchen Addiction!!

Blessings,

--Faithy

UPDATE:  This has become one of my favorite recipes, and it works really well with the homemade pumpkin puree.   Also, I did try adding the dried cranberries, and they add an extra layer of yumminess.  Definitely worth tossing in if you have some.  I may try some diced apples next.  I've did made it into small loaves to give as gifts too.  They were a hit!  The leftover muffins are especially good if you split them in half, then butter them and toast them under the broiler until lightly browned.  Mmmmmm...

Black Bean Salad

HOWDY friends!  As our American Independence Day celebration draws near, I wanted to pop in and share a yummy salad recipe, that is very quick & easy to put together, and ALWAYS a hit!

My brother brought home the recipe a few years ago.  He had eaten it at a friend’s house, and loved it, so he asked for their recipe.  He and my sister have been making it regularly ever since.  The recipe he brought home was made with corn & black beans.  I decided to adapt it, and leave out the corn.  I made my version for a hungry crew at our recent Memorial Day celebration, and it was a definite success.

Some folks liked it as it is intended (as a salad), others thought it worked well as a dip.  (I think I might give it a few pulses in the food processor if I decide to serve it as a dip.  I wouldn’t want it completely smooth, but a little less chunky might be good for dipping.)  My niece even decided it made a great hot dog topping!

However you might decide to serve it, or adapt it (as I did), you really should try it.  It’s delicious, and sure to be a favorite for your family like it has become for mine.

I’ve tried to track the original recipe (to give proper credit, where credit is due), but I’ve had a hard time nailing it down.  The closest I’ve come is what the internet refers to as Paula Deen’s Corn Salad .  However, I’m not even sure that it came from Paula Deen, as I haven’t found it on any of her websites, or anywhere with attribution other than the name.  Maybe somebody thought it sounded like something she might make and gave it the name, or maybe she really did originate it.  I really don’t know, but I do know that it is wonderful!  That recipe uses only corn (no black beans),unlike the recipe my brother brought home, but pretty much everything else was the same.  I figured if it could be made with just corn, it could be made with just beans, so without further ado…here’s my version.

(Photo quality isn't nearly as good as the salad is!)

 

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed & drained (the original recipe my brother brought home called for 1 can black beans & 1 can whole kernel corn - both rinsed & drained)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar adds a really nice flavor, but I’m sure you could substitute a Mexican cheese blend or whatever you happen to like)

1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer real mayo, as Miracle Whip tends to lend a sweetness that I don’t want)

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped (or you can use any combination of your favorite, red, yellow and/or green bell peppers - my brother’s recipe uses green - I’m even thinking I might try adding a chopped jalapeño or two next time!)

1/2 cup red onion, chopped (I prefer to use the sweet red onions when I can find them)

1 (10-1/2 ounce) bag coarsely crushed chili cheese flavored corn chips

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT crushed corn chips) and chill.  (If you have time...make it the night before you plan to serve it, to allow the flavors to fully develop.  If you're in a hurry, don't worry, it will still be fabulous!)  Sprinkle crushed corn chips over the top of your salad just before serving.  (You can also stir them directly into the mixture if you prefer.  Either way, don’t do it too early, or they’ll lose their crunchiness.)

I hope you’ll give this one a try, and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear about the variations you might choose!

Happy 4th of July my friends... I pray that you’ll have the opportunity to celebrate our country’s Independence Day with your family & friends, as I plan to.  May we never forget the sacrifices made by so many to grant us (and maintain for us) the many freedoms we so often take for granted.  I’m especially thankful to live in a country where I am blessed with the freedom to openly worship & serve my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!  May it always be so.

Photo credit:  http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/4th-of-july.shtml

May God Bless America, and each one of you my friends!

Blessings,

--Faithy

Bran Muffins with Pineapple and Dried Cranberries

HOWDY friends!!  Happy Lord's Day!  I’ve been enjoying a beautiful weekend here in Zig Zag.  After the icy cold weather we’ve been having, yesterday's sunshiny day with temps in the mid 60's was just glorious!!  I even got to spend a bit of time outside playing with my 5-1/2 week-old puppies…so fun!

Anyway…I was in the mood for muffins yesterday morning, so I decided to make a batch of these long-time favorites.  As I was eating them, I realized that I’d never shared this recipe with you, so I had to fix that!  I found the recipe almost 10 years ago in a book called:  "Eating for Lower Cholesterol" by Catherine Jones and Elaine B. Trujillo.  It’s a great little book, filled with delicious low cholesterol recipes…who says eating healthier has to taste like cardboard?!!

These muffins are high in fiber, loaded with B vitamins and folic acid, and cholesterol free (if you are able to use the fat-free buttermilk…if not, they still only have a trace amount in each one!)  And…if you make the recipe into 24 muffins like I did, they are only about 110 calories each.  I’ve been making these little gems for years, and they’re always a hit.

I hope you’ll give them a try, and they’ll become a favorite of yours as well!

Bran Muffins with Pineapple and Dried Cranberries

3-1/2 cups bran cereal (I used Fiber One brand…the original recipe recommended All-Bran…it’s mostly a texture difference, as the Fiber One cereal has larger strands of cereal)

1 cup boiling water

1/4 cup canola oil (I actually used a vegetable/canola oil blend)

3/4 cup Whey Low® Type D (or regular sugar or your favorite sugar substitute)

1 cup low-fat buttermilk (fat free buttermilk would be even better, but I have trouble finding it here…if you don’t have any buttermilk, you can substitute a mixture of skim milk with 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to equal a total of 1 cup…just let it rest for 5 minutes before mixing it into your batter)

3 large egg whites

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (you can use a total of 1-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour if you prefer)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (this is half of the amount the original recipe called for)

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (be sure to use crushed pineapple in its own juices - NOT SYRUP; do not drain)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I only had 1/3 cup available today, and that worked fine)

Preheat the oven to 400º F.  Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.

Place the bran cereal in a medium-sized bowl and pour the boiling water over it; do not stir.  Set aside while you’re putting together the rest of the batter.

Combine the oil and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together.  Add the buttermilk and egg whites, then whisk again.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk well.

Add the softened bran cereal and mix with a wooden spoon.  Now add the pineapple, cranberries, and pecans and mix just until combined.  (This makes a very thick batter.)  Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.  (You can also cover it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight, so it will be ready to bake in the morning!)

Gently stir the batter, then spoon into your greased muffin tins.  (As I’ve mentioned before, I always like to use my large cookie scoop - or an ice cream scoop - for this, as it hold just the right amount of batter for the job, and makes very little mess.)  Bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean:  about 20-22 minutes.  Transfer the muffins onto a cooling rack and let cool slightly before eating.  (They hold the heat very well, and you don’t want to burn your mouth!!)

You can cover these, and leave them at room temperature for up to 2 days, or tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  I usually just freeze what we don’t eat immediately, and then just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds whenever I want a quick breakfast or snack.

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. -- John 1:16 --

Don't forget to take some time to R-E-L-A-X today with those you love...
Blessings,

--Faithy