Savory Sausage and Vegetable Gravy with Cheese Grits

Somehow we skipped a meal yesterday, a rare occurrence around here. Our very late breakfast meant sliding lunch into late-afternoon, and then we weren't hungry enough to eat dinner before turning in for the evening. Much later the tummy-rumble chorus started up loud and strong, signaling that it had been a l-o-n-g time between meals. Finally I couldn't ignore those increasingly annoying, noisy stomach gurgles and the impending threat of hunger pangs, either real or imagined. Fine! back downstairs to the kitchen to build a snack plate to share. We nibbled on stacked pear and cheese slices layered with a touch of jam, light fare but it quieted my growling stomach for the evening. Today I woke up hungry! eager for something savory, substantial and maybe even healthy. 

A sensible version of Cheese Grits qualified as substantial; sensible? well, they were cooked in water with no added milk or cream. I did add modest amounts of butter and cheese, forgoing my usual heavy hand with both of these ingredients, and doubled up the hot sauce for flavor instead. Sort-of-healthy?

Sweet mini peppers, some white onion, cremini mushrooms, lacinato kale and assorted seasonings joined bits of smoky sausage in a loose beef stock sauce. That took care of savory and healthy, with added bonus points for the gravy coming together quickly while the grits bubbled away on another burner. 

One heaping scoop of tempting, cheesy grits covered with a generous serving of the sausage and vegetable gravy, topped with a sprinkle of smoked salt and freshly ground pepper, made a deliciously filling breakfast bowl. OMG it was good! Both elements were tasty enough alone on a spoon, but a blended spoonful was terrific. The combination of smooth and crunchy textures, smoky and spicy flavors, plus pops of neon bright colors made this dish a two-thumbs-up winner.  I'll cheerfully make this again for breakfast... or lunch... or supper, ashore and afloat. C'mon by and join me for some grits and savory sausage and vegetable gravy - and don't pass up the hot sauce.

Savory Sausage and Vegetable Gravy

2 counts olive oil
1 link smoked sausage (I used Kielbasa today)
4 mini sweet peppers
1/2 cup sweet onion
4 large cremini mushrooms
1 cup lacinato kale, rinsed & deribbed
3 fat cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of ground ancho or chipotle chili pepper
pinch of smoky paprika (pimenton)
1 heaping Tablespoon AP flour
1 cup low sodium beef broth (more as required)
Optional ingredients:
  smoked salt
  hot sauce, to taste (I like Cajun Sunshine or Chipotle Tabasco)
  Creamy Cheese Grits, cooked with dairy or water

1. Slice the sausage lengthwise into quarters, then chop crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the peppers, onion and mushrooms into pieces roughly the same size as the sausage. Chop the kale into bite-sized shreds.
2. Add a two-count of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage bits and cook to heat through and brown slightly, releasing any oils. Add the vegetables and garlic; saute until softened but not crispy. 
3. Stir in the oregano, thyme, ground black pepper and smoky paprika; heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the pan; toss and stir to incorporate. Slowly add the broth and whisk or stir to blend thoroughly. Continue heating and stirring until gravy thickens and is smooth. Cook longer to thicken the gravy; add more broth if it seems too thick. Taste, adjust seasonings, add hot sauce to desired level of heat.
4. Serve over Creamy Cheese Grits, sprinkle with smoked salt and pass the hot sauce. Enjoy!  

Chili Verde Tamale Pie with SouthWest Grits

Cook once, eat twice... use recipes that let you transform one night's delicious meal into something just as great tomorrow...

That has been the case lately as we enjoy crowd-sized pots of soups, stews and chilies. It seems I am incapable of preparing these favorite dishes in small batches, creating "The Leftover Challenge". It gets boring eating the same thing meal after meal, so the still delicious leftovers make repeat appearances disguised creatively presented in different recipes. 

This week it has been all about green things, but I'm not talking about a pile of iceberg lettuce salad greens. Oh no, during Seattle's cool winter weather it's more like a craving for all-things-Southwest green things; things like poblano or Anaheim or jalapeño chiles, tomatillos, cilantro, nopales, etc. that bring a little heat and virtual sunshine to the kitchen. 

This dish began with a Roasted Poblano, Jalapeño, Onion and Tomatillo Sauce, incorporating the usual ingredients and method. 

Oh my! this batch of sauce was powerful, a little peppier than planned, so I vowed to use it carefully, adding it gradually to another dish. 

The sauce led to a big pot of Chili Verde simmering on the stovetop; tender chunks of pork smothered in that tangy, zesty, tastebud-tingling, green chili sauce. I did thin the sauce a bit with chicken broth and finished it with dollops of Mexican crema to ease the chili bite.

The sauce was an amazing addition to a pan of Cheese Grits. Why did it take me so long to pair these ingredients? I sampled many spoonfuls of green sauced cheese grits before plating any for dinner. These grits were even terrific cold, straight from the fridge during a late night snack raid. And there were still grits leftover. Do you see this dish developing? 

Ahem! did I mention this was a big pot of chili? Chili Verde is good on day 1, even better on day 2, and then you still have leftovers to work with or freeze. Today's winning option was a riff on Tamale Pie, a peppy Poblano Pork Chili version sprinkled with grated white and yellow cheddar cheeses and topped with Cheesy Green Sauce Grits. The grits alone were pure heaven on a spoon! While this dish is not a traditional tamale pie, it is packed with Southwest flavor.   

We finished all of the leftover Chili Verde and Green Sauced Cheese Grits, but one container of that peppy green sauce still remains. Hmmm, I'm dreaming of green sauced omelets, tacos, enchiladas, pulled pork sandwiches... Yum! 

Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Sauce

2 large poblano chile peppers
1 large Anaheim, Hatch or jalapeno chile pepper
1 pound fresh tomatillos (not canned)
1 large onion, cut in half around its middle
4 fat cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
salt and white pepper to taste
squirt of lime juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and wash to remove sticky residue. Cut the onion in half.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the chile peppers, tomatillos and onion halves on the foil in one layer. Broil until peppers blister and the tomatillos and onion brown; turn and continue on remaining side(s). Remove from the oven and cool. 
3. Peel charred skin from peppers. Remove seeds and veins, retaining any juices. 
4. Add onions, tomatillos, garlic, peeled peppers, any accumulated juices and cilantro to a blender jar. Cover and pulse to blend.
5. Transfer to a pan or skillet and simmer over medium-low heat to reduce and thicken to desired consistency. 
6. Add salt, pepper and optional lime to taste. 

  

Cheese Grits with Andouille Sausage for Breakfast

Are you a fan of grits, that coarse grained, stone ground corn most often associated with Southern cooking? I'm no Southerner, unless months afloat in SouthEast Alaska count, but I do love grits. Just serve me some grits, an indulgent bowlful of ooey gooey, creamy cheese grits; plain buttered grits, bacon and black pepper grits, cheesy grits, shrimp and grits, grits covered with a sausage gravy or a mushroom ragu... You get the idea, and what could be better on a cool, drizzly morning, than a heaping mound of grits for breakfast? Well, how about a pile of peppery cheese grits topped with a handful of spicy Andouille sausage coins? Add a swirl or two of warmed maple syrup, just because. 

That bowlful of heaven can make me forget any dreary weather outside the raindrop-streaked kitchen windows. Cheese Grits plus Andouille can fuel both body and soul, whether I head out for an adventure, or plan to hang out inside, curled up under a blanket in a comfy chair, reading and listening to the rain.    

Cheese Grits

Grits:

2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or use salted water)

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup stone-ground grits*

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

a generous knob of butter 
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I mixed Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar and some fresh Parmesan), more or less as desired

2 spring onions, both white and green parts, sliced thin 

Sea salt and white pepper (I love to finish with a sprinkle of smoked salt)

To make the grits: 

Use a heavy bottomed 3-quart pot and bring the chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the milk, then slowly whisk in the grits. When the grits begin to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon so the grits don't stick and scorch. Cook according to the package directions, or until the mixture is smooth and thick (simmered about 35 minutes on my stovetop using the Charleston grits shown below). 

Remove from heat and stir in the cream, butter, cheese and green onions; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more milk or cream as desired for looser grits; they will set up and thicken a bit as they stand.

Topping:
1/2 link of Hempler's Andouille sausage per serving, sliced into thick coins and seared in a hot skillet until heated through, releasing the fat. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to each bowl of warm grits. 

Note: Accompany with a variety of hot sauces for those, like RL, who doses everything with a shot of green Tabasco, or Cajun Sunshine, or Sriracha, etc.

*I prefer coarse, stone ground grits, but when pressed for time I've turned to Albers quick-cooking grits for good results in under 10 minutes. That's Albers Quick Cook, NOT instant grits which turn out as mushy and tasteless as wallpaper paste, or what I imagine wallpaper paste would taste like if I ate any, which I haven't. Maybe less unpalatable than poi, which I have tasted and now avoid? Not even as tasty as the jarred white paste we nibbled on in kindergarten? Now I'm off topic - sorry.  The point is, I want my grits to have some definite corn flavor and a little crunchy texture in each bite.