A play on one staple ingredient - because we can all use a little change from time-to-time.
I think I can speak for most of us when I say that we’ve all been doing more cooking during these past few months, but you can definitely get tired of making the same thing over and over.
Whether you call it palate fatigue or a case of the never-ending Mondays/days bleeding into one another, the thought of cooking another meal occasionally makes me exhausted.
It's time to make simple meals that can act as a base for new and different toppings. This helps to keep your life simple, but at the same time, not tire of the same exact meal over and over. Having a good base serves as your excuse to slice up leftover roast chicken or other cooked proteins and re-sell them. It’s OK to shamelessly fridge-dive, and OK to not always know just where you might end up.
I have not always been able to find meats like ground bison, and on those occasions I’ve made a simple swap with beef or pork - or even tempeh instead. Honestly, use what you've got!
Every time I think about going down this path, I realize that it’s impossible for me to NOT cook something. I guess I just like to cook?
My chosen base for this week was sweet potato - and this comes as no surprise to those of you who know me. I will shamelessly work this amazing root vegetable into everything I possibly can, from Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Dressing, to a super simple Spicy Chicken Meal Prep Bowl. It's one of those ingredients that you can put into anything.
I have, since forever, paired my sweet potato with tuna. However, it's good to expand your horizons every-so-once-in-a-while. Therefor, let me introduce you to this week's adventure - the sausage. I used hot Italian sausage, but Chorizo is also a good substitute.
Radicchio is making its debut on my blog - so let me introduce you. It's also known as Italian chicory and is used commonly in Italian cooking. It's a leaf vegetable and has colorful white-veined red leaves that form a head (like a cabbage). Raw radicchio can be a bit astringent, but the combination of cooking it with the sausage pan drippings balances the flavors.
Some benefits of this leaf:
High in antioxidants - Antioxidants are compounds in plant foods that can help to protect your cells from free-radical damage.
High amount of vitamin K - Helps regulate and promote the calcium accumulation in your body, which supports bone strength.
I do realize that not every meal will be as simple as a bunch of leftovers and vegetables scavenged from the depths of the fridge, but sometimes, that's all we can do. And you know what? That's perfectly OK.
SWEET POTATOES WITH SAUSAGE AND RADICCHIO
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Sweet Potatoes and nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, halved
Kosher salt
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
Sausage and Assembly
1 head radicchio, leaves separated and torn into pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. spicy sausage, casings removed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix garlic and oil in a small bowl. Place sweet potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet and rub with garlic oil. Season with salt and roast until flesh is soft, 25-30 mins. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 350°F. Transfer to a plate.
Toss walnuts and remaining ½ tsp. oil on baking sheet; season with salt. Toast, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant (8-10 mins).
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook sausage until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in pepper and radicchio. Transfer meat to a plate with a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet.
Divide sweet potatoes among 4 plates. Arrange sausage mixture over, along with any pan juices. Top with walnuts and mint.
Serve and enjoy!
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