I don’t know about you, but I love watching the Food Network. I am fascinated when contestants on the show “Chopped” are handed a basket of ingredients that are often bizarre and the chefs use those ingredients to create dishes that are attractive and even taste good according to the judges.
Well, tonight the refrigerator was my “Chopped” basket. The basket contained vegetables that needed to be used before they were only good for compost. On our budget, I want as little produce as possible to end up in the compost bin. So I needed to get creative.
I actually had a basic menu plan for the week but it only listed what protein I was going to serve so I knew what to get out of the freezer in the morning. So according to plan, I took the package of Italian chicken sausages out to thaw this morning and then wondered throughout the day what I would make to go with it. My husband and I are also trying to eat healthy so that adds another level of challenge.
Thankully, I keep my pantry well-stocked so I had options. So I pulled the bag of Corn Grits aka Polenta off the shelf, started chopping vegetables, and this is what I created:
Vegetable Medley with Italian Chicken Sausage
Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. I used my 10-inch cast iron pan.
As you get them chopped, add the vegetables to the oil to saute. You could used just about any combination but here is what I had:
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
4 small sweet peppers, diced
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
Half a box of sliced mushrooms
Saute until tender. Add one 15-ounce can each of diced tomatoes in their own juice and tomato sauce. My pan was very full. Reduce to simmer. Season to taste. (I added salt, pepper, dried basil, and dried parsley.)
While the vegetables are simmering, slice one package of Italian Style with Mozzarella Chicken Sausages into small bite size pieces. Add to vegetables and continue to simmer until sausages pieces are heated through.
I served the medley over polenta and garnished it with shredded Parmesan cheese. It made a wonderful and filling dinner for under 500 calories.
I hope I have ignited your creativity for when you are faced with random ingredients that need to be used to create a meal. I love to cook and create tasty, nutritious meals for my family. It’s all part of enjoying the blessing of a heart for home.
Pam