Sausage & Pasta Soup

When it's cold and windy and rainy I always crave soup. Lucky for me I was able to adapt a very old recipe with the ingredients I had on hand so I didn't even need to go shopping.

Served with gluten free crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers (Caraway)

Ingredients:
-1 package (about 1lb) of sausage of your choice.  Use turkey sausage to save calories, I used sweet  Italian that I had in the fridge.
-2 boxes of low sodium chicken broth - 64 oz total (use boxes, not cans that can be lined with BPA!)
-1 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces, I used red
-1 can low sodium or no salt added pinto or cannellini beans (I used pinto,) drained & rinsed***
-1/2 yellow onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon oregano (I used fresh from my garden)
-1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 oz gluten free pasta

*** Thanks to Kristine for pointing out that I forgot to list the beans in my original post!  And two notes on canned beans.  First, if you do not use low/no salt beans rinse the beans very, very well to help remove as much of the sodium as possible.  Second, I buy Eden Organics canned beans because the lining on their cans is BPA free.  A great place to buy them is online at Vitacost, if you don't already shop at Vitacost I highly recommend it...you can even email me for a link and I can get a discount on my next purchase.  :)

My sous chef peels

Directions:
Remove sausage meat from casings and roll into one inch balls (see below).  Brown in a splash of olive oil, being careful while turning them that they don't break up.  Sausage does not need to be cooked through at this point, just browned.  If you are using very fatty sausage I would suggest cooking well to help remove as much fat as possible.  When they are ready, set aside and drain fat, leaving just a bit to cook the onions & garlic.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until slightly browned.  Add oregano, thyme, broth and potato.  Simmer covered until potato begins to soften, about 15 minutes.  If sausages were not cooked through add them now and continue to cook until sausages and potatoes are done.  If you did cook the sausage through just add them for the last 5-10 minutes.  Add the beans in the last few minutes, also.

If working with any fatty meats I prefer to cook my soup early so it can cool and I can skim the fat.  If you cook a whole day ahead, the fat solidifies in the fridge overnight and can easily be discarded.  In this case, I let the soup cool for an hour or so and used one of those fat skimming cups with a spout (no idea what they are officially called!)

Now about the pasta - you can cook it in the soup for the last 8-10 minutes if you like.  The problem for me is that if you have leftovers, the pasta will be mush the next day.  I like to make the pasta in a separate pot and add to the soup when it's in the bowl just before serving.  I used De Boles Gluten Free Elbow shaped pasta.  Of the gluten free pastas I have tried I really prefer those made with corn.

Happiness

“When I was five years old my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand life.” ~ John Lennon

Remembering Annie

Here is a whimsical painting remembering Annie.  If there is a doggy heaven, this would be it for our Annie.  When I showed this to my 9 year old he got a bit emotional...I would never upset my child on purpose but his reaction to this little painting assures me that I got her spirit right. 

Illustration Friday - Popularity

 I can't help but wonder if the birds sit in order of popularity.

A Place For Me

I am blessed in so many ways, not the least of which is the wonderful place I call home.  I am lucky enough to live in my childhood home in an amazing neighborhood.  The one thing we are lacking is space.  Our house is small.  Very small.  Finding space to do my art has always been a challenge.  With art supplies spread out all over the house I find what space I can...on the sofa, at the kitchen table...even in bed.  A few weeks ago I decided that if I am going to take my art to another level I need a dedicated space.  We took a road trip to our nearest IKEA and bought a cute little desk which fit perfectly in a bit of wasted space.  My new art studio even has an ocean view!  I'm in heaven.

a desk with a view

works in progess

  

7 Days, 7 Salads - Mexican Gordita Salad

Today is the last day of my 7 Days, 7 Salads series.  I really enjoyed coming up with 7 interesting salads and my husband enjoyed eating them!  I hope you all enjoyed them, too.  Let me know what you think.  I love your comments!


Despite the fact that I count Mexican food as among my favorites and that I live within walking distance of at least a dozen Mexican restaurants I had never had a gordita before.  By definition a gordita is is a corn cake made with masa harina (cornmeal) and stuffed with cheese, meat or other fillings (according to Wikipedia.)

These gorditas come from Trader Joes and are vegetarian and gluten free. 

 

for the salad (serves 2):
baby romaine & spinach
1/3 cup corn
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 gorditas warmed according to directions
refried pinto beans
tortilla chips
lite Mexican blend grated cheese
avocado or guacamole

for the dressing:
1 Tablespoon red salsa
1 Tablespoon of low or nonfat sour cream or greek yogurt
splash of apple cider vinegar

Arrange salad ingredients on plate.  Place gordita on top and add a generous amount of refried beans, grated cheese and a dollop of guacamole.  Arrange chips around edge of plate.  Drizzle dressing on top.  Keep in mind that the dressing made with greek jogurt will be tart, use sour cream instead if you prefer.

If you don't want or can't get the gordita this salad would be just as good with a tostada (fried corn tortilla) or even just the chips with the beans on top...sort of a nacho salad.

 

Visit my Etsy Shop

Illustration Friday - Suspense

The suspense is killing me...how many days until Valentine's Day?

Pastel and pencil on paper

“This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.” Oscar Wilde