Good Eats

We're having a get together for the premiere of "The Office" tonight, so I totally don't have time to blog. But I wanted to be sure and throw down a few great recipes for those who are interested.

Sausage and Lentil Stew ("Redemption Stew")
Serves 8, heartily

• 1 package of turkey sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
  
• 1 starchy potato, peeled and diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 dash of cayenne pepper -- NOT 3 hands full!
• 6 cups of water or chicken stock
• 1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of dried lentils

Remove sausage from casings and brown in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. After sausage begins to brown, add vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add seasonings. Stir in water or chicken stock and can of tomatoes. Allow to simmer for as long as you can stand it. (We actually put ours in the slow cooker on day 2 for about 6 hours and it was FABULOUS.) About 15 minutes before serving, bring back to a low boil and stir in lentils. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until done. Serve with cheddar biscuits (recipe below).


Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Makes 8

• 1 box of Jiffy biscuit mix
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 dash of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Spoon onto an ungreased baking sheet into roughly even dollops. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

And one more...
Artichoke Chicken Salad with Toasties
Serves 4

• 2 cups of cooked chicken, diced or shredded
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and diced
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Mix ingredients in a medium bowl. Allow to refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve with toasties (recipe below)

• Lightly butter 8 slices of bread
• Sprinkle each slice of bread with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
• Bake at 450 degrees until toasted
• Allow to stand for 5 minutes, and then cut bread into 1 inch chunks

Spread your chicken salad on toasties and enjoy! (This recipe is my attempt to mimic my favorite chicken salad at Clementine's.)