Panzanella with Italian Sausage

I’m a huge fan of throwing a bunch of stuff in a bowl and calling it something.  Panzanella has been floating around the back of my mind for some time now.  I was first inspired by several panzanella recipes on foodgawker, and then I did some research on Wikipedia.  Turns out that panzanella is an Italian way of using up leftovers and cleaning out your produce drawer.  What follows below is really more of a method than a recipe.  Adjust the amounts of things to your tastes, swap out veggies for what you have on hand, and add whatever protein strikes your fancy.  Or, skip the protein and make this into a flavortastic light side dish. 

If your bread is not very old, or if you like crunchy bread, toast your cubes a bit in the oven before assembling the dish.  This panzanella is extremely versatile.  Next time I make it I think I will add some chopped fresh basil, and perhaps some shaved parmesan or some torn up fresh mozzarella.

This dish came together unbelievably fast, and turned out delicious and satisfying.  As an individual who pretty much hates vegetables, it’s a compliment to this recipe that I cleaned my plate of all its squash, peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes.  The bread soaks up all the flavors but does not get soggy because it’s day-old (or toasted, whichever you prefer).  My bread was actually several days old, so stale and crunchy that I was afraid it would ruin the dish (it didn’t).  For that reason, I didn’t toast it.  However, next time I make this–because, oh yes, there will be a next time–I will use slightly less stale bread and toast it for a minute or two while the veggies are broiling, just to try a different texture.

Panzanella with Italian Sausage
Inspired by Wikipedia, The Bitten Word, Baked Bree, and Macheesmo

Ingredients:
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 small head broccoli, chopped
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into eighths
12 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 a day-old baguette or other crusty bread, chopped into 1-inch chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
White wine vinegar (or your favorite)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Set oven to high broil setting.  Place all vegetables in a sturdy roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place under broiler until vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.  (Alternatively, you could grill your veggies.)

Meanwhile, place the Italian sausage in a skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until well browned, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar to taste.  Allow the bread to soak up these liquids a bit.  Add crumbled sausage and its juices to bread cubes and stir to evenly distribute.  Add broiled vegetables and their juices to bowl, and stir well to combine flavors.  Set aside a few minutes to allow bread to soak up juices.  Enjoy!

Homemade Fudgsicles

This post is for my dad–a true Fudgsicle fanatic.  :)

Food blogs this time of year churn out recipes for frozen goodness at an alarming rate.  My Google reader feed has been awash in these recipes, but alas, I have not been able to try any of them for lack of equipment.  Until now.  While my very own Kitchenaid ice cream attachment remains a (near constant) daydream, I recently treated myself to a set of Tovolo Goovy Pop popsicle molds.  Now, now I could finally satisfy my craving for homemade frozen goodness!

What better way to break my molds in than with a recipe for homemade Fudgsicles?  When I saw this recipe on Baking Bites, I knew I had to try it.  With no preservatives and no ingredients I can’t pronounce, these popsicles are ridiculously easy to make and even more ridiculously delicious.  If you are a chocoholic (or related to one), I recommend whipping up a batch of these, stat!  Cold, creamy, chocolatey, with exactly the right Fudgsicle texture…frozen hard enough to last a while, but soft enough to get some nice big bites to melt on your tongue.

The only downside to this recipe is that it is MESSY when you get to the pouring-into-molds part.  Then again, is that really a downside?  I mean, as a culture, have we gotten ourselves into such a state that we can’t handle a little bit of mess from time to time?  If the mess really bothers you, you can always use a small funnel and a ladle to fill your molds.  If you’re like me, though, a Fudgsicle-stained apron (and, erm, face, and hands…) is a culinary badge of honor. 

Mmmph.  About these photos.  The camera I am currently using appears to be having a tantrum, and thus was quite uncooperative today.  That, and I am learning that popsicles are just dang difficult to photograph, especially by oneself!  Not a total loss, though.  I think the photos do an adequate job of conveying the texture and richness of the fudgsicles, though they’re certainly not foodgawker-worthy.  On a happy side note, I discovered that my photo-editing software can generate collages.  So, enjoy!   (If you want to see a really great photograph of these popsicles, check out Baking Bite’s photo!)

Homemade Fudgsicles
Recipe from Baking Bites
Makes 6(ish) Fudgsicles
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup granulate sugar
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Stir over medium heat just until sugar and cocoa have dissolved.  Pour into molds and freeze until solid.

Note: if you don’t have popsicle molds, never fear!  You can use little paper cups or ice cube trays and plain popsicle sticks for the handle.

Shrimp and Grits

I’ll start off this post by saying that I have a sort of squidgy relationship with shrimp.  By squidgy I mean that I will eat them provided they’re small enough and not overcooked.  Other than that, shrimp and most other forms of seafood make me a bit squirmy.  It’s a texture thing.  I absolutely, completely CANNOT stand those giant shrimp.  The idea of eating one of those is equivalent to the idea of eating a large caterpillar.  Just. Can’t.  Do it.

However, I married a native Mainer who has seafood adoration in his genes.  Part of the marital contract is that I will cook seafood from time to time, and he will take out the trash and kill spiders.  Really, it’s in the contract.    I have spotted recipes for shrimp and grits floating around teh interwebs for awhile now, and the idea intrigued me.  I’ve had grits before, but only for breakfast, and I’ve certainly never attempted to make them at home.  And, you know how I feel about shrimp.  The decision was made, though, when I came across this recipe for shrimp and grits and BACON.  Bacon fixes everything for me.  Happily, I had some bacon left over from the corn chowder I made recently and shrimp were on sale at the grocery this week, so it seemed Meant To Be.

In short, this meal is delish.  I used small shrimps (cocktail sized), and added some garlic and crushed red pepper to the bacon mixture.  My first experience cooking grits at home was a smashing success, and the grits and shrimp went amazingly well together.  I will absolutely be making this again.  In fact, I have been daydreaming about what else I can pile on top of these grits.  I’m thinking maybe a nice medium-rare sliced steak, or even some grilled veggies.  Overall, this meal is super quick (really…make sure you have everything ready and prepped before you start!), so tasty, and wonderfully filling.  The only caution I would give is that this is a multitasking dish.  To avoid overcooked shrimp or gloopy grits, you need to basically prepare both elements at the same time.  If you have your ingredients prepped, this is not hard, and once you get started the steps are so few that it’s not complicated at all.  And, believe me, the end result is totally worth that little bit of extra planning! 

Shrimp and Grits
Adapted from Foodwhirl
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
8 strips bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh thyme or chives (optional)

1 cup quick grits (not instant)
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon butter

Directions:
In a large skillet, render bacon over medium heat to desired doneness (I like mine nice and crunchy).  Toss in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook quickly, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove bacon mixture from pan and set aside.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water and 1 Teas salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Once water boils, add grits, stirring well, and reduce heat.  Cook per package instructions (usually 5 minutes), until thick and creamy.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and butter.

Toss your shrimp with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Add shrimp to bacon grease in hot skillet, and cook over medium heat until pink and opaque (about 2-3 minutes per side).  Remove skillet from heat and quickly stir in bacon mixture.  At this point, if your grits are not done yet, it is a good idea to remove the shrimp mixture to a dish to avoid overcooking via the residual heat in the skillet.

To serve, scoop a portion of grits onto a plate.  Top with shrimp and bacon, and snip some chives or thyme over the top, if using.  Enjoy!