tomato paste

Sausage, Cannellini, and Tomato Ragout

Leah Short — Mon, 11 May 2015 23:12:27 +0000

Posts have been a little scarce around here lately, but for good reason. So, How’s It Taste had a little behind-the-scenes makeover and you should notice how much faster the site is! It’s lightning fast thanks to moving to a new hosting company. More changes are coming soon…but until then, let’s talk about this Sausage, Cannellini, and Tomato Ragout. You won’t believe the flavor in this, and all under 300 calories per serving. One recipe makes four large servings and wait until you see what I serve with it.

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Butter Chicken Naan Pizza with Peanut Slaw

Leah Short — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 15:27:01 +0000

Lately I’ve been on this naan kick where I want to eat it constantly. It’s so soft and pillowy and buttery. If you leave me alone with naan and hummus, it will be gone in two seconds flat. I’ve made a meal out of naan and hummus many a night. That’s why when I found this Butter Chicken Naan Pizza with Peanut Slaw, I knew I had to make it. And why didn’t I think about turning naan into pizza?!

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Tilapia with Fennel-Yogurt Sauce & Red Pepper Couscous

Leah Short — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:13:14 +0000

I’m coming off of 10 days of glorious vacation! It’s a little challenging to get back into the swing of things with getting up early for work, getting ready for work, driving to work, being at work. Sensing a theme here? Yeah, I’m happy to be employed, but I sure do miss being on my own schedule, which most days didn’t include wearing makeup or heels. Getting used to my work schedule isn’t the only thing challenging me. It’s also going back to not eating the house down. No more Doritos, no more Devil Squares. Luckily I’ve got this fantastic, low calorie dinner that tastes like I’m still on vacation. This Tilapia with Fennel-Yogurt Sauce paired with Red Pepper Couscous makes me feel like I’m still splurging, but is much kinder to my hips than all those Doritos!

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Chipotle Black Beans with Mexican Rice

Leah Short — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:26:26 +0000

I do the happy dance when I find recipes for my favorite foods, but that are healthier versions. It’s like having your cake and eating it, too! I love beans and rice, especially when I can swirl them with a dollop of creamy, cool sour cream. When I go to Mexican restaurants and the combo comes with only one, it’s the toughest decision deciding between the two. I really could just eat a large plate with both and call it dinner. Now you see why I was so giddy when I tried Chipotle Black Beans with Mexican Rice. It’s a healthier version than what you’ll find in restaurants, but with some major flavor twists.

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Red Wine Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Leah Short — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:44:25 +0000

Since I made zucchini noodles in a creamy sauce a few posts ago, I am hooked. I couldn’t wait to see how they’d turn out with a meaty, tomato-based spaghetti sauce. This Red Wine Spaghetti Meat Sauce has been with me for years. I adapted it for spaghetti a long time ago from a lasagna recipe. It got lost in my huge stack of loose recipes until I finally organized them in a binder. It was fun to find recipes I’d forgotten about and old favorites like this one, especially when they’re handwritten.

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Leah Short — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:31:57 +0000

A few weeks ago I bought a ton of produce. I was convinced this new diet was going to have me eating super healthy and shedding pounds right and left. Um, yeah, that lasted for not even a full day. On closer inspection, the diet was nothing but a ton of raw veggies on salad with little dressing and I knew I was going to hate it before I took the first bite. Those kinds of diets always hook me in when I know I should just stick to what works for me. Fast forward and I’m stuck with all kinds of fresh veggies. Some of those being some beautiful yellow bell peppers. I took inventory of what was already in my pantry and discovered I could whip together a fantastic filling for Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers. I used to think I couldn’t create my own recipes, but I’m slowly proving myself wrong. Kind of fun to experiment in the kitchen and end up with something blog-worthy that isn’t in my Oops category!

So, how’s it taste?

I really surprised myself with this one! I can follow a recipe no problem and make some killer food, but I don’t venture out into original territory too often. Part of the reason is why bother when there’s so many awesome recipes out there, and another part is not knowing if it will taste good. But I take that risk making others’ recipes anyway. I wasn’t in the mood to prowl the internet for the perfect recipe and I wasn’t about to go to the grocery store after spending an insane amount of money on all that produce (side note: it it EXPENSIVE to eat healthy, sheesh!). That’s when I raided my pantry, freezer, and fridge and started to come up with a plan for what I could stuff into these peppers! Rice was easy as the base, then thinking about the corn and beans, I decided on the Southwest spices. The rice, corn, and beans add bulk and are really filling. The onion, garlic, and spices give it such a boost of flavor. The tomato paste is the key as it adds just a bit of sweet and helps to keep the mixture together. Of course, the cheese provides the finishing touch. Ta da!

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Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew

Leah Short — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:04:35 +0000

We’ve barely mentioned pierogies on this blog. Back in 2010, they were on my recap post of a food tour I took in NYC. I love them. If you’re not familiar with pierogies, they are a carb-lovers dream. Pillows of dough filled with mashed potatoes. I like to slather mine in sour cream and onions. As I flipped through my Food Network magazine, I had eyes for this Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew. I added sausage to the title because it’s such a huge part of this dish. So much going on in this recipe and it makes four huge servings. I like the word “huge” when it refers to a serving size and I’m counting calories.

So, how’s it taste?

I was iffy about it because the ingredients have the potential to be too weird together to be good. Especially when you add the cabbage. It stinks! Seriously stinks! Luckily the smell is no where near the flavor. I had to alter the recipe a bit and used pork sausage instead of turkey. That worked out really well, so I highly suggest making that substitution. I also couldn’t find pre-cut butternut squash either fresh or frozen and I wasn’t about to cut one myself, so I substituted frozen, pureed butternut squash. I really toiled over that decision at the grocery store, but again, I think it worked out better than if I had used cubed. It makes the stew really thick and comforting. There’s enough chunks it it with the mushrooms, sausage, and the pierogies, so I liked not having yet another chunk of something.

The flavor was incredible. I’ll repeat that. Incredible! I was surprised at how much I loved it. It was hearty and comforting and had so many textures. The cabbage stays a bit crunchy, then all the chunks of mushrooms and sausage, and oh those pierogies! A dollop of sour cream makes it so rich. I started using a bit of prepared horseradish in this soup and now I try it in others all the time. It works fantastic in this stew. It gives just a bit of kick and yet another layer of awesomeness.

I would suggest cooking the pierogies separately as you need them for a serving. While I really enjoyed the leftovers, the pierogies got a bit soggy the longer they were in the stew. If you’re using full size pierogies, I also suggest cutting them in thirds. It makes for much easier eating.

Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew

adapted from Food Network Magazine
makes 4 servings
per serving: 388 calories, 13g fat, 46g carbs, 4g fiber, 24g protein

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
8 oz. Italian turkey or pork sausage, casings removed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups shredded coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
10 oz. box frozen butternut squash, thawed
1 (12 oz.) package cheddar and potato pierogies
Kosher salt
1/3 cup sour cream
Freshly ground pepper
Horseradish, prepared, optional

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir well to coat. Increase heat to medium high, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

2. Add coleslaw mix, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the squash and pierogies* and simmer, uncovered, until the pierogies are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with the sour cream, and pepper to taste. Add horseradish for a spicy kick.

*Note: I would suggest cooking the pierogies separately and adding them as you need them for each serving. The leftovers tasted great, but the pierogies did get a bit soggy the longer they were in the stew. So if you're not going to eat the entire recipe in one sitting, cook as many pierogies as you need per serving. It's also good to cut them into thirds to make eating the stew easier.

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