Quick and Easy is the Name of the Game

So, I wanted to get a quick post into you guys before I head back up north for the food holiday of the year! That's right I'm heading back to good ole NY for some feasting with the family. I'm more than excited to among friends and family and my mom's cooking of course. But first I wanted to share these recipes that I have tried this past week. They are super simple and are great for week nights when the last thing you want to do is cook. 

Chicken Sausage over Potato Slivers and Sauteed Spinach

4 Chicken Sausage (I used Trader Joe's Pesto flavored; but any would work great)

1/2 bag baby spinach

1 large Potato, thinly sliced 

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

Salt and Pepper

To start, I thinly sliced my potatoes using a mandolin. The first batch I cooked up I did on the stove top and they came out crispy just how I imagined they should. Using about 1/2 Tbsp. butter I cooked the potato slices in a saute pan for about 5 minutes each side until they were golden brown and crispy. But since my potato produced an insane amount of thin slices I decided to speed up the process. I turned my oven on to 450 degrees. In one layer I placed the potatoes on a cookie sheet drizzled them with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, then seasoned with salt and pepper. Then using my hands I ensured all of the potatoes were coated with the oil. I stuck them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they were slightly golden and soft (still just as delicious as the first batch). While my potatoes were cooking up I sliced my sausages at an angle and sauteed them up until heated through about 5-7 minutes. I removed the sausages from the pan, and in the same pan placed a drizzle of olive oil and my baby spinach. I cooked until the spinach wilted about 2 minutes. Then I simply plated my dinner, potatoes first, then spinach, topped off with the sausage. Quick and Easy! It makes about 4 smaller servings, I had plenty for dinner (slightly larger portion) and two days of lunch. 

Pumpkin Roll Ups and Mini Apple Cream Cheese Roll ups 

I used one can of crescent rolls with two different flavors apple and pumpkin. I baked them at the same temperature and used the same cinnamon/sugar combo for dusting the rolls. A little something for everyone. 

Pumpkin Roll Ups 

1/2 tube crescent rolls (low fat)

1/2 can pureed pumpkin

2 oz. softened cream cheese (1/3 less fat)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. all spice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

3 Tbsp. sugar

For dusting, 3 tbsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon combined in small bowl. 

In a small bowl combine pumpkin, cream cheese, spices, and sugar. Using an electric mixer, mix until smooth. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. pumpkin mix into each crescent roll, then gently roll into crescent shape.  Once you have rolled all of the pumpkin crescents place each roll in the sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated. Place evenly spaced on a cookie sheet set aside. 

***I had extra pumpkin filling left over after this that I didn't use up in the above recipe. So the next morning I stirred it in with my oatmeal for a heart warming breakfast, I highly recommend you try it***

Apple Cream Cheese Roll Ups

1/2 tube crescent rolls (low fat)

1/2 can prepared apple pie filling

2 oz. softened cream cheese (1/3 less fat)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. sugar 

In a small bowl combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto crescent rolls. In a small bowl, using a spoon gently cut apart the apple slices in the apple pie filling so that they are easier to manage. Then spoon the apple pie filling on top of cream cheese. Roll up the crescents and coat with the same cinnamon and sugar mixture used for the pumpkin roll ups. Place evenly on the same cookie sheet as the pumpkin roll ups.

In a preheated oven at 375 degrees bake the roll ups for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. The apple roll ups will be bubbling slightly. Then enjoy while still warm! This is a great week night dessert that is just perfect for the fall. I brought these in for my coworkers the next day and I just told them to nuke them in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds and they were just as yummy. 

Hope you enjoy! And just to start this holiday off right, I wanted to thank each of you for tuning in to my little blog. This truly has been a fun little adventure for me. I love to hear your feedback on my posts and the stories of the recipes you have tried from here! I'm always looking for suggestions so feel free to shoot some my way. Love you all and just know I'm thankful for you everyday :) 

Mushroom Bourguignon

Hey all, it has been awhile! But no worries I am back and with the holidays around the corner I will have lots of recipes to share. You would think with the three day weekend that I just enjoyed I would have more than just one recipe to give to you, but alas I spent most of the weekend lounging and shopping. You can't blame a girl can you? I found this recipe on, Pinterest, and wouldn't you know it is from one of my favs Smittenkitchen. Back in the days when I ate red meat I loved a good beef bourguignon, so I have been on the search for a vegetarian or pseudo-vegetarian version. And boy did Smitten deliver! This was a truly hearty, warming, best eaten in the dead of winter when your freezing your bum off dish! I basically followed the recipe as is, except I could not find pearl onions* in my grocery store and the dish did not suffer from the loss, but I imagine it would be a lovely extra touch.

Mushroom Bourguignon
2 Tbsp. Olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. Butter, softened, divided
2 lbs. Mushrooms (I used whole creminis, and sliced baby bellas 1lb. each make sure to thoroughly clean all grit from mushrooms)
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full bodied wine (I used Yellowtail Shiraz and it worked great)
2 cups vegetable broth (you can use whatever you have on hand beef, chicken, or veggie your preference)
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp. dried Thyme
1 cup pearl onions*
Egg noodles, cooked as package directs

In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter add mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes. remove from pot into a bowl and set aside. Add remaining olive oil, onions, carrots, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions have softened and slightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute or two. Pour in wine and increase temperature to high, let reduce to half (about 5 minutes). Add broth, tomato paste and mushrooms (with any juices that have collected). Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 Tbsp. butter once combined add into mushroom sauce. Continue to cook until desired consistency (this is when you would add pearl onions if going that route). I cooked mine for another 5-7 minutes so that it thickened slightly more. Serve over egg noodles, season to taste and get ready for a delicious heart warming dinner! I slopped up the extra juices with a hunk of crusty bread and enjoyed a glass of Shiraz, perfecto!