Sausage, Potatoes, and Sauerkraut

I love this easy recipe I came up with one winter day.

I don’t use kraut much but for hot dogs or this recipe.

It is what caused a desire to make my first homemade sauerkraut this year.

To add color a red diced pepper is nice, but I didn’t use one here.

Sausage, Potatoes, and Sauerkraut - by me

1 pound breakfast sausage
1 large onion , chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 quart sauerkraut
6 – 7 potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown the sausage and onion very well in a covered cast iron chicken fryer. Make sure you have plenty of browned meat in the bottom,
but drain the grease as well as possible.

Add the garlic and then deglaze the pan with the water.

Add the bouillon cube, sauerkraut, potato and pepper. Bring to a boil and cover.

Transfer to the oven covered and bake for 1 hour.
Uncover and cut on the broiler.

Allow the top to brown under broiler about 5 minutes or until golden.
Watch closely as it will brown quickly.

Serve hot.

Roasted New Potatoes

I have been so busy with canning and freezing, I have been slack doing much cooking.

What cooking I have done has been something like this simple smoked sausage stir fry with cabbage, zucchini, onion, summer squash and hot peppers with lemon pepper.

Or these Roasted New Potatoes.

Just quarter the potatoes and toss with olive oil. Salt with kosher salt and add fresh dill, rosemary, garlic, and marjoram. Roast in a 375 oven about 15 minutes then stir and roast another 10 – 15 until crispy.

I love gardening and putting up for the winter months but it takes a lot of time and energy.

I also made sauerkraut for the first time to can. It turned out well.

Just kosher salt and cabbage fermented about 3 weeks in a crock.

I used about 4 to 5 tablespoons kosher salt ( or canning salt) to 2 heads shredded cabbage. Then cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing down and weighting on the cabbage with freezer bags filled with water. Make sure you use a crock, or non- metal utensils and container.

Cover that with a clean towel. Let it sit at room temperature until it ferments which should take at least two weeks, but more like 3 to 4 weeks.

It was easier than I had ever imagined. I have an awesome sausage and kraut recipe I make often, and this will be perfect for it.

Basil Mashed Potatoes

The weather has been odd because March was warm, but April and May were wet and cool. Now that it is the first week in June it has gotten so hot!

I am glad that the warmer weather has come because the cool wet stuff was being unkind to my garden basil. I had to buy some on my last shopping trip since my own was not growing very well. It looks like it is beginning to take off now but I have to think of ways to use up what I bought.

This recipe for Basil Mashed Potatoes is something I will be making again, to use up the store bought and into the summer as my garden basil comes out of the slump it has been in. I paired the potato with a simple Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs. Wonderful.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs – 4 servings 292 calories each

1 1/2 pounds chicken thigh
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary — chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a freezer bag place your chicken thighs and cover with the remaining ingredients. Allow to marinate at least 4 hours or longer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove thighs from the marinade and place on a roasting pan. Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until juices run clear.

4 servings – 292 calories each
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Basil Mashed Potatoes – 4 servings 190 calories each

5 each medium potato — peeled
water
4 tablespoons light sour cream
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh basil — chopped
salt and pepper — to taste

Boil the peeled potatoes in water until soft. With a potato masher mash the drained potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Serve warm.