Sausages is another ingredient that 5 Star Foodie Junior and I use frequently in various dishes, particularly in warming and comforting dishes that are just wonderful on cold days during fall and winter. Recently, we were fortunate get coupons to sample
The Original Brat Hans®, German-style sausages that are made from all-natural meats.
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image courtesy of The Original Bran Hans)
First, we made the Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya, according to The Original Brat Hans recipe, made with their Spicy Andouille Chicken Sausage, smoked ham, shrimp, vegetables, rice and spices. This Jambalaya featured excellent flavors with a nice spicy kick.
We have also tried The Original Brat Hans® Mild Italian Chicken Sausage, using it in a stuffing for baked pasta shells, along with red peppers, onions, and shredded cheese blend. These baked stuffed pasta shells were based on a recipe that I used to make a lot but haven't made in years. It was a lot of fun to revive an old favorite, with the new sausage that we really liked.
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Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya (recipe by The Original Brat Hans®)
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of The Original Brat Hans® Spicy Andouille Chicken Sausage, sliced
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon diced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 dashes hot sauce, optional (recommended: Tabasco)
1/2 cup chopped scallions, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined (20 to 24 count)
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or black iron pot over medium heat, add the kielbasa and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the kielbasa to a bowl, and set aside. Add the ham to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the kielbasa, and set aside. Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well. Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the lemon juice and the shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.
Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions and 1/2 cup parsley, and a dash of hot sauce, if desired.
Baked Pasta Shells with Sausage and Red Pepper (recipe by 5 Star Foodie)
Ingredients:
10 jumbo pasta shells, cooked
Vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 long sweet red pepper, chopped
2 The Original Brat Hans® Mild Italian Chicken Sausages, sliced
1/4 cup ricotta
1 cup of shredded six-cheese blend, plus additional cheese for topping
1/3 cup tomato sauce
Directions:
Heat the skillet with oil. Sauté onions and red peppers until the peppers soften, add sausage and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add to a large bowl along with ricotta cheese, shredded six-cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Stuff the pasta shells with the filling, arrange on a baking dish, on top of a layer of tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for 20 more minutes.
I made my angel hair pasta into cakes, topped with rosemary whipped ricotta and of course, since it is to be served on New Year's eve, caviar!
Ingredients:
image courtesy of Tumaro's Tortillas
We used the Everything wrap to make a "Warm Spiced Autumn Wrap", featuring roast butternut squash, spices including nutmeg, cloves, and allspice; Turkish aprocits, and fried sage leaves.
We made a fun wrap with Sourdough that we nicknamed the "Sunshine on the Rainy Day" for the bright delicious flavors of the filling. This filling had roasted Cornish hen, pear, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, baby romaine lettuce, and tahini mayo.
With Pumpernickel we prepared a simple filling of boiled potato chunks, navy beans, smoked turkey cold cuts, mayo, and sweet relish.
My daughter also created a very special "kitchen sink" Japanese rice filling for the Cracked Pepper wrap that we are going to feature in our January edition of 5 Star Foodie Junior. 
