Jambalya

I love okra but perfer it in a caserole instead of a side dish. Jambayla is perfect because it's spicy, sweet, and the okra adds a nice thick consistency to the sauce. I used frozen okra and corn, diced tomatoes, and some chunky salsa which cuts down on most of the prep time. I boiled the sausage before I fried it and assembled everything in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

• Sausage
• Whole Okra
• Corn
• Scallons
• Diced Tomatoes
• Salsa or Chopped Peppers
• Chicken boullion
• Onion
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Bay Leaf

Directions:

• Boil sausage


• Slice and Fry Sausage


• Put all ingredients in crockpot


• Cook on high for 3-4 hours
  
• Serve over white rice
  

Enjoy!

Sweet Italian Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

I used rotini, however this sauce is great over spaghetti, stuffed manicotti, shells, lasagna, or a stuffed cabbage or pepper. It's pretty universal, and depending on how much meat you want for the dish can be doubled. I used two links of italian sausage. The best way to cook the sausage is to cut open the casing and fry the sausage after you have crumbled it. Adding sugar helps bring out the intensity of the tomatoes and balances the acidity. Once you fry the peppers, onions and sausage, everything can be put in a crockpot to cook for several hours. I topped the pasta with ricotta cheese. Feel free to omit if trying to keep the calories and fat lower.

Ingredients:

• 1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 1/4-1/2 cup water
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 sweet italian sausage links
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 green pepper
• red pepper flakes
• salt
• pepper
• garlic
• onion flakes
• pasta
• ricotta cheese
  

Directions:

• Brown peppers, onions, and meat in pan
• Pour all ingredients into the crock pot
• Add spices and salt
• Cook on high for 2-3 hours

Serve hot with pasta
Stuff shells or manicotti with ricotta and spinach
Bake until cheese is melted

Enjoy!!

Pico de Gallo

This is a great topping for Mexican food and much healthier than those prepackaged taco sauces. Pico de Gallo provides a great deal of flavor without a lot of calories. You can add whatever ingredients you want but this is a very basic tomato based topping.

Ingredients:

• Roma tomatoes
• Red onion
• Cilantro
• Lemon Juice
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic

Directions:

• Dice tomatoes, onion and cilantro
• Add a sqeeze of lemon or lime juice
• Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste
• Let sit overnight in refrigerator
  

Enjoy!

Panzella

Panzella is Italian bread salad. It is great for a quick meal but even better if it can set for a few hours. Panzella can be made with fresh bread, but is much better with day old bread. Fresh bread can get too soggy if not eaten immediately. Panzella can be made with an assortment of ingredients but usually includes, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Bread salad is dressed with an oil based dressing. Feel free to experiment with different flavors.

Ingredients:

• Cubed day old bread
• Sliced cucumbers
• Cubed deseeded tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Sliced scallions
• Fresh basil
• Dried garlic
• Shredded lettuce
• Olive Oil
• Basalmic vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Make dressing by combining oil, vinegar, and spices
• Mix bread, lettuce, and veggies
• Pour dressing over salad
• Let marinate for 1/2 or longer

Enjoy!