let's lent

regardless of the meaning behind Lent and the warm fussy feelings when one passes up on forbidden fruit, those 40 days are difficult. They are made even more difficult if your forbidden fruit happens to be white starch. I tried to think of the hardest thing to give up and decided that I love my potatoes, rice, pasta…etc way too much! Now, for everyone that follows the latest food trend and loves eating healthy, this might not be such a bad month. HOWEVER, if you have no idea how to go without said starch, it proves more difficult. I started by making a list of foods that I cannot eat! I then tried to find yummy alternatives to my favorite staples. Here is my list:

Potatoes

Grits

Chips

Fries

White Bread

Pasta

White Rice

to crock or not to crock:

I would say, “that is the question”, but it would make this blog both cheesy and ridiculous. Instead, I will say that it is a personal preference. There are some that live by their slow cooker, while others have never taken it out of the box. I inconspicuously straddle the fence on this one. There are times when I love my crock pot and times when I would rather throw something on the stove and call it a meal. Therefore, I am giving you two recipes. The ingredients are almost the exact same. It is only the directions that are different. One of these recipes calls for a crock pot and the other calls for a stove. Good luck and enjoy!

Sauerkraut and Sausage a la Kelley

Ingredients:

1 package of polska kielbasa sausage

1 jar of sauerkraut (some would argue to buy it in a bag but I prefer the jar!)

1 can beer (12oz)

2 potatoes cut into cubes

Recipe:

1)     Cut the sausage into 1 in thick slices

2)     Drain the sauerkraut

3)     Put the sausage, sauerkraut, and potatoes into the slow cooker

4)     Pour the beer over the mixture

5)     Cook for 5-6 hours on low heat

Sauerkraut and Sausage a la Kelley 2

Ingredients:

1 package of polska kielbasa sausage

1 jar of sauerkraut (some would argue to buy it in a bag but I prefer the jar!)

1 can beer (12oz)

Recipe:

1)   Cut the sausage into 1 in thick slices

2)     Drain the sauerkraut

3)     Put the sausage and sauerkraut into a pot on med heat

4)     Gradually introduce the beer while stirring the mixture (You may not need the entire can with this version of the recipe

5)     Cook until the sausage and sauerkraut are warm (about 12 minutes)

6)     Serve over mashed potatoes

the work-lunch competition:

If your office dynamic is anything like mine, you understand the concept of what I have dubbed the “work-lunch competition”. You, like most other job holders, value the allotted time placed aside for the consumption of our lunchbox contents. As much as we are friends around the office, there is a silent albeit present contest that begins everyday around 12 p.m. This quiet battle is typically initiated with the ever-so-sneaky, “What did you bring?” If you were not previously aware of the WLC, do not be fooled by this tactic. Your co-worker really means, “Is what you brought better than what I brought? Why do I just have a sandwich when you have a perfectly crafted casserole?”… The goal of said contest is to be the center of food envy attention. To achieve this goal, follow the recipe below. This light pasta not only looks aesthetically pleasing but also tastes amazing! It makes a lot of pasta so you can cook it for dinner and take the leftovers to work! Enjoy!

Party Pasta a la Kelley

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic diced

1 container of fresh cherry tomatoes

¾ cup olive oil

1 pound penne pasta

1 tablespoon sugar

1 loose sausage roll

2 small zucchini, sliced (you can add more vegetables depending on preference)

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Recipe:

1)     Wash the cherry tomatoes and put them in a large saucepan or pot with the garlic on low/med heat

2)     Pour ¾ of the olive oil over the tomatoes and cover the pot

3)     Leave this for about 30-40 min or until the tomato skin is coming apart

4)     In a large pot, boil your pasta (usually 9-11 minutes for penne)

5)     Drain the pasta and set it aside

6)     While the sauce is cooking (after you cook your pasta), brown the sausage (this will take about 10 minutes)

7)     Take the sausage out of the pan and set aside

8)     In the same pan, place the zucchini and other optional vegetables

9)     Sauté them until the edges are brown (about 3 minutes)

10) After 3 minutes, add the artichokes

11) Take the vegetables and drain, set aside

12)  When the 30 minutes is over for the tomato mixture, add sugar and crush the remaining tomatoes until the mixture is sauce-like

13)  Pour all of the ingredients into the sauce pan (when I tried this, it would not fit so I went ahead and poured all of my ingredients into my large serving bowl)