Whenever I plan menus for the week and write out my grocery list, I usually ask whichever family member wanders into the room for suggestions. "That bread with the sausage and spinach," is invariably a response, no matter how recently it made the recipe rotation.
Whenever I plan menus for the week and write out my grocery list, I usually ask whichever family member wanders into the room for suggestions. "That bread with the sausage and spinach," is invariably a response, no matter how recently it made the recipe rotation.
I found the recipe years ago in a collection of four-ingredient dishes. I'm not sure I ever actually clipped the recipe because it was so simple, but I've tweaked it a bit through the years and added ingredients. Today's recipe includes peppers and onions, but mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes have also been interesting additions in the past.
The bread was a hit the first time I made it, so it's pretty tasty with just the four basic ingredients: frozen bread dough, Italian sausage, frozen spinach and mozzarella cheese.
The tantalizing aroma of baking bread, especially when it's stuffed with a savory sausage and spinach mixture, prompts everyone to sniff the air and ask how much longer until dinnertime.
I use Italian turkey sausage to cut calories and fat. If only I could find whole-wheat frozen bread dough, I'd feel confident that I'd made the recipe as healthy as possible.
When served with a light soup, the bread makes a sustaining meal on the coldest of winter days. Vegetable and Tortellini Soup comes together quickly with the convenience of frozen tortellini, and includes lots of fresh vegetables.
Renick slow foodies event
It's a green food event that has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. People who focus on purchasing locally produced foods, or locavores, and others interested in food tradition and sustainability will gather at The Crazy Baker in Renick at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Hosted by Jeff Kessler of Jeff's Breads and Hall Hitzig of The Crazy Baker, the event celebrates the slow food movement, which promotes food produced in traditional, healthy ways. Attendees are encouraged to bring food or a beverage to share and a chair to use during the gathering.
Call (304) 497-2768 or (304) 497-2799 for more information.
To contact staff writer Julie Robinson, e-mail jul...@wvgazette.com">jul...@wvgazette.com or call 348-1230.
Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Bread
2 loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed
1 package Italian turkey sausage links, hot or mild
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons basil
1 small package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Thaw bread dough in refrigerator overnight. Place dough in a baking dish, cover and let rise, usually about four hours. Punch down dough and spread each loaf to about 10 by 18 inches.
Remove sausage casings and brown the sausage, crumbling it into small pieces. When nearly done, add onion and pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Thoroughly drain sausage mixture and mix in basil.
Spread half the sausage mixture down the middle of each bread dough rectangle.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of thawed spinach. Break up the mass of spinach.
Spoon spinach on top of sausage mixture.
Whenever I plan menus for the week and write out my grocery list, I usually ask whichever family member wanders into the room for suggestions. "That bread with the sausage and spinach," is invariably a response, no matter how recently it made the recipe rotation.
I found the recipe years ago in a collection of four-ingredient dishes. I'm not sure I ever actually clipped the recipe because it was so simple, but I've tweaked it a bit through the years and added ingredients. Today's recipe includes peppers and onions, but mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes have also been interesting additions in the past.
The bread was a hit the first time I made it, so it's pretty tasty with just the four basic ingredients: frozen bread dough, Italian sausage, frozen spinach and mozzarella cheese.
The tantalizing aroma of baking bread, especially when it's stuffed with a savory sausage and spinach mixture, prompts everyone to sniff the air and ask how much longer until dinnertime.
I use Italian turkey sausage to cut calories and fat. If only I could find whole-wheat frozen bread dough, I'd feel confident that I'd made the recipe as healthy as possible.
When served with a light soup, the bread makes a sustaining meal on the coldest of winter days. Vegetable and Tortellini Soup comes together quickly with the convenience of frozen tortellini, and includes lots of fresh vegetables.
Renick slow foodies event
It's a green food event that has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. People who focus on purchasing locally produced foods, or locavores, and others interested in food tradition and sustainability will gather at The Crazy Baker in Renick at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Hosted by Jeff Kessler of Jeff's Breads and Hall Hitzig of The Crazy Baker, the event celebrates the slow food movement, which promotes food produced in traditional, healthy ways. Attendees are encouraged to bring food or a beverage to share and a chair to use during the gathering.
Call (304) 497-2768 or (304) 497-2799 for more information.
To contact staff writer Julie Robinson, e-mail jul...@wvgazette.com">jul...@wvgazette.com or call 348-1230.
Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Bread
2 loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed
1 package Italian turkey sausage links, hot or mild
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons basil
1 small package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Thaw bread dough in refrigerator overnight. Place dough in a baking dish, cover and let rise, usually about four hours. Punch down dough and spread each loaf to about 10 by 18 inches.
Remove sausage casings and brown the sausage, crumbling it into small pieces. When nearly done, add onion and pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Thoroughly drain sausage mixture and mix in basil.
Spread half the sausage mixture down the middle of each bread dough rectangle.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of thawed spinach. Break up the mass of spinach.
Spoon spinach on top of sausage mixture.
Sprinkle cheese on top of spinach.
Fold the long outer edges of the dough to the middle and pinch together to form a loaf.
Carefully transfer loaves to lightly greased cookie sheets, placing them seam-side down.
Lightly cover loaves and place in a warm place, free of drafts, to rise.
When loaves have nearly doubled, gently paint them with the egg white.
Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when thumped.
Allow at least 15 minutes to cool before slicing.
Vegetable Tortellini Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons basil
8 cups chicken broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 package frozen tortellini
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat olive oil in large soup pan over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, leeks, zucchini and garlic for 5 minutes. Mix in oregano and basil. Add broth and tomatoes and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
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