Merguez Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

if you havent had merguez sausage, you havent lived. 

YOU NEED:

1 cup boiled pasta

2 merguez sausages 

1 small chopped onion

a handful chopped sundried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic 

a bit of olive oil

salt pepper to taste

goat cheese

OPTION:

chopped olives

chopped basil

chopped spinach

red pepper flakes for spice

1. boil pasta 

2. slice or squeeze out of casing for merguez, fry and add in chopped onion garlic and tomatoes, simmer with a bit of olive oil, add basil, add spinach and seasoning if necessary

3. serve sauce on pasta once thickened, add goat cheese and some fresh basil on top

Spaghetti with Bacon & Bŀeu

You can make this spicy if you want. Bacon, Bŀue Cheese, and a bit o zesty sauce!

YOU NEED:

1 cup boiled pasta

5 strips cooked, crumbed bacon

a handfuŀ crumbŀed bŀue cheese

SAUCE:

sauteed onions with minced garŀic, peppers, tomatoes and red pepper fŀakes or a chiŀi for spice. 

CONSIDER: 

oŀives, chicken, ceŀœry or carrot. buffaŀo styŀe

Simple Italian Shrimp Spaghetti

Shrimp? Pasta? Easy.

1. boil pasta until ready

2. fry shrimp until pink.

3. fry up some onion and garlic, finely chopped and add some tomato sauce.

4. add in shrimp, season with salt and pepper

5. add pasta.

6. top with parmesan and fresh parsley

Sausage Spaghetti

STEPS:

fry up sausage

remove, fry mushrooms, peppers, and onion in rendered fat

boil pasta

add tomato sauce to fried mushrooms onions and sausage

garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, etc. seasoning

add pasta. serve. with CHEESE

Merguez Linguine

No time for spaghetti. Try this amazing dish. 

YOU NEED:

2 Merguez [spicy lamb sausage]

2/3 cup linguine

a handful fresh chopped basil

a handful chopped sun dried tomatoes or fresh tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic

goat cheese or feta to garnish. 

 

Easy Garlic Tomato Paste Seafood Spaghetti

A lighter spaghetti.

YOU NEED:

seafood: shrimp, scallops, crab, lobster, or fish or a mix. 

1 cup boiled spaghetti or pasta

olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons tomato paste

some broth or water

salt, pepper

garnish with fresh herbs and cheese

1. sautee seafood in olive oil with minced garlic. 

2. toss in any veg you want, optional.

3. add in tomato paste and broth or water.

4. serve on boiled pasta, with cheese and parsley and salt, pepper

Pizza Avocado Panini

PANINI: made with:

pepperoni

mozzarella

avocado

tomato

mushrooms

pepper

tomato sauce

ASSEMBLE. in a sandwich. put in panini press or fry like a grilled cheese..

Avocado & Salami Grilled Cheese

This is what I had for dinner :) throw everything together!

YOU NEED:

2 slices bread, outside buttered or olive oiled. 

1 avocado, sliced

some salami or pepperoni, sliced

cheese, sliced

cheese, think sliced or grated [mozza, gruyere, sharp cheddar, or a mix]

tomato paste or sauce

1. butter outsides or bread, tomato sauce inside.

2. put in cheese, avocado, salami.

3. fry in a pan until cheese is melty. mmmm.

Spicy Sausage Spaghetti

A nice spicy pasta. Spaghetti will never be the same!

YOU NEED:

2 sausages, spicy italian, andouille, or merguez

1 can tomato sauce of your choice

onion, sliced

1 chili, thinly diced

1 cup cooked spaghetti

fresh basil, or other herbs

garlic

salt and pepper

1. fry sausages, cut into slices. remove, keep fat. 

2. fry onion, garlic and chili in fat until soft. add in cooked pasta

3. right before serving add herbs, salt and pepper.

Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

This is actually delicious. Sorry vegans, most of your food....not so much.

BUUUUT. here it is.

MUSHROOMS!

BELL PEPPERS!

EGGPLANT? NO!

ZUCCHINI!

OLIVES!

RAPINI?

BROCCOLI?

dude, go crazy on the veg. it all works. 

THE SAUCE:

sautee the veg in garlic and olive oil.

add a can of canned tomatoes or your favourite tomato sauce. 

season with herbs! fresh basil, dry oregano, parsley, hot sauce, whatever.

Spicy Merguez Pasta Casserole

Very tasty pasta dish! Merguez is a tasty north-african spicy lamb sausage. 

YOU NEED:

1 cup al dente pasta

a bunch of cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce [add some red pepper flakes and garlic, maybe some fried onions, seasonings for extra yummy]

feta or goat cheese

fresh basil

2 fried merguez sausages

toss together and bake for 30 mins or until cheese has melted and browned,  at 375

Creamy Shrimp & Sausage Pasta

mmmm. 

YOU NEED:

• 2 cup cooked penne or farfalle or any pasta
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 sausages
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• milk or cream [add flour if using milk, or corn starch to thicken, or use sour cream]
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 25 or so shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 tablespoons cajun seasoning

1 chili pepper, 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons chives, chopped fine

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al-dente. Drain, coat with half the oil to prevent sticking. Cover and keep warm. • Mix sausage meat in a bowl to combine. Form mixture into bite-sized meatballs • Heat a skillet over high heat. Add meatballs and cook until no longer pink in center and light crust formed on outside. Remove to plate with paper towel, cover to keep warm. Pour out grease in skillet • In same skillet, heat over high, add remaining oil. add shallots. cook until translucent. Add garlic. Cook an additional 15 seconds. Add wine and lemon juice away from heat. add tomato paste and chopped chili pepper. Cook until almost dry, scrapping bits from bottom of pan • Add heavy cream, or milk and flour/corn starch and sausage. Cook until cream reduces in half. • Meanwhile, heat a dry non-stick skillet over high heat under high ventilation. Toss shrimp in cajun seasoning to coat, shake off excess. Cook shrimp just until no longer translucent • Add spinach, pasta, and half the Parmesan to the sauce. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 30 seconds or until spinach wilts • Divide among 4 bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan, chives, and shrimp. Serve with crusty french bread

Spicy Andouille Pasta

Kind of like puttanesca but made with Andouille sausage!

YOU NEED:

2 tomatoes [try roasting them with chili oil] or just plain a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce

2 andouille sausages

i chopped red chili pepper

3 cloves minced garlic. 

olive oil

1 chopped red onion

fresh basil

oregano

chopped kalamata olives

1 anchovy filet, chopped, or 1 teaspoon anchovy pasta

salt, pepper

red pepper flakes, to taste

1 cup boiled pasta

grated parmesan

1. fry up onion with some olive oil. add chopped chili. add garlic. add andouille sausages and fry until semi done, then add tomatoes or tomato sauce. 

2. season to taste, add anchovy, basil, oregano.

3. add olives and red pepper flakes when almost done. season with salt and pepper before serving.

4. serve on pasta with parmesan cheese!

Indian Fish Curry

 

 An easy dish. Healthy for a curry as well.

YOU NEED

2 fillets fish: tilapia works well, as does haddock, cod, snapper, or catfish
2 tablespoons garlic paste or 4 cloves minced garlic
2 inches ginger, grated

3 teaspoons mustard seeds
4 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
5 medium shallots or 2 medium onions
7 red chilies
1 tablespoon cumin seed
3 teaspoons turmeric powder
3 tablespoons salt
2 big tomatoes
oil, to deep fry fish
3 cups water

TO MAKE:

1 In a grinder grind the onions, ginger, 2 bay leaves, red chili, mustard seeds, cumin seed all together. [make a paste]
2 keep about a cup of onion unprocessed.
3 Cut small pieces of tomatoes.
4 Make small pieces of fish fillets, about 3 inches in length.
5 Take a big plate, put the fish in it and sprinkle 2 teaspoon of salt, two teaspoon of turmeric powder and the garlic paste.
6Mix all of them properly.
7Allow to marinate for 1/2 hour.
8Take a pan or a wok (preferable), heat it and put oil to fry the fish.
Once the oil is much hotter, fry the fish, 3-4 pieces at a time, 3-4 minutes on each side.
9Keep all of them in a separate plate.
10When all the pieces are fried, clean all the black residues from the oil in the wok with the spatula and put 2 tablespoon of fresh oil in the it. 

11 Then put a pinch of cumin seed, a pinch of mustard seed, 2 red chili, 2 bay leaves, a pinch of aniseed (all together is called panch-phoran) and allow them to splutter.
12Then put the cut onion pieces and allow it to just a little brown.
13Then put all the ground paste,tomatoes,left over turmeric powder and salt to taste.
14Keep stirring it until the paste becomes a little brown (it takes around 10 minutes).
15You can also identify it by looking at the wok, that the paste will start leaving the oil and paste will now no more stick on the wok.
16The paste is now perfectly fried.
17Now pour 3 cups of water to it, or as much thick gravy you want.
18Once the gravy comes to boil, start dropping the fried fish pieces and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
19 serve with fresh cilantro!

Cassoulet

This french/spanish dish is surprisingly easy! Very hearty and full of protein.

YOU NEED:

beans, soaked overnight, in cold water [black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, a mix, etc]

meat [sausage and/or bacon, duck and lamb work too]

onions and celery, diced

tomato paste

garlic paste

cayenne 

chicken stock

tomato diced

red pepper diced

green pepper diced

1. diced everything. 

2. preheat oven to 400 F.

3. in a deep saucepan, fry bacon and meat. render the fat. put meat aside, keep fat in pan.

4. fry onions and celery in fat, add garlic, a bit of oil if needed.

5. add beans, tomato paste, cayenne, pepper [NO SALT] and keep frying.

6. add chicken stock, just slightly covering, bring to a boil. 

7. add in some thyme stems, bacon rind and a bay leaf [you will remove this before serving] and put in oven for an hour.

8. after an hour, return to stovetop and simmer. check if beans are cooked through. right before serving, add tomato, peppers. remove bay leaf, rind, and thyme stems, and salt to taste

9. serve!

Beef & Cheddar Panini

Think of it as a stepped up grilled cheese.

YOU NEED:
Beef. Roast beef, steak, leftover ground meat, brisket, a burger patty, smoked meat, pulled beef, etc. Just had to be cooked.

Cheese. different beefs call for different cheeses. 

bread. 

butter.

a frying pan or panini press.

LIKE WHAT? 

The classic: Steak & Cheddar, with some caramelized onions thrown in

Swiss: Swiss cheese, fried mushrooms, steak

Spicy: beef brisket or pulled beef, pimento cheese or cheddar, throw in some jalapenos

French: Some dijon, gruyere, then steak, some green onion.

Mexican: steak, cheese, avocado, cilantro! dip in salsa

pizza: throw in some tomato sauce and mozzarella with your steak, maybe some basil

BE CREATIVE

Sausage, Aspargus Penne

EASY STUFF. a good weeknight affair.

YOU NEED:

1 cup boiled penne or any pasta.

2 sausges, insides squeezed out

1 bunch  asparagus, blanched

mushrooms and onions, sliced

zucchini, optional but optimal!

pepper [red] also optional

garlic!

tomato sauce

parmesan cheese

sliced olives

parsley

1. fry sausage.

2. in olive oil, sautee onions, mushrooms, partially cooked aspargus, zucchini, pepper

3. add in boiled pasta, 1 can tomato sauce. reduce, season with dry herbs and garlic

4. garnish with cheese, olives, parsley

Lighter Penne A La Vodka

LIGHT AS POSSIBLE!

YOU NEED:

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion [white], diced

2 cloves minced garlic
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or pureed tomatoes
dried oregano
dried basil
pinch of salt and pepper
8 large sliced mushrooms
red pepper flakes for spice

1 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup vodka
1 cup nonfat milk or 1 cup fat free sour cream
pasta as much as needed
parmesan as needed
fresh basil, sliced, to garnish

1 Heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium to medium high heat in a large saucepan. Saute onion until starting to brown, about 5 mins.
2 .Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low to medium low heat for 10 minutes.
3 .During this time, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the mushrooms and hot pepper flakes about 5 minutes. Reserve pan.
4 .Add tomato paste to tomato sauce and mix well. Stir in vodka and mushrooms and simmer for 10 more minutes.
5 .Start water to boil for pasta.
6 .Add milk to sauce and incorporate well. Cook another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep sauce at a low simmer while cooking pasta.
7 .Cook whole wheat pasta until al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain pasta.
8 .Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (you can use the same pan you cooked the mushrooms in). Add pasta and stir to glaze. Add parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Stir in sauce. Garnish with basil, and serve.

Mexican Rice & Beans

YOU NEED:

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup cooked black beans

1 small onion, diced

garlic

1 can plum tomatoes 

taco seasoning

salt, pepper

finely diced japaleno or something spicer

cilantro for garnish

cooked ground meat

1. cook rice, drain.

2. in a pot, fry up beans, onions with some garlic and oil. add hot pepper, taco seasoning. [also fry meat if using]

3. add rice and tomatoes, mushed. 

4. if too sticky, add a bit of broth.

5. add rice, garnish with cilantro

Fish & Shrimp Tomato Curry

 

NOTE: omit fish, use extra veggies for a VEGAN curry!

YOU NEED

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 large clove garlic , minced

dry hot peppers, to taste

1 head broccoli chopped into florets

1 medium onion, finely diced

a red bell pepper, finely diced

1 small zucchini, finely diced

shrimp

fish [firm, like tilapia or something]

200 ml coconut milk

1 can tomatoes

cilantro, optional, for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. start with a bit of olive oil. bring to a sizzle, add in garlic broccoli, onion, red peppers, zucchini, and hot peppers. stir-fry, add in curry powder.

2. add in fish. once looking a little done, add in canned tomatoes, mash up, and then coconut milk. taste and adjust. add shrimp last, they don't take long to cook.salt and pepper to taste.

3. garnish and serve!