Spring Omelet

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (optional)
• 3 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and onions; cook and stir until the asparagus is fairly soft, about 4 minutes. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a small bowl; pour over the sauteed vegetables and reduce the heat to medium. While the omelet cooks, lift the edge to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. When most of the egg is cooked, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Allow the cheese to melt slightly, then fold in half and serve.

Candied Kielbasa

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 2 pounds kielbasa sausage, sliced thin

Directions

1. In a slow cooker combine the sugar, ketchup and horseradish. Add the sausage, and mix well. Cook on High until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to Low, and cook until sauce thickens, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Slow Cooker Spanish Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef stew meat
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped Spanish onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped red potatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (12 ounce) jar sofrito
• 1/2 cup pitted and halved green olives

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook beef in hot skillet until completely browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer beef to a slow cooker, retaining some of the beef drippings in the skillet.
2. Return skillet to heat and heat the retained drippings. Saute onion and garlic in hot drippings until softened, about 5 minutes; add to beef in slow cooker.
3. Stir potatoes, diced tomatoes, sofrito, and olives into the beef mixture.
4. Cook on Low until beef and potatoes are fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours.

Egg in a Nest

With the approaching winter storm, I’ve had a craving for warm, tasty comfort food.  The kind that goes great with a cold winter day.  I am reminded of eggs in a nest like my grandma used to make.  A delicious, runny-yolk egg cooked in the center of a piece of toast and eaten with a fork is a great way to enjoy an egg in a slightly different way. This recipe is sure to make you feel warm and cozy like an egg in a nest.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon grease
• 1 slice bread
• 1 egg
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the bacon grease in a non-stick pan over low heat.
2. Cut a 1 1/2 to 2-inch hole from the center of the bread slice; lay in the hot skillet. When the side facing down is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, flip and crack the egg into the hole; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the egg is cooked and mostly firm. Flip again and cook 1 minute more to assure doneness on both sides. Serve immediately.

Chicken Apple Sausage with Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 links chicken and apple sausage
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds finely shredded green cabbage
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Stir onion, pinch of salt, and pinch of pepper in with the sausages. Cook and stir until onions are slightly translucent and caramelized, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir garlic into sausage mixture; cook and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Pour apple cider into sausage mixture; increase heat to medium-high and stir in potatoes. Bring to a simmer.
5. Pour cabbage over top of sausage mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove sausages and potatoes from the Dutch oven and set aside.
6. Increase heat to high, simmer liquid until thick and reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
7. Return potatoes and sausages to the Dutch oven and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with mustard and parsley.

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea, Wild Rice, and Kale Stew

This Black Eyed Pea stew provides all the good luck that you’ll need for the new year.  Well, don’t quote me on that. You may need some other luck besides this stew.  So cross your toes and buy a rabbit foot. Southern tradition is to eat black eyed peas for luck and greens for wealth.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 1 large ham hock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1 cup dried wild rice mix
• 1 quart low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups of chopped kale leaves, stems removed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Soak dried black eyed peas overnight by placing them in a large stockpot and filling with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Pick out any bad black eyed peas that look shriveled and float up to the top. After soaking overnight, drain and rinse the black eyed peas.
2. Add soaked black eyed peas and remaining ingredients (except kale) to large slow cooker (crockpot). Stir to combine. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
3. Remove the bay leaves and the ham hock from slow cooker. Carefully use two forks to shred off the cooked ham from the bone. Return shredded ham and kale to slow cooker.  Stir to combine and allow the kale to wilt, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.