Cauliflower-Kale Pasta with Sausage

This one is for those with some confidence, since you'll be sauteeing two things at a time. Which also means it's lots of fun to cook. Shawni and I made this up together and we had this locked down no problem, of course. :)


Ingredients:

1 T cooking oil
4 precooked sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and cut 1/2" thick

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 bu kale ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

2 C walnuts, chopped coarsely

1 lb. fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine would work well)

1 lemon, juiced.

Instructions: (read these through a couple of times before you start)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Start a large pot of salted (ocean salty) water boiling over high heat. Start two large saute pans heating over hight heat and add 1 T cooking oil to one pan and 2 T to the other. To the pan with 1 T oil, add the sausage; to the other, add the cauliflower.
3. Brown the sausage and the cauliflower each for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside. Reduce the cauliflower's heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If both saute pans are unburned (no black stuff on the bottom, just brown stuff), deglaze one and add to the sausage or cauliflower (doesn't matter). Heat the other one (or the unburned one, if one got scorched) over medium-high heat and add the last 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and cook 3- minutes, then add the garlic and kale, and season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add 1/2 C water and cook until the water is cooked out.
5. Roast the walnuts for 5-7 minutes or until browned & aromatic.
6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package, drain and combine with all the other & remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning & serve.

Togarashi Naked Casserole (vegan)

From the September Pike Market Community Kitchen at the Pike Market Senior Center

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sauteeing, baking

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1 # crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion, cut in half and sliced 1/4" thick
1  head garlic, cloved peeled & sliced 1/4" thick
4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced 1/2" on a side
1 head cauliflower, cut about 3/4" on a side
1 bu broccoli rabe, bottom 1/4" trimmed and sliced 1/2" thick all the way up
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper TT (about 2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper)
1 T & 1 t togarashi shichimi (Japanese seven spice)
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-hgh heat. When you can see some wavy smoke lines coming from the pan, add the 2 T oil. Allow the oil to heat up for a few seconds, coating the pan, then add the mushrooms.
3. Brown the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the onion and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes more. Transfer to a very large bowl.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice. Toss gently until well-mixed. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes are done. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.

Doesn't that taste healthy and also delicious? Healthy doesn't have to taste like rabbit food, no no no. You can do this with any combination of vegetables; just make sure everything's seasoned and all the pieces are cut so they'll cook at around the same time.