Since it’s been rather cold here in Los Angeles, hitting lows of about 68°, I felt it was imperative that I cook myself a hearty meal for dinner last night. Plus, it was the perfect opportunity to use my new food mill. The menu: red wine braised sausage over a celery root puree. Needless to say, I’ve come a long way from the Hot Pockets that once defined my cooking abilities.
Here are some pictures from the adventure; although, I’ll admit I took very few. I was too busy cooking/being hungry.
Two sausages and some red onion braise away in red wine and olive oil. Normally, I’m opposed to turkey sausage as I find it less flavorful and juicy, but I figured I’d try to be slightly healthier…
Meanwhile, in the boiling water I have some potatoes, a celery root, and an apple. Needless to say, my apartment smells somewhat amazing.
Still braising.
Ten minutes or so of grinding away in the food mill and then later adding some half and half (so much for healthy), and my celery root puree is ready. I plate the sausage and onions and am ready to go. I also added some leftover mushroom risotto on the side, but it looked sloppy; so I didn’t take a picture.
As for the taste, the puree was delicious. It’s kind of foolproof. The sausage though, well, I made two mistakes. First, after it was done braising, I just let the sausage sit in the pot off the heat instead of taking it out and placing it on a cutting board or whatnot. As a result, it kept cooking a bit too long and was quite dry. I also blame that on my second mistake, BUYING TURKEY SAUSAGE. Argh! I should have stuck to my instincts and gotten, well, anything else.
Nevertheless, the sausage still tasted good, just a bit dry. Plus, the onions were amazing and same with the puree. And the leftover risotto paired surprisingly well. Overall, I’d say it was a success.
Sounds good! Although I’d agree with the assessment of the turkey sausage – that stuff is only edible when mixed with other things, like in a stuffing or frittata. That celery root puree is definitely intriguing. Gonna have to try that some time.
Makes me hungrier waiting for the chicken and artichoke pizza with garlic white sauce that still has about 10 minutes to go in the oven (yes, I “cheated” and am using Trader Joe’s pizza dough).
But, um, cold and only 68? Yeah, you need to toughen up a bit, California boy! We hit a HIGH of 19 today.
Sounds good, smells good, tastes good…but it looks like someone took a dump over a plate of mashed potatoes. And as a rule of thumb, I try to avoid penis shaped food.
No offense. I vote for more ethnic cuisine!
Firecat – I know. It’s a bad picture. I should have taken another with better lighting. In person, it looked much more delectable.
Nevertheless, I love ethnic cuisine and hope to have something new and ethnicky to report about soon. But first, a HIlls recap…
Firecat would you just come out of the closet already for Xenusakes? We don’t mind!
Here is a delicious dinner I used to make with turkey or chicken sausage all the time. I am laying off the flesh because manservant is a veggie and I’m as big as a house. Anyhoo… I would take a TON of sliced onions and saute them in olive oil til softish. Then put in a SHIT TON of sliced peppers, all colors if you can afford them, and saute the whole mess til soft and carmelizey and delicious, if you like them that way. At the same time (don’t ever say I’m not multi-talented)I would be browning the sausage in another pan. That stuff is generally pre-cooked so the timing would work out. Slice the sausage on the bias (sewing term but whatever)and throw it in the veggies. So then I would put that hot mixture on a GOOD roll that had sharp provolone on it. Amazing, easy, delicious, and not dry at all. Somehow making it with soysage sounds AWFUL.
I miss Harvest Gold Stove.
hb
FC – you need to post some more cookie/cupcake pics.
LQ – is manservant why you’re never around anymore (XOXO – Love ya!)
B – Love your cooking pics. Hubby’s Holiday Company Party was tonight. He works the midnight shift, they all started talking about tomorrow’s potluck – where I found out he told everyone I would make my mac ‘n cheese to SERVE 50!
Ask and ye shall receive
http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq56/firecat_786/IMG_0079.jpg
And this was one of the earlier ones I already posted on MSR…
http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq56/firecat_786/IMG_0069-1.jpg
all these cake pictures —
“You’re Killing Me Smalls”
hb
Speaking of cookie pics, feeling inspired to whip up some deliciously GOOD desserts B-Side? AHEM! AHEM!
By the way, nice dinner plate 🙂
NikkiSpice, my mom still hasn’t shipped the GOOD dessert to me!
**SORRY** it’s turned into such a fiasco – I shoulda just ordered/shipped online in the 1st place!
Let me be the first to congratulate you on the shout-out from Sugar during the finale. I’m sure this will get a full post in due time, but I was simply too thrilled to wait.