Sausage and Cabbage Stew

Slow-Cooker recipes are nice when dinnertime is busy but you've got free time earlier in the day. I especially like vegetables, which get sweet and savory when slow-cooked.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds savory sausage such as Andouille or Kielbasa
• 2 large carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2-3 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 red onion, frenched or julienned
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped or julienned (about 2 cups total)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Brown the sausage in a skillet set over medium-high heat. When browned, remove from skillet and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Put sausage, carrots, potatoes, onion, and broth and cook in a slow cooker set on high for 3-4 hours (6-8 hours for low). In a medium bowl, toss the cabbage with the kosher salt and let sit for 2 minutes. Dump the contents of the bowl into the slow cooker and simmer for another 10-20 minutes on high.

Garlic & Ginger Soy Marinade

Full of Asian flavors like sesame, ginger, and soy, this marinade is a great way to add both flavor and moisture to more boring cuts of meat like pork tenderloin or chicken breasts. You can also use this for steak or shrimp that you are going to grill. Steaks and chops should probably marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Larger cuts (like roasts) can go up to 12 hours. It's a good idea to shake up the bag and stir things around every couple of hours to make sure the meat marinates evenly. This makes enough marinade for 2-4 steaks or a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast - double or triple it for larger amounts of meat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
  
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced or chopped

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a one gallon zip-top bag. Add the meat, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Place in a leak-proof container and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Serving Suggestion

Marinate a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast for 2 hours (up to all day) in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thickly slice 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, and 2 small zucchini and place in a baking dish or small roasting pan. Remove the roast from the marinade, put on the vegetables, and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove pan from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving with white rice.

Quiche Florentine

So "Florentine" is funny chef-speak for "with spinach." Fancy restaurants probably use it because people are afraid of spinach - overcooked, gray, or slimy, it is easy to do wrong. However, it is not hard to do right either. My trick is to add at the end of cooking, so it can't get overcooked.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  
• 5 ounces frozen spinach (1/2 of a package), thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (a couple of pinches)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  
• 9-inch pie shell, homemade or frozen

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crispy. Remove bacon (leave the drippings in the pan) and cook the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are brown and onions are caramelized. Add the garlic and spinach and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Mix the bacon back in.

Whisk half-and-half and eggs together in a large measuring cup. Mix in salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Put the bacon/mushroom mixture into the pie shell. Add just enough of the egg mixture to cover the filling (the eggs will expand as they cook - you don't want to overflow the pie). Bake for 45 minutes, or until the eggs are just barely set (do not overcook - it will continue to firm up as it cools). Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.