You Never Sausage a Meal!!!

Yeah, I’m going for it in the bad pun department. But I shouldn’t, because I don’t want anything to take away from the Cowboy Sausage Company’s G-Spot Sausage. You read that right. It’s made with Ventana Winery’s Grenache and a little bit of chocolate. The chocolate’s not sweet at all – it’s just kind of there, in the background, making everything better.

So to give us the illusion that this is a healthy dinner, I’m making broccoli greens with it. Normally I would grill the sausage; tonight I want to make it in the pan so I have some drippings. . .but wait, Butch makes very lean sausage, so I know I’m going to end up adding olive oil anyway.

Broccoli greens are something I got at one of the Asian stands at the farmers market yesterday. To be quite honest, I have no idea if they’re really the greens of young broccoli, or just greens that taste broccoli-esque – but they’re really tasty and a great complement to the richness of the sausage.

Those of you familiar with the blog already know what happens next. I’ll chop off any thick, woody stems, rinse the greens, shake off most of the excess water, and wilt them in the olive oil in the hot pan where I cooked the sausage. But wait! In a twist that works really well with the sausage, I’m going to add some chopped up kalamata olives. Tip – don’t believe the “pitted” moniker. I’ve chipped more than one tooth on a “pitted” olive.

And because I rarely meet a carb I dislike, we’re having oven sweet potato fries. Peel the sweet potato (1/person) and cut it into French fry shapes. Mine are about 1/4” square by 5” long – but it all depends on the size of the sweet potato. And technically, it’s not a sweet potato, it’s a garnet yam. . .but we’ll go there another day. And no, you can’t use the canned ones. Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes to draw out some of the starch, while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the potatoes, pat dry, and add some olive oil (about 2 T. is sufficient) and some (a) cumin, (b) chipotle chili powder, or (c) salt and pepper (or any combination of the above). Toss in the bowl until the fries are evenly coated. Spread them on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until a bit of outside “skin” develops. Turn them over and turn the pan around, and let them go for another 12-15 minutes. Fresh cilantro or parsley makes a great garnish chopped on top.

Now, while you’re eating and before I go…2 long overdue shout-outs – one to my sister, Kathy, who named this blog and made me believe I could do it, and one to my friend, Denise, who encourages me every day and who LOVES sweet potato fries – I hope these do the trick!!
Well, that meal should hold you for awhile! Until you get hungry again, I’ll see you at the market!!