Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

An easy way to put classic Italian comfort food on the table. This a real crowd pleaser and can easily be adjusted to feed a few or a crowd. My dad is going to be thrilled to see this on his plate later in the week. I took some help from the grocery store and used a very good jarred marinara as the base. I used a bag of sweet mini peppers which were cheaper than buying the full sized red, orange and yellow bell peppers. You can serve this dish over pasta or polenta for a change of pace.

Serves 6

6 large sweet italian sausages(I used chicken sausages that my grocery store makes in house)
1 large red, yellow and orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into thick strips
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 25 oz jar of marinara
1 28 oz can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 tbsp minute tapioca(thickens the sauce)
1 cup red wine
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper
6-8 basil leaves torn
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the sausages on all sides. Place the peppers, onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Place the sausages on top. Pour the wine, marinara, tomato paste, vinegar and diced tomatoes over all. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, tapioca, chili flakes and fennel seed over top. Gently stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Stir the basil leaves in just before serving. Serve over cooked pasta or polenta. Top with parmesan.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

This is basically a giant chocolate eclair that does not require piping out individual eclairs and then piping in the filling. It's much easier to make with the same wonderful taste. I chose to make my own pudding and chocolate topping but if you are pressed for time, do take a little help from the store and use a boxed pudding mix and chocolate sundae topping.

serves 12

Pastry Shell
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
4 large eggs

In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter, sugar and water to a boil. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low. Cook stirring until a ball forms and the dough pulls away from the pan. Transfer the dough to a bowl with an electric mixer. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. The dough will become a thick paste. Press the dough into the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan that has been sprayed well with baking spray. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Vanilla Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 vanilla bean pod

Place the sugar and cornstarch into the bottom of a medium saucepan and whisk until combined. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk and half and half. Make sure the cornstarch is well mixed in and that there are no lumps. Whisk in the egg yolks and toss in the vanilla bean. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and pour the pudding to a fine mesh sieve that has been place over a medium sized bowl. Using a spatula, press the pudding through the sieve to remove any lumps. Add the vanilla and butter, mix until combined. If desired, split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds from the pod. Add them to the pudding. Cover the top of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the frig until cold.

Chocolate Sauce

makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
6oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips(splurge and get a good quality)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan bring the sugar and heavy cream to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and chocolates. Keep stirring until all are melted and the sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla. Serve warm and store leftovers in a container with a lid in the frig.


To Assemble

Whisk the pudding before place on the top of the eclair shell. Pour over the shell and spread out. Heat the chocolate sauce briefly in the microwave to make sure it will pour. Drizzle it over the top of the pudding. Top with sweetened whip cream and serve. To make serving easier, I cut the shell into 12 squares first and reassembled in the baking dish before pouring the pudding over it. Serve right away. I found that if you place the cake back in the frig, the chocolate will harden and you will have to re-cut it before you can serve it.

California Lime Pie

This is my take on a Key Lime Pie. I used limes from my own trees. I first planted lime trees several years ago because I was tired of buying limes at the store that had no juice in them. I'd squeeze for days and get just a few drops of juice. After growing my own for awhile I realized that the reason the store bought limes were so pathetic was because they were not ripe. I know this sounds bizarre because I had been told for years that limes are supposed to be green. Not true! It's a lime conspiracy! Ripe limes are yellow in color and are loaded with juice. So now if I have to purchase limes from the store, I always look for fruit that has yellow on the skin. I am rewarded every time with juice.

Serves 8

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter

Place all in bowl and mix until the crumbs are well coated with butter. Press the crumbs in a 9 inch pie plate that has been well sprayed with baking spray. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until the crust has begun to turn golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the filling

Filling
3/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp lime zest
5 egg yolks
1 can (fat-free) sweetened condensed milk
1 brick light cream cheese

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and condensed milk until combined. Add the lime juice, zest, and egg yolks. Mix until combined. Pour the filling into the pie crust and return to oven for 15 minutes or until the filling has set.

Allow to cool, then place in frig until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream. Cut and serve.