Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

When I was younger, Hash was a joke in our house. I don't even remember the exact details of what happened but my mom (who is an incredible cook) made Hash and none of us liked it and from there on out we called it mush. It's been a long standing inside joke for years but I'm a grown up now and here I am sharing a recipe for hash. The truth is, I think it's a terrible name for a dish but it's what it's called so we are sticking with it.

I don't love eggs, but they are my go-to breakfast these days. They are quick and easy and always keep me full and satisfied. When I have extra time, a tasty bed of veggies like this one actually makes me excited for breakfast. Most mornings I'm not even super hungry, but skipping breakfast is not something I like to do and starting my day off with something nutritious and healthy ensures I'll make good eating choices the remainder of the day. 

This is really just one giant pile of sweet potatoes, peppers and sausage topped with two over easy eggs- just the way I like them. It's colorful, healthy and full of flavor. Make a bunch of this on Sunday to enjoy all week long and add your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand! Ignore the breakfast in the title of this post...I think this mush would be delicious to eat anytime of day! 

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

1 large sweet potatoes, diced (the smaller they are cut the faster they will cook)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 links mild Italian sausage, crumbled
olive oil
salt and pepper 

In a medium/large cast iron skillet or saute pan, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium high. Add potatoes and onion, and saute until onions become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and let the veggies saute and sizzle, tossing occasionally. Cook until potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Season with salt and pepper. Smoked paprika is another tasty addition! Toss in sausage and cook until heated through. Top hash with two eggs anyway you like them! 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream

I don't love calling a meal a "bake" but that's what this is and it's delicious and healthy so I'm just going to go with it. I've never been into casseroles but a hearty meal like this full of healthy things is something I can always get on board with. Especially when I only have one pan to clean up!

I couldn't love this recipe any more if I tried. It's the ultimate weeknight meal for the Fall- easy, healthy and all of the good Fall flavors. We had it on regular rotation in our house last Fall and it's made it's way back to our menu again. It's loaded with the good stuff- roasted butternut squash, Italian sausage and tons of kale. The coconut milk in the tomato cream is an unexpected twist and it all bakes up perfectly in the oven in my cast iron skillet. 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream
recipe from Paleo Running Mama

3.5 cups chopped butternut squash
olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
3-4 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 egg, whisked
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. 

Toss squash with a Tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to season. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. 

In a large skillet (I use my cast iron), cook sausage and onions. When sausage is almost cooked through, add marinara and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer on low. 

Add kale and toss, allowing it to wilt and soften. Once butternut squash is done roasting, remove pan from heat and add squash to the sausage, tomato and kale mixture. Toss everything evenly. If you are baking it in a separate dish, pour into baking dish. Drizzle whisked egg mixture over everything and gently toss to combine. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bake is golden brown on top and set.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Zoodles with Sausage, Cannellini Bean + Roasted Eggplant Ragout

We are crazy for zoodles in this house! I absolutely love this healthy alternative to pasta dishes and as they have gained more popularity on many healthy eating blogs, it's been fun to gather new recipes to incorporate into our dinner rotation. 

I've been playing around with some of my favorite pasta recipes and subbing in zoodles. While zucchini noodles aren't quite as good as indulging in the real thing, they are still SO GOOD. With hearty, saucy dishes, you almost can't even tell that the noodles you're twirling on your fork are made from a vegetable.

This Rachel Ray recipe was a staple in the apartment I shared with my dear friend, Ashley. The sauce tastes even better the second day and last night, I added some roasted eggplant for a little bit of a different texture. Eggplant seems to scare some away, but it is one of my favorite vegetables to roast. I love the buttery texture and the simple flavors when it's roasted with a robust olive oil and salt and pepper. Cooking Light is featuring some great techniques this month to give you more inspiration for incorporating this purple vegetable into your menu. 

Sausage, White Bean and Roasted Eggplant Ragout + Zoodles

recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

1.5 lbs. sweet pork Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 can (14.5 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

Handful fresh basil, chiffonade

1 small eggplant, cut into large chunks

3-4 zucchinis, spiralized or cut using a mandoline slicer

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, toss the chopped eggplant with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (to help with sticking) and spread eggplant evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until eggplant is soft and roasted.

In a large, heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat, cook sausage. Break up the meat as it browns. When the sausage is cooked, add onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, beans, basil and season with salt and pepper, and turn heat down to low. Cover and let the sauce simmer. 

Once your zoodles have been cut, place in a large saute pan and drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil. Saute for 3-5 minutes, using tongs to turn and toss, until zoodles are slightly soft.

When the eggplant is done cooking, mix in with the sauce and toss in zoodles! Garnish with freshly grated Romano and red pepper flakes.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Italian Sausage & Sage

This recipe started out as a Paleo version of my favorite pillowy pieces of Italian comfort but when the dough wasn't yielding that consistency I was hoping for, the sinking feeling in my stomach let me know that my Italian ancestors were rolling over in their graves. There was no way that my Great Uncle Leonard would allow me to get away with these recipe alterations. I quickly re-joined reality and accepted the fact that any sort of "healthy" pasta was a no go. I mean really, what was I thinking? Never again. This Italian needs to stick to what she knows. The good stuff. How my family has always done it. And since my sweet husband is still an Italian in progress, I knew his first gnocchi experience needed to be something that would make my people proud.

Made with sweet potatoes, whole wheat flour and a lot of love, these gnocchis made the perfect mid-week comfort meal at the end of a cold and rainy day. Italian sausage makes this dish hearty but does not take away from the main attraction. It's the perfect mix of sweet with a tiny bit of salt and a hint of fresh sage.

Patience is the biggest piece of this kitchen and if you have that, you can pretty much count on an amazing meal at the end.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

2.5 lbs. sweet potatoes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus more as needed

1 egg, lightly beaten

Cut and boil sweet potatoes until cooked, about 20 minutes. When the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, dump into a strainer and let cool completely, for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the skins and in a large bowl, mash well with a potato masher. Add egg and with a large wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour into the potatoes. A doughy mixture will start to form. I used about 3 cups of flour total. Keep incorporating the flour until you get a nice soft dough. Place dough in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour.

Once the dough is cool, knead on a floured surface. Divide the dough into equal sections and roll out into logs, about 1 inch thick.

Cut the logs into 1 inch pillows. Using your thumb, press down into each gnocchi and roll away from you, creating the little dumpling shape. Place them on a cookie sheet dusted with flour.

Place in a large pot of boiling water for around 5 minutes, or until all the gnocchi have floated to the top.

I served our gnocchi with mild Italian sausage, olive oil and fresh sage. A little salt and pepper to taste and finished with freshly grated Romano cheese. Molto bene!