Tag: red pepper flakes

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Don’t leaf through your cookbooks for ideas, make this instead

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.

My allergies are totally angry at me right now.

I don’t know what kind of plant is surviving well enough in this late-July heat to attack my sinuses, but something certainly has been.

So when I told you I was immediately attracted to a soup recipe, you’ll forgive my stuffy nose for wanting a hot meal when the mercury is about to burst out of the glass.

I will say that, considering this is a southern-inspired dish, it’s probably not really meant to be consumed in the middle of a Kansas winter, either, but if you can find the fresh collard greens to make it happen, I’d recommend this gumbo literally any time of the year.

I got this recipe from cook Daven Gates from his Instagram account, called “One Stop Chop.” I switched up the protein a bit and retooled the spices, based on what I had available at my local grocery store and my spice cabinet.

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Gumbo Collard Greens

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword Andouille sausage, bay leaves, bell pepper, cajun seasoning, canola oil, celery, celery salt, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, collard greens, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, garlic, garlic powder, green bell pepper, gumbo, minced garlic, olive oil, onion powder, parsley, red pepper flakes, vegetable oil, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound andouille sausage sliced into medallions
  • 1 cup oil canola, vegetable, olive or avocado
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 to 12 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 large bunches collard greens stems removed and roughly chopped (wash it really well)
  • 2 pounds chicken cooked, deboned and shredded

Instructions

  • Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, and add the andouille sausage.
  • Saute until the sausage is lightly browned on all sides, and remove it to a plate to the side.
  • Add the oil and flour to the Dutch oven, stirring constantly and breaking up any lumps, until the roux mixture is chocolate brown in color. (This may take anywhere from seven to 10 minutes.)
  • Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and stir to coat the veggies in the roux you made.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, and stir, making sure to get any browned bits up from the bottom of the pot. Add in all of the seasonings, and continue stirring until everything is well combined.
  • Let the gumbo come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Add the collard greens, a handful at a time, stirring to wilt it, until all of the greens are in the pot.
  • Add the sausage back in, along with the shredded chicken, and stir to combine. Once the meat is heated through, serve this alongside some fresh cornbread.
  • Store the leftovers in the fridge or freezer. (It’s better the next day.)

This was amazing. The flavors melded fabulously, and the slight spice of the sausage, combined with the freshness of the greens made for a hearty meal.

You will likely be a little intimidated by the amount of collard greens I am telling you to include in this. I will just say to trust the process. It’s amazing how much it wilts down once it hits the hot broth. The entire time I was cooking this, I was afraid I was going to max out the room in my Dutch oven, but it just kept reducing into more deliciousness.

This also reheated really well, which is always nice if you’re in the midst of a summer cold, when cooking isn’t always your favorite.

Or, just save this one for when fall hits and the temperatures go down instead. If you’re like me, you’ll be “lucky” enough to have another round of allergies hit about then, too.

This piece first appeared in print July 30, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

This classic casserole is entering a new school of ‘tot’

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.

Back before my married days, one of my favorite dishes to make for myself was a big nine-by-13-inch pan of good, old-fashioned tater tot casserole.

Of course, being one person, that also meant I was dedicating one meal a day for the next week to eating plenty of leftovers.

I’m a sucker for leftovers, though, so while that might have driven some of you crazy, I always loved it.

When Joey and I married, I learned that he wasn’t against a tater tot casserole. It was just on his “it’s fine” list of foods, so I don’t make it too often these days. (Plus, with needing to try a new recipe every week, sometimes the old favorites take a backseat to something experimental.)

That means, when I found a recipe that is a big twist on tater tot casserole this week, you know I had to give it a try.

This comes from the blog “Inspire Spire.” You can find the original post at https://inspirespire.com/2025/07/18/chicken-alfredo-tater-tot-casserole-recipe/. I added extra seasonings and some veggies and mushrooms in my version.

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Chicken Alfredo Tater Tot Casserole

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Course Main Course
Keyword Alfredo sauce, baby bellas, basil, bell pepper, chicken, easy casserole, fresh mushrooms, garlic powder, mozzarella, onion, onion powder, oregano, parmesan, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, tater tots, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 small bell pepper diced (any color)
  • 1/2 cup diced mushrooms I used baby bellas
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
  • 15 ounces alfredo sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, and saute until everything is cooked through.
  • Add the chicken, alfredo sauce, and seasonings to a bowl and mix it well. (If your alfredo sauce is already seasoned the way you like, you don’t need to add all the extras. Just follow your heart.)
  • Evenly spread the chicken mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
  • Cover the top with a single layer of tater tots, and then top evenly with the cheese.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned on top.

This was creamy and delicious, and the leftovers were fabulous. I will say that if you put a little extra cheese on it like I did, you might want to layer that under the tater tots so they get nice and crispy.

I definitely made this more complicated than the original, which honestly just included the sauce, chicken, tots and cheese, but I couldn’t resist adding the extra veggies and mushrooms to the mix, and they were really good.

I think Joey secretly knew I was trying to trick him into moving tater tot casserole up on his list with this twist, but he just has too many other meals he likes a lot more. He did like it, though.

Regardless, if I’m ever going to be at home by myself for several days, I might need to opt for this new tater tot casserole to sustain me through the week.

This piece first appeared in print March 12, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Breakfast Snack

Hashing out language isn’t always an easy task

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.

Editing for the newspaper leads me into strange rabbit holes sometimes.

This week, it was a fair amount of research on hash browns.

I have always spelled it as one word “hashbrowns,” but it turns out that I’m wrong. Also, apparently it’s not “hash brown,” although you can have “hash brown potatoes.” If it’s on its own, hash browns is always a plural noun, like pants or sheep.

So, technically, you wouldn’t have one “hash brown.” Instead, you have one hash browns. Which still doesn’t sound right, if I’m being honest.

Despite the research, and no matter how you spell it, though, they’re delicious, and they were a great addition to this week’s recipe.

This recipe comes from the blog “Charm Recipes.” You can find the original at https://charmrecipes.com/how-to-make-crispy-hashbrown-and-sausage-bites. I added extra seasonings in my version.

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Hash Browns Sausage Bites

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Snacks
Keyword appetizer, bell pepper, eggs, football snack, frozen hashbrowns, garlic powder, green bell pepper, hash browns, onion, paprika, party snack, red pepper flakes, sharp cheddar cheese, thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns thawed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a mini-muffin tin by spraying the wells with cooking spray. (I ended up needing to do two batches, so if you have two, prepare them both.)
  • Add the sausage, onions and peppers to a large skillet and saute over medium heat, breaking apart the sausage as you do, until the sausage is cooked through and the veggies are soft.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess fat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the hash browns, cheese, eggs, flour and seasonings, and stir well. Stir in the slightly cooled sausage mixture, as well.
  • Fill each well of the mini-muffin tin with the mixture, pressing it down firmly so that all the wells are filled compactly to the brim.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crispy.
  • Carefully run a knife around the edges of each bite to help release them from the tin, and transfer them to a plate.
  • Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  • Serve warm, although these were also tasty at room temperature. If you wanted a dipping sauce, these would pair well with a little cream gravy or some salsa on the side, too, but they don’t really need anything extra.

These were addictive. I made them for the snack table for a fantasy football draft this weekend, and I didn’t bring a single one home. They are crispy and easy to just pop in your mouth. They’d be great for a brunch, too.

And they gave me the opportunity to understand the complexity of spelling out hash browns, but truth be told, after all the digging into etymology, I might just stick to saying “shredded potatoes” from now on, just to be on the safe side.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 4, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Cajun pasta shapes up to be an excellent, quick dinner

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.

I recently watched a video that explained why there are so many different shapes of pasta out there.

I always assumed it probably had a practical purpose and it wasn’t just because of ancient pasta makers’ boredom and creativity. And it does. If you’re wondering, it all comes down to the sauce.

Have a thinner sauce? Use a thin pasta.

Have something thick and meaty? Use a wider pasta.

It’s all about making sure that whatever pasta you choose is a good vehicle for whatever you’re pouring over top of it.

I thought about that video when I grabbed ingredients for this week’s recipe. Its only direction was to use “pasta,” but knowing that it would have plenty of sausage and veggies, along with a thick, cheesy sauce, I wanted to choose something that could stand up to all of that.

After looking over the choices at our local grocery store, I landed on bowties. Why not? They’re wide and they’re fun—perfect for a spicy pasta dish.

This recipe is from the blog “Skinny Spatula.” You can find the original post at https://skinnyspatula.com/cajun-sausage-pasta/. I increased the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

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Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, bowtie pasta, cajun seasoning, cream cheese, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, ground sausage, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, quick dinner, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, spicy sausage, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces pasta
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 ounces low-fat/fat-free cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup parmesan freshly grated
  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve two cups of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add in the sausage, onion and bell pepper, and saute, breaking apart the sausage as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
  • If there are pools of grease in the pan, spoon as much of it out as you can before the next step.
  • Add in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, oregano and parsley, and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, along with one cup of the reserved pasta water.
  • Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted. Do the same with the grated parmesan.
  • Dump in the pasta, and stir everything to coat it well. Add more pasta water if the sauce isn’t as loose as you’d like, and add red pepper flakes (if desired) and salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

I used hot ground sausage for this, and I ended up adding quite a few red pepper flakes, too, which gave this a fabulous kick. It was creamy and flavorful. And the leftovers were awesome. They reheated really well.

And the bowtie pasta was great for this. A rigatoni or ziti would have been good, too, but there’s something about the fun pasta shapes that I really like.

There’s no reason your dinner can’t be practical and pretty all at the same time.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 21, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Side Dish

Want a veggie stir fry this week? I say go ‘floret’

Chinese vegetable stir fry is heavy on the broccoli but really packs some great flavor with seasonings and the addition of earthy mushrooms and fresh garlic and ginger.
Chinese vegetable stir fry is heavy on the broccoli but really packs some great flavor with seasonings and the addition of earthy mushrooms and fresh garlic and ginger.

People often comment that they don’t understand how Joey and I can work together as a married couple and not want to kill each other.

Honestly, 99 percent of the time, we get along really well, both at home and at work.

If there is something that could spell trouble in paradise, though, I’d say it would have to be the one thing we have never been able to agree on: broccoli.

I love it. Joey thinks it makes the house smell like flatulence every time I cook it.

We’ve had to agree to disagree.

But since he was out of the house for a couple days last week, I took full advantage and made this week’s recipe, which features a ton of delicious broccoli, and I have zero regrets about filling our house with the delicious aroma of my favorite veggie.

This comes from the blog “Once Upon a Chef” by Chef Jenn Segal. You can find the original post at https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/chinese-vegetable-stir-fry.html. I added extra garlic and other spices in my version.

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Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry

Chinese vegetable stir fry is heavy on the broccoli but really packs some great flavor with seasonings and the addition of earthy mushrooms and fresh garlic and ginger.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword baby bellas, broccoli, dry mustard, fresh broccoli, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, green onion, minced garlic, mustard powder, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, rice win vinegar, sesame oil, shiitake, soy sauce, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 pound broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 ounces baby bella or shiitake mushrooms sliced thin and stems removed
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced (separate the light and dark parts into two piles)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated

Instructions

  • Start by preparing all of the vegetables. Cooking will go quickly, so having everything prepped will make things easier.
  • Add the soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and mustard powder to a bowl, and stir to combine well. Set it aside.
  • Add about one inch of water to a deep non-stick skillet, and bring it to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about three minutes or until it’s just shy of how tender you like it. Drain it, and run cold water over the broccoli so it stops cooking. Set it aside to finish draining.
  • If there is any liquid left in the skillet, dry it, and then add the vegetable oil, heating it over medium-high heat.
  • Add the mushrooms and red peppers, stirring regularly, and letting them cook for about five minutes or until the peppers are softened.
  • Add in the light-colored parts of the onion, the ginger and garlic, and saute for another minute or so, until you can really smell the ginger and garlic.
  • Dump in the broccoli and stir to combine the ingredients. Once the broccoli is heated back through, pour in the sauce you prepared earlier, and continue stirring constantly, being sure to coat the vegetables in the sauce.
  • Once the sauce thickens to your liking and the vegetables are hot, remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately, topped with the dark green onions.
  • I served mine with lo mein noodles. You could also eat this with rice or just by itself.

This was really yummy. I should have cooked the broccoli just a bit less for the sake of my leftovers, since it was a bit mushy by the time I reheated it, but it was still flavorful and just what I wanted.

Who can complain about a big dish of well-seasoned veggies?

Well, OK, I know one guy, but that’s what he gets for leaving me home alone. You never know what kind of culinary mischief I might get into.

This piece first appeared in print June 12, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Bored with dinner? End your ‘saffron’ with something totally different

Moroccan lamb meatballs are made with an earthy, spicy mix of herbs and spices and served doused in a delicious tomato sauce that pairs perfectly with couscous and some plain Greek yogurt on the side.
Moroccan lamb meatballs are made with an earthy, spicy mix of herbs and spices and served doused in a delicious tomato sauce that pairs perfectly with couscous and some plain Greek yogurt on the side.

For a couple months now, every time I open the pantry, I glance at this tiny canister of saffron I managed to buy on an extreme clearance.

The Britannica Encyclopedia explains that saffron is the most expensive herb because it has to be hand harvested from the tiny stigmas in the center of a particular crocus flower. It goes on to say that if you wanted to have a whole pound of saffron, you’d end up harvesting from about 75,000 flowers.

So I’ve also been slightly terrified of trying any of my small bunch of saffron in a recipe that doesn’t hold up.

I finally took the plunge, though, thanks to finding another generally expensive ingredient on sale: ground lamb. And boy, oh, boy, was it good.

Now, let me preface this recipe by saying that you don’t have to include saffron in it. It’s just a little flavor enhancer, but it’s not critical. I would be sure to use the lamb, though. It paired so beautifully with the spices and sauce, I just couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Moorlands Eater.” You can find the original post at https://moorlandseater.com/moroccan-lamb-meatballs-in-spicy-tomato-sauce/. I added extra garlic, lamb and a few other ingredients in my version.

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Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Moroccan lamb meatballs are made with an earthy, spicy mix of herbs and spices and served doused in a delicious tomato sauce that pairs perfectly with couscous and some plain Greek yogurt on the side.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Moroccan
Keyword allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, ginger, ground lamb, honey, minced garlic, minced lamb, onion, paprika, red pepper flakes, saffron, spicy, tomato puree, tomatoes, turmeric

Ingredients

Spice Mix Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Meatball Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground/minced lamb
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Tomato Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • a small pinch of saffron strands soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a bowl, stir it well, and set it aside.
  • For the meatballs, add the lamb to a mixing bowl along with about one-third of the spice mixture, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon or your hands until everything is well incorporated.
  • Roll the lamb into about one-inch balls.
  • In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches, and brown on all sides (don’t worry if they’re cooked through yet). Once they’re browned, remove them from the pan and place them to the side on a plate.
  • Start building the sauce by adding the onions to the skillet, sauteing until they are cooked through. Add in the garlic. Let it saute for one to two minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Add the rest of the spice mixture, and saute for a couple minutes, letting it soak up any remaining oil or juices in the pan.
  • Add the diced tomatoes. Pour three-fourths cup of water into the empty can, and swirl it around to catch any remaining juices, and then pour that into the skillet, too. Also add in the saffron/water mixture, tomato puree, honey, coriander, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
  • Raise the heat a bit to bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce without a lid on the pan for 10 minutes.
  • Put the meatballs into the pan, stirring them to make sure they’re coated in the sauce. Add the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. (Lamb should be cooked to 160 degrees. Be careful not to go far past that. It can dry out very quickly.)
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. We had ours with couscous with peas and a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

These were absolutely delicious, and it reheated well as leftovers, too. This is definitely a spicy dish, but it’s not overly scary, and if you serve it with some yogurt, not only do the flavors meld really well, but it also helps cool your tongue a bit.

This was earthy and full of great spices, many of which I don’t get to use off my spice rack very often.

Plus, the added bonus was I finally got to use my saffron, which made me feel quite fancy, to say the least. Now I just have to figure out how I will use the rest of it.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 5, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Side Dish Snack

Bruschetta a nice slice of delicious summer living

Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.
Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.

While planning a snack menu for a recent get-together at our office, I decided the summer heat dictated some nice, cool appetizers.

After settling on some dips to go with crackers, I decided I wanted something summery and full of fresh garden vegetable flavors, so I began researching bruschetta. According to “The International Kitchen” website, the dish, featuring toasted rounds of bread, was introduced in ancient Rome, where laborers were fed day-old bread.

Also, for the record, the dish I made technically isn’t bruschetta, since I opted not to toast my bread (it was just so hot that day), but I’m going to say it was a win anyway, especially because it featured lots of beautiful tomatoes, fresh basil and tons of garlic.

The recipe I used is from the website “Delish” from a post by Makinze Gore. You can find the original post at https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27409128/best-bruschetta-tomato-recipe/. I added extra garlic and pepper in my version.

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Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baguette, balsamic vinegar, easy snack, fresh basil, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, snack table, summer, tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced or thinly sliced
  • 4 large tomatoes diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped thinly
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large baguette cut in one-quarter-inch slices

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute, stirring regularly, for two or three minutes until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat, and set it aside to cool.
  • Place a colander over a bowl to catch liquid, and add the diced tomatoes to the colander. Add about one-half teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes and stir to combine.
  • Let the tomatoes sit for at least five minutes so that they release some of their juices.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir gently. Stir in the garlic and oil, and then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Serve the mixture with the sliced baguette. You can lightly oil or butter the slices and set them under the broiler in your oven for a few moments to lightly toast them, or just serve them as is.

This was fresh and delicious. Don’t let the red pepper flakes scare you (although you could leave them out). They really just enhance the flavors and don’t make the dish spicy. Also, the balsamic vinegar was completely on point. Don’t skip it.

It was nice to have a cold, tasty appetizer to share with guests at our get-together. As a bonus, the leftovers lasted well in the fridge for a few days, giving us time to enjoy it even more.

Plus, it’s always nice this time of year to enjoy a delicious appetizer that doesn’t require too much added heat to create.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 1, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Put all your egg(plant)s in one pot this summer

One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.
One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.

According to a recent Almanac.com article by Doreen G. Howard, we should all be gearing up for Aug. 8: National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.

And, apparently, someone who knows all of us at the newspaper office love fresh vegetables was celebrating early. We recently found a large box of delicious garden-grown goodies, with no hint of who left it, sitting in front of our office door.

As a non-gardener myself, I was especially happy to share in the bounty, which included some gorgeous eggplants, along with some gigantic zucchini.

So, if you find yourself a recipient of someone else’s hard work or are a gardener yourself, I wanted to give you a new recipe to try with those summer veggies, and as a bonus, not only does this not require using your oven, it also only uses one pot. Win-win.

This comes from the blog “The Busy Foodie.” You can find the original post at https://thebusyfoodie.com/sausage-and-eggplant-pasta. I doubled the recipe to make using up ingredients a bit simpler. I also added extra garlic in my version.

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One Pot Sausage and Eggplant Pasta

One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.
Course Main Course
Keyword bowtie pasta, eggplant, garlic, one-pot dinner, parmesan cheese, pasta, red pepper flakes, sweet Italian sausage, zucchini

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage casings removed
  • 10 to 12 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 large zucchini diced
  • 1 large eggplant peeled and diced
  • 16 ounces bowtie pasta
  • 5 cups hot water
  • 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 8 ounces parmesan freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add in the sausage, breaking it apart as it browns. Once it is cooked through, toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for just a couple of minutes before adding the zucchini and eggplant.
  • Stir regularly until the veggies are soft, and add in the pasta, along with the hot water. Stir to combine all the ingredients, and turn the heat to high. Once the water boils, turn the heat back to medium-high, keeping the mixture at a simmer. Stir regularly to keep the pasta from sticking, letting it cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and most of the water is gone from the pot.
  • Once the pasta is done, stir in the spinach and parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Stir in salt and pepper, and serve hot.

This was really nice. It had the saltiness of the parmesan, the freshness of all the vegetables and the little zings of spice from the sausage.

It was a simple meal, perfect for lunch, and it made plenty more for us to put in the fridge for leftovers later in the week.

I’d like to say a thank you to our mystery gardener, who blessed us with the fruits of their labor, but I also implore the rest of our readers: please don’t all of you go dropping zucchini in front of our office door on Aug. 8. There’s way more of you than there are of us.

This piece first appeared in print on July 18, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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Main Dish

The delicious smell of this dish will ‘bacon’ everyone to your kitchen

This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.
This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.

“Lindsey, you don’t have to cook. I would have DoorDashed something for lunch,” our young, Gen Z houseguest told me as I fired up my stove this week.

I mean, yeah, I guess I could have let him do that, but where’s the fun in eating lukewarm fast food in your own home when you have a new person to try a recipe out on?

I assured him that not only did I not mind cooking, but he was about to become one in a long line of my guinea pigs for new recipes. He didn’t argue with me too much.

As I flipped through my possible meal choices, I knew I wanted to stick to something that was filling without feeling overly heavy and definitely something that avoided preheating my oven, if I could help it.

I landed on a pasta dish that, while certainly not light by calorie or flavor standards, really fit the bill for lunch on a hot day, and it even sported just a little bit of green veggies so we could pretend we weren’t eating copious amounts of delicious butter and bacon sauce.

This recipe comes from the blog “Serving Dumplings” by Anna Chwistek. You can find her original post at https://www.servingdumplings.com/recipe/orecchiette-with-crispy-pancetta-and-peas/. I added extra seasoning in my version below, along with changing up some of the amounts of other ingredients.

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Buttery Bacon and Peas Pasta

This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.
Course Main Course
Keyword bacon, bread crumbs, butter, frozen peas, garlic, minced garlic, orecchiette, pancetta, panko, parmesan, parmesan cheese, parsley, peas, red pepper flakes, summer lunch, summer pasta, thick-cut bacon, thick-sliced bacon

Ingredients

Pasta Ingredients

  • 16 ounces orecchiette pasta or another small pasta shape
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces thick-sliced bacon or pancetta diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 ounces frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup parmesan freshly grated

Topping Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 3-4 tablespoons parmesan freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions, saving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid when you drain it.
  • While the pasta cooks, prepare the topping. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, stir in the panko, and stir continuously, sauteing for several minutes until the panko is golden brown.
  • Transfer the panko to a bowl and stir in the parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Set it aside.
  • In the same large skillet, begin preparing the pasta part of the dish by heating the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
  • Add the diced bacon and saute until it’s cooked through. Add the garlic and saute for another minute and then add in the frozen peas, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, letting the peas thaw and everything meld for about three or four minutes.
  • Add in the cooked orecchiette, parmesan and about half of the reserved cooking water. Stir until everything is well coated and the cheese is melted. If you need a little more liquid, use the rest of the water. This will not be a thick, creamy sauce. Instead, you’ll have a light, delicious coating.
  • Serve the pasta hot, with a nice sprinkling of the panko mixture on top.

Like I said, this is decidedly not a healthy recipe (you’ll notice that none of the bacon fat is drained off, for instance), but it was really, really good, and our teenage visitor even went back for seconds.

The flavor of the bacon and butter, alongside the brightness from the peas was a great summer lunch. I also paired it with a simple side of sauteed zucchini and summer squash to try to get a few vitamins into our lives.

It is a little on the drier side when you reheat this, but I didn’t mind it. If that’s not really your cup of tea, you could always melt a little more butter to stir into it when you eat it for leftovers.

I would say making a from-scratch meal is certainly not as easy as firing up Door Dash, but I don’t think any of us would have gotten a meal like that from an app.

This piece first appeared in print on July 4, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

‘Hoi’ can’t recommend these Mongolian noodles enough

Mongolian beef noodles are easy to prepare and take fewer than 30 minutes from start to finish to get on the table. The addition of hoisin sauce gives it a sweet and savory flavor that makes seconds a must.
Mongolian beef noodles are easy to prepare and take fewer than 30 minutes from start to finish to get on the table. The addition of hoisin sauce gives it a sweet and savory flavor that makes seconds a must.

In an interview with the Food Network, Chinese food expert Nadia Liu Spellman explained hoisin sauce, a condiment that is new to my refrigerator as of this week.

“I would call it the ketchup of Chinese cuisine, because it’s used as an ingredient but also as a finishing sauce and condiment,” Liu Spellman said in the interview. “Hoisin sauce looks like dark brown ketchup but not as viscous; it’s thicker and pastier. It’s sweet at the start and savory at the end.”

I purchased my first bottle of hoisin for this week’s recipe, and since I had not knowingly ever tasted it before, I was going in blind on what the flavor profile would be.

Of course, knowing that I like soy sauce, garlic and ginger didn’t hurt anything.

The good news is I really liked hoisin, and now I’m excited to see what other applications it has—although I’ll likely be using it to make this week’s recipe again, because it was great.

This recipe was posted on Instagram by Kirk Muenzenberger. His page is @kirkscookingandcocktails, if you want to see the original. I added extra garlic and pasta in my version.

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Mongolian Beef Noodles

Mongolian beef noodles are easy to prepare and take fewer than 30 minutes from start to finish to get on the table. The addition of hoisin sauce gives it a sweet and savory flavor that makes seconds a must.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, fresh ginger, ginger paste, ground beef, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, pasta, quick meals, spaghetti

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces long pasta I used whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons ginger paste
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • sesame seeds and green onion for garnish

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup beef broth/stock
  • 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to package directions and drain.
  • While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through. Strain off as much fat as possible, and add in the ginger paste and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Add the sauce to the skillet, stirring to combine. (The sauce will look very loose at this moment. Don’t worry. It will thicken up.) Continue to stir until the sauce bubbles gently and begins to thicken.
  • Stir in the cooked pasta until it is well coated, and continue stirring until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
  • Serve with sesame seeds and fresh sliced green onion, if desired.

I will absolutely be making this again. It came together in well under 30 minutes, all told, and it was just slightly sweet, a bit spicy and very good. The next time, though, I will dice up a red bell pepper and cook that down with the ground beef. I think it would be a great addition for flavor, color and vitamins.

And now that I have “the ketchup of Chinese cuisine” in my refrigerator, the world is my oyster.

Actually, I’m not sure it’s good on oysters. I might have to do some more research.

This piece first appeared in print on May 16, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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