Baked Potatoes With Creamy Sausage

It was snowed yesterday! First snow of the season. I keep thinking about Christmas baking and cooking but all I can focus on is dealing with moving which is approaching way too fast. Today I picked up the keys to my new place! My own new house. How exciting! I also keep on spending my time on looking at beautiful kitchens online and in magazines and I am very happy to plan all the decorating.

I also realize this is not my dream house and the kitchen will not be my dream kitchen as well. I do not want to put all my love in there knowing I will move in few years. Anyways, it will still be better than my tiny dishwasherless rental kitchen right now. I will have more counter space and more cupboard space. I already picked the tiles for the floor, as well as the cupboards. The appliances will stay for the time being, they are new and good quality. My fridge has an ice cube dispenser! And my stove is much much better, cannot wait to try it!

As far as the cooking goes these days it seems less planned and more under 30 minutes.

This weekend we had some burgers with blue cheese and roasted balsamic red onions.
This combination is amazing! I used veggie burgers and chopped the onion, placed it on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roasted those until tender. After taking it out of the oven sprinkle some extra vinegar and mix. It will bring out those balsamic-sweet flavours even more.

Sunday morning with some friends over for brunch we had my famous buttermilk pancakes, bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese (thanks Stephanie!) and I made this wonderfully moist and healthy apple cake- brown sugar, spices, wholewheat flour and olive oil. I promise to post that recipe soon because I will be making it again. It really was delicious. Dinner was Chinese take out- my favourite chow mien noodles with veggies.

Last night I had to think of something to create with some fresh sausage that I had in my fridge. Luckily I was inspired by Giada on Food network. But instead of mascarpone I used cream cheese and instead of arugula I used spinach. Also, I made my own tomato sauce and the result was surprising!

Creamy Baked Potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

0.5 white onion

3 garlic cloves

8 Italian style sausages

400 ml crushed tomatoes

300 ml chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon each basil and oregano

1 tablespoon each balsamic vinegar and brown sugar

3 cups fresh spinach

125g cream cheese

1/4 cup natural yogurt

Fry the onion with 3 garlic cloves. Add 8 sausages and fry until the sausage is not raw anymore. Pour over 400ml crushed tomatoes and 300 ml chopped tomatoes. Seasoned with salt, pepper, some basil and oregano, splash of balsamic vinegar, pinch of brown sugar. Add 3 cups fresh spinach, 125g cream cheese, 1/4 cup natural yogurt. Stir until all combined and creamy. Serve everything with baked potatoes.

After the potatoes are baked (pricked with a fork, wrapped in aluminum foil, 350F for 60 min) I like to take them out of the foil, cut two lines as if you were making a cross, add some salt, olive oil and rosemary and bake those until they crisp up. They are so good like this that  they make a meal on its own. With a side of fresh salad, and a cup of buttermilk. Do not ask me why, drinking buttermilk is very Polish. With potatoes especially popular where I come from.

And you can use the leftover potatoes for lunch with consisted of the leftover potatoes with smoked salmon, fresh lettuce and some lemon juice!


Today's song:

Counting Crows Round Here